COMPROMISE

"Very well we will place ourselves in your care for the time being.....of course only under a few conditions....."

When Master Talya spoke again Azaire let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when he felt the alluring power in the sand surrounding Gustavo and the invigorating force surrounding Master Talya abate. He hadn't even realized the power had been there or that he had subconsciously sensed it.

'What is this sensation?'

'Have I reawakened that life energy sight I had unlocked before?'

'No this is different, but what.....'

('Stop That')

Azaire nearly jumped at the invasive voice but he had plenty of practice keeping himself and his emotions under wraps so he prevented himself from flinching or showing how startled the sudden voice made him. He looked cautiously over to Gustavo and Master Talya, but luckily the two gave no sign they'd caught the situation and were still busy talking to each other about the terms of the compromise....

"...we'll also of course be needing luxurious quarters..."

".....of course, of course I understand....."

Holding back his sigh of relief Azaire discreetly glanced over toward Titania and she looked completely and totally unbothered still like she had been from the start and most of the way through this situation with only a slight nearly imperceptible tension in her shoulders you couldn't notice unless you were looking for it as the only proof to Azaire that she had really gave him a mental warning in his mind.

Before Azaire could let it bother him or stress over it he could feel Jared pull him in tighter to his broad cushiony chest and bend down close to him to softly rub his bristly cheeks delicately against his face in a clear attempt to distract him proving he had noticed the strangeness just now and probably knew a bit of what was going on.

The feeling of the giant prince's rugged cheeks brushing against him brought Azaire an unexpected burst of joy and contentment.

It brought back memories of when he was younger and would love to play with his father Robert's beard and feel it's softness on his hands and cheeks during cuddle times with his parents and brother and sister.

He also remembered the handful of times Robert had to cut his beard into this very same five o' clock shadow look and how he would always run up to him and chase him around saying the sandpaper monster was coming for him. After Robert would capture the giggling kid Azaire he would nuzzle the kid with his rough face amidst squirming and giggles.

It had been so long since they'd done it last Azaire was a little sad as he wondered when had he grown out the nostalgic habits.

Unexpectedly Jared got a pleasant surprise as Azaire stroked his prickly cheeks absentmindedly as he leaned into the giant's nuzzles.

After finally being successfully distracted Azaire enjoyed the nostalgic memories and comfort of the giant prince as Talya somberly continued negotiating the compromise with Gustavo sighing silently in her own mind.

Despite her seeming continued unbroken focus on the person in front of her and although she showed no signs of noticing how could she possibly miss the going-ons of her own apprentice.

'This kid sure knows how to cause trouble. What am I going to do with him?'

She made sure to demand some special privacy enhance lodging for training her apprentice and keeping him out of trouble during that trouble. The less eyes seeking out that kids various abnormalities the better.

After ironing out the last few details of their compromised "surrender" Master Talya led the others to start packing up. Titania sent another mental message before going to swiftly pack up her tent as Azaire and Jared went toward their own.

('Leave Roran in the ring for now it's better not to expose him to this. You can go in and explain it to him later')

This time Azaire completely suppressed any indication of the silent exchange and just thought silently in his head of affirmation as he walked into Jared's tent to see a biff ball of fluff still snoozing happily away on their pillow as if he had no cares in the world.

"Tch. Seems like Skye wasn't made to be a guard hound I guess."

Jared ruffled the sleeping puppies head which seemed to finally drag the sleeping pup from his rest. Soon he was up and bouncing up onto Jared licking his face carelessly. Even suffering from something as horrible as sky poisoning the little guy still had spirit in him huh.

Azaire smiled to himself at the warm and euphoric scene. There was a strange warmth he could feel in his chest and his stomach felt a little uncomfortable.

'I'm not coming down with indigestion now am I?'

Jared pulled Skye into his soul space to rest more and because he felt uncomfortable leaving the puppy out around the sand wyrm's.

Azaire started tidying up the tent pulling things into his space ring while they were inside and the other party wouldn't be able to sense him using the ring. Jared quickly joined them and soon they were finished.

After packing up Jared took the tent and placed it seemingly into thin air. It didn't look like he had used his space ring so Azaire wondered what exactly he'd done. Noticing his curious stare Jared chuckled and petted his head as he explained.

"That was just my Domain. My current space ring is full so I'll have to unload some stuff later."

Azaire could feel his eyes begin to shine as he looked at the giant prince with a newfound sense of awe and respect. A real Domain! That meant that Jared was a Noble....no being able to manifest his Domain and place things inside it that made him at least a King. Azaire hadn't even broken through to the enlightenment realm yet.

Doing the math that made Jared three whole major realms above him, Azaire never knew the prince had been this powerful the whole time! It might take Azaire countless years to reach the same height.

Noticing the near fanatical gleam in Azaire's eye all of a sudden Jared could feel his cheeks as they burned with a bluish tint as he blushed at Azaire's attention.

A exasperated sigh from Titania beside them quickly changed the mood though as the two laughed awkwardly at the embarrassing situation they were caught in. Shaking her head she joined the two as they walked up to Talya and the sand wyrms. As everyone gathered the Hungry Three started to come forward with magical hand cuffs prepared but Gustavo angrily called them back.

"What do you think you're doing! As of now they're our guests. Put those things away!"

One of the three began to protest;

"But the rules....."

He was cut off as a wave a pressure bore down on the three turning their already malnourished complexion even paler and cutting off the disrespectful wyrm who dared to talk back leaving him and the other two shaking.

"You three shame our people with such cruel and petty emotions and actions. You three will return first to forewarn the elders of our arrival then immediately report to the hall of reflection!"

At Gustavo's sharp words and especially the punishment doled out at the end of those words the three became even paler then ever. They nearly looked like they would become ghosts but they dares not argue any longer.

Immediately transforming three pale yellow seemingly overgrown worms appeared for a moment before diving swiftly into the sand and disappearing.

"Sorry about that those three are special problem children I've been trying to properly re-discipline and educate properly. As you can see they're currently a bit misguided."

Gustavo apologized sincerely before waving his hand and allowing a huge sand boat to appear.

"Well then my fellow guests and my darling apprentice Ponos shall we be off?"

Azaire was a little surprised that the stoic and respectful wyrm had such an identity but on second thought if only out of the four wyrms from before Ponos was clearly a much better choice for such a position the those three losers.

Master Talya began to lead them all onto the boat as she replied solemnly to Gustavo.

"Indeed we should be going. Let's be off!"