<span style='color:FF0080'>"Extra protection, eh?"</span> Em said with a wry smile. She began to look at the menu that Damien had passed her. The letters seemed to swim in and out of focus, despite the fact she hadn't had any of the bright blue drink yet. She blinked a few times to no avail. She passed the menu back to Damien. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Sorry, I don't have my contact lenses in, I can't read it."</span> she said smiling sheepishly. Contact lenses didn't really help her see anything, but Damien didn't have to know that just yet. <span style='color:FF0080'>"As for genre, I write a cross between what's considered fantasy and science fiction."</span> She said, taking a sip of her drink. It was flavored with some type of fruit syrup and icy as it hit the back of her throat. All in all it was pretty good, she could now see why people bought it.
Damien watched her for a moment, smiling when she remarked on the protection front and his brow furrowing slightly as she seemed to lose something for a second. "Sorry, I don't have my contact lenses in, I can't read it." Damien gave an understanding smile, his mother had needed glasses aswell. And he couldn't help but look at her as she did a cute sheepish smile at him. <span style='color:orange'>Don't worry about it, Just say what you fancy...i'm sure it can be rustled up for you...</span> Yet another smile escaped his maw, He still had a slight headache, numb as his head was. He'd ask for a painkiller when they ordered.
Em looked surprised, even though she probably could have guessed she was able to order whatever she liked. Damien had said he was a friend of the owner. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Oh!"</span> She said, blushing through her smokey fur. <span style='color:FF0080'>"In that case do you think they'd serve me a steak done rare?"</span> she asked. She felt the air seem to become more olid around her. She looked at Damien and was about to ask if he had noticed it when she sensed something odd. His eyes, once a brilliant amber, were now somewhat dull and more on the orange side. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Damien...Do you feel okay?"</span> If he didn't feel alright she wanted to know, she wouldn't mind if they left or anything because of how he was feeling, but she was just very used to knowing what was going on.
<span style='color:orange'>Yes, i'm sure they can...it happens to be on the menu...yes it is indeed.</span> She was blushing again, he noted as he looked up from the menu. She did that alot... it was sweet. he flicked through to the next page... Looks like i'll just have a steaktoo... he thought, rather than having to read the words that seemed to stab into his pained skull. He blanked for a moment, blinking finally to ask her last question. <span style='color:orange'>oh..i'm alright...</span> he said quietly, waving a waiter over. <span style='color:orange'>Two steaks, one rare, one medium rare... an other set of drinks.</span> His voice lowered. <span style='color:orange'>Something for the head pronto please...</span> The waiters here knew of his ailment, and also had the best drug to cut his fury that could be released.
At that particular moment, had Em not had anything to drink she would have recieved a sharp pain between her eyes and her jewel may have glinted. However becuase the alcohol numbed that part of her mind first nothing happened. Something still seemed somewhat off, but not enough for her to notice in the slightest. When Damien whispered something to the waiter she wondered breifly what he had said, but though better against asking questions. They usually just got her into trouble. <span style='color:FF0080'>"I noticed when you were following me earlier that you seemed to know perfectly well as to where you were going, do you live around here?"</span> She asked. In truth she was coming up with little to talk about. It wasn't Damien, she just wasn't one to talk that often.
<span style='color:orange'>Most of the time i live here.... otherwise i attend The academy in the eastern hemisphere.</span> Damien first answered without looking at her delicate maw. But when he did something was wrong. <span style='color:orange'>Em are you ok?</span> He asked gently, a paw lightly on her shoulder in a friendly guesture. The waiter finally made it over with his curing drink, it fizzed with the pills that were dissolving in it. For this moment he ignored the drink. It could wait.
Em was still sensing something not quite right she racked her brain for a few moents and then discarded the idea as useless, at the moment her brain was probably as good as a brick wall for trying to figure out what was wrong. Damien's question caught her off guard. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Ik...je'w blwe ekfe wixtekjaz wttxw...ihh"</span> Em realized what she had said a few seconds too late. She put a paw over her mouth. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Sorry"</span> She said making an effort to speak English. <span style='color:FF0080'>"what i meant to say was, something seems off"</span> She spoke her words slowly as not to revert to a different language. She looked away from Damien, cursing herself for not being more careful.
<span style='color:orange'>You speak the ancient language....</span> Damien said in a whisper, unbelieving. His head thumped but his control stayed. If she was one of the ancients... then maybe she could... No. He couldn't ask that... never. His eyes were shining orange as he realised his grip on his mind was slipping. Quickly he swallowed the pills he had been given and held his head with his elbows on the table. <span style='color:orange'>You know how special you are?</span>
<span style='color:FF0080'>"I speak many languages. I've never heard this particular flaw of mine called the ancient language, but apparently i can still learn new things,"</span> Em mused to herself. One of her paws briefly touched Damien's that was still resting on her shoulder. She mulled over his last question to her. She did not find nor see herself as all that special, more like different...in a lost sort of way. She couldn't use magic, she wasn't the greatest fighter, all she really had was her love of words and half-finished manuscripts. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Unusal, Yes. Special, No."</span> she said finally.
<span style='color:orange'>The language you spoke was of the ancients, The first pendragons of this world. A mixture of many breeds... I read a book in the libary about it at the Academy. But after i finished reading, it turned to sand. I think anyway...</span> Damien looked at her, did she have parents? A family of this blood? A lost race could be discovered if she was the breed he imagined...or did she just speak the language...? <span style='color:orange'>Do you have a family?</span> He asked carefully, recovering from the shock of this possible discovery.
Family? That was a tough subject for Em. She had had family at one point. Though what was left of them had been debateable. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Well...the thing about me and family is that they all kind of...died...and i'm not really left with any memories except for one of the fairly intact objects that I scavenged from the...uh...i guess it had been a ship at one point. It kind of crashed around the area of Hrishikesh, at least that's where the Yki told me I was. Don't know how i understood the language, don't really care either, but i think i was learning navigational skills, languages and space operations."</span> She said, not really liking the fact that she couldn't tell Damien anything that would be of any help as to what he had just realized. Em neglected to tell Damien about her book, it was probably the same one that he had turned to sand. She had managed to sell that one, it had been intended to sell as science fiction, but the publishing company had made it sound as though it was some kind of academic book. If she remembered rightly it was supposed to turn to sand. Though the friend that had read her the contract could have been toying with her. She continued to think this over until she though she was going to burst if she didn't say any thing. <span style='color:FF0080'>"I wrote a book, this was a long time ago mind you so i may have the facts wrong. I know that it was about a race of what appeared to be a cross between the kosa and the lukuo, they were natural languists and scientists, lived else-where after figuring out how to get off of Ramath. Then one of their missions went awry and they have no idea what happened to the crew. As for the turning to sand, i think that i told the publishers that it was the kind of book to be read only once. It has the potiential to be overanalized, give the reader headaches that seem to split their skull in half.</span> Em said. Once again, though absently this time, one of Em's paws went to Damien's, though this time she didn't move it.
Damien remained silent, watching her paw rest upon his. All his hopes to find the ancient race were gone... <span style='color:orange'>i'm sorry to hear about your family.</span> He managed eventually, still thinking about the book, how he had belived every word of it all. But at least it was well written. Damiens navy chest rose with an intake of breath before he gave a small smile to Em. <span style='color:orange'> It was a good read-your book that is.</span> And as if by some heaven sent message the food they had oredered earlier wafted into the nostrils of his maw and sat on the table in front of his saucer eyes. it looked asthough it waas food for the gods themselves - hence why he liked this place so much.
<span style='color:FF0080'>"It's alright, I don't know if they were doing me more harm than help actually, probably the former. I don't think they were big on morals,"</span> <span style='color:orange'>It was a good read-your book that is.</span> Damien had said. She didn't want to seem arrogant, though she did have to give herself credit, it was pretty good writing. The food was brought out to them and just the smell of it made Em realize how hungry she was. All she had eaten for breakfast was a banana. <span style='color:FF0080'>"Thanks, I had some trouble with gatting that one published believe it or not."</span> she said. Em reached for her fork and knife and began to cut small pieces of her steak.
<span style='color:orange'>I'm surprised... it really was a top example of literacy.</span> Damien nodded popping a peice - that he had sliced up- of the warm meat in his mouth masticating it in a quiet manner. He watched her cut the up her meal, seeing that hungry glint in her eyes. She was such a sweet thing, modest about her writing, not bragging as others would in the same situation. it was however, a shame about her family... A lot of people in this world lost their families. Ramath was quite corrupt sometimes. <span style='color:orange'>Do you have any other books? Like a follow on of the book i read?</span>
<span style='color:FF0080'>"Oh, my original editor thought the writing was just fine, he just wanted to know what race i was and where i got the idea for my story. Two questions that he shouldn't have asked,"</span> Em said. She continued to eat while she thought of an answer to Damien's last question. She had other publications, mostly stories for local newspapers and magazines. She had another book in the process of being edited. It was not one that she like very much, to tell the truth she did not even remember writing it. It was about her and the old arden that had taught her the more refined bits of ramathian and had begun to teach her the language of the anubian priests, but hadn't gotten the chance and then there was the journal. <span style='color:FF0080'>"I've got a sort of memoir of recent events on an editor's desk, a few news articles and some stories i wrote for writer's magazines."</span> She said, pausing for a bit. <span style='color:FF0080'>"I also keep a journal,"</span> she said, quieter than before and she smiled sheepishly once more. She had been keeping a journal since she had graduated from Janarden, that had happened way over ninety years ago, but she still kept one. It was a large book, she had paid a pretty penny for it, but in the whole it was worth it, it had potential to make a good follow-up to the original book: Wind of Stones* --- *Wind of Stones is a title I am using for a book i am in the process of writing. It's is nothing like Em's backstory.
<span style='color:orangered'>Ah... i kinda guessed you were sensitive on that subject... the breed one. But at least it suits you.</span> Damien had said this without a second thought to what it might rouse with her and uopn realising he winced, chewing that little more carefully. He stared at the plate in fron of him as she either was uncomfortable or in thought. Hopefully it would be the latter... hey you never know maybe she never heard him? <span style='color:orangered'>Journal?</span> He hadn't been fully atentive until she mentioned her journal... oh how he loved peoples journals... the ability to snoop and find out their every desire in life that they had had over the years. But she didn't loook old to have THAT much information... still the temptation to ask where she kept it was unbearable, and the yearning to read it where ever it was was . Just think of the knowledge he could gain. He would know her every fantasy all of her desires and most importantly her secrets... However he really wanted a movie, some ice cream and a pile of salted popcorn... weird he thought at his random urge for food of a different sort.
Em was a bit confused on Damien's first comment. She didn't quite understand what he meant. So rather than asking questions she finished her meal and thought about the question Damien made. She nodded <span style='color:FF0080'>"Yeah, I keep a journal. Started it when i was in Cajseu University. Just little things here and there. The only pitty about the large part of my journal that i wrote when i was there is that it's just barely legeble. Turns out poorly lit dormitories and small, thin, handwriting don't mix,"</span> Em said. It hadn't been that her dorm was poorly lit, it was just that her friend Leah's dorm had been a better place for her to write before Leah had been switched out for harassment from a bend of students. The vamp had always insisted on dark walls, furnishings and only candles. The odd numb feeling in the front of Em's head was now dissipating and she was becoming more in tune with what was around her.
<span style='color:orangered'>Ahh, dorms aren't too bad this year... not that i'm there much anyway. do you have time for a dessert?</span> Damien quickly changed the subject on the academy. he didn't want questions why and he was practicaly hissing in pain with a new headache. So much for a quiet day and he couldn't take more pills... <span style='color:orangered'>'cuse me a sec...</span> and with that he rose and half stumbledf to the unisex bathrooms that sat there in all the expensive marble...
THe numb feeling completely gone from her head the area under her jewel recived a bolt of pain. Em blinked and as soon as the pain had come it had gone. She looked up and saw that Damien was stumbling and almost tripping over his feet. Ignoring that small voice in the back of her head that told her to stay put Em pushed herself up off of her chair and made her way over to Damien who was only a meter or so from the table for all of his efforts. She put an arm around his shoulder. <span style='color:FF0080'>You're not feeling well and i know it's not from the drink, no one can speak that well and not walk properly at the same time,</span> She said, her voice a bit harsher than she expected.
All was silent in the room that they inhabited. The waiters froze eyes fearfully on damien as his eyes flashed into a almost neon orange. Things began to float all around them, the tableware and even a few of the waiters a muffled squeak of fear came from the kitchens as the chef looked out from the door . He felt patronised by Em and his other side snapped at her in a voice different to his own. <span style='color:orangered'>Get your paws off!</span> The voice sounded like the demons from your nightmares, a insane deep voice that growled with contempt at you. Damien was practically fire all over as his bodily flames expanded and began to singe his own fur. But somewhere damien remained, looking out from behind the monsters eyes. He needed to go to the bathroom, cool down and hopefully not do anything harmful. And Damien managed to step there, feeling as though with every step his soul was being ripped out from his very heart. He made it. And with a sudden grace he turned on the cold tap and plunged his head into the filling sink, feeling the grasp loosen on his fragile mind.
