Among The Children, [p] Elam

[Elam]

"Elam, would you mind if you lead us in a prayer?"
Elam looked at Anala for a second. 'I get it' He thought and laughed in his mind. He closed his eyes and began.

"Spirit of Taro.
Join us at this time,
to grant us your blessings
and hopes for our futures.

He opened his eyes again, he decided that he shouldn't recite all of the prayer (Since it was about ten to twenty verses long, which had lead to the food to be cold). He looked up at Anala and then, the children.
"That is a old verse that had been passed down from my family for generations." He bowed his head to Anala and added to his previous sentence. "Once again, I thank you for your hospitality."

[*Anala]

As his voiced echoed out over the dinner table, Anala closed her eyes and the children followed her example. It was great to finally have a warrior at her dinner table, a friend. She was getting so lonely. So the almighty Taro has answered my prayers. She smiled as her eyes fluttered open and the speech ended. For some reason, she found his voice so... enticing.

"It is indeed beautiful, Elam. And what can I say? It's not just to be cold to a friend. Alright! Let's eat." The last part of her sentence was nearly shouted, as the children started to chatter with one another again. She had prepared several dishes, which everyone had started passing around. Soon, her plate was filled and the clinking of cutlery mixed in with the voices. Anala ate her food like she would at home, ladylike as always, before turning to the guest.

"So, any news you'd like to bring us from around the world?" Quite frankly, she was hoping something went wrong so she could have an excuse to bow out of this situation and hand it to Maril, the boy that was training under her as an apprentice. Her wistful dreams of getting to handle the sword again seemed so close this time.

[Elam]

"Thank you for the complement." he replied.
He took a few bites of the delicious dinner that Anala had prepared. He took a sip of his water.
"So, any news you'd like to bring us from around the world?"
Elam looked up and at Anala, who had asked. He put down his fork and knife. "For the past two months I have been working with the Council. It seemed to them that they had lost contact with the Fire Temple. I've been investigating this for two months and had just arrived back to Falasthria not to long ago. I was on my way to the Owlin to report this, so I thought I could stop on the way in my home village.
Elam gave her a sign that he shouldn't mention the rest of the matter wile the kids where there, since what he had seen had been brutal and very unexpected.

[*Anala]

Anala's eyes widened at the news. She nearly shouted, "THE FIRE TEMPLE?" but held her tongue. With the look in the warrior's eyes, she knew it would not be time right now. Later, when they were alone, and the children were asleep.

She returned his message with a nod, letting the topic drop. They all went back to eating, before another child raised his voice. It was young Tyler.
"Elam, sir. Are you the man with the Death Angel Mistress Anala keeps on talking about?"

[Elam]

Elam curiously looked at the child who had asked him so boldly. "Elam, sir. Are you the man with the Death Angel Mistress Anala keeps on talking about?"
With a smile he calmly patted him on the head and replied with simply. "I don't know anybody else in this world that has a death angel, so I guess that means yes, I am." He looked over to Anala, who seemed still a little off because of their last topic and said with a jest. "I guess you've told them all about the old man." With that, he laughed.

[*Anala]

Anala laughed with him.
"Oh, lighten up, Elam. You're wise, but you're not going grey anytime soon. Nobody will, except me." The children giggled as she dramatically ran a hand through her hair. She, then, punched Elam's arm, her force so light, it couldn't have been more than a soft touch.

Suddenly a babble came from the children.
"OO! Does that mean you have wings?"
"Can you kill people?"
"I want wings!"
"I want parents."
"We all want parents."
"Can you find our parents, Mr. Elam?"
"Yeah! You can find our parents. You saved Ms. Anala!"
"He can kill people to!"
"He can kill people without suffering for it?"
"Of course."
"Yeah."
"He's a Taro-son!"
"So he's going to save us all?"
"I want my parents back!"
"Tell us about your adventures!"

The last command was supported with an outcry from the children. Some left their place at the dinner table and tugged at Elam, trying to pull him to the fire-side. Anala stood there, staring in disbelief, worrying on how her friends would interact with this.

[Elam]

Elam was surprised, the children jumped around him asking questions, which was quite unusual. Because of his darkness, people have often avoided him, even if they knew of his good intentions, but he couldn't really blame them for it, he didn't really give a friendly look on a daily basis, especially after a quest or a long travel.

As they asked him questions, some quite bold, Elam couldn't do anything but smile. But as much as he would want to share his stories with these lovely children, he couldn't. Some where just to brutal and some had to much information that he shouldn't share with just anyone, especially children, since they tend to gossip a lot even without intending to so.

He patted one of the girls on the head and said with a smile. "As much as I want to, some of them are quite dangerous and some need to be kept a secret." he looked over the bunch of children and thought 'It can't hurt to tell 'em a little' With a smile he added to his previous sentence. "..but, I guess I can tell you that I once fought the Dragon king Ciraxis..." he stopped for a wile and leaned down to whisper to them. "...and yes, I do have wings, but I can't show you them, I still have a lot to learn, but keep that a secret between us, okay?."

The children laughed and agreed to his deal. He looked over to Anala and said wile laughing. "Quite the group you got here."

[*Anala]

Anala nodded at his words a solemn smile upon her face. The children had crowded around the warrior, pulling him down onto a plush seat, their curious faces peeking up at his.
"It's sad to say they're orphans, waifs upon the street. So curious."
She put a hand on her chin, a thoughtful emotion.
"Go on with your story. It should be a good one. And I haven't heard it before, either, so..." The smile turned into one full of joy, and mischief.

[Elam]

Elam laughed and turned towards the children. "Well, If Anala is asking, then I guess I can't say no." He stood up and sat down on the floor. The children followed him, sitting down on the floor around him. He took a deep breath and began his story.

"It happened about a month after I met Anala. I was walking through Sonit forest. I had been walking there for a wile, not really sure how long I was there. Anyways, as I was walking, I stumbled across a lake, if I could call it that. Near the lake was a tree-stump and I must say, It was as big as a bed. I had decided to take a rest there. When I woke up from my short, but plentiful slumber, I met a elf, or so I though. I sensed the darkness in side him and asked him what he was doing, but our conversation did not last for long, for I quickly found out that it was Ciraxis in his humanoid form, back when Darkarya was controlling him. Soon after that, we clashed our swords together in battle.
I had the upper-hand as the battle began, but I ended up being stabbed through my stomach and I guess I was luck there. Soon I was up against him in his real form, as a dragon. I remember that Ciraxis nearly killed me twice in that battle. After receiving such a wound, I began to black-out, but then I changed. My wings came from my back, my skin changed into a grayer image of itself and my eyes became red with rage. Our battle was long, but in the end it was a draw. I flew into he mouth of the giant dragon and stabbed my sword through his upper jaw and he burned me inside his mouth, but burned himself in the progress. I ended up being shot over half of Falasthria. When I woke up, I was on a beach, half dead, but still alive."

He closed his eyes. A little silence took over for a wile. Then he stood up and bowed his head. "That is the end of the story and also. the end of storytelling for now."

[*Anala]

The children stared in wonderment at the warrior's tales. Anala knew there was going to be quite a bit of talk about his heroics and she wouldn't mind them staying up about it. There was no rule about falling asleep, just that you had to be in your dorm at the 9th bell.

Speaking of which...

As if it were fated, the bell tolled out 9 times in the city after Elam finished, the last bell of the night. All the children moaned and slowly stood up, wanting to hear more tales spun. As soon as all of them left for the bathrooms, the red lady flitted to the warrior's side, grabbing his hand in the process. When the word "bed" popped up into the story, she just remembered one small fact that verified itself today. They had received a new child, so....

"Elam... Please excuse me for my absent-mindedness, but we have no more beds left. I would like you to take my bed, but I fear that the structure may be too small, as we run low on money. So, would you mind following me?"

With that, she turned on her heels and started to the stairs, behind the bumble of children.

[Elam]

As the bell tolled, Elam smiled and said with a small laugher. "I guess it is time for you little ones to go to bed." With that, the children stood up as slowly as they could and headed to their rooms. He could only smile as they disappeared up the stairs.

Anala suddenly grabbed his hand. A little startled, he looked at her as she stood next to him. There was s short silence before she told him that they where out of beds. What shocked him more, was the fact that she had offered him her own bed. Before he could protest, she headed towards the stairs. Elam could only follow.

As they reached the second floor, Elam stopped her. "Are you really sure you wish to lend me your bed? I could sleep anywhere, I wouldn't feel right taking the bed of a lady who has already fed me, at least not without paying you back for your hospitality."

[*Anala]

She looked into Elam's face. It seemed so battle-worn and weary. She'd slept on the floor before, and she had shared a bed or two with one of the older girls. She could manage.

Anala nodded her head, declining any uncomfortable conditions the warrior would bring up.
"You need it, out of all of us. You've been through many hardships, and many battles, so it is the least I can do to lend you a bed. Your hospitality has been given, after saving me from those hooligans back in Sirius City." But, at last, her eyes would give away the longing of adventure. The lady-like life was docile and comfortable, but she wanted that feeling of being thrown off a cliff and in the face of danger once more. It gave her a sense of thrill. Nevertheless, she took his hand once more and lead him up more flights of stairs.

The bed she would give him was the largest in the house. It was fit into a snug room, strung with candleholder and lit candles that illuminated the room from the roof. The bed was well made. She raised a hand to help him take off whatever gear he carried.

"Make yourself comfortable. Just don't look in the top drawer of that dresser."