Cedric was laying in his bed, thinking about Maple's offer. It was a trick, of course, but he couldn't help thinking, What if she's telling the truth? Life wasn't so bad, before the end of my tolerance. Myrkr is one of us, surely Tahl'dri would accept Myr, even if she didn't want to be a test subject? Would it be worth it? It was an hour before he was to meet with Maple. Because of their previous team-ups, he knew what time she had referred to. If Cedric was going to get Myrkr to go with him to the courtyard tonight, he had to go and get her soon. Otherwise, there was no telling what Maple would do to him if he were to show up alone. As he contemplated whether or not he would try convincing Myrkr to join him in the courtyard, old memories surged up and forced him to relive them.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦
(Three years in the past...)

     Queen Tahl'dri had just ordered the genetic specialist, or GS, Dhalra, and her assistant and apprentice Xar to prepare a long-term plasma capsule. Cedric, on the other hand, waited and watched silently from the left side of the throne, where Queen Tahl'dri sat. Maple was on the other side. Getting Cedric's attention, Maple started talking to him in her catspeak, which she retained from her non-sentient past and had taught to Cedric.

     Cedric, she started, are you sure about this?

     Cedric nodded and replied, Yes, I am.

     Something could go wrong, Maple continued, and glanced sadly at the ground. When she looked back, her pale green eyes were pleading. I do not want to lose you.

     Cedric hid an amused smirk. Maple always worried about him, and that worry grew more intense since he had been asked to be a test subject for an enhancement project by Queen Tahl'dri. You will not lose me, Maple. Do you really think it is that easy to get rid of me?

     Maple's tail twitched and went silent. Finally, she motioned, No. I love you the way you are. Her Majesty had asked you. We are a lord and lady of Mion. You could have refused without disgracing Her Majesty.

     I took the oath, as you did. I am forever loyal to the queen. What she may request of me, I shall give.

     Alright, Maple conceded, giving up. I will always love you and worry for you.

     Cedric sighed silently. Maple, I can best any Mythic and any challenge. You need not worry about me.

     A playful gleam entered Maple's sober gaze, and her whiskers twitched with a small smile. That is a lie, and you know it. Cedric, you very well know you can never best me.

     I will never need to challenge or to best you, will I? Cedric countered, then faced the front. He was aware of Queen Tahl'dri's gaze on them, and that was the equivalent of her demanding silence.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦
(The present...)

Myrkr woke up shortly after she had, literally, fallen asleep. Luna and Shimmer were likewise sleeping, and Maple still hadn't come in, though it was no later than fifteen or so minutes since Myrkr initially entered the room. With her cat-like stealth, she snuck out of her bed, grabbed her emerald dust bag, and left the room, closing the door silently. She then retraced her steps to the library to borrow a map from inside the entrance.

There was one courtyard, and it wasn't too far from where she was. Another look at the map told the Cí'mehia that the Ziixi Academy was more or less one giant, straight hallway, with little branches that went up a floor, down a floor, or to unimportant rooms like the dorms. The courtyard was nearly in the center of the academy and opened up to the sky, with a path that circled it like the upper layers. Generally, there were four entrances or exits at—in clock terms—three, six, nine, and twelve. It was a perfect spot for an ambush, especially when the quarry was only one person. If Myrkr went, she'd be asking for trouble.

She changed into a cheetah, having put the map in her pocket, and silently pelted through the hall toward the courtyard, passing the exit to the guy's dorm. She didn't dare cover her scent; if Cedric was going to meet with Maple, he would obviously go and get her first. Myrkr wanted her questions answered, so she continued to the courtyard.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦
(Three years in the past...)

     No longer in the throne room, Maple watched the well-remembered plasma capsule the GSs had prepared for Cedric. Instruments were on a stainless steel rolling table, while others were attached to the wall nearby. The liquid containers on the table were green, as they were hardened plasma. It was how they were going to give Cedric the experiment substance while he hibernated in the plasma.

     "Cedric, I love you," Maple said, gripping his hand tightly. Queen Tahl'dri, Cedric, and Maple were in the GS Lab, with Dhalra and Chald doing last-minute preparations. The two GSs were human-dominant Cí'mehia, like Cedric, and both were in their Hybrid form. Cedric was the only one who preferred being in his human form over Hybrid form, but even Queen Tahl'dri didn't mind anymore.

     Cedric squeezed Maple's paw-like hand back. "And I, you, Maple," he replied.

"Lord Cedric," the assistant, Xar, said. "The capsule is stable. Are you ready?"

     With a quick glance at Maple, Cedric nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Good." Dhalra, the GS in charge, walked over, a clipboard in her hands. Her tail was carefully still, as were her ears. She obviously didn't want to bump something, and had the discipline to keep from doing so. "Will you place your hand on the plasma capsule?"

With another nod, Cedric reached for the capsule, then hesitated. "What will happen once I touch it?"

With a small smile, Dhalra said, "Nothing bad, I assure you." Cedric lifted his eyebrows in suspicion, but laid his hand on the plasma. It was warm, and not at all painful. In that moment, Cedric didn't understand why Dhalra had told him to touch it.

Then it started pulling him in, like quicksand. "What the–?!" With a yelp, Cedric instinctively started to try and get free. The plasma did nothing except pull him in at its steady rate.

"Lord Cedric," Dhalra started, hiding a smile. "That's supposed to happen. Calm yourself, please."

Slowly, reluctantly, Cedric let himself be pulled into the plasma. The plasma pulled him in up to his elbow, now. "You could have warned me," he muttered. He then realized that what was inside the plasma had no feeling, it was numb. "Dhalra, why am I going numb?"

"It's the preservation process. It either keeps one in a hibernation state if alive, or it slows a body from decaying if dead."

Maple stepped forward, glancing at the plasma. She didn't have worry about the plasma's actions, just the experiment itself, he determined. "See you soon, Cedric," Maple said. Those were the last words he heard before his head was absorbed and slowly numbed. Before he completely lost consciousness, he felt his breathing slow down to a set pace.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

When Myrkr reached the courtyard, Maple's scent was what told her where not to go. She entered the pathway that went right around the outside, which smelled beautiful from the flowers in the courtyard. I can't get distracted. Hopefully Cedric won't be able to follow my scent when the flowers cover it up. The flowers easily would have been able to cover anyone's scent, and even Maple's was becoming harder to discern.

Maple stood in the center of the courtard, staring at the sky. Despite her apparent absentmindedness, her ears twitched expectantly from the four entrances in order to hear anyone approach. Though, since Myrkr was taught stealth by Moon's Claw and Lavender in the leaf- and twig-covered ground of the Revak Feykro, solid stone would have been far too easy when Myrkr was young, much less now. She sat down and remained a cheetah, her emerald eyes watching silently and her ears flicking like Maple's.

After an hour a waiting in silence, Myrkr heard footsteps. Cedric appeared from the path Myrkr entered, but he continued toward Maple, whose gaze never left the night sky. "Hello, Cedric," she said, smoothly. "Is Myrkr with you?"

"No. Is she not here with you?" Cedric replied, an undertone of his voice held worry. "I thought I scented her coming this way."

Maple finally glanced at Cedric. Her eyes held pain, but determination. "I have not seen her."

At this, Cedric turned nasty. "You sly, damned cat. Where is she? What have you done to her?" His voice got lower with each word.

Maple acted hurt. "Would I dare try to lie to you? Do you remember nothing? I didn't touch her. Though, if you found her, we can all go home, and this war will never effect us."

Cedric replied in a low voice, and Myrkr didn't hear what he said.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

"She won't become a test subject? She won't be locked in a cage, or a plasma capsule? Do you expect me to believe that, Maple?" Cedric asked in a low tone. His voice wasn't harsh, but neither was it simply questioning.

Maple was silent for a moment. "Cedric, do you remember what I told you before you had subjected yourself to the experiment?" The pain shown in the moonlight from her eyes. "In the throne room? I love you, Ced... but I took the oath. Do you think I want to be a war machine? Forced to hunt you, the one I love?"

Then come away with me! Cedric said in catspeak. We do not need Tahl'dri to rule us. But I will always keep Myrkr safe from Mion. I cannot let you take her.

Cedric, I worried for you for a long time, until I found out you were alive. Please don't cause me this pain of deserting the Cí'mehia.

"What is the meaning of this?!?!?" came a screech from one of the surrounding pathways.

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦

Myrkr launched herself toward the two, landing with her cheetah grace, a yowl rushing from her lips. She glared at them. "Do you two mean to betray me to the Mion queen's lies?" she demanded.

"Not at all, Myrkr," Maple said. "Don't you wish to find your home, live the life you were supposed to? Cedric can't tell you much about it, but I can. He was locked away."

Is that why he was being hunted down? "But why do you want me there?"

Cedric tried saying something, but Maple spoke over him. "I want you to live the life I lived. The jungle is wonderful, and always poses a challenge. Your blood calls for the jungle, Myrkr. I know it."

      "What if I don't want to be examined by your damned genetic specialists?! What if I don't want to be an experiment?!" Myrkr started pacing. "It's my choice, Maple. Please, just leave the choice to me."

     Maple nodded. "So be it, Myrkr," she said calmly.

     "And Cedric?" Myrkr faced him. "Why were you locked away?"

     Cedric shook his head. "It's a story for another time. But I did nothing wrong."

     "Fine," Myrkr snorted, disbelieving. She then pelted down the hallway she hadn't come from, going the opposite direction. She didn't know where she was going. Frankly, she didn't really care.

     A soft voice called to her. "Stop your fleeing, Myrkr Mkhoal." A dragon appeared in front of the fleeing Cí'mehia, and she skidded to a stop.

     "Who are you?" Myrkr asked, unsure whether to be hostile or curious. The dragon had numerous black tattoos of natural scale formations depicting treble clefs with an arrow through the middle of each. Her scales were a pale yellow-gold, her eyes a pale gold. "What do you want?"

     The dragon made a rumbling noise in her throat, and Myrkr took it as laughter. "You do not remember me? I was the one to save you when you were young."

      Myrkr bristled. "Liar! That was Azure, not you."

     The rumbling came again. "Ah, but you did not let me finish. Shall I?" When Myrkr remained silent, the dragon continued. "I was the one to lead Azure Star to you. I also blessed you, though it was not my full blessing. However, it seems you must have the full blessing, now. Trouble comes with the quest you share with your brother." My brother? I have no blood nor kin I know of. I have no quest. "Do you know who I am, now?"

     "Ysamaldrí?" Myrkr guessed. "The goddess of the Isles?"

     The dragon snorted, black and gold flames coming from her snout. "Indeed, little Myrkr. Would you take my full blessing, and become a Gem of Ysamaldrí?"

     Changing back to Hybrid form, Myrkr then kneeled. "I would be honored."

     "So be it." With an incantation Myrkr didn't understand, the feeling, followed by the scent, of burning flesh, alarmed her. It was all she could do to not yelp with pain. When she looked down at her right hand, the same mark that was on Ysamaldrí's scales was on her hand. All of a sudden, Myrkr felt stronger. "Use this skill wisely, Mkhoal. The last time I granted such power to a Cí'mehia, I had to kill him due to greed. Beware those who wish to use your power for wealth." Ysamaldrí's neck arched back regally. "May your Isle never sink, but prosper." And with the farewell of the Isles, she vanished.

      "Farewell, goddess of the Isles." Myrkr stood, and quickly made her way back to the other side of the academy.

♖ ✽ ➳ ✽ ♖
About time I added Ysamaldrí and Myrkr's Gemmer ability in full, huh? Well, I'm glad I finally did.

Who do you think Myr's brother is? Oooo, such cliffhanger, many wow.

Edit: I changed who the GSs were. For you who knew who they used to be, they will be those characters in the present.