Armin glanced back at the pair, then continued along the trail.

'I like things like this. The air smells nice in these natural areas. Reminds me a little bit of the village where I grew up.'

Esme scampered along the trail, glancing at every stone and pinecone along the way.

Dianne: "It is pleasant. Too bad the forests around home have crazed farmers."

'And Luxia, too,' he said with amusement. 'But it is nice. I guess /you/ didn't see much forest or greenery growing up.'

Dianne: "Yeah, that didn't come until I was an adult....and married....as a child it was just black rocks, yellow sulphur, and glowing red magma. The forests outside the Scar were pretty ruthlessly controlled by the adult dragons. Any youngins who tried to venture out usually wound up being food themselves. Young adults were too weak to contest the forests. You either dominated as an adult or forever ate the nasty slag rats and snails."

'That sounds rough for anything to live in. I'm surprised any young dragons could survive in a place like that, if they couldn't even venture into the forests for things like food or water.'

Dianne: "We got water from rain and the snails. It wasn't a nice place to live, and I don't envy the wild dragon tribes, that's for sure. The few of us that did survive just replaced the greedy, selfish basta.rds that were already there, and the cycle continued. That's why, when the endangered dragon support commercials come on, you don't see me scrambling to the phone. Those uncultured brutes dug their own ditch, and they deserve to be where they are."

'Maybe things are different now. You said you haven't encountered any of your species since you left Ferros. Maybe their society is different now. It was three thousand years ago that you lived there.'

Dianne: "Perhaps. I'm not going back though. I hear they have poaching problems. Apparently, the horns of a Ferrosian Marbled Dragon are a very powerful magical catalyst, so poachers knock them out and cut off their horns for potion use.

'I wonder if they /are/ magical or if it's just some weird rumour,' Armin mused. 'I heard people do a lot of things with dragon parts. Organs, teeth, bones, all kinds of stuff. They sell them on the black market for a lot, apparently.'

Dianne: "No, it's real. Had to fight off one of my coworkers once. He was trying to take my horns for some experimental research.It doesn't matter if they'll grow back, Brand, you can't have my horns."

Armin chuckled. 'That's fair. You'd look a bit silly without horns.'

On the trail was a bubbling brook spanned by a simple wooden bridge. Armin walked across the bridge, listening to the hollow sounds of his footfalls on its surface.

Dianne: "I know. That's partly why I lodged an axe in his chest later on."

{Dianne ushers Esme along, looking down at the brook.}

'Ouch. Did that kill him?'

Esme jumped onto the bridge rail. Perching a little precariously, she gazed down at the rapidly moving water. Armin paused to look as well, grabbing her tail before she fell in.

Dianne: "No. The doctor patched him up. Then Dolorus posted the policy not to intentionally annoy me. But, that's exactly what they did. Until I killed Balzabar."

{Dianne walked up behind Esme, making sure she wouldn't fall in.}

It looked like Esme would have stayed there for a long time, so Armin coaxed her down and kept walking. Once off the bridge, the trail started to climb in a shallow slope.

'I think I heard about that. I can't imagine Dolorus being impressed that you killed that guy.'

Dianne: "He wasn't thrilled, but I was too valuable to kill. So he made the policy, "don't kill kids in front of Delilah." After that, they really left me alone."

Armin grimaced slightly at the mention of killing kids. It made him remember the events of yesterday all too well. But he wasn't worried anymore about her opinion of him changing because of Windglen, even though the memory itself still disgusted him.

'Well, he deserved it... So what was life like, in the cult, on an average day? What did everyone /do?'/

Dianne: "I'm not sure what everyone else did exactly, but I had a bit of a routine. I'd get up, do sparring for the morning, eat something, then work on whatever research project I was working on until I got hungry, ate again, went back to work, then ended the day with heavy drinking, then bed to start it all over again.l

'For a thousand years? Damn.' Armin paused. 'Can't say that sounds interesting, but I suppose there wasn't much to do in that situation...'

Dianne: "Yeah, well, it was different during civilization wiping time. Then, I was always out in the wilds, attacking settlements, spreading disease, fighting with soldiers, stuff like that. Even then, there was always this underlying feeling that there was nowhere else to go. This was my life now, so I might as well stay..."

Armin briskly clapped her on the shoulder as they walked along.

'Hey, at least you got out of there in the end. From what I understand, none of the others except Ardens got a chance to start a new life when the cult broke up. They were probably too psycho.'

{Dianne smiles a little at the gesture.}

Dianne: "Yeah, they were rather unstable. It had to be done. And yeah, I got out. And despite all the lonely years, I finally have something I'm happy about."

'You earned it. A chance to have a nice life after being alone for so long. As someone who had a hard enough time being friendless for 150 years, I can't imagine how you go several thousand like that.'

Dianne: "You saw what I was like. That's how you get. Bitter, paranoid, angry....all that."

'I'll pass on trying it myself.'

By then, they had reached a higher point on the trail. The path was now level with the treetops. Looking over the tree line, they could see the park and lake beyond.

Dianne: "Ooh, pretty view. Well, I wasn't alone because I chose to be. At least, not at first. I met people, but every single one of them turned on me the moment they found out I was a necromancer. Which only further made my trust issues worse."

'That sucks,' said Armin, pausing to look over the trees before continuing onwards. 'People should be more open-minded. So, you never had /anyone/ during those years except Magnus?'

Dianne: "Well, I met people. Friendships never lasted very long. One of the longest living ones was my friendship with a young elf warrior named Aava. But, once again, my past broke that apart. Honestly, I'm surprised you were all so accepting of me."

'Well, you helped us out. And some of us - like me, Fred and Rex - had kinda dark pasts ourselves, so it was hard to discriminate against you. Though, I am a little surprised people like Jerry and Pythia were so accepting of you.'

Dianne: "I feel like Jerry had a crush on me for a while, so maybe that's why. Pythia was standoffish, but once we had that long discussion after Ana attacked her, she seemed to sympathize with me."

Armin smirked a little at the first thing she said, but didn't comment on it.

'Well, then, you can see that not all people blindly hate you. It just took you a while... OK, a long time... to find the right people. I don't plan on ever being alone again and I won't let you be, either.'

{Dianne turns to look at him, smiling a little.}

Dianne: "Thanks. That...that means a lot."

Armin playfully nudged his shoulder against hers as they walked.

'You're welcome. Do you think we should be heading back now? We need to see if we can get into a cinema. With something Esme might like.'

Dianne: "Yeah, we should, before we walk too far."

{Turning around, Dianne directs Esme back.}

Dianne: "Should we take her to an action movie, or something marketed to kids?"

'I'd vote an action movie. She seems to like them, and it might be more interesting for us than a kids' thing.'

Armin accompanied them back down the trail, enjoying the cool air and smell of trees.

Dianne: "Ok, let's do that. Also, we're looking for a place that sells rocks for Esme."

'I'll look for a place when we start driving,' said Armin. 'I saw shops like this back in Shacklestone when I lived there. Ones that sell rocks, semi-precious gems, jewellery made of gems, stuff like that.'

Dianne: "Yeah, healing gemstones. Those don't work. They look nice, though."

{As they walked along, they came across a park ranger stopping people from going through.}

Ranger: "Sorry, folks, you're going to have to wait a few minutes. A bear decided to start eating right in the middle of the trail."

'There are bears here? Cool,' said Armin. 'Do they ever attack people?'

He picked up Esme and put her on his shoulders, just in case she decided to run off.

Ranger: "Not often. The bigger problem is the dragons eating /them/. Instead of the signs saying, "Don't feed the bears", we had to put up signs saying, "Don't eat the bears." Kinda funny, how that works."

Dianne: "Well, they are delicious."

Armin was looking up, over the trees. 'Maybe we could just shift here and fly out of the trail... That bear might be eating for ages.'

Ranger: "You could. I don't think that bear will be sticking around very long, though."

'Well, let's just stay here for a few minutes. It's nice out here anyway.'

Keeping Esme with him, he sat down on a fallen log.

Dianne: "Alright."

{Dianne sits next to Armin, smiling pleasantly.}

Dianne: "I think Pythia would have liked this. In the spring, maybe all of us can make a trip up here. We'll rent a bus and all go."

'That would be nice. If you can manage to drag Pythia away from her work, that is. I'd like to bring anyone who wants to come. Except maybe Ivy.'

Dianne: "That poor girl needs a break. I'm sure I can convince her. If we bring everyone, I'm sure Ivy will want to come. I don't think we can leave her behind without good reason."

Armin scratched his jaw. 'Eh, true. It might be funny to bring her, anyway. But she'd better not expect us to buy her everything she wants. If she doesn't have enough money, that's her problem.'

Dianne: "Yeah, no handouts for her, and no boyfriends either. I don't want some stranger being near me while I sleep."

'Yes. She can come, but hopefully she isn't too annoying.'

Armin subsided into quiet, gazing down the trail, wondering if the bear was still over there.

{After a few minutes, the ranger comes back to them.}

Ranger: "Well, it moved on. Y'all are free to continue forward."

{Dianne stands and stretches.}

Dianne: "Alright, off to the movies, then."

Armin stood up as well, letting Esme off his shoulder and setting off down the trail. After a few paces, he shifted into his red wolf form and trotted ahead to stretch his legs.

//Hmmm... smells funny around here. I guess that's what bears smell like.//

Dianne: "Trust me, they smell better flash fried. Taste better too."

{She walks along, enjoying the cool air and scent of the trees.}

Esme quickened her pace, trying to race Armin down the trail. He gamely let her keep up, watching her to make sure she didn't run off.

//Well, don't think about eating any of the bears here. They might be a protected species...//

{Dianne made sure to keep pace, jogging along.}

Dianne: "I know. It would be a stupid way to get into trouble. Besides, I can eat all the bears I want back home. And deer. And fish, but I rely on you to catch those."

//Well, I don't normally have to catch them these days. But, maybe that's an idea. We could go out one evening, start a fire, grill some fish and just enjoy the night air...//

Dianne: "Yeah, that's sounds nice. We'll have a cookout at my place. The plains are pretty nice at night."

//Sounds like a plan!//

Reaching the end of the wooded trail, Armin shifted back and proceeded to unlock the truck for everyone.

{Scooping up Esme, Dianne hops into the car.}

Dianne: "To the cinema, then?"

'Yep, let's go.'

Armin started the car and set off down the streets. Shortly after setting off, by chance, he spotted a small shop on the corner that sold precious gems and rocks. He stopped outside it.

'Do you mind waiting here real quick? I want to get my present for Esme.'

Dianne: "No problem. Just don't get ambushed by hunters."

{She says, chuckling.}

Armin let himself out and hurried into the shop, glancing around. There were shelves of interesting rocks, pebbles, gemstones, and jewellery. //Esme would love this.//

He spotted a large geode and picked it up. //I think this'll do nicely.//

{Meanwhile, Dianne held Esme's attention by snuggling her and offering her pieces of dried mango.}

Dianne: "Hey, sweetie, having a good time here with us?"

Esme looked momentarily surprised to see Dianne produce the dried fruit, but ate it eagerly. She said nothing, however.

A few minutes later, Armin returned, with the geode wrapped in a paper bag. 'Now the hard part will be not letting her see this,' he remarked, reaching around to put the bag in the back.

{Dianne kept her attention, smiling pleasantly.}

Dianne: "Keep in mind where you put it, then just keep her away from there."

Armin started the engine and set off.

'I'll leave it in the back. Just don't let her go in there.'

He drove down the street, beginning to search for a cinema.

{Dianne simply sat back, watching the streets and people go by.}

Dianne: "So, when it is time to go home, how are we going to make the trip?"

'Hmm... Our options are taking a plane, but having to leave the truck behind. Or, making a roadtrip home, which could take over a week, and we'd be sleeping in the truck with all the luggage... That could be a fun adventure, but it might also suck.'

Dianne: "Not to mention dangerous. We're not protected by police out there. Any remnants of the hunters might be lying in wait."

'I guess our only feasible option is to take a plane, then.' He glanced down at the steering wheel. 'I don't want to leave my car...'

Dianne: "I don't know what else we can do. They'll ship it all to us, so you know it'll be safe."

Armin didn't look entirely happy about it, but he didn't protest.

'Well, we have to do whatever's safest. So we'll take a plane... Though, the hunters might try to attack our plane, too.'

Dianne: "I suppose. Seems unlikely, though. They won't know what plane we'll be on. As for the car, you'll only be away from it a week at most."

'Hm. That's true. We'll just have to walk everywhere when we get home,' he said with slight amusement. 'Good exercise, I suppose...'

Dianne: "Or I could just buy us a new car. We need something where Esme has a proper seat instead of sitting on my lap."

'You can if you like. We can look around and see what second-hand cars are selling. There's no point in buying a brand-new one if there are good used ones.'

Dianne: "So long as the interior doesn't smell like cr@p...If nothing else, I can afford to buy new."

{Dianne spots a rather grandious looking theater down the street.}

Dianne: "There's one. Let's try it."

Armin slowly drove into the parking lot by the theatre and climbed out of the car. 'You might have to get tickets. I only brought enough money for that present.'

Dianne: "I can handle it. Let's go."

{Hopping out of the car, she carries Esme with her to the ticket booth.}

Dianne: "Three for Commando Man 3, please."

The employee printed off three tickets from a machine. 'You sure the little one will be OK? There's a lot of action and fighting.'

Dianne: "She'll be alright. Despite her young age, she seems to enjoy these action flicks."

{Thanking the employee, she takes the tickets and heads inside.}

Dianne: "Theater 3, theater 3...."

Armin followed, gazing around curiously. 'Over there,' he said, indicating the doors that led to their theatre. A good number of people were going inside.

Dianne: "Ah, good."

{She walks for the doors, entering the dark theatre.}

Dianne: "You can see better than I can. Find us some seats."

'It's not /that/ dark... Oh, over here.'

He tapped her shoulder and led the way towards several vacant seats at the end of one of the centre rows.

'Doesn't seem like this place is going to fill up, so we've got this spot to ourselves.'

Dianne: "Oh, splendid."

{Dianne goes and sits with him, placing Esme on her lap.}

Dianne: "Alright, let's see how she likes a tv that's a story tall."

Armin settled down, leaning back slightly in his seat. Esme was gazing around the dark room curiously.

'Hopefully no-one coughs all through the movie. That's really annoying.'

Dianne: "I'm sure it will be fine."

{Just then, the previews start. The first one is for a theatrical showing of the Sargon movie.}

Dianne: "Oh, for the love of..."

Armin snickered at the preview, quietly as he tried not to disturb anyone.

'Is that the one where you romanced Sargon and I was screwing Ana on the sidelines? Oh no.'

Dianne: "....Looks like it..."

{The preview ended and the next one started. It seemed to be of some generic action movie.}

Esme sat up and started taking more interest, while Armin just leaned back in his seat, boredly waiting for the real movie to start.

{After a few more boring trailers, the movie began. Dianne settled into her seat, watching with mild interest.}

(Do we skip?)

(Yeah.)

----

A couple of hours later, they left the theatre. The sun was setting and it was beginning to get dark.

'Well, that wasn't bad,' said Armin as he headed for the car, Esme on his shoulders.

Dianne: "No, it wasn't. I was a little confused when the villain turned out to be his uncle in that "big reveal", but i had no idea who he was. I guess you had to have watched the other two...Still, Esme seemed to like it."

'I doubt she understands the plot anyway. She's just there for the action.'

He unlocked the truck and climbed in.

'Could we go back to that fish restaurant for dinner?'

Dianne: "Sure. The only other way we'll get fish that good on our own is if we catch and cook it for ourselves."

{Dianne sits in the passenger seat and takes Esme onto her lap.}

Yawning a little, Armin set out towards the northern lake. He looked drowsy after everything today, but contented. Esme just quietly stared out of the window as the scenery rolled past.

(posting new room)