-Some nights she would sneak away from the group to do some personal training. What that was, no one knew...
After her training was complete, they returned. Harane was the first to notice what looked like her sister-

Harane: ...Kalseru??

Kalseru: It is good to see you again, sister. I hope you have been well. '-'

Harane: You.. You look different.. .-.

Kalseru: I may have changed a little, but I assure you, I am still myself. 'o' Come and see.

Harane: ... *Walks up to her* ( She's not nervous or jumpy anymore. She looks so.. confident.. ) *Looks at Coordinan* Hey, what did you do to my sister??

(Wow that's a DRASTIC change! I'm already starting to miss her old soft look, I'm not saying this is bad though it's just going to take some time to get use to. )

Coordinan: Why do you got to put it like that, it makes it sound as if I did something wrong.

Kalseru wasn't the only one that changed over the years in term of appearances. Coordinan didn't have a major difference like his lover, but he did get as tall as Kalseru, gain a little bit of facial hair around his chin, and had more muscles added to his thin frame compared to his almost stick like figure from two years ago. He felt the need to work on that over time so he could kind of keep up with Kalseru seeing how fast she started to improve with her powers.

Coordinan: Honestly all I did was give her the adventure she wanted while also helping her control her powers in certain areas, I knew she would have more confidence in herself but anything outside of that I couldn't predict.

@ShihouxAdventure ( That's what happens when you train for the GAINS! *^* Now she doesn't need to be scared anymore. :P )

Harane: N-no, you misunderstand. This is great! She isn't as fearful as a scared child anymore! >:o

Kalseru: ..'Scared child?' :'D

Harane: EVERYONE, COME LOOK! >:O

-Minutes later the other members came up to their location. Scizwryn was the first to say something-

Sciz: !! Kal..? Kalseru, it really is you under that expression! :o

Goliath: Much has changed with you, my child. I am glad you went past your limits. :o You have my thanks for taking care of my daughter, Coordinan. u-u

(Yeah I know, but it still hurts. It's like trading in your old console that you've taken care of for so long that's filled with fun and nostalgic memories for a new and improved model.)

Coordinan: Hehe there's no need for that, I can't take all the credit for it as is and she has been taken care of me during that time so I'm pretty thankful as well.

@ShihouxAdventure ( Kind of reminds me of that Nes we had. ;-; But maybe you'll find something you like from the new Kalseru? )

Kalseru: Even with my efforts, had it not been from the encouragement of Coordinan and Mana, I would not have reached this state. I thank you for that.

-She gives a bow to the two out of respect. The others give a bow to them as well. Sala then speaks up-

Sala: Well I for one am glad you managed to break free of your shell, Kalseru. I could not be more proud of you. *Pats Kal's shoulder*

Kalseru: Thank you. c: I'm glad that I have truly awakened as a Dragonkin. *sighs* Well then Coordinan. What should we do after two long years of training together?

Coordinan: Oh this is embarrassing, I'm still not use to it. All of you stop with the bowing!

Mana: Well I for one say I deserve all of this praise, even more so when I'm the main one having to take care of you, Kalseru, and all the other Flix.

Coordinan rubbed his temple while trying to figure out what he was going to do next now that they were back home and off the trail.

Coordinan: I don't know what you will do, but I just need to relax at this point without having to look over my shoulders every few minutes with the possibility of someone or thing coming to harm me or you. Soaking in a warm bath or getting a full body massage sounds nice, heck falling asleep right about now doesn't sound to bad either.

Mana: I could do the same yet at the same time I'm curious if anything has changed in the surrounding area. If you have any other suggestions then we don't mind thinking them over.

Coordinan just nodded his head as he let's out a yawn.

@ShihouxAdventure

Sciz: Well my small friend, things have changed since you were away. For one, more people have heard of interactions between us and humans. Including the Far East. And-!

Cellal: *Ahem*! ...I'm sure he'll want to mention that himself. ;)

Sciz: Ah, right! :'D
Sala: Doryu has.. joined my unit. He has also been training since you left. *^* Seraph, surprisingly, came to visit as well.

Kalseru: !! Seraph was here?? How long was that?

Sciz: Not too long. She left a few days ago. She sends her regards to you, though!

-Kalseru sighs in relief at the news. She then turns her attention to Coordinan-

Kalseru: A massage can be arranged if you'd like, dear. ^-^ We can go into the lower chambers for that.

Coordinan's heart fluttered when the word dear formed from out of Kalseru's lips, it made his whole body warm up even more.
.
Coordinan: Yes please, I would enjoy that from you very much.

Mana: *sigh* Okay you two enjoy your relaxing moments together, I'll try not to disturb you during that time as I explore. Sciz would you like to do the honors of giving me my own personal tour of what's new around here?

@ShihouxAdventure
Sciz: *Takes a bow* M'lady, it would be my honor. :D

-Scizwryn let Mana land on his hand, giving her the grand tour. Harane looked at Coordinan and Kalseru in a bit of shock-

Harane: Wait... 'dear'?? What ELSE happened in there??

-Kalseru just chuckled as she led Coordinan dowstairs to the inner chambers. There was a room where a comfy-looking bed was, along with a bath in the middle of the room-

Kalseru: Please, lie down here. I will tend your weary body, my love. ^-^

Coordinan does as his lady instructed, ready for her to take all the tension away from his body without any possible praying eyes.

Coordinan: Every time I come back to this castle I keep finding more and more new spots that I've never seen or heard before. Okay Kalseru I'm ready whenever.

@ShihouxAdventure

Kalseru: I still get lost at times, but there are a few places that I know of by heart. ^^' You'll get used to it.

-She begins to work her magic. Thanks to all of the control training, Kalseru can regulate her strength to any level she wishes. Which is good in this case, this massage feels AMAZING-

Kalseru: I do not know how this feels to you, but I am glad you are not contorting in pain from my hands any longer, haha. Those lessons from Mana have really helped. ^^

Coordinan: Ahhh, this is great~.

He shivers from Kalseru's touch and the way she was loosening his body up. It felt so good to the point if he wanted to he could of fallen asleep right then and there.

Coordinan: I'm not surprised, if I couldn't have figured out something for you then I was positive Mana could. She's had a lot more experience when it comes to interacting with people and finding some kind of possible solution for them, I mean she has been living longer than me.

@ShihouxAdventure
Kalseru: Well I appreciate the both of you. ^^ You both have made this possible for me. For the first time in my life, I don't fear my powers. I feel.. normal..

-She sighs in relief as she continues for a while longer with her massage. After what seems to be forever, she stops, stretching a bit before sitting down by him-

Kalseru: Are you relieved of any pain, Coordinan? 'o'

Coordinan: Oh yeah, what you did was the trick to solving that problem. Here you are again looking after my wellbeing, I'm so lucky to have a caring girl like you.

He sits up and gives Kalseru a kiss as a reward for a job well done.

Coordinan: Thanks for that, maybe if I was a Dragonkin as well then I wouldn't have been complaining about that problem as much as I was seeing how your pretty much fine. Wait..are you alright, d-do I need to do a message for you as well!?

Coordinan didn't want to seem like a bad lover to Kalseru by only receiving certain actions from her without returning something of equal value.

@ShihouxAdventure

Kalseru: You are welcome. ^^ Indeed, being a Dragonkin does come with its, how you call them, 'perks'. You tire less quickly in things like battle, hiking, travelling. And depending on what type you are, damage does not effect you normally. I am fine from my end, you need not worry about me.

-She reassures she's fine to him, then gives a bit of a wry smile-

Kalseru: ...But, if you wish to give me one, I would not be opposed to your offer, Coordinan.

-She removes her tunic, now in her netted top as she lies down on her stomach. As far as one could tell, the training also further sculpted her physique-

Kalseru: I am ready when you are. c:

Coordinan gulps at the feeling of his heart beating harder as he stepped up to the table to give Kalseru the same treatment she gave to him as his placed hands traveled along her body.

Coordinan: It still throws me off whenever you allow me to do intimate stuff like this with you so easily now compared to a few years ago, we always steadily lead up to these sort of things.

He puts pressure into every nook and cranny that his hands were able to reach on Kalseru's tone yet soft body as she was laid out, he was doing his best to give her the pleasuring and satisfying feeling that she game him without making her to uncomfortable.

Coordinan *sigh* M'kay, I'm done. I hope that was to your liking and that you enjoyed it as much as I did.

@ShihouxAdventure

Kalseru: Well, I know you wouldn't do me any harm. ^-^ Mana, being a woman as well, helped me get through some self-insecurities I had when I am with you. Such as how to use my powers to not hurt anyone, especially you. Thanks to that, I now feel as there is nothing to be concerned of. I can be with you without worrying if I will crush you or burn you to ash by accident.
-She sighs in her usual breathy manner as Coordinan does his work. As he finished, she sat up, stroking her hair down-

Kalseru: Thank you for returning the favor.. *takes his hands in hers* It was truly special coming from you. *chu* ^-^

Coordinan: Aww shucks, it feels nice and fuzzy to hear that from you.

He blushes while holding her hands tighter and nuzzling close to her.

Coordinan: This maybe the nostalgia talking but I miss the old you...and yet I'm so proud at seeing how much you've matured into the young woman you are now and how much I played a part in that. Makes me so happy inside and out to have you to love for the rest of my life..I think I started to sound like your dad a little back there.

He chuckled as he let goes of Kalseru's hands to disturb the water that was in the bath placed in the middle of the room before flinging the water off his fingers.

Coordinan: So what now? Mana is most likely still sightseeing with your brother at the moment and I don't mind using that time for the both of us to catch up with your family since it's been so long, but at the same time I'm enjoying the privacy we have together. Yes, even though we had many moments like so outside of here.

@ShihouxAdventure

Kalseru: Hihi, you liked that trembly, mewling kitten of my former self? xD That was laughable, oh please, Coordinan!
That being said, I do owe to that to Mana for giving me that confidence.. :)

-She thinks on what to do for a while as she taps her finger on her arm-

Kalseru: Hm... We could go for a stroll out from my father's dwelling. Now that I have strengthened myself, I need not be so wary of my surroundings.

Coordinan: I don't see what was so laughable about that, I enjoyed my time taking care of that kitten. I felt as if I was able to constantly accomplish something while looking after her well-being and keeping her company.

Hearing Kalseru talk bad about her former self struck a nerve in him, but there wasn't really anything that he could do since that version of herself is in the past now and..well..it's HER she's making fun of and not some different individual. Coordinan takes a deep breath and sucks up his feelings about that comment as a annoyed expression was on his face for a few minutes.
.
Coordinan: Uh huh, sure..let's do that. I'm positive you don't need any protecting from me or anyone else now that you've gotten the handle of your powers.

He's the first to make his way out of the chamber after saying those words.

@ShihouxAdventure

-Kalseru looks confused at Coordinan's response and body language. While she was happy with herself in her improvements, it seemed as though he was not.
After seeing off her family as they ventured out into the fields, she stated her concerns-

Kalseru: ...Coordinan... *Stops walking* ...Are you dissatisfied with me? The way I am now, I mean.. Would you.. have rather had me back to the way I was before our two years prior?

-It seemed that the response has made the Dragonkin a little sad. The feeling is shown on her face

Coordinan felt guilty and bad for making Kalseru sad, he stops walking while facing her. He was trying his best to think up a way to describe the reason for his mood back in the castle without making her even more unhappy.

Coordinan:...That's not it, it's just..I don't want you or anyone else for that matter to say that your former self was a joke or embarrassment similar to what you said inside. I mean that's the you I first feel in love with so of course I would be defensive. I love with what you have become but don't think for a second that the person you were before was any less special than you are now, okay?

He cherished her cheek while flashing her a grin this time while giving her some space as well just in case she didn't want this.

@ShihouxAdventure

-Kalseru still looks unsure-

Kalseru: I understand... But.. even if you say that you did like how I was then..! ..I didn't.. I was always afraid, not only for myself, but for anyone who tried to get close to me..
I did not want to be close to you, and something caused me to lose control and I'd.. I'd..

-She fights backs her emotions as she shakes her head-

Kalseru: I don't want to hurt you by saying things of my past self.. I just.. I don't want to lose those I care about because of my unstableness, or being too scared to act..

Coordinan was real stumped on what to say after hearing how she truly felt about herself in the past and what she had to go through, comparing her statement to the reasons why he liked her back then made his words sound so miniscule when up against hers. Everything she was saying had a crushing effect on him, it was almost to hard to handle.

Coordinan: I..didn't know the full extent of what you were dealing with back then, I'm..sorry for bringing those thoughts back up. I'll try my best not to bring that up again.

He keeps his hands by his side as he's gaze looks downward, it was hard for him to meet her eyes at this point. He's body was frozen in place, he felt as if he should of said something more to her but nothing could come to mind quick enough.

@ShihouxAdventure

-Her face softens as she takes Coordinan's hands and places them on her hips, and wraps her arms around him-

Kalseru: ...No matter what happens, I am still the same Kalseru. And you are still my Coordinan. That won't ever change. You are- URRK!!

-Her expression changes from smiling to fear and pained! her strength leaves her as she slumps down, her hands trailing down his garments! She shakily reaches for her back, but soon hits the ground. Upon inspection, Coordinan sees an arrow has pierced the lower part of her back.
But a regular arrow shouldn't effect her, especially now. Which can only mean one thing..-

Noir Knight: Bullseye!

2nd Knight: No, a bullseye would've been through the head or heart. You clearly missed both!

Noir Knight: And you could do better!?

2nd Knight: Yes, but YOU took my bow! Well at least we know which one was the Dragonkin. Go tell the captain, I'll get her.

-As the knight walks over, his dragonsbane equipment makes Kalseru weaker-

Coordinan panicked when Kalseru feel to the ground with an arrow sticking out of her back, he kneels down to make sure she was still alive as he tightly holds her hand while giving her a few words.

Coordinan: I-It's going to be alright, just bear with me for a moment okay. I'll get rid of this guy as soon as possible.

He definitely didn't take to kindly to seeing Kalseru get hurt, this won't be a repeat similar to the young lovers time in the meadows together since he so happens to have his bag with him. He quickly swings his bag off before shoving his hand inside and pulling out a revolver while swinging the bag back around with the revolver aimed at the knight.

Coordinan: I would think you clowns would of givin up on this knightly act by now and move on to do something more meaningful with your lives, now..what kind of reason do you have for shooting my Dragonkin with an arrow like some animal? Not that your answer is going to change the position your in.

@ShihouxAdventure

-Kalseru's body shivers from the effects of the Dragonsbane-tipped arrow as the knight just looks on-

Noir Knight: Figures, another traitor to the real humans. I wouldn't expect a country bum like yourself to get it, but your little friend, or whoever she is to you is a monster.
And don't think for a second that we're gonna listen to your whole spiel about Dragonkin 'being pals'. You're too far gone!

-He brandishes his sword and shield, getting into position-

Noir Knight: Now, make it easy on yourself and move away from her. In a few minutes, there's gonna be a lot more of us, plus a captain that'll be surround the area...
If you give up, you walk away. Resist, and you both die here. Better think fast, time's running out..

Kalseru: N-no... C-C-Coordinan.. *gasps for air* R-run...

Coordinan: Oh really, thanks for the heads up!

Coordinan didn't waste anytime as he rushes in on the knight while firing his revolver, he wasn't expecting his shots to penetrate but they would work great as a distraction so he could get in close. He wanted to take care of this one Noir Knight as quick as possible before more showed up.

@ShihouxAdventure

-Besides cannons, guns are new to this world. So when Coordinan fired, the bullets bounced off the knight's helmet, which caused an intense ringing on the inside.
That ringing caused dizziness and confusion all throughout the armor as the Noir Knight stumbled back, holding his head.
Now that he's stun, there seems to be enough time to take Kalseru head off before the rest of the Noir Knight reinforcements show up.
Or if he's feeling formidable from training, he can try to take them all on-

He continues on forward while picking up speed and uses all that momentum to drop kick the knight as hard as he could for good measures before quickly getting back to his feet to get Kalseru away to safety. He was more concerned about her health than proving he could beat a Noir Knight or two, he has the revolver placed into his pocket as he carefully picks up Kalseru in his arms before taking off as fast as he could back in the direction they came from. Once he felt they made good enough distance he carefully sits on the ground with her propped up in is lap, he wanted to use this time to get rid of the dragonbane arrow so she could regain her strength.

Coordinan: Alright..Kalseru, hold onto my hand as tight as you can. On the count of three I'm a get that arrow out and away from you.

Coordinan holds onto Kalseru's hand and uses his other one to firmly get a grip on the arrow, he slowly starts to count but as he got to two he quickly snatched the arrow out of her back and tossed it behind him as far as possible.

@ShihouxAdventure

-Kalseru yelps out in pain as the arrow is taken from out of her. Coordinan can see darkened veins running from the injured area of her back. It's painful, but the worst is over. She leans on him as he carries her to safety. She breathes shakily as she tries to readjust herself-

Kalseru: U-uhng... I-I didn't even... h-hear them... W-why.. are they still.. around..? Have w-we.. not suffered enough..?

Coordinan: They're persistent that's for sure, but I'll make sure that you and the rest of you-..our family doesn't suffer at the hands of these sick creeps if this assault of there's keep up.

Coordinan was real determined to fight for the two's future together when it came to dealing with the Noir Knights as he continues trucking along while holding Kalseru protectively and secured.

Coordinan: If I had to give up my life to do so then I would, b-but let's keep up a nice and positive attitude for the time being!

He quickly sweeps that bold sounding comment to the side so Kalseru wouldn't possibly dwell on it during their current situation.

@ShihouxAdventure

Kalseru: ..I-I hope it does not.. c-come to that..

-She closes her eyes to rest as she slumps down.
Eventually they make it back to the castlegrounds. Sala is the first to see them, and she hurries over-

Sala: Kalseru..!! How, how could this have happened..?? Who has done this!? I will lay waste to them ALL!! >:O

-Sala is seething at the state of her younger sister. Her biceps bulk up in rage-

Coordinan flinched at seeing the Dragonkins rage even though she had every right to be, he just hopes it won't be directed towards him.

Coordinan: *clears throat* U-um, well you have a Noir Knight problem..again. They caught me and Kalseru off guard and were able to nail her with one of their arrows which I was able to pull out, I wouldn't say there's a army of them wandering the area but I'm sure there's a size able group large enough for at least one of their commanders to manage. Oh yeah, there's that too.