The black dragon soared above the trees, silent in he night as despite his massive size. He had located a nerd of elk and had been casually following them for a few minutes when a second set of wings entered into the space around him. [b]"Quaking Sand,"[/b] he said to the desert dragon that drew near from behind him. [b]"Your mind is troubled. After experiencing something as powerfully uplifting as the bond it worries me that you are shrouded with concern. What ills your mind young one?"[/b]

It didn't take long for Quaking Sand to catch up to Nova after dismissing himself from Talisar once more. As soon as he was close enough, he responded to Nova's inquiry, [b]"It is my partner, master. I know that we share our memories and thoughts when bonded, but..."[/b] He paused trying to think of a way to describe what he discovered, [b]"It seems I could not share a portion of his memories, and it is by his will. I can tell that even in his mind, there is a gap." [/b] He shuddered as he continued, "But I still catch glimpses, flashes of what is supposed to be there, and what I do see unsettles me greatly."

The dark, scaly brow of the black drake furrowed then; he had read of things like this happened but had hoped it would not occur in the round of bonding rituals brought about that day. For a man to shut off an area of his mind, so freshly bonded, was not something of skill, but of darkness. There was something in Talisar's mind that even his subconscious dared not recall. [b]"Tell me, Quaking Sand, what have you seen in your glimpses into the dark area?"[/b]

Sand's eyes narrowed in thought as he went through the few images that had gotten from the blank in his partner's memories, [b]"I see a land, a land in which darkness has invaded and it permeated everything. There are humans who rabidly attack other humans. And creatures,"[/b] He shudders enough that he dips in his flight to the right a bit. After correcting himself, he continued, [b]"Creatures that were once animals or great beings like us, but that have been warped to the point where they hardly resemble what they once were. And at the end, where his memories pick up again, I see a worn and bloodstained journal in his hands." [/b]Sand recalled how Talisar had been willing to put himself in danger to protect that journal during the joining,[b] "I have no doubt that what happened during that blank in his memories is written in it, and that it the key to his regaining them. And he knows this too."[/b]

[b]"The plague..."[/b] Nova thought aloud.[b] "It must have swept through his home, taken the humanity from his people. It is no great wonder why his subconscious would wish to conceal these memories: to see a man's humanity drain from his eyes and a beast to arise where that man once stood, seeking to consume his own kind...'Tis not a sane image to store within the sacred banks of the mind."[/b] The herd of elk below them veered off to the west and scattered through the woods, fear driving their movements. Obsidian Nova selected a rather healthy, beefy looking buck and focussed in on it, not at all worried about the hoofed animal escaping his stalk.[b] "The journal you speak of, it may hold important details of this dark illness. For a man to observe the effects first hand and to take down the details of the event... this information could be of great value. It would be of great value to the cause."[/b]

[b]"That may be the case, master, but..."[/b] He thought back to the emotions he could sense of his partner whenever the journal was concerned,[b] "He likely won't let anyone see it, not even himself. Something about making sure he is ready to remember. He's fought them, that much is clear..."[/b]

[b]"With time, your bond will help you to connect to each other on a level above any you or your tamer could have imagined. Work with him, I am assigning you to spend a minimum of 4 hours each week in meditation with your tamer; you will strengthen your bond, strengthen your trust, open your minds completely and face the storm together. Do not force anything from his mind, mind you, it may be locked away for good reason. But in spending time in silence, sharing space in your minds, all will reveal itself and with time, your light will reach into the dark corners of his mind and lighten his burden. Now, I would retrieve my prey and return to the garden." [/b]

With that, the black drake spiralled into a sharp dive as he swooped down on the proud elk, claiming it by his talons and fangs. Within moments, the creature fell silent as death settled over it and Obsidian Nova lifted his trophy into the skies, returning to the meadow to so that the meat might be taken from the body and the bone might serve as a tasty morsel for his own lips.