Jing had been quiet much of the day, and after getting away from everyone she walked through the forest, looking for a quiet place to sit. She was worried about how she still couldn’t use her powers since dieing, and scared what it could mean for Kinu. After a bit of thinking she had desided to *try* to talk to Palari. If anyone could give her answers it was that god. Though she hadn’t ever gone to talk to him by choise, and wasn’t sure how well it would work. Finally finding a quite place near the river she sat down under the shade of a tree, crossing her legs and sitting like she had at Silver’s village at the waterfall. Closing her eyes she started to just relax, and hoping this would work.

The forest’s natural noises were amplified by her quietness and relaxation, but besides that she felt nothing out of the ordinary.

Jing inhailed and exhailed slowly, just trying to relax more. It hadn’t happened off the bat the time at Silver’s village, and she was willing to be patient. She tried to mentally call out to Palari, though she had NO clue if it would work.

There was no reaction at all at first, but as she continued to sit and call out, and relax, the sounds of the forest seemed to dim out, and then a golden light flickered in front of her.

Jing was surprised by the light, looking towards it and unsure if she should speak. After a couple minutes she finally spoke quietly “P…Palari…?”

“Yes child?” Came the voice she had heard before.

Jing couldn’t help but smile a tiny bit as she heard the voice. It had worked! “I’m sorry… to call to you like this. But… there is something I really wanted to ask you…”

“I prefer vanilla over chocolate.” Said the voice, “And no, that was a mistake.”

Jing was very confused by what she had heard, and it left her speechless. After a minute she finally gained her voice back. “I…Don’t know what your talking about… But… Palari… Kinu… Is Kinu alright? I havn’t been able to use my powers since I’ve died… and I’m scared that it means she is hurt and I’m unable to do anything.”

“Oh, beg your pardon, lines got crossed.” The voice chuckled, then seemed to get more serious. “Kinu… ah, Kinu… You were dead for quite a few hours there…”

Jing winced and nodded a little “I…I know I was. Thats why I’m scared about what effect it had on Kinu.”

“You know what Leria told you about your connection to her?”

Jing nodded, “I do know. But… Kinu died once and I didn’t die. Thats why… I was hoping that Kinu wouldn’t have died when I did this time.” She explained, fear growing as she spoke. “Is Kinu… alive…?”

“In a manner of speaking… yes.”

“What…What do you mean?”

Everything shimmered around Jing, then a form took shape in front of her. It was that of a young silver dragon, about as big as Silver was tall. The dragon lay curled up and motionless.

Jing paled as she saw the silver dragon, to scared to move for a minute before finally stepping forward, and bringing a nervous hand to touch the dragon’s head.

The dragon was ice cold to the touch, and didn’t seem to be moving.

Jing started to tremble, tears forming in her eyes. “K…Kinu…?” She asked, voice breaking as she spoke.

“She’s not dead.” Palri’s voice was soothing. “But she would have died if not for my interference.” Kinu didn’t respond to Jing’s touch however.

Jing looked at Kinu, tears falling down her face as she went down on her knees close to Kinu’s head, hand still on her. “Will she… be okay…?”

“Yes, she will. She needs… I think she needs you actually.”

“She needs me? What can I do to help her?” Jing asked, eyes not leaving the dragon. She would do what ever it took to help Kinu!
 
“Well, you’d have to… be with her.” There was a pause, “In person.”

“In person…? I don’t understand. The last time I spoke with you… you said Kinu was in a place I couldn’t go…” She looked at the dragon before shaking her head. No… she was talking to a god after all. “If being with Kinu will help her, then I’ll do it. But how can I get to her in person?”

“You will need to leave this valley and your friends… do you think you can do this?”

Jing didn’t really want to leave her friends… but this valley was safe for them. If she left for a while to help Kinu there would be no problem. Nodding she let her hand go down Kinu’s back a little from worry. “When can I leave? And do I just have to step out Palari?”

Palari nodded. “Step out of the boundaries, and a dragon will meet you to take you to where Kinu is.”

Jing again nodded. “Okay Palari. I can leave right now.” She said, part of her hoping that it would be Leria to pick her up, but wouldn’t keep her hopes up.

“Good. I’m sure Kinu will be eager to see you.” The light faded, and so did Kinu’s image.

Jing waited until everything faded away before she opened her eyes, back in the forest under the tree. Nodding She stood, looking around a little before walking off in the direction of he valley’s exit.

As Jing walked out of the quiet spot she’d been in, walking along the trail, Bast spotted her, dashing up. “Hey! Where’ve you been?”

Jing looked over at Bast “Sorry… I needed to be alone for a while. I was… talking to Palari.”

Bast blinked. “Oh… how’d that go?”

Jing sighed quietly “Kinu… nearly died when I did. Palari saved her but… she is still very weak and… she wouldn’t wake up when I saw her. She didn’t even move. Its why my power’s havn’t been working.”

Bast frowned. “Really? So… what will happen to her now?”

“Palari said that I could help Kinu.” Jing started to explain. “But I need to leave for a while. He said he was sending a dragon to pick me up outside the barrior. You caught me on the way there.”

Bast stared at her. “You’ve gotta be kidding me! No way… you can’t just leave.. and you weren’t planning on telling anyone??”

Jing sighed “I assumed I would meet someone by the time I got to the exit. But I don’t want to waste a lot of time! Kinu… she looked so weak…” She said, looking at Bast sadly.

Bast sighed, “How long will you be away?”

“I’m not sure. But it shouldn’t be to long Bast.” Jing said, smiling at him. “You all will be safe here. And I’ll come back once Kinu is doing better. Maybe I’ll even see Leria!”

Bast grinned, “Maybe I should come with you…”

Jing thought for a moment before shaking her head “Can you please tell the others where I’m going? I really want to get going quickly. So I don’t have time to tell everyone else, and we don’t know where all of them are.”

Bast frowned, “Well… okay, but I’ll escort you to the border.”

Jing nodded “Alright Bast.” She said before heading off again towards the exit. “But please… stay inside the barrior alright? I don’t want to risk when I’m heading off with the dragon that you get attacked by Aurixel alright?”

Bast nodded, “Yeah I know, I won’t leave the barrior… unless something merits it.”

Jing sighed a little “Don’t worry alright Bast? Palari asked me to leave the barrior, so it will be safe for me atleast while I head out.”

Bast sighed, “Yeah I suppose so. Still…” He shrugged, “Can’t be too safe.” He grasped her by the opposite shoulder, brought her close to his side in a half hug as they walked.

Jing was surprised by the half hug, looking up at Bast for a moment before back towards the path to the exit, a tiny smile on her face. “I’ll be fine and back soon enough alright?”

“You better be, or I’ll go after you regardless of the dangers.” He laughed.

Jing looked at Bast seriously. “Trust me a little, and remember you have others to take care of.” She said as they got close to the exit.

“True enough.” He looked around, “Where’s the dragon?” He asked. “Better wait inside the barrior till it shows up.”

“He might not show up till I go outside the barrior.” Jing said, turning to look at Bast and smiling a tiny bit. “I’ll see you soon alright?”

Bast didn’t like this, “What if Aurixel shows up first?”

Jing thought for a moment before shaking her head. “I… I trust Palari Bast. He wouldn’t ask me to leave the barrior if it wasn’t safe.”

Bast nodded, “Okay then… good luck. And say hi to Leria and Kinu for me?”

Jing smiled at him and nodded “I…I will…” She said, and pulling on Bast’s arm a little to make him bend down a little she went on her tiptoes. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before she turned away and walked out of the barrior, quick so Bast could’t see her red cheeks. She had done that completely spir of the moment… but she didn’t regret it.

Bast blinked as she pulled him down, then remained rooted to the spot, staring as she left. She’d just… kissed his…. cheek?

Jing walked a little farther from the barrior, looking around for any sign of the dragon Palari had mentioned.

A glint of sunlight gleaming off scales alerted Jing to the dragon, who was soaring through the air towards her.

Jing looked up towards the dragon, walking forward a little more and grinning. Part of her was curious to see what kind of dragon it was. She had only ever seen a silver and bronze before… it would be interesting to see a different metalic, or even better see Leria!

There was a silvery gleam from the scales as the dragon circled and came to a graceful, if heavy, landing some paces away from Jing.

Jing smiled as she saw the dragon, walking forward towards it. “Hello.”

The dragon inclined it’s head. “Hello to you. I presume you are the Dragonlord I am here to pick up?”

Jing nodded “I am. My name is Jing, its nice to meet you.”

“We must make haste…” The silvery dragon moved it’s wing so Jing could climb onto it’s back.

Jing nodded “Of course.” She said, quickly climbing onto the silver dragon.

Bast was watching, and for some reason, he felt suddenly really, really nervous. He stared at the silver dragon, as Jing climbed onto it.

Once Jing was up on the dragon she nodded a little and grinned. “I’m ready.”

“Good, hang on tight!” The dragon flapped it’s wings and began to ascend. Bast blinked. “No…” He said, “No, this is wrong!” He dashed forward out of the barrier. “Jing! It’s a white dragon, not a silver!”

Jing was holding on tightly when she heard Bast, turning her gaze to look at him. “W…What?!” She said, looking again at the dragon she was on.

The silvery sheen rippled, and Jing could see stark white scales beneath her. Bast was running after the dragon, somewhat uselessly. “Stop! Jing get off!” The dragon laughed, “Too late…” The powerful wings took them higher into the sky, quickly leaving Bast behind. The dragon knew Vutia and her Dragonlord would deal with him.

Jing let out a cry of fear as she realized what Bast said was true and she was unable to do anything to stop the dragon from taking to the air. “N…No… BAST! Get back inside the barrior! Get help!!!” She called to him loudly, her voice breaking from fear. Shecouldn’t do anything but watch as Bast dissapered from her view, and she hoped he was back inside the valley. “Why…How did you know I was coming out of the barrior?!” She asked scared, looking towards the white dragon she was not trapped on.

“My Queen alerted me.” Was the haughty reply.

Jing blinked confused, fear growing. “Y…Your queen…? No! It…It was Palari I talked to! He was the one who said I had to leave the barrior, so I could help Kinu!”

“A very clever ruse. You really think Palari would talk to you? He’s too busy right now. As for your dragon, she must be dead.”

Jing bit her lip as she heard that, shaking her head. No! She had been tricked and now… “Where… are you taking me?”

“Back to the island where you were born. Don’t worry, the Demi will be there soon as well.”

Jing was shocked at what she heard. The island…? No! She didn’t want to go back there! And Bast… “Y…Your wrong. Bast would have gotten safely back into the barrior. Aurixel won’t get him.”

“Oh, he will be caught, don’t worry.” The dragon assured Jing, leaving the mountains behind.

Jing didn’t say anything else, looking back at the mountians. How could she have been so stupid?!