Goodbye Telia

Yinxin snickered slightly looking at the two, they looked like two naughty children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

[Well, what do you need to tell me?]

Jayde and Reiko looked at each other, they really didn't want to bring up Yinxin's mate, as they knew how devastated she was over his death.

Reiko nudged Jayde legs as to say you go ahead and tell her.

[Coward] Jayde whispered to Reiko, then walking over to Yinxin, she sat down next to her and recounted everything that Master Rainer and told her.

Yinxin wasn't surprised that her mate was killed just because one old man wanted to live longer, her kind had been hunted by people of Telia for so long just because of the of the gifts they had been granted by nature.

She took some comfort knowing that her mate body not suffered that last indignity and had been desecrated she was thankful that the Mad Warlord of the West had cremated him, but the news of the Warlord of the North desperation worried her greatly.

Lost in her thoughts and memories of her mate and her family members, and the dire circumstances that she and her children faced, Yinxin didn't realize that she was still connected to Reiko's mind, but hearing Reiko and Jayde arguing with each other brought back to the present.

[Why not bring Yinxin and the wyrmlings back to Doha with us?] Reiko asked.

[I have already thought of that Reiko, but my spatial ring can't store such a complex life form]

[Then how about contracting them] Reiko suggested excitedly.

[Reiko you know how I feel about contracting spirit beasts, it a form of enslavement, and something I absolutely abhor]

[Jayde you could make it an equal contract, and then release them when we get back to Doha] Reiko whined.

[I had thought of it, Reiko, and I would be more than willing to pay the penalty to release them from the contract, and say even if Yinxin agrees, what then, she and her kids will be in the same amount of danger on Doha as here on Telia, actually even more so as the mages on Doha are much stronger than the mages on Telia]

[Yinxin and the wyrmlings could live in the center of the Dark Forest, the shadowbeast pride would take them in] Reiko asserted.

[Reiko not only humans hunt silver dragons, you know that — they would be hunted by other beasts in the Dark Forest, how long would it take for the Auraflayers to hunt them down?]

Remembering how the Auraflayers had killed his mother, Reiko knew that Jayde was right. If they found out that silver dragons were alive and well in the Dark Forest, they would swarm to devour Yinxin and the wyrmlings.

[They could stay in your pet space] Reiko said in a small voice.

Jayde slapped her forehead in frustration.

[Reiko! Have you any idea what you are asking of Yinxin and the wyrmlings, for heaven's sake they are dragons, they are meant to fly free in the skies, you would be asking them to be caged for a very long time. The only safe place for them is the Dragon Realm and who knows how long it will take me to be strong enough to enter that]

[At least they would be safe] Reiko retorted back angrily.

[Don't the two of you think it should be MY decision] Yinxin said in a dry tone.

Jayde and Reiko jumped and looked up at Yinxin embarrassed, they had been so caught up in their argument that they had forgotten all about Yinxin.

"Er... um, Yinxin you see..." Jayde stammered out awkwardly.

[I heard your arguments] Yinxin said dryly.

"Oh!" Jayde said rubbing her neck sheepishly.

[And I agree with Reiko] Yinxin calmly announced.

"Huh, oh you agree with .. WHAT!!" Jayde exclaimed.

"Yinxin do you know exactly what you are agreeing to?" Jayde asked shocked.

[I am well aware of the problem young Jayde, and while I would never have thought there would ever come a day that I would agree to contract a human, but it if is YOU then I have no qualms [1] about it.]

"But the wyrmlings?" Jayde asked

[They will be fine, and you won't have to contract them, actually you can't contract them, they too young, but since they are bonded to me when you contract with me, they will automatically be tied to you through me until they are older]

"It would be YEARS may even decades Yinxin, before I can enter the Upper Realm"

[I understand the risks, Jayde]

Tapping her lips with her thumb and forefinger making an okay sign, which was a habit Jayde had when she was thinking deeply about a problem, Jayde started to mumble to herself.

"Well, Isha did mention that I could upgrade the space of Pavilion, if I concentrated on expanding the outside area, then you and the wyrmlings could stay in the Protoss Artifact, at least that way you would have some freedom."

Listening to Jayde mumble to herself, Yinxin laughed softly. Jayde had no idea how unique she was, she was a breath of fresh air, and Yinxin felt blessed that she and her children had the opportunity to meet with her.

Yinxin knew that she and her children were taking a risk, but she was confident that Jayde would stand on top of the world one day, and she would ensure that Yinxin and her children returned to the Dragon Realm.

Just thinking about being able to meet her fellow dragons filled her with excitement. Staying on Telia was a death sentence, even if they managed to elude the human hunters, her children would never find their mates, never have children of their own, at least returning to Doha they would have a future.

Jayde insisted that Yinxin, think about the contract for another day. Once she returned from saying goodbye to the villagers of Tardide if Yinxin was still determined they would then sign the equality contract, and then return to Doha.

***

The next day Jayde and Reiko returned to Tardide for the last time. Elder Ryunzo had arranged a huge banquet for Jayde as a farewell. Every single villager attended, most wept when they found out that Jayde was leaving. Many of them making her promise that she would return.

Unhappy to lie to them, Jayde just promised that when she returned to the area she would definitely visit, even though she knew that the chances of her ever returning to Telia were slim. Piles of gifts were given to Jayde, there was no way that Jayde could bring all the gifts back with her.

Jayde arranged with Elder to store most of the gifts she received in a house that the villagers had built for her. Seeing Jayde storing away their gifts, made the villagers happy, as the villagers took this as a sign that Jayde viewed Tardide as her home, and that she would return, so they happily sent her off after the feast.

Just before leaving Jayde handed over satchel filled with scrolls to Elder Ryunzo, on these scrolls she had given him diagrams of weapons to help to protect the village, as well as some of her knowledge about human rights, social awareness, and more importantly sustainable development.

On the road leading out of Tardide, everyone gathered to wish Jayde farewell. Waving goodbye to the villagers, Jayde with Reiko by her side resolutely walked off, with the cheers and good wishes of the villagers ringing in their ears.

That would be the last sight that anyone from Telia ever saw of Jayde, a small girl with her back straight, her long black hair with navy blue highlights shining under the sun, with a large black Ebonywolf walking beside her, disappearing over the hill — never to be seen again.

[1] Qualms – means worries, doubts or misgivings.