A few Istarian days had passed since the arrival, and the irritating scene in Tazoon of being laughed out of the council hall. "Big Blue" as she often thought of her draconian friend sleeping in her own heart was still pretty drained. The magic wasn't dead in this world, the process if done the same way as in the past might overload and explode. But thankfully, the blue one in dreams still could tell the little lady exactly what to do, and also thankfully was not overly bossy about it at all.

She finished up the basics of learning the art of blacksmithing, annoyed that while her teacher Guran complained about all the work to do, he stood around and watched her do it rather than take part in alleviating the problem. No wonder the townsfolk of New Trismus always complained they never got their orders, or they were long overdue... lazy dwarf. She felt the urge to kick him in the shin, but for the sake of being overall a good person, resisted and continued working.

Other things that had happened is that while she learned a little bit of how to handle a two handed weapon, she also felt like she needed to help people as she found many were getting themselves hurt, like Nyya. As of recently, Nyya got herself into a fight with Selarth... both ended up battered and had to be numbed out by C'gan and Tagath. As such, she had a good talk with the cleric trainer and joined their order. The magic healing spells were a new concept, in fact, magic was foreign to her, and it took a great many tries to get the hang of the basics, and practiced on the battered Nyya to try to get her into a better shape.

Of course, while she had been keeping busy and getting accquainted with the istarian residents (especially the dragons), she secretly was looking around for the required ritual components as if it were a giant scavenger hunt.

Status check! Phylactery... lacking. Statue thingy... also non-existent... materials find-them-now... big blue... still sleeping and weak... lunch ... you forgot to eat again.

Her quartz crystal was probably still in char on the floor of Siivyra's lair, she would have to go get it and hope it was okay still so she wouldn't have to go through the trouble again of charging an object, so she went to go do that first. The volcanic area for her was unbearably hot, so she tried to make it as short a trip as possible.

Inside the lair was a little better in most places, with the waterfalls, while some of the hallways remained an oven. She did get to the place where she had come forth originally after a lot of exploring and getting lost, happy to see the crystal in the ashen floor. She picked it up and placed it in her backpack, quickly retreating outside and to the nearest portal.

Phylactery: Acquired, albeit I hope it still holds the attunement to us from the last two times.

Next important task was noted by the sleeper, something to revitalize the soul's energy. Of course, it would be the most disgusting thing Azaraen would have ever consumed, but it was for a good cause. She really didn't know how to get the stuff, so the local consigner came in handy for several units of essence pulled from wisps. She diluted the essence in a glass of water on command, and drunk it down....

Yeck. Blargh, blech... Tastes like drinking electric cement... thick, binding, disgusting tasting and gives you shocks all the way down...

But it did what it was supposed to, revitalizing the drake within, and that is what mattered... Azaraen came to know from a few whispers to ask other dragons about a statue. Of course, when she did, a few looked at her funny, others asked what in the heck a human would need with a statue, and she was sure at least one considered her a worthwhile snack, but didn't act upon it.

"Um... I er..." Azaraen said, biting her lip. She hated telling things other than the truth...

"I.. I.. I want to make a statue of big blue to give her as a gift in her lair..." Azaraen nervously noted. Trying to conceal the fast she was carrying Runos' soul was getting difficult for her, one day if she didn't separate soon she'd crack under the guilt. "I would make it but I'm pretty bad yet with the crafts, would disintegrate the stones..."

"You know you need granite bricks for this?" said Heartshadow, with a peering gaze.

"Oh... I will go find someone who can get that stuff..." Azaraen spoke softly, looking to the ground.

"Pfft, just giving you a hard time. I'll go get the bricks..." Heartshadow grinned, running off.

... Statue, check, or at least I hope so. Looks like we have everything except the preparations complete. Big blue, you get a nice new body...

... Providing Azaraen didn't mess it up this time. Last time, the second time she had the Runedrake around her world, in the separation before sending Runos away... the little human couldn't stay focused. Too many problems on her mind had risen, mostly in her life as a result of the first visit.

She lost the favour of her family, who had thought she was mad, insane, delusional. Her loved one... one she gave her heart to willingly... told her secrets to... he made a bad choice in life, which ripped her heart out. Runos controlling her body, trying to deal with this man who couldn't understand why she would become a different person at random, but always loyal and adoring no matter what... and despite it all, he broke his loyalty, spending a night with someone else, only to return to her the next day and see the truth, the whole ritual in progress... and he assisted in her focus breaking enough to make the body remain as black marble, rather than become flesh. Incomplete. She never forgave herself or him for it, and she wouldn't mess it up this time.

It took a while, but she stayed within the tavern of New Trismus waiting for Heartshadow to finish, examining her quartz crystal and the water within it. Upon delivery, she thanked the huge drake, although he overheard her talking aloud to herself.

"Looks like we are off the a good start..." Azaraen mumbled to herself, making Heartshadow give her a weird look before she realized he was looking at her. Coughing, she spoke: "Sorry, was thinking aloud..."

Placing the precious statue on her cargo disc and securing it tightly, Azaraen moved over to the lair of the runedrake. Upon arrival, the driver of the body swapped the reins...

The biped stretched. "Naka duskael are awkward to control, but let me begin." the dragon-infused human said, etching all sorts of runes all over the place, and spanning several hours of focused work over the watchful gaze of two damned bandits the runedrake recently acquired as ornaments and toys. When Runos finished the work, she walked up and gave each frozen bandit a pat on the head, saying "Oh, you thought I was gone? Too bad." They looked at each other, quivering in their prisons.

The statue was a good start, but needed to be more like its owner, so Runos carefully adjusted the shape of the statue to be better fitting. Preparations had been completed.

The control swapped again, but only for the two to argue with each other briefly. "I can understand the reason for those two but keeping people like that is inhumane and I want you to fix it!" "Nope." "Damnit! FIX IT." "The bandits can eat my big scaly behind before I allow them freedom, they have a date with judgement anyways soon." "Bah... lets get this over with."

The biped, controlled by Azaraen, placed the quartz pendant on the statue's neck. Picking up a runestone in one hand and readying her other hand, the ritual began. It was not a quiet ritual though... the powerful forces were magnified in a word where magic was alive and well, causing a great hurricane to form overhead that remained through the duration.

Progressively as the focus built up, runes illuminated softly until the cavern was engulfed in them. Softly, the hand without a runestone in it was pushed forward, softly connecting a rune in front of it with a solid hit, breaking that rune. Azaraen's chest burned and screamed in pain as it tried to grip onto the second soul bound into it, as it transferred to the quartz. A great wave of energy sprung outwards from the impact like a shockwave, further intensifying the storm outside, and breaking the runestone in her hand.

Maintaining her position, she carefully stomped upon and wiped out various runes at her feet, releasing their energy into a single one, all the while keeping her hand on the statue's chest.

When she broke the last one, her body stoped screaming and trying to grip at the distant soul in the pendant, as it transferred to the statue. The statue stood still for several moments as Azaraen collapsed onto her knees exhausted. The result however, showed it was a great success, as the stone ceased to be stone, and gained life.

Looking at the freshly restored dragon, the first thing to come out of Azaraen's mouth was along the lines of: "Don't blow yourself up again, you have no idea how tiring this is!"

Big Blue was Back in the Black.