Welcome to Gaia! ::

**ye do that... sleep fer me too... I seem to be having problems with that tonight sweatdrop **

Passura shudders. "How big can they get? There are legends among my people of cold cold rain that turns the world white... but no one believed them."

**amrito vek, kiddo... get some sleep... I can always take a nap tomorrow... ye have classes**

The boy grimaces and turns to the fireplace which is blazing merrily. "Where does the smoke go?" he asks out of curiosity.

Tam laughs. "Believe it or not, Bez drilled a chimney up through the mountainside long ago, but rather than empty straight into the sky, it goes into a cave first... a rather small one further up the mountain. So people don't see the smoke when it comes out. This cave has been his home for a very long time and well, he's better at socializing than he once was."

He turns to Kero and smiles. "Don't worry, it doesn't connect in any way to Em's place. I had him check it out as soon as Em started working on that little cavern... oh, by the way... have ye seen his indoor swimming pool yet?"

Tam chuckles. "Somehow he broke through a wall to an area with this large sandy depression in it... so he worked with Bez to seal the bottom and routed part of a hot spring Bez knew of into it. It's more of a hot tub... dragon size... big dragon that is... so right now he says we can use it as a pool to soak in if we like as there is no way he fills it up when he's in it. He asks that we don't bathe in it as it would foul the water something terrible, but He's trying to figure out how to put a bathing pool nearby... maybe you can help him. None of us are shapers. We can work with existing things, but not mold rock, if you know what I mean." He looks at Passura and smiles. "Ye know it might feel pretty good on that skin of yours... I bet ye itch a lot like Kero here used to do with the seasonal changes... just remember to wash the oils off first."

Passura is grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, I will... I will... we had public baths like that in the village. Safer to heat one water source than to light many fires."

"Anyway... that's Em's swimming pool... it was his joke see. He knew ye'd love it, once ye saw it, but didn't want to give away the whole surprise." laughs Tam merrily. "In fact, Bez is up there with him now, putting in some finishing touches. They won't tell me what it is though. It was supposed to be a secret."

Pasa looks up from where he is still sitting on the pillow and blinks. "Mes'sirrah... I'm right here..." He gets up and goes over to the mage and rest his slender hand on Kero's forehead. "Are ye feeling alright? I never moved... there is no way I'd go out there right now... the wind seems determined to make the trees grow sideways."

Passura looks at the white lioness and asks what they should do.

Tam shifts into his angel form and picks up the mage, carrying him to his bed. Then he sends the serpentine to a box on a dresser near by. "In it, sitting on a bed of velvet ye will find an opal on a chain. Bring it here, quickly."

The boy does as he is told and hands Tam the necklace. Tam slips it over his head and places his fingers about the stone chanting.

"Hopian, hear now my plea... Opal's child, come to me"

Then he drops to the bed with a sigh. "He's feverish... whether his vision is true remains to be seen. I need something to bring down this temp... Pasa.. go no further than the entranceway... gather what rainwater ye can, if ice is lying about try to scoop some of it in with it... and bring it here. Do not go out into the storm any further than that, do you hear?"

The boy nods frantically and runs to do as he has been told.

Tam gathers him up and places him next to Kero, his face grim and frightening. He scans the limp form for signs of what is ailing him, be it spell or poison, he is determined to burn it clear. His hands glow like the sun and he is bending over the two prone brothers, his wings blocking from view what he is attempting to do, when Passura returns.

Passura drops the bowl he is carrying. The sound of it's shattering breaking the intensity of the silence Tam has thrown about the room. He looks back at the boy, his face an unreadable mask. "Pasa, they live, but barely. I've summoned Bezernia and Emnast. They should be here soon.

Suddenly the room is filled with a soft radiant light as two tiny fliers enter the room. They fly straight for Tam, then settle one to each. Shia alighting on Kerobian and Mara on Hopian. Tiny and perfect, but far from mature, the two small leonine avians begin to croon in desperation causing Tam to step back in alarm.