Kitty's feet landed gently on smooth cobblestone as the rip in space closed slowly behind her. She looked back briefly as it vanished, displaying a faint expression of awe. She then looked back to Dendalli, who was still holding her hand, before looking past him at the scenery that now stood before them.

The area was immense. The brief view she'd had through the portal before stepping through did not do it justice. It was a large city, shimmering white in a brilliant reflection of the sunlight overhead. At least she thought it was sunlight. They were currently standing on a hill and looking down into the main area of the city where a spiraling tower stood; glistening like a massive shaft of crystal. Yes, that was the best way to describe it. The tower and the palatial structure to which it was attached seemed carved out of crystal, sparkling in the bright daylight. The building sat like something of a crown jewel amidst the landscape of bright white buildings that surrounded it. The brilliant scenery was contrasted slightly by the presence of various greenery. Trees and bushes dotted the landscape around the buildings, bringing a bit of color to the otherwise white city. Amidst the land itself, there was the movement of people. She hadn't expected to see other people here. Then again, she hadn't expected his 'realm' to be so expansive, either. She could not make out the figures that walked the streets; nor did she try. The sight of the land itself was already quite a lot to take in. Releasing Dendalli's hand, it went to rest on her chest as she stared in deep awe. Her eyes were mainly transfixed on that sparkling tower; feeling as if it were something she'd seen only in a dream. This shimmering city, this brilliant utopia... it was beyond her belief. She felt as if she were indeed standing in a dream, her breath stilled in captivation of this gorgeous sight.

Dendalli smiled at the look on her face. "Welcome", he said simply, voice pulling her from her reverie. Her features retained that deep admiration even as she looked at him. "This", he spoke again, extending his hand outward towards the landscape, "is my domain. The Librarium Crystalis." Kitty swallowed a bit before speaking. "All... All of this... is your domain?" "Yes", he answered. "Everything you see here was crafted by the Elder Gods in the Aener according to my own specific design. Within the expanse of this realm lies every tome in existence about magic and science; written by man and beast alike. All those you see here are seekers of knowledge, like myself. They are students of science and magic... seeking to learn all there is to learn here in the afterlife." "Af... Afterlife?" Kitty's visage turned to surprise. "You mean... they're all... dead?" "In a manner of speaking", he replied. "All those here have 'passed on' from their former lives. Their souls have been accepted here and receive new bodies that resemble how they were in life. They are all aware of this fact; knowing that they are dead. Their drive for greater knowledge is what draws them here to begin this new existence."

Kitty stared in disbelief as he spoke. The hand on her chest clutched at her shirt, now suddenly feeling a bit unsure about being here and wondering if anything was going to happen to her. "You needn't worry, though", Dendalli continued, as if reading her thoughts. "I know you may be concerned about how this may affect you as a living person... But I assure you, you will be fine. Many living mortals have visited with me here in the past. You are not the first." With that, the grip on her chest loosened and she released a sigh. "Well that's a relief", she said. "Sorry... it's just that this is all a bit new to me. I mean... I've been to other worlds and all that before, but... this... just seems to 'take the cake', so to speak." Dendalli gave a light chuckle and offered her his arm. "Well then, my lady... Shall we begin the tour?" Kitty, still slightly nervous, cleared her throat before nodding and taking his arm. With yet another smile, Dendalli began to walk down the streets with her at his side.

Over the course of an hour or so, Dendalli led her to a few places within the center area of the city, close to the main crystalline structure. Now that she had the chance to see the buildings up close, they seemed made from a fine white clay, yet still remarkably sturdy and well built. Their smooth surface seemed almost that of porcelain. Inside a few of the buildings he showed her, they were designed in a somewhat Northern European style, yet were set up more like classrooms than homes. Dendalli explained that the 'dormitories' were set outward from the center of the city, leaving the majority of the inner complexes to be used as classrooms and laboratories. As they walked through the streets together, all who saw them stopped and bowed deeply in respect. She naturally gathered those were directed at Dendalli. After all, he was their Lord, Master, or whatever else they may have referred to him as. She saw many different species of creatures pass them by; the majority of them humanoid in one way or another. They were all dressed in robes and sandals and were often carrying books, scrolls, bottles, vials, or whatever else any student of knowledge might possibly be carrying around with them. Some were immersed in conversation, which she heard in passing once in a while. Due to the different languages they spoke, however, she couldn't pick up on any of the subject matter.

"It's like a college campus", she had inadvertantly said aloud at one point. Indeed, with the way the buildings were structured and the way the people walked about, it truly did give off the feel of a school or university. Dendalli looked at her with a smile and replied "In a sense, it is. As I mentioned before, my realm is a haven for those souls who seek further knowledge of life, magic, science, and the universe. Everyone here takes their quest for knowledge with great sincerity. So yes... calling it that would be more than accurate."

As the tour went on, Kitty also took note of the greenery that lined the streets and sidewalks decoratively. It wasn't until closer inspection that she was able to see that they were bearing fruit. She stopped a moment to eye an apple tree at one point and Dendalli, being the gentleman, walked over and plucked a beautiful bright red apple from the branches and handed it to her. It was one of the most delicious things she'd ever tasted in her life. "All of the trees and bushes here bear fruits and vegetables of all kinds", he had told her. "After all, new bodies need nutrition. And everything needed is grown here. The plants are well maintained by common gardening as well as magic to ensure best growth and potency of vitamins for nutrition." "It must effect the taste too, because that was absolutely delicious!" Kitty said exuberantly after finishing the apple. Dendalli couldn't help but laugh.

After a significant trek through the inner city, Dendalli led Kitty towards the main structure of his realm. The two of them had been conversing during their walk and Kitty wasn't aware that they were heading for the building until they were already stopped in front. Kitty then looked over as she happened to notice a figure approach from the air on massive wings. The figure was clad in a pale shimmering robe and carried a silver staff which bore a matching orb at the top. The figure stood at about Dendalli's height, hairless and with long elvish ears similar to the wizard. However, their skin tone was that of a bright olive green and their eyes were a glowing gold; devoid of pupils. The figure bowed deeply to Dendalli before speaking to him, using some dialect Kitty didn't understand. To divert her curiosity and keep from butting in, she moved her eyes back to the building that stood before them. Her eyes traced the detailing in its surface, taking note of the pillars that resembled Grecian columns. Then her eyes trailed up... up... and up some more. She was following the length of the tower standing over the structure, leaning her head back more and more in an attempt to see the top. The light from the sky glinted against its surface, making it near impossible to separate the top of the spire from the blue sky above it. She kept leaning back until...

"Kitty", Dendalli spoke her name suddenly, catching her off guard. She was leaned so far back that the sudden jolt at hearing her name caused her to lose balance. "Wagh!" In a humorous flailing of arms, she fell backward, landing her rump hard against the ground behind her. Dendalli wasted no time in turning to her and extending an arm to help her up. "Are you alright?" Taking his hand and briskly standing, she rubbed her sore behind with a sheepish expression. "Yeah, yeah", she answered in embarrassment. "Nothing's seriously hurt. Except maybe my pride. Heheh." Expression changing from concern to a smile, Dendalli chuckled. Kitty took a moment to notice the angelic figure had departed before Dendalli offered her his arm again and led her into the building. Once inside, Kitty was met with some surprise at what she saw.

The lobby within the front of the building was fairly decent in size. Cylindrical crystal pillars stood at several places within, working to keep the ceiling upright. The back of the lobby housed a long curved wall that contained a number of doors, at the center of which appeared to be one door that was larger than the others. The size of the lobby wasn't what surprised her, though: It was the fact that it was so empty. For what was meant to be a 'library' within a campus-like city, the lobby was rather empty. No desk, no tables, no furniture at all. There were a sparse few individuals walking between the different doors but, other than that, nothing. Not even any guards or the like. Being the curious person she was, she ventured a question on the matter. "This is the main library, yes", he answered. "As such, it is far more extensive than the other libraries in the city. It exists for my personal use. However, the most dedicated and top ranking among my 'students' are allowed access as well. Most others simply use the other libraries throughout the realm." He would stop himself a moment, giving her a somewhat embarrassed smile. "Do forgive me. I don't mean to bore you with such details. I suppose I am just so used to replying in this manner by now. It must make me sound akin to some tour guide." Kitty chuckled a bit. "Well this is a tour isn't it? So It's fine." She then tilted her head a bit in question. "But if this is the main library, why are there no guards?" "Because such a thing is unnecessary", he responded. "My own personal wards are set throughout the building. No one is permitted into my private areas without being directly escorted by me." "Private areas?" she asked. She'd only realized the obvious answer right after she had asked, but he took the chance to reply before she could withdraw the question. "I have several areas designed for my use alone. One of which is my personal laboratory on the top floor of the tower. It is where I conduct all of my personal research and experiments." He then smirked a bit. "And then of course there are my private chambers. You can imagine I do not like to be unnecessarily disturbed." His smirk broadened into a rather mischievous grin. "Especially when I am... entertaining guests." Kitty's cheeks tinged a bit at his response and the look he was displaying, laughing a bit and rubbing a hand against the back of her neck. "Heh heh... Yeah... I can imagine."

Still arm in arm, Dendalli walked Kitty across the lobby to one of the doors and opened it for her. After walking down a short span of hallways together, they eventually stepped out onto something of a balcony area. What Kitty saw next made her gasp and her eyes widen, releasing his arm upon stepping up to the railing and grasping it with both hands as she looked outward.

When he had said the library was 'extensive', that didn't do it justice in the least. It was a massively sized room with ceilings reaching at least five stories high, carved from crystal as was the rest of the building. From floor to ceiling, bookshelves blanketed the walls, save for intricate windows spaced between periodically to allow in the sunlight. Between the walls, more shelves sat within the room, extending from floor to ceiling in height. Some were built into pillars or columns while others simply stood the standard rectangular shape. Across the ceiling, intricate circular skylights were set, further illuminating the room from the outside. The room itself extended so far back, she could not see where it ended. She just stared on for a long moment, at a loss for words.

"Holy shit!" Okay, so not completely at a loss for words. She covered her mouth, realizing her outburst and looking at him apologetically. "Sorry. I just... this... this is..." "Quite a sight for you, I take it?" Her sudden profanity aside, he still found her reaction amusing. "That's the understatement of the year", she answered. "I can't believe it. I'd seen some of those big libraries from around the world on TV and stuff, but this is crazy. I mean... just... just... WOW." She then looked to him in surprise. "And this is all yours?" He folded his arms casually with a smile. "Yes. I have spent the sum total of my life within the Aener collecting every known piece of knowledge in existence regarding magic and science. Every book, scroll, crystal, tablet, amulet, and so on bearing that knowledge is stored here, composed by every race of creature." "How the hell do you manage to find anything when you need it??" she asked, eyes still wide. He let out another chuckle in response to her question as well as her expression. "Do not worry. I maintain a very effective cataloging system of my own design. Whatever I need, I know exactly where to find when I need it." She rubbed the side of her head a bit, as if feeling mentally strained. "I'll have to take your word for it... But man... This is crazy... I mean... This is more books than anyone could possibly read in a single lifetime... and all just on one subject." He then smirked a bit. "And this is merely one portion of my collection as a whole."

Kitty did a double take. "WHAT?!" she practically yelped the question in surprise. "Are you serious?!" He maintained his smirk as he looked at her, gauging her reaction with a high degree of amusement. "But of course, my lady. Where do you think all those other doors lead to?" Kitty twitched slightly, feeling overwhelmed at the mere thought of that. She rubbed her temples with both hands. "... I think my brain just broke..." Dendalli released a full-on laugh now, covering his mouth afterward. "Forgive me. I suppose we should move on then before you suffer any further mental strain." Kitty gave a mildly embarrassed sigh as she took his arm once more and he led her back down the hallways they had previously come through.

Once back out in the lobby, Dendalli walked her along the curve of the back wall to the tall door at it's center that she had taken note of earlier. Upon closer inspection, the door was far more detailed than any of the others she had seen up to this point. It was intricately carved with numerous spiraling designs, most notable of which was a large symbol resembling an empty eye at the very center of the door. Looking at it, she looked up at Dendalli a moment. I see... It must represent his left eye... What she also noticed was that there were apparently no handles, latches, or the like. So, she was left wondering how it was supposed to open.

A brief wave of Dendalli's hand soon answered her question, as the 'door' opened up to them in a melting spiral motion; much like the portal he had conjured in her apartment earlier. The two stepped through with it closing behind soon after, now turning her attention to what stood before her. They stood at the base of the tower she had been eying so often earlier in the day, her gaze beginning to trail upwards once again. "Careful, now", Dendalli warned as he noticed where she was looking. "I'd hate to see you fall again." It was meant in playful jest, but Kitty still looked a tad embarrassed. As she rubbed the back of her head, she noticed another door, similar to the one they had just come through, sitting at the base of the tower. A few feet to the right of it was the beginning of a staircase, eyes following it to see that it wrapped around the outside of the thick tower. "Stairs?" she asked aloud unintentionally. "Yes, he answered, drawing her attention. "Sometimes I enjoy a calm scenic walk up the tower. I find it refreshing. But considering your fear of heights, we'll forgo that route." "Yeah", Kitty gave a small nervous laugh. "I appreciate that." Once again, Dendalli waved his hand in front of the door before them, and once again it melted open for them to step through. Upon doing so, Kitty was met with an interesting sight.

"This is my personal laboratory", he announced as the door closed behind them. It was a large cylindrical chamber, the full space of the tower's shape occupied by various equipment of all kinds. The ceiling rose into a dome shape overhead, with a few small windows opening up where the wall curved upward to allow the light in. Tables were strewn about in what seemed to be a random placement, yet were in fact set in an efficient, however odd, order. Vials, beakers, bottles, and the like were scattered over their surfaces, many of them bubbling, mixing, and so on. Dendalli went on to describe some of the things he worked on in his seclusion here; among them being ways to devise new and more powerful spells, enhance older ones for better efficiency, make them faster and/or easier to cast, creating new items, and other such things. As he went on, she stopped upon noticing a large sparkling crystal, about the size of a fist, hovering and slowly spinning over a platform of similar crystal. Drawn in by it's beauty, Kitty walked up to it and reached a hand to it. "How pretty..." "STOP!" Within the blink of an eye he was at her side with his hand on her wrist to keep her from touching the crystal. She looked at him, seeing the worry and shock on his face as he slowly pulled her hand back. "Please", he urged. "Do not... touch... anything." "S... Sorry", she apologized, stepping away from both him and the table. Dendalli sighed in relief. "I know it is fascinating... but there have been quite a few unnecessary mishaps in here due to the idle curiosity of a few of my guests. So please exercise better restraint in the future." "Sorry", she repeated. "It just... I dunno... It looked harmless." "Nothing in here is 'harmless', my lady", he said. "Everything in this room is used in very sensitive experiments." He then motioned to the crystal floating over the table with his thumb. "This 'harmless' crystal, for example, is housing a very powerful and very volatile fire spell that I have been doing enhancement procedures on. Removing it from where it is will effectively turn it into an active bomb."

Kitty gulped, face paling at the thought of how close she may have just been to being turned into Kitty Jerky. "Okay... point taken. I'll keep my hands to myself." She subsequently wrapped her hands behind her back as she said that. She suddenly felt like a child that had just been reprimanded by a parent, but for good reason. And now she didn't feel that comfortable being here. "Um... I feel a bit uneasy now that you mentioned that, so... could we perhaps... move on?" Dendalli sighed a bit. "Very well", he nodded. Offering his arm again, he led her back to the door. Waving his hand, the doorway opened again. However, instead of seeing the outside area in front of the tower from whence they had come before, as she was expecting to, the door opened up into another room entirely. Kitty blinked in surprise and looked up at him. "Wait a sec... How did..." "It's a portal door, Kitty", he answered, as if knowing what she meant to ask. "It opens to wherever the person using it wishes... so long as they are permitted to go there." "... Oh." Despite it being a simple lack of knowledge, Kitty couldn't help but feel stupid. Though that feeling was soon forgotten once they had stepped through the door and into their new surroundings.

It was what appeared to be a bedroom. The crystalline walls shimmered as light came in through a large decorative window on one wall. Unlike his lab, which was dulled by the mass of equipment and charred marks left by countless experiments, this room sparkled from obvious care. There was a desk in one area of the room, which appeared to be built of finely crafted cherrywood. Upon it sat a stack of books and papers with a large feather quill sitting in an inkwell that contained a glittering liquid of some sort. Some magical ink, she surmised. There was also a separate chair nearby built in an interesting shape, like that of a recliner, with a red robe draped over the back of it. The chair and desk sat upon a deep red tapestry that was trimmed in gold. Glancing over, she saw a large intricately carved golden chest by one wall, next to which stood a tall cabinet built of the same cherrywood as the desk. On the other side of the room from the cabinet stood a large wardrobe, also made of matching cherrywood. Hung on the wall to it's side was a large oval shaped mirror, trimmed with twining gold inlays. What she took most notice of was the bed. It seemed that it, too, was carved out of crystal; built in an elegant four-poster design with a canopy overhead. The bed itself was rather large, sporting a lavish headboard with it's own carved design. The sheets were white with ice blue covers that displayed a silky sheen. The canopy was the same ice blue shade, curtains draping down along the sides in the same color. There was also a set of inner curtains, much more sheer, sparkling like starry veils against the sunlight from the window. She also noticed a standing curtain near the bed, colored in ice blue with a slightly darker blue trim. There were also standing candelabras on each side of the bed, once again carved from crystal.

As the door closed behind them, the awe she had displayed upon their first arrival into the realm returned. She was struck speechless by the elegant surroundings. Dendalli watched her, smiling at her sudden change of visage. Stepping away from her towards his desk, he looked back at her briefly. "In case you had not gathered as such", he chuckled. "These are my private chambers." Kitty took a few steps forward into the room further, looking around. "Wow", she sighed. "This is beautiful..." "Feel free to look around", he continued. "And you don't have to be afraid about touching anything in here." Chuckling a bit, he walked over to his desk, perusing some of the papers on it's surface and allowing her time to explore the room.

She did so, walking around and examining all of his furniture in detail, lightly grazing her fingers over surfaces here and there. Then she approached his bed, taking the chance to run her hands over the sheets. She would see that the silky sheen wasn't for naught, as they were indeed very soft and smooth. Just the feel of the silky fabric under her hands was enough to put a smile on her face. She glanced over at Dendalli, who was preoccupied at the moment, before getting a silly little grin on her face. She then laid her top half down over the bed, taking in the silky feel of the sheets. She stretched out over them, closing her eyes with an almost cat-like smile. She couldn't help purring at the sweet sensation of the cool smooth fabric against her skin.

Dendalli's ear twitched slightly at the unfamiliar sound, turning his head slightly to catch what she was doing out the corner of his eye. An amused smile graced his features. So she purrs... That's something new... He chuckled to himself softly before looking back to his papers.

Rolling onto her back, Kitty let out a comfortable sigh before sitting upright on the edge of his bed. Just then, she turned her head as she caught sight of something. Resting on one of the pillows at the head of the bed was a doll. It was sewn from cloth, designed like a little girl with dark skin, violet eyes, and short fine silver hair. She reached over and carefully picked it up, examining it with a curious look. She then glanced over in Dendalli's direction. "You like plushies?" Hearing her speak, he turned to look back at her, noticing her holding the doll. "No, not really", he replied. "Though they are cute, that one is special. It is of my daughter, Lydia. I keep it to remind me of her. " "Oh", Kitty blinked in surprise. "I didn't know you had a child..." "We are not blood related", he continued. "But we are very close. I have come to consider her my daughter." "Oh", Kitty repeated, replacing the doll back on the pillow she had found it.

Kitty slowly rose from the bed at the same time Dendalli finished glancing through his papers and began walking in her direction. "Ya know", she said. "To be honest... This isn't at all what I was expecting." Dendalli stopped in front of the cherrywood cabinet and unlatched it, glancing over at her. "What do you mean?" "Well", she shrugged. "I dunno... Even if you are a god-" "Demigod", he corrected. "Yes, demigod", she sighed. "Even so... Since you put so much focus on science and magic and experimenting and studying and all that... I dunno... I guess I was just expecting something more... ya know... humble." He chuckled a bit as he opened the cabinet, turning to face her and taking a few steps toward her. "True, I am a man of knowledge first and foremost", he responded, "but even so... I still have an appreciation for beauty." As he spoke the end of that statement, he rose a hand to lightly brush her cheek with the back of his fingers, giving her a smile. Kitty couldn't help but blush, averting her eyes coyly for a moment, which only served to make him chuckle.

"Come", he motioned for her to follow him as he walked back to the cabinet. He reached in, carefully pulling something out and holding it up to show her. It was a vial about four inches tall which slowly tapered from a narrowed top to a rounded base about two inches in width. Within was a a mixture that looked like liquid gold, sparkling against the light. She stared at it, blinking. "What's that?" she asked curiously. He smiled. "This is the reason you're here", he answered. It took her a moment to realize what he meant, at last recalling the reason she had come here with him in the first place. Her cheeks flared at the recollection. "You mean... That's the..." "Yes", he answered. "The Kirin Horn potion. This batch in particular is one I made myself and refined for exceptional potency... for my own personal use." Her cheeks reddened even further at the thought of what he meant by 'personal use'. He watched her face for several moments, taking careful estimation of her reactions. "Are you still interested?" "U-Um", she stuttered.

There was a long pause. He could see she was a bit apprehensive. He carefully set the vial back in the cabinet a moment and then turned to look back at her with an honest expression. "This is merely an offer, Kitty", he explained. "I will not force anything upon you. So if you do not feel comfortable engaging in such an experience with me, you need only say so. I do not wish to do anything that would upset our friendship." "Oh", she spoke up in some surprise. "That's not it at all", she said. This gained a curious look from him. "It's just", she went on, "The way you described it to me before... I'm a bit nervous because..." Her eyes glanced off to the side. "... if it really is that intense, I'm not sure how well I'll handle it." After a moment, he displayed a soft smile. "I understand", he told her, hoping to ease her tension. "And I assure you that, if you wish to do this, I will use the utmost care with you to ensure it does not overwhelm you."

Kitty thought carefully as a few moments of silence dragged on. She sighed and shrugged before at last giving him her answer. "Well, I came all this way... I guess I'd feel stupid if I chickened out now. So, yeah. Let's do it." He smiled in approval at her response. "Very well. Allow me to prepare it for us, then." "Prepare?" She watched as he set out two glass goblets before pulling out and popping open a large bottle of red wine. "Of course. One drop is all that is needed for one who is new to it, so it is better not to try and take it by itself. Attempting to do so, you could drink more than intended." "...Oh." Kitty watched as he poured a bit of wine into each glass before putting the bottle back and picking up the potion vial once more, pulling the stopper at it's top. "Wait", she said. "You're having some too?" She looked on as he slipped a single drop into one of the goblets before placing about three drops worth into the other. Setting the vial down, he took the goblets in each hand, swirling them lightly as he answered her with a smile. "But of course. A gentleman never lets a lady drink alone." He handed her the glass that was intended for her, waiting for her to take it before holding up his own, lightly clinking it against hers. "Cheers, my lady." Dendalli wasted little time in sipping down his wine while Kitty stared at her glass for a long instant. After taking the time to gather her courage, she sucked in a breath before bringing the glass to her lips and tilting back, drinking down a sufficient portion of it.

Within moments, she felt a strange change shoot through her. The first thing she noticed was a tingle on her tongue that trailed down her throat before spreading into her chest, feeling a flutter. As it did, she began to feel her heart beat grow in strength. Not faster or harder... but she could somehow feel each pound of her heart through her body against the underside of her chest. Then she noticed the texture of the glass in her hand suddenly become more apparent, feeling imperfections in what she had normally registered as smooth glass. Next it seemed that the light in the room suddenly became brighter, causing her to close her eyes. As they did, she noticed how she could now hear the beating of her own heart within her ears. She was also picking up the sound of air moving within what was previously a silent room. The change in her senses was registering in her mind slowly, leaving her a little scared at first.

"Oh man...", she uttered, covering her closed eyes with one hand. "Dendalli... I feel so strange..." He carefully took the wine glass from her hand and set it aside with his, stepping up to her and gently taking her into his embrace. "Easy now", he whispered. "Just give it a moment to sink in. Don't fight it." As he pulled her into him, she soon felt his heart pounding against her in slow rythmic beats. She could even hear his heart beating. "Oh god..." she trembled. "This is so weird..." "Shhh", he hushed her softly. "Just give it time." He very, very lightly brushed his fingers against her cheek. That simple gesture hit her senses in a way she never expected. The softness of his touch, the warmth, the gentle motion... She felt it all. It sent a shock through her. There was soft moan that came from her lips then, involuntarily leaning herself into him and tilting her head back. He smiled, whispering once more. "Do not worry, Kitty... You're in safe hands... Now is when I repay you for your kindness and friendship... by showing you a new world of experiences you never thought possible."