Wonderful bliss as a mindless, infinitesimal part of an infinite Whole. Iníon's form is long forgotten, she exists only as a single unmanifest point in an unending sea of consciousness. She feels perfectly at home, all aspects of her fade away in the joy of being one with all that is around her.

Iníon . . . a name only recently gained itself fades into distant memory. She much prefers the namelessness of her new world without any boundaries. There is no differentiation between her and All That Is. Everything she feels, all that she feels, is the complete embrace of eternal love.

It's all ripped from her in an instant. A force of extreme violence tears Iníon from her happy oblivion and rends her mind back into her head. The inherent pain of existence floods all her senses. There is no physical pain though, this pain is much deeper.

Iníon can feel the void she leaves behind in that beautiful, infinite oneness. A voice from deep within screams at the violation, at being torn from her sanctum of perfection and forced into separation, made to inhabit a terrible, imperfect world once more.

All the memories of Iníon's life flood back. Iníon tastes the bitter emotions of living as she feels the contours of her energetic body. Even the sweet euphoria from the crowd assembled to see her induction into Clan Estua is but a pale imitator to the vast and infinite love Iníon just lost.

Tears roll down Iníon's eyes as a terrible grief takes hold for what she has just lost. Iníon's grief is so great it blinds her to the shield that now contains her, the shield that severs all contact with the world both inner and outer.

Iníon does not know who or what wounded her so fundamentally. She weeps.

A short distance behind where Iníon kneels Estua continues to cradle Lito's face, caressing his cheek as she says, "Look at the pain you've caused that whom you love. Release her from that pain, return her to her rightful place in the sun."

Lito, without a thought drops the spell they cast on Iníon, and love floods into her once more. The love that returns is not enough for her, Iníon hungers for what she lost. Iníon starves for that infinite love once more. The love that fills her heart does heal, and Iníon's tears begin to dry.

The memory of what once was and now is lost haunts Iníon as her full faculties and senses return to her. Iníon looks around with tear stained eyes and sees a crowd of women. For a moment her mind stutters, but then the memory hits, she is in her initiation ceremony.

A question enters Iníon's mind, "Did I pass?"

Estua leaves Lito with his two guards and returns to Iníon. Taking position in front of Iníon, Estua places her right hand on Iníon's cheek, and caresses her as she did Lito.

Estua's fingers find their way down around the chin and up the other side of face, moving past the eyes and settling in on Iníon's forehead. Estua pushes her fingers against Iníon . . . and gets resistance in return. She pushes a little more and finds she cannot penetrate Iníon as she could Lito.

Estua looks up from the compliant Iníon and back to Lito. With a wave and a thought, Estua bids Lito's two guards to release him, and with another thought commands Lito to her side. Lito steps forward and moves to Estua without struggle or complaint.

"This is not your doing." Estua thinks to Lito.

Using his Sight, Lito sees that it is indeed not his doing, the current shield has modulated, conformed to Iníon, and she is the source of the spell.

Lito responds to Estua, "It is Iníon's spell, not mine. She may be casting it unconsciously."

"Interesting," Estua smiles, "Iníon was to be your Page, and it seems her own soul defends herself from intruders such as myself. Lito, take command of your charge."

Lito takes a step forward towards Iníon, but freezes in place. He thinks to Estua, "I cannot violate her sovereignty any more than you could."

Estua lips curl up to her ears and bears her teeth for the first time, "You command my respect, my Knight. Go, get fitted for your armor," Estua beckons for the two women who guarded Lito, "Come, take Iníon and get Iníon settled in. She will train under Lito."

Estua turns back to Lito, "Lito Estua, you are hereby charged with training Iníon until she is a proper warrior. Expand her awareness until she can stand with the rest of us," the hunger within Estua peeks through into her eyes, "I will have my day with Iníon when she is ready."

Lito turns to do as Estua commands, but Estua gives him a parting thought, "Before you go, I must give you a gift. The name given to me the day I arrived on the Isle of Women, the name I now carry as Clan Estua's matriarch and this island's Queen is Dorothea."

Lito bows and withdraws as ordered without a second thought.