356 A.U., Season of the Fireheart(Summer), Year of the Moon.
In the Kingdom of Arcadia, in the capital, Arcia, a large festival is being prepared at night for the marriage of a young Priestess. The Summer winds are cool, the flowers are showcasing their magnificent beauty, and the sun is shining through the clouds brilliantly. Throughout the bustling streets is building of some sorts, either be it a house or a shop. Around these buildings is some type of alleyway, filled with the pipes that were built by Alchemists in order to provide a different assortments of needs, whether it be water, ventilation, or magma. In the center of Arcia lies the Town Center. It serves as a hub for trade, conversation, and gatherings. In the middle of the center lies a fountain statue of Mère holding her children. Around the center are small stalls set up by travelling merchants, who'm sell extravagant goods from foreign countries, races, and artifacts. It was a peaceful day...

Anthony
Anthony walked through the streets, his blade sheathed on his side. In his right hand were some flowers, which he had bought for his sister as an early congratulations for her wedding today. Though he was against it at first, he gave in to her plea's. Still, he protested it silently within his head. The only thing that truly forced him to allow her to marry was that as long as she was happy, he would be. "She should be around here in the Town Center...." He mumbled to himself silently, pushing past the different amounts of people within the Town Center. There were a few number of people, mainly due to the festival being built at the moment. In fact, there were a couple of actors on the stage, which was yet to be decorated with scenery, who were practicing. Anthony was one of the actors who'm would be fighting on the stage. He was to be dueling with, hilariously, the man who would be marrying his sister!

Elizabeth
Elizabeth sat silently on the fountain, staring into the water at herself as she examined her dress through the waters reflection. She moved her hair out of her face and smiled, her bright blue eyes shining beautifully. As she stood up, she looked up over towards the stage, her curiosity growing as to what the play would be about, and what part her brother would have. She was in the play, in fact, to sing as a muse in the story. Her thought was broken when she saw Anthony walking with the flowers. She smiled widely and ran over. "Anthony! I'm so glad you made it!" She yelled out as she ran over to him.

~Æmire~
"Mother, What should I bring to satisfy The Council and guarantee my chance in their ranks?" Æmire had asked his Mother, also The Queen of Izzeterine's country. "Nothing is guaranteed, but I can assure you that your magic and you staff is all you need. Once they see that you are sincere, they should allow your presence in the Council, especially since our representative have recently died..." She had said then kissed Æmire on his forehead. "Be careful, you will have to move into human territory. As long as you conceal your tattoo and Mana Ring, you should look like a normal human being to them and shouldn't think twice about your presence... humans aren't too cautious about their surroundings like we are, so you should be able to pass by them without conflict and get to The Council. I love you son and I pray that Mère watches over you during your travels. Now say your farewells to your father and you may depart for your journey." She said bowing then leaving to her room. Æmire bows in return then heads to his Fathers room. "Farewell Father, I love you!" Æmire says to his father while his father is asleep then heads for his Journey.

After a long and tedious journey, Æmire finally makes it to the city of Arcia, only to be greeted by Guards. "State your propose!" Guards asked Æmire, for which he replies "Name is Æmire Xon Willow and my purpose is to participate the Wedding of Elizabeth Tite and to discuss my potential in The Council of Mère." He told the guards. "You may enter..." They told him as they opened the gates to the city. Æmire walks in with the gates closing behind him. Hmp... this might be more difficult than I thought... I have no idea who this Elizabeth looks like nor do I know when anything seems to be happening... Æmire thought to himself. He later noticed a notice hanging on one of the walls of a shop. 'Play near Town Center, featuring Anthony Tite! Please come and cheer for Anthony Tite before they depart for the ceremonial wedding of his sister, Elizabeth Tite!' After Æmire read the notice, he headed towards Town Center and sits down on a bench near the Mère statue. "Ah such a beautiful statue... it's ironic that humans aren't as close to her as we are yet they still cherish her... I guess love meets no bounds..." He said to himself waiting for the announcements for the play to commence so he may discuss business with Anthony and Elizabeth Tite.

Goliath looked toward Arcia as he walked upon the its outskirts. "So....this is the place where the wedding is supposed to take place. Well it looks much more festive then my birth place." Goliath said as he moved toward the capital. He turned his head to check on Edelweiss. She always took constant naps and Goliath was used to carrying her around. He carried her as if he was giving her a piggy back ride. "We are almost there little one. Wake up." Goliath said hoping she would open her eyes. He figured she wouldn't want to miss the festival and all the other activities that were going to take place. He knew for a fact that everything was going to be strange to him. Mauscin had to spend their entire life going through life and death situations, yet humans spent much more time celebrating thing that he believed to be pointless. "Edelweiss owes me a drink for carrying her this far."

Edel always had a tendency to nap at such random times. Her chin rested on Goliath's shoulder as she went through one of her many naps, the girls was constantly tired, it was a rather strange habit of hers to do such a thing. Edelweiss murmured inaudible phrases as Goliath asked her to wake up. "Hmm..." She yawned and slowly opened one eye, just to get a rough view of where they were. "Are we there yet?" She exhibited such a child-like behavior for a grown woman.

The two have been traveling together for quite some time, so by now Goliath was used to this behavior. In the beginning he had the tendency to be very rude towards her, but as the two traveled more, Goliath learned to appreciate the girl's company and the fact that she was so willing to learn under his tutelage. Edelweiss was always so tired, even as a child she was lazy, clumsy, and slow. It was amazing how she could even pick up a lance and shield. It was hard to get the girl motivated, especially during training sessions(She even skipped out on meals so she could have extra time to sleep), and with the festival, Edel is trying to save up her energy so she can binge on food and explore.

The petite giant placed her hands on Goliath's shoulders and sat up, finally waking up from her noon nap. "We are there... Right?" She mumbled. Edelweiss was far too groggy to get off of his back, so she remained there for the time being as he walked along. The two finally made it to the front gates to be stopped by the guards who went over procedures before allowing them to pass. My my my, this city was very strict, they must have very little crime? It was then that they took their first steps-Well, Goliath did. Edel was still on his back- inside the city. "Goliath." The girl whined and swung her legs back and forth through the crook of his arm. "Let's do something!"

Seong-Mei Li quietly spoke to herself as she made her way in to the town center she had been to nearly 50 or so times. She had been in the midst of trying to repair her tribes relationship with the kingdom that had been severed so long ago. As she walked, she had been speaking to herself about something troubling her tribes high shaman had spoke of. A great danger loomed over but she had never been told precisely what the danger was but since she was aware of it none the less she thought she would inform the ones in charge if this prophesy. As she drew nearer she stopped her words and saw what appeared to be decorations and such inclining an impending celebration. After asking around the town she learned of the up-and-coming wedding. She did love weddings. Perhaps she would drop in to watch, unsee of course since she would not have been invited.

Lyarea adjusted her hood as she walked through the town. She had arrived in Arcia two days earlier, and was currently staying at a nearby inn. Why the Council insisted she leave the town she was staying in every year was beyond her. Was it because she'd begun to put down roots?

Not precisely, chrysalis, a few voices said. It was dull, true, but there are more important things.

Like a festival, another voice said. This was followed by a burst of laughter and excited murmuring from the others. Lyarea had seen the people setting up the streamers, posters and other decorations, and she was curious.Who was Elizabeth Tite, for the entire town to celebrate her wedding in this way?

And there'll be a play! Chrysalis, you must go. We insist on it.

I did no such thing. It was the voice which had spoken to her all those years ago. She had not heard it since leaving her birthplace. Lyarea, attend the festival and go to the play if you wish. It is of no consequence to me and every importance to you.

Lyarea blinked. What did it mean by that?

Were you asking us, chrysalis?

No, she thought. Be silent now. They obliged.

It would be interesting to go, she mused as she reached into her cloak pocket. There would be songs and dances, and food.

And people, She finished as she put her mask on. Her skin tingled faintly as the enchantment slid over it. With purses.

The bright green of the large oaks leaves slowly faded, replaced by the browns and oranges of Autumn, the leaves darkened further and then began to curl in on themselves and fall like rain to the ground, now the sinewy strength of the trees limbs began to leave it, twigs and branches growing brittle and weak, eventually they began to fall, no longer able to sustain their weight, when they landed the weakened wood burst into pieces spraying chunks everywhere. Now all that remained was the great gnarled trunk, the bark flaked and began to fall, the light greenish colour of living wood slowly drained until all that was left was a husk of the once great tree.
Qiang pulled himself 'his spear' from the tree, the point had pierced the thick bark and lodged in the heartwood, as the spear 'himself' was removed the husk gave one last groan and collapsed in on itself, a tree that might have lived for a thousand more years reduced to dust.
He felt invigorated, fresh even, as he had not been for days. On the road his steps had a new bounce in them and he walked upright and quickly, on the road to Arcia.

At the gates he was challenged by the guards, one nervously examining his spear 'him', the other a grizzled veteran demanding his reason for visiting Arcia. Oh how he longed to spill their blood, these short lived fools, they had so little time and yet they spent it guarding a gate. He spat in the direction of the nervous guard and was rewarded well when the guard jerked backwards.
"I'm here for the wedding"
The older guard shot a disdainful look at his compatriot and nodded Qiang through.

Anthony
Anthony laughed silently, handing Elizabeth the flowers that he had for her. He smiled down at her and shook her hair, sighing out. "You've really grown, you know...if only mom could see you now." As of two years ago, their mother had died from a mysterious plague. Many of the Alchemist in the Kingdom had tried to save her, but could not, claiming it to be a Dragons Disease, however, Dragons have become a rare sight in the Kingdom of Arcadia. Looking up in the sky, he watched the birds chirping and flying overhead, until a large ship had begun to sail over through the sky. These were made by Alchemist with the use of a large balloon and motors bottom of a ship. This particular sky-ship was one from the Church, with the symbol clearly seen on both sides of the balloon. He stared at it and began to wonder to himself. "Hey, looks like the big guys are in town. Listen, I need to go get ready for tonight's play. I'll see you until then!" He smiled and ran off, waving goodbye to her. It was at that moment that he bumped straight into someone. "S-Sorry!" He sat on his rear end, rubbing his head.

Elizabeth
When Elizabeth had seen the flowers, she was overjoyed. He grabbed them and quickly smelled them, a large smile forming across her face. "They're beautiful!" The minute she had said this, her hair was ruffled. She stared up at him and listened to his words, looking down quietly. "I wish she was still here...." Suddenly, a large sky-ship appeared, casting a large shadow on the Town Center as it passed through. Watching it, she thought to herself, what could the High Council be doing here?" She looked back at Anthony, smiling and waving goodbye to him as she turned and walked over to the Fountain again, staring at her extravagant, white dress.

~Æmire~
"I actually need to move and get ready, I can sense a change in mood..." Æmire said to himself, then suddenly the Alchemized Ship flew overhead. "Ughh... that contraption is one of many reasons why our races can't get along..." He said to himself as he stood to reposition himself when suddenly he bumped into Anthony Tite. "I apologize, I wasn't watch-" Suddenly he realized he was the same man he saw on the notice earlier that day. "S-Sorry!" Anthony said as he ran past Æmire. "Wait! I have important information I need to get, come back Anthony!" He yelled out running towards the man who was getting farther away from him.

Goliath let out a sigh when he heard Edelweiss wine. "Well what would you like to do?" Goliath said as he continued to walk. He didn't mind carrying her around, she was pretty light. "I plan on renting a room at the inn so we have a place to rest. Festivals are normally more active and lively at night." Goliath then put it to some thought. "Well if you really want to do something then we will look around. I am wondering how long you intend on having me carry you. Lancers have strong legs and they won't get strong with me holding them all day. Then again. I'm sure a lot of men would love to get a hold of your legs." Goliath looked around at all the people that were celebrating. "Sure is pretty weird to celebrate something that doesn't involve them. This is nothing like my ceremony. What do you think Edelweiss?"

Seong-Mei Li had spotted the ship over head and sighed. Those loud obnoxious things always gave her such a migraine. She rubbed her temples in agitation and walked, unsure f where she was going as her eyes were pressed shut. As she walked she felt someone run in to her at full speed. She shouted in shock and slight pain as she hit the ground. "O-ow...!!" She looked up at the guy who had hit her, it wad a man she knew as Æmire. "Are you okay...?" She asked as she looked over at him.

As Lyarea made her way to the town centre, a shadow passed overhead and there was a loud whirring of motors. Looking up, she saw it was a sky-ship. A logo she'd seen frequently in her travels was painted on both sides; the Church of Mére.

Only the most senior members used them. Why were they here? Perhaps they were visiting the Arcadian monarch; she wondered why they needed to travel here so quickly—

A good question. Listening in on them would be an excellent use of your capabilities—

The barest shred of annoyance at having her thoughts interrupted, and a wave of shushes drowned it out.

She reached the town centre soon after. There was a fountain with a statue of a woman, Mére probably, and a few others milling about. A girl slightly younger than her stood at the fountain. She was golden-haired and wearing an extravagant white dress. The bride, certainly.

Her family had to be wealthy. Not nobility; that would've been splashed all over the posters. The sweet young daughter of a rich merchant, beloved by the town...

She shook her head. It was in the past. There was never anything she could have done, and there was nothing she could do now.

It occurred to her that she should introduce herself, congratulate her on her marriage. She put away her mask and walked towards the younger girl.

"Hello," she said from behind her. "You must be Elizabeth Tite." People started shouting at that moment, and she turned her head slightly to look at the commotion.

"Hmm?" Edelweiss groggily stared at Goliath. Her energy lasted for about ten seconds, and soon she reverted back into her sleepy state. "I'll walk... If you want me too..." With that, the girl hopped off of his back and walked alongside him, though occasionally she stopped to rub her eyes or yawn, causing her to lightly jog back up to catch up with Goliath. "What kind of man would take advantage of me?" She muttered as she ran her fingers through her white hair.

---

The girl was oh so small, she was five feet flat. People would consider her a dwarf more so than a giant. She had short white hair-though some sections were longer than others, causing her hair to look very uneven- and a small face with delicate features and pale skin. Edelweiss could have been mistaken for a younger sister of Goliath's, since both hone the same color of hair. She wasn't bad looking at all, Edel looked like the daughter of a wealthy man. It was clear to see why Goliath spoke about how men would want to 'touch' her.

---

"Let's eat." She suggested as she stared around at the scenery. The girl caught sight of a flier for a play, it appeared interesting enough, why not watch it since they have time? "Can we watch that later too?" Edel asked as she pointed at one of the fliers.

Leona peeked over at the gates of Arcadia from a long-branched peach tree, only 100 or so feel away. She looked back towards the woods in the direction of her tribe, then again at the large brass gates. She took special notice in the wide variety of people entering the Kingdom; persons of all sorts of species, be it elves, nymphs, half-breeds... but mostly humans. She also couldn't help but to heir the joyful shrieks and laughter of children within the gates, as well as bellows of joy between elders. What really caught her attention was the music, which drifted through the trees and danced among the grass before settling deep in her bones. Leona weighed her options. She knew very well that her tribe of Haukka take good care in hiding from the humans of Arcadia, ever since the split of her people long ago. However, the sounds coming from beyond the gates were beckoning, and whatever festivities taking place inside were obviously open to the public. Surely she could go in for an hour or two without worrying her brothers. In the end, Leona's curiosity got the best of her and she jumped from the peach tree, landing on her feet. She tucked her long, elf-like ears into her hair and slid her bow into its place in her quiver, which was filled with arrows that she had proudly made herself. With one last glance back towards the Greatwoods, she sped-walked towards the Kingdom of Arcadia.

Anthony
"What is it, I'm running short on time, friend." He tried to say that as politely as possible, but it was quite hard. He really was short on time though, as evening would come at about 2 hours from now. "I have a play I need to be a part of for my little sisters wedding, so try to be as brief as possible, please." He said, scratching the back of his hair. He looked along at all the different people. There was one large man with a smaller looking girl, who'm looked like someone he would call a goblin, however, she had the looks like a goddess, so he let her size slide from that one. Another, he noticed a girl almost the same height as Elizabeth talking to her, which he raised a puzzled look. Lastly, he examined the man in front of him more closely, noticing his height. He was slimmer, taller, and more wiser looking than him, but didn't look psychically strong.

Elizabeth
She continued to stare at her dress until another female had approached her. She raised an eyebrow and smiled as she watched her approach. She always welcomed conversation, whether she knew the person or not, and this was no exception. When she was asked her name, she got a bit flustered at the commotion, and smiled. "Yes, I am Elizabeth Tite, pleased to meet you. Have you come for the wedding?" She smiled more, reaching her arm out to shake the others.

Qiang drifted with the crowd, he seemed to be approaching the town square or at least he thought he was, from snatches of conversation overheard he knew there was some sort of play on and as he had nothing better to do right at this moment... If there was one thing the short lived did right it was celebrations, it was as if somewhere they knew that time was catching up with them and they better make the most of it, the wildness and debauchery of the short lived was sadly not mirrored by the old.

"I have." Lyarea smiled back as she shook the hand Elizabeth offered. "Congratulations. I hope your husband brings you joy in all the years ahead."

I love weddings, one of the voices said dreamily. People marry the person in their heads and sometimes they actually exist. Do you remember the ceremonies back home?

Yes, another replied. I also remember you petitioning the chrysalis to take bigger portions of the feast than her due. You always were a glutton.

Lyarea tuned out the ensuing argument with a mental sigh. The Council never could stay silent for long.

"It is very kind of your family to organise festivities for the entire town," she said to Elizabeth.

Æmire noticed Seong-Mei beside when he got Anthony's attention. "Oh hey, sorry about that, and if you watch you'll see what's wrong..." He said to her then looked at Anthony. "Ah alright so i was correct, I apologize for the interruption to you getting to your play, but I need you and/or your sister's help getting me into The Council... it will help our race a lot if you did... My name is Æmire Xon Willow and you will help me get into the Council..." Æmire said to Anthony with a bit of force in the end of his statement. "I will watch your play, but afterwards you are to send me to the Council and grant me permission to be part of the Council of Mère..." He finally ended with the statement and tugged on Seong-Mei's arm and took her to the audience benches and sat down. "I apologize, That man is Anthony Tite and well I will not use verbal force towards a woman, no matter the race, but a man can and will do work when told to do so, I assume that is typical of the Human Race.." Æmire told Seong-Mei as the Play was being set up.

Goliath continued to look around. He came to an occasional stop when Edelweiss had to catch up. He eventually heard Edelweiss mention something about a watching something. Goliath turned to see what Edelweiss was pointing to. "A play? Why would you want to see something that isn't real. It is disgraceful to pretend on such matters that affect people every day." Goliath let out a sigh. "But if that is what you want then I guess so." Goliath then put thought to her earlier statement about food. "You sure can be needy can't you? What did you have in mind to eat?" Goliath thought about what was going on. His head was hurting from it all. Everything looked so cheerful. Everyone was at peace. Goliath turned to look at Edelweiss. She looked like she enjoyed what was going on. "Guess I really don't belong in this kind of society." He mumbled.

She glanced up at Goliath. He appeared to be rather upset with today's events, why did they even bother coming if it bothered him so? He spoiled her far too much, Edel thought masters were the one to have the final say, yet Goliath listened to her every need. Wasn't his race supposed to be brutal?
"Something cheap." Edel mumbled as she was attempting to process what was happening before her. People slowly started filling into the city and since the girl was so short, she could barely get a view of what was in front of her. Edelweiss brought great shame to the Giant race, if she didn't have her birth defect, the girl would be at least a staggering nine feet. But surprisingly enough, Edel enjoyed her petite size, it added appeal to her and it matched her slow personality.