“What have we here? A lost lamb and her sheep all alone in the forest?”

Naya jumps, hand flying down to grab at her spear, but she relaxes almost instantly when she realizes that the creature that had snuck up on her is a phantom. Her blade would not affect such a creature, so it was pointless to draw it. “I am not a lamb, nor am I lost, spirit,” she grumbles, turning back to the fire and fishing around until she finds her smelling salts. “Have you come on friendly business, wraith?” The brunette queries, deft fingers popping the top off the flask as she begins to pour a circle of salt around her and the naked human beast.

There is almost not enough but she makes it, just barely. The smell of lavender is so strong now that it is almost cloying and Naya begrudgingly adds mixing up new salts to her growing list of things to do today.

The wraith seems to lose interest fairly quickly after that, whether it be from the salt circle baring her way or genuine boredom Naya can not be sure. “Goodbye, little lamb,” the dark figure rasps before shrieking and bolting off into the distance, her shadows disappearing into those of the hemlock trees.

“Tcht,” Naya clicks her tongue, glaring off after the wraith as she pokes at the man creature’s haunches with the end of her spear. “I am no lamb,” she murmurs to no one in particular.

“I am a fox.”

@Karos
---

It's been a few hours since the wraith made its ghostly appearance and the stranger has yet to wake up. Naya is beginning to consider just dragging him out of the burdock thicket and leaving him for the damned bears. She can't wait much longer for him to come to, even if she wanted to. This forest would be teeming with all sorts of ominous creatures once the sun went down and the witch wasn't exactly looking forward to fighting them all off.

An eerie fog has descended on the Deathwood, making it even more difficult to peer through the ancient trees than normal. Naya throws another branch into the crackling fire, chewing absentmindedly on a newt she had just skewered and grilled, when the sound of footsteps draw her attention.

“Hello?” The witch calls, green eyes peering into the fog until she makes out a figure approaching her bonfire.

It's the crown prince. Naya would have known him anywhere.

She'd only seen him once before, when she was a little girl and her mother brought her to the capital after being summoned to return the sight of one of the king’s trusted advisors. Naya had been eleven winters old at the time and the young princeling appeared to be around her age, standing stoically next to the king with his midnight wings folded down. His verdigris eyes had met hers for just a moment, so pale they were almost colorless.

They were not the sort of eyes that were easily forgotten.

“Prince,” the brunette nods, swallowing the mouthful of newt. “Your ginger friend does not seem to be faring well,” she comments, her gaze shifting down to the bloodied angel in his arms before she looks back up to meet his eyes again. “I can set her wing and stop the bleeding, but I don’t have the ingredients for much else out here,” Naya offers, before nudging her booted foot against the naked man lying next to her. “I can mend her better at my shop, but I can't have this one dying in my burdock thicket and attracting the frost bears,” the witch explains, scowling at the last bit.

“Damn beasts eat everything. They’ll clean out the whole glen after they finish picking this one clean,” Naya huffs, before continuing, “I can carry that one for you, if you’ll get this one for me.”

The witch remains seated, waiting for the dark prince’s decision.

@Soufflegirl123@Ace of flames01@Sarcelle Renard

Aurora had split up from Rida and the rest of the faeries to spread over more ground, flying low to try and see through the fog instead of above it. Where was that angel? She had seen that man with dark wings fly in this direction, but she had absolutely no idea exactly WHERE he went. For all she knew, the demon had went even father than she realized. However, this fog was not normal, being several times thicker than it usually was. Rida had believed it was the work of magic, so the squadron had rushed into the forest, looking for the beloved princess of the Light. Damn it, she couldn't see a damn thing through all of this fog. Taking a breather, the young faerie stopped her low flight, sitting beneath a gnarled tree and surveyed the small amount of area she could see around her.

This day is way too eventful. She hadn't even combed her hair nor washed her face before rushing outside to help with the invasion. She probably looked terrible. Unlatching a canteen from her hip, she took a large gulp of water, then proceeded to splash her face with what was left of it. Well, time to keep moving. Aurora took flight once more, hovering near the ground and moving as quick as she could, trying to cover as much area as possible within the forest. Maybe she could find someone who knew where the angel had went?

@ArenaSnow@Ace of flames01@Sarcelle Renard@Karos@Narcotic Dollie

The princess was not doing well. The flight across the border seemed to have worsened her condition and there was not a damn thing Asher could do while airborne to stop her from losing more blood. The closest town to the border was Minora, but before it was in sight he who he caught a glimpse of what could have only been a witch. The angel in his arms did not seem to have much longer, as her breathing was almost nonexistent and her body impossibly cold, even considering where they were.

Asher approached her small fire without a word. Apprehension was pulsing through him, but he did not let it show. The prince did not care for the half naked man by the witch’s fire or her explanation about local phantoms, but let her go on as he kneeled down slowly by the fire’s warmth and set the angel down softly. ”You talk too much, he said plainly, finally leveling his frosty eyes at the witch. ”And chances are she won’t make it that far. You’ll have to stabilize her here, and then we can talk about getting back into town.”

@Narcotic Dollie@Sarcelle Renard[@AceOfFlames01]

The strong scent hit Carson first. He awoke ever-so-slowly, a slight groan expelling his lips as he awoke. A pounding headache drumming on his skull. Where was he? Carson did not know. He was in some sort of forest. This had happened every night now, he'd wake up in the barracks or the castle courtyards, and he no idea why. Never had he turned up here, or in any forest for that matter.

Carson's cheek was sore and, unbeknownst to him, coloured a pale pink. He blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. His vision clearing from their blurry, half-asleep state. The air around him was cold, bitterly so. The cold nipped at his side and the icy ground cooled his skin to a less than pleasant temperature. He swore he would have froze if it wasn't for the blazing fire beside him, the flames twisting and licking the cool air.

Carson then recalled each night when this had happened, one key feature he had not taken account of as of yet. He was in the nude. No no no no no! he tought to himself. It was one thing to be naked in an enclosed area but the forest? Particularly one unrecognizable? Anyone could see him. He looked down to see a black coat, one that would be worn by a female, covering him around the waist and partway down his legs.

His ears adjusted and he could hear voices chattering, he looked up to see a woman sitting near him.

"Hello?" he muttered in her direction. He then looked around him to see a man carrying a bloodied angel, an angel he recognised. "Princess!" he called in alarm. He jumped to his feet, careful to keep the coat around his waist, and ran to her.

“Prickly, aren't you?” Naya quipped while raising an eyebrow at the demon, but she's already crawling forward, brushing the young angel’s scarlet hair out of her face and studying her closely. The frail looking creature is littered in all manner of gashes and her gurgling breaths did not sound promising in the slightest. The witch reaches forward, gently feeling at the the angel’s ribs. Her fingers brush over each one, applying pressure as she traveled downward--

The wounded woman’s face twists up in agony and she emits a pitiful keen. “Sorry, little dove,” Naya softly murmurs to the angel, pulling her hands back quickly to avoid causing any more distress to the beautiful creature. Broken rib then, but just the one it felt like. Still, it wouldn't do to leave it much longer, lest it puncture a lung. Naya moves on, inspecting the wings and concluding one was broken, the other possibly sprained.

“Princess!”

The brunette’s head jerks up, raising an eyebrow at the naked man who had finally decided to wake up. The witch is confused by the term princess, but she doesn't have time to dwell on it now, not with the other woman in such a critical condition. “I'll patch her up, man beast, just stand back.”

Naya pulls her grimoire out, flipping until she gets to the very back of the book and stopping when she gets to ’To Mend Bones’. Her green eyes study the runes before she nods, pulling her dagger free and pausing for a moment. She didn't have all of the ingredients required, so it would take more blood than the recipe originally called for. After a moment of hesitation Naya digs the tip of her dagger into her own forearm, dragging it down until a generous amount of blood began to burst forth.

She dips her finger in the crimson liquid and begins to draw the runes. One on the angel’s forehead, one on each wrist, one on the chest, and finally one on each wing. As each moment passes Naya’s hands begin to shake more and more, the feeling of magic vibrating under her skin to the point that it is almost painful. The witch dips her finger into her blood one last time before pressing it to the angel’s lips.

Everything whites out for a moment and Naya can’t see anything at all.

When she comes back to herself the witch is bent over the ginger woman, her breathing labored as she tries to get her breath back. She reaches a trembling hand up and feels at the angel's ribs again, pleased to find that they were no longer broken. “You next, prince,” Naya pants, holding her mother’s dagger, hilt first, towards the demon. “Just a couple of drops should be adequate. It’ll heal up any damage to her lungs.”

“I can't fix her wings without a sacrifice. So you can either fetch me an owl or wait till we get her back to the shop,” Naya informs, going to stand up but the overwhelming feeling of vertigo keeps her down. “W-when you're done take my s-pant-scarf and bind her wings down t-to-gasp-immobilize them.”

Gods, she was gonna be sick.

@Sarcelle Renard@Soufflegirl123@Ace of flames01

@Lord Zee @Ace of flames01
The guards parted slightly as the silhouette of someone from the side approached, soon showing itself to be the fearless one from earlier.

"You disgust me, phantom. I have no other words for you other then this; Take back your sword and leave, I have to go protect my people from your brothers, or did you fail to notice that with your coming more people are dying?"

Kelvin stared down his blade, partly wondering if it was possible to be killed by it, while also noting that the other could touch it, and therefore him. Kelvin could see himself reflected in this man, and it saddened him. He caught the sword, sheathing it before turning to find the King of Light directly before him.

"Is that all? Your story; I have heard it more than a thousand times over. But you forget a crucial detail each time you tell this story. It takes two to make an agreement." The ancient stepped forward, his force of presence far more powerful than any light magic. His words burned much worse than even that however. Kelvin stepped back, bowing slightly as the king continued. Greedy, Selfish, Arrogant, each word another death, a weight on his back. The ruler finished, and Kelvin bowed further. His voice came quietly, but sincerely. “It is as you say, my King.” Kelvin sighed deeply, “As you command, I shall obey.”

The phantom slowly turned, making his way slowly towards the doors. He heard the words the king spoke to the Lucius, and as Kelvin passed the man he paused for a moment, raising his head. He spoke in an undertone, but his words came steady and tinged with sadness. “Son of the Morning, weigh your heart.” His head turned, gazing at the other with pity. “All mortals must choose their death. Die for your heart, or die alone, but in peace.” He continued to the doors, pausing just once more before passing through them. “The choice is yours, my brother. Just know that in a thousand years, I have not regretted that last decision.”

The ghost walked slowly through the halls of the castle, gazing with melancholy fondness at the stained glass windows and high columns. This had been his home, but it may be true that he no longer deserved it. “Thank you.” The words echoed in empty air, but that was enough. Kelvin left the castle of light, passed the bloodied corpses, and walked slowly down the way he came.

Caezel resisted the urge to throw leaves at the demon that flew out of the newly formed fog just as he came into the area. Opportunities constantly lost. Caezel wanted to tear something apart. Too many scents in one forest, they all mixed. Fairy scum, demons, angel blood - he stopped by to put a little of that in a spare empty flask, however little it ultimately was - and he got the scraps of. As usual.

Still, he had the opportunity to take... something down with him. He picked the closest scent and moved in that direction, rewarded - or perhaps punished - with the site of a wandering fairy hovering through the trees. Unfortunately, it was facing... his direction. Oops. Turn around so I can sneak up on you... Caezel thought as he put a hand on the handle of his blade and the other on his pouch of potions. One way or another, he would accomplish something. Then follow that damn demon across the border so he could get himself an angel.

@RiverMaiden

Seriously, where in the world was that angel? She'd been looking for quite a while now, and still no sight nor sign of any angels nor demons within this foggy forest. Heck, she didn't even remember where she was anymore. The fairy landed, taking a look around her general area. There must be something around here. Anything at all. As she turns to restart her search once more, something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her periphery, she notices a middle age looking male hiding by one of the trees. He seemed to be a traveler of sorts, having within his possession a blade of red and a pouch full of flasks. "Hello?" Aurora speaks out to the man, wondering why he was trying to hide from her.

She approaches the man cautiously, watching the man's every movement. There was no telling if the male was actually a man at all, except for the one sure-fire test that she really, really enjoys. She enjoys it, not just because it is her duty, but because it gives her a chance to purify the world of another Child of the Dark. Aurora stops her approach, 25 feet from the older male, her left hand near the axe at her left side, while her right hand was held out in front of her, palm facing towards the man. Letting the magic flow through her, she focuses it into becoming a pure ball of light, shining in a cone-like shape at everything in front of her. If she sees a adverse reaction to the light, she will instantly bring her axe to bare and slice straight through the male alchemist. Otherwise, she'll stop shining the light, and apologize with a sheepish grin. Either way, she gets something she wants: a chance at information, or a Child of Darkness to kill. @ArenaSnow

Caezel knew standing in front of a fairy was a rather stupid idea. Still, he did, and so when the cone burst out towards him it revealed him for what he was - more or less a dusty sack of grey cloaked bones.

And the fact he howled in pain was a good indication he didn't like the light.

He threw himself to the side out of the cone of light behind a tree, grabbing at his pouch half-blinded while awkwardly pulling out the blade. He pulled out a potion - he wasn't sure what it was - uncorked it and threw it in the direction of the fairy. Or more precisely, 5 feet off in the wrong direction.

A noxious smell a few seconds later told him which one he grabbed. Wonderful... threw a shit potion at a fairy.... He got up unsteadily, prepared to slice whatever ended up coming after him that could possibly stand the smell. He sure as hell wouldn't for much longer.

@ace of flames01
Rida eventually found her way above the fog. Her sense of direction wasn't as bad when she could actually see infront of her. As she looked out over the area she saw a demon flying off with Octavia in hand. Rida stopped for a moment, then clenched her fists. This wouldn't do at all. She would make the dark worlders suffer for this.

Rida flew off in the direction of the castle. She had plans to start, and a war to wage. The battle seemed to be dying down now though, and soon she found herself in the throne room. "Your Highness! Terrible news, I'm afraid that the dark worlders have taken the princess. I suggest preparing for a full on attack. I wouldn't be surprised if they had killed her already." Rida said. Rida only hoped that the king would listen to her, this was a serious matter after all.

_______________________________

Mozu continued to follow Lucius in the mean time. She acted as if she were a loyal dog for now. She would reveal her true form though once she was alone with him. Every now and then she would lick his hand and shove her nose under his hand in hopes of getting him to pet her. Mozu would not give up on this man, his smell was too intoxicating, and she loved it.

@Lord Zee

”Princess!” The desperate cry jerked Asher’s attention away from the witch to the half-naked man before him. It wasn’t until he realized that the man was hardly a threat that he realized his hand had unconsciously gone straight to his sword. You’re getting far too protective of this one, he chastised himself, but still ended up giving the man a warning glance. The demon assured himself that it was purely to discourage him from getting in the way.

Blood magic was a particularly messy art that even with its numerous drawbacks was certainly able to perform some spectacular feats. Case in point, Asher watched as the witch brought the princess back from the brink of death, although it came at great cost to herself. Namely, the exertion made the woman nearly pass out in front of him. Luckily she recovered before he could do much about it, but he found himself regretting his snappish attitude. This woman was going to great lengths for him and he didn’t even know her name.

“Demon blood is awfully finicky,” he cautioned her, but took the knife anyway. The blade was well kept, as a small nick was all it took to get a fair amount of blood flowing. There was a brief pause as Asher looked at the angel. When he had learned about blood magic, his instructor had made it clear that lip to lip contact always made for more potent magic and at this point, he was done taking any chances. The prince pressed his thumb into the viscous crimson and coated his upper lip with it. Part of him couldn’t quite believe what he was about to do, but he had already come too far to stop now as his face moved towards the redhead’s. Eyes closed and with a hand behind her head, Asher's teeth closed on her bottom lip, biting just hard enough to pierce a layer of skin, before his lips met hers. His senses were overpowered by a sweet taste which he should have found revolting, but instead felt oddly... comforting.

The magic flowed through him effortlessly and the effects it had on her were nearly instantaneous. Color seemed to soak through the angel and a the small cut on her lip was already healed. Upon opening his eyes, it was impossible for the prince to say whether or not there the mixing of the two opposing bloods was having an averse effect on her, but for now the angel seemed to be stable. Satisfied, Asher stood up and wiped the remaining blood off his lip with the back of his hand. That was… definitely not entirely necessary, he noted with a slightly perplexed look, but found it difficult to regret what he had done.

With the immediate problem dealt with, the prince listened to the witch’s continued explanation patiently. ”I’m not willing to risk an losing the angel while I’m gone and by the looks of it, you could use a few minutes to recover,” he replied shortly, but in a moment his features softened ever so slightly. ”Besides, I still owe you my thanks. And worry not, you shall be justly rewarded for your assistance.” Before she was given the opportunity to protest, the prince extended his hand to the witch, "Prince Asher," he offered, expecting her name in return.

@Narcotic Dollie@Ace of flames01@Soufflegirl123

The moment the vampire started to cry out in pain from the light, Aurora's wary expression broke apart, forming a jovial smile instead. Perfect. Not exactly what she was looking for, but it was better than returning empty handed. She drew her left Axe, the silver weapon barely visible in the foggy terrain, stalking forward with the intention of getting a kill under her belt, her orb of light still shining within her right hand. As the older male chucked himself behind a tree, the child of fae almost heartily laughed. What did he think that would do? All it did was make her take a few more steps before killing him. Nearly reaching the tree he was hiding behind, she widened her eyes at the sight of a potion flying through the air. Crap, was this guy an alchemist? Thankfully the flask was thrown in the wrong direction, away from her instead of towards. Still she watched the object as it arched through the air and shattered on the ground. You never knew what a potion could do.

Then she smelt it.

Her orb of light shattered in a near instant, her concentration broken entirely. Holy shit. What in the name of Light was that smell?!? Covering her nose with her now open right hand, the faerie instinctively took a few steps back away from the broken flask, before remembering why she was near it in the first place. Damn it, she hoped the vampire was getting a good whiff of that too, because there was no way Aurora was getting any nearer to that flask than necessary. Instead, she flew up onto one of the trees near to the vampire's, not exactly within the range of smelling the concoction, but not far away enough that she wouldn't be able to see the vampire try and run. Twirling her left axe, Aurora chose to make some light banter. Hey, the older male was going to leave that tree eventually. There was no way he could stand that stench forever, right? Sooooo... You're an alchemist? the brunette asked innocently, her personality changing to it's happy-go-lucky state instead of the earlier murderous one. A light smile settled itself on the faerie's face, watching the tree that still held her Child of Dark behind it. She'll let herself feel at least cordial until he popped his head out. The moment he did, she would blast him with another dose of light, then end him. "I'm a soldier at the Kingdom of Light. Not really high up yet, but my superiors are looking out for me," Aurora continued the banter, just patiently waiting for the vampire to finally come out.
@ArenaSnow

Caezel sat not-so-happily behind the tree, getting himself the good sense of pinching his nose. Unfortunately, that deprived him of one sense - but his hearing certainly wasn't of consequence. He would have to depend on that. He certainly wasn't popping out to deal with fairy light.

Fortunately, she began talking. That was good... noise meant he could track, even though he couldn't exactly see. And track meant he could throw a potion right. He dug out the one he was looking for in his pouch. The last one. Pity, he had hoped to not have to use them as quickly as he had - but the next batch was still going and he didn't expect to need to deal with two fairies in a row. He pulled out a second potion, one that would have the very temporary effect of being a stimulant. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it was... something. And he didn't feel like playing fair. In fact, he didn't feel like playing at all. He blew it. Again.

He popped the lids off both, throwing the first immediately in the direction of the fairy's voice. The conflagration potion. If that didn't burn a few feathers off and set every tree in the area on fire within minutes he didn't know what would. It would have been nice if he threw it the first time... but then, he wasn't oriented.

The second he consumed. He stood and burst at a full sprint right after the first potion exploded. It wouldn't increase his speed, but it helped stamina when combined with the speed of a vampire. Though he did hear that annoying pop as he stood up...

(The fire potion is not fatal - might singe and be a bit painful the closer it gets to direct impact, but it doesn't actually kill.)

She heard a pop. The vampire was going for another flask... and she had been projecting her location this entire time. Damn. Quickly hopping off of the branch she had been sitting on, Aurora fell to the forest floor, her wings beating to stop her right before she hit the ground. Right after she did this, a potion impacted onto the tree's trunk, exploding like a sort of napalm. The fire started to spread to the other trees, and the faerie's eyes widened in disbelief, her once jovial smile turning into a pissed off pout. This damn Child of Dark just tried to roast her alive! She was even being nice to him and talking about herself, for goodness sake! This was why she hated those dastards. This. She then heard the vampire start to run, and a maniac grin replaced her annoyed pout. A game of cat and mouse, huh? Well, she'll be happy to oblige. Her two pairs of wings started to buzz, flapping as quickly as they could, propelling her away from the burning scenery and on the tail of the vampire. Heck, let's give the guy a chance. He didn't really do anything, besides trying to burn her, and she was quite bored anyways. She won't go her max speed, just to see how long the bag of bones would last for this chase. She'll always be just fast enough to make him sweat, but not too fast as to overtake him. If the vampire reaches the border, good for him. She'll cross the border, speed up, then kill him anyways, but good for him.
@ArenaSnow

She watches as the prince leans down to kiss the angel and she opens her mouth to tell him that isn't strictly necessary, but stops herself as she studies the soft, almost concerned look played out over his features. 'Oh,' the witch thinks, 'They're lovers. That's why he was so prickly earlier.' A demon and and angel.,.it was terribly romantic, wasn't it? She'd be sure to knock a little off the price when they got back to the shop.

She was a sucker for a good love story.

“Naya,” the witch replied hoarsely when the demon offered his hand, clearing her throat as she wiped her bloodied hand clean on her pants before grasping his in a firm handshake.

Well, she had intended for it to be firm, but given how exhausted she was right now it might have come across as a little weak. The brunette chose not to dwell on it at the moment. “And let's not talk about payment until after she regains consciousness and we get that wing seen too,” Naya suggests, letting go of his hand.

Naya only charged for successful spells, after all, and even though the witch had given the little angel everything she needed to survive, only time would tell if the ginger woman would ever open her eyes again.

The brunette leans forward again, listening closely to the other’s breathing. It was much less labored now and had lost the visceral, gurgling tone it had just moments earlier. Naya lets out a sigh of relief. “I may have mended her bones, but it's your blood that repaired her organs,” she tells the prince, not looking away from the gentle rise and fall of the angel’s chest. "The runes I drew just helped show it the way. I wouldn't have been able to fix her without you, since I didn't have all of the ingredients.”

“I wouldn't worry too much about the side effects of your blood, prince,” Naya reassures, straightening up and pulling her flask from her satchel. “She might feel queasy when she comes to, but that's better than being a corpse, isn't it? It may even help her tolerate being on this side of the border for longer.”

Naya uncorks the top of the container and dumps a generous amount of whisky onto the fresh cut that now adorns her forearm, gritting her teeth hard to keep from hissing. Once she feels that it is properly disinfected Naya tears a piece of her scarf and wraps the wound up tight. “Right, we should get moving soon,” She says, using her spear as leverage to pull herself up. Her whole body protests, and the witch feels breath takingly dizzy, but they didn't have time for dilly dallying.

Even with a seasoned warrior like the crown prince escorting her, Naya did not want to be in the Deathwood after dark. It was a known werewolf hunting ground.

“...I guess you may keep my coat for now, man beast,” Naya tells the still nude man, having mercy on him even though the trek back to Ashgrave Aromatics would be hateful without proper protection against the cold. “We’ll talk about your payment when we get back to the shop as well.”

After all, she didn't give out freebies.

“What should we call you?”

@Sarcelle Renard @Ace of flames01@Soufflegirl123

@Sarcelle Renard @Ace of flames01@Soufflegirl123@Narcotic Dollie

Livia shot around the forest, the fog was getting thicker as it drifted between the trees. She paid it no heed, the longing… the pain… the death nothing could blind her to it. Then a demon shot out from the fog cover, Livia would've recognised him anywhere. The prince, and in his arms… the angel! A long forgotten feeling surged within Livia, duty, purpose. She shot off after Asher, she twisted and glided through every obstacle in her path letting her longing for the angel's demise call her ever onward.

Then she started crossing terrain she recognised… the glen the plants… then she saw them. The little lamb from earlier bleeding now, she seemed to be trying to help the angel. Meanwhile the prince stood looking on, he had a sword in his hand… was it his doing then? To attack the kingdom of light and to abduct an angel, Livia's mind began turning and plotting as she entered the clearing.

She made no attempt to conceal herself this time around. She wasn't sure if the prince would remember her, she had tended to stay in the background of his father's court but still she was a presence of some repute amongst those upper echelons. 'My prince' she began, her shadowy form constituting itself into a slightly more solid shape as she curtsied low. 'May this aged warrior be of service to you?'

Livia tried to keep her eyes trained on the prince as sign of respect, but they kept darting to the wounded angel. To her dismay the longing became weaker within in her and she realised the lamb was healing the wretched creature! Anger swelled within her, she felt cheated. But she knew better than to challenge the witch especially as she seemed to have the support of the prince in her actions.

Lucius stopped where he was at the door when the king spoke to him again. After his chat with the phantom, he did not think he would have much else to say but Lucius was wrong again. Another low blow uttered by one he had to obey and it drove him up a wall even further. His words were a mystery even to him, she was in a safe place away from the conflict, but on what side? He had to get to the bottom of this, and his first step would be getting down to the town.

He began to walk again but this time, the phantom spoke to him as he walked past. Die for your heart, or die alone? Somehow he suspected the phantom had similar circumstances when he died and his facial expression went blank as he thought about it. If Octavia was in a safe place for now, then he had time to wait and help down at the town, where he was most likely needed more. Yes, that was where he would go.

He began to jog and quickly realized, with a soft nudge of his hand, a large dog was following him. It was a cute dog, very fluffy and he enjoyed giving it a pet. It actually put a smile on his face for once, on that dark day.

------

He arrived down at the town shortly afterwards and was horrified by the destruction that had happened in such a short time-span. It looked like he missed most of the action, as the enemy was already gone. Now the only thing he could do was help with the relief effort and coordinate defenses in case of a second wave, which was highly doubtful. Something told Lucius that they had gotten what they came for, as he looked into the forest in the distance.

His attention was brought back into the state of things when a sergeant came up to him, the poor fellow was bandaged up and looked extremely pale from blood loss.

"Sir Lucius! I heard of the ceremony, congratulations sir. But now, there is important work to be done here! We have civilian casualties and many wounded. The enemy has fled the scene and scouts report that they are gone for good. Right now we need all the aid we can get." he said in a wheezed condition.

"Thank you sergeant. Move the bodies into the open field over yonder, make sure to cover them in cloth. The bodies need to be claimed and if they are not, then we shall bury them all with elegance for their sacrifice, regardless of service. Move the wounded to the market square and get any available healers there immediately." Lucius paused and looked over the wounded man who kept doing his duty even when he was in no condition to do so, "You did good sergeant, relay those orders to your subordinates and then rest, you've earned it."

The sergeant gave a stern nod then briskly walked off into the chaos. Lucius looked down at the dog again, crouched down and patted the dog's fluffy head.

"We have work to do, pup." Lucius then stood up and jogged to the nearest building, he would look for survivors that could not help themselves. As he jogged, he gave a small prayer, not for himself or even for Octavia, but for all the people that just suffered like he did many years ago.

With his attention back on the half-naked man, Asher found himself questioning his origins. The mutt with a brown mop obviously knew the angel, but how he knew her and why he was here in the forest would be instrumental in deciding his fate.

But before he could voice any these thoughts, as seemed to be becoming the case more and more frequently, another character revealed their presence. The incorporeal form made him suspect the figure before him was a phantom, but there was something about that didn't feel quite right. That little suspicion was confirmed when he recognized her voice from his time at court.

"Livia, was it?" he asked, certain that it was indeed the ancient wraith. Demonic politics was a tiresome game of who-knows-who, one which Asher had entertained briefly and had made sure that he knew everyone. Last he heard, the wraith had been off following her own devices, so seeing her here left the prince wary. Especially with that predatory gleam she had when her eyes darted to the angel.

"Watch yourself," he warned with ice in his voice, "She is not yours to take from me." He let his words hang in the air for a few silent moments, giving his unspoken threat time to sink in. Then in the next instant his expression and tone were neutral once more. "But your help would be greatly appreciated. I would have you scout the area, as I'm beginning to become paranoid of more interlopers discovering us." It was phrased as an order, but he knew better than to disrespect a being as old as the wraith, "Is that agreeable with you, Livia?"

@Karos

@Cuccoruler

The king shook his head at the faerie's news. "No. That won't be necessary. If we were to that, it would only worsen the situation... Instead I will assign a small team of soldiers to go and retrieve her. Until that time, go and assist those who are in need of help. Understood? " The old man replied to the faerie.

-----------------------------------------------------------

@Karos@Narcotic Dollie@Sarcelle Renard@SouffleGirl123

While Octavia slept, she had a familiar dream... Or perhaps a forgotten memory resurfacing for the first time in a long while. She saw a much smaller, younger version of herself, with bright orange hair, and a young boy with black wings. The two of them seemed to be playing together at the border. Suddenly, the young version of herself tripped and fell into the dark world. Her hair instantly darkened to the shade of auburn red that she currently had. Her play mate had kneeled down beside her and tried to comfort the sobbing child version of herself, kissing better the injury on her hand. The two then smiled and giggled before returning to their games, happier than ever.

At one point, the two had stopped playing and Octavia touched the boy's jet black wings with an awe struck expression. " Your wings... They're so pretty...! " The small angel said. "Let's play again tomorrow, OK?"

A wave of sadness swept over her as Octavia heard those words as she knew that she wasn't going to see her playmate tomorrow... Or ever again.

Octavia slowly opened her eyes and blinked slowly glancing at her surroundings while in a daze. However, one man caught her attention. " Black... Wings...? " She reached out as far as she could, just barely able to touch the tips of his wings with the tips of her fingers.

" Your wings... They are so beautiful... " Octavia murmered softly, smiling gently. Her arm fell limp and back to her side once more.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her. She found herself unable to breath and her throat burned like embers covered the insides of her lungs. Her body arched upwards and she gasped for air as she struggled to breath. She veins, for a few moments, turned an inky black. Octavia cried out in pain as she broke out into a fierce sweat and tears flowed heavily from her eyes, before the pain and agony disappeared altogether. She rolled onto her side and black blood poured heavily from her mouth as she coughed furiously between gasps for air until the blood from her mouth turned to its usual crimson color.

There she lay breathing exasperated, heavy breathes as the black blood froze onto the ground and on her face. An abundance of frost had accumulated on her body. She could now see with both eyes as her breathes stabilized. " Where... Am I..? "

@Sarcelle Renard@Ace of flames01

Livia frowned behind her hood. Damn! she thought, so close, slightly faster and she'd have been mine. The wraith knew better than to express her opinion on the matter. Whilst she doubted the prince carried the necessary arms to do her any harm she would prefer to not have the whole kingdom hunting her down.

Upon being asked whether the orders were acceptable she was puzzled. Asher was the prince he held seniority, as a soldier sworn to his father's service she was bound to obey. Then she remembered, unlike most people she dealt with he knew what she could do, she smiled at this behind her hood and then replied.

'Of course my prince, whatever the scions of the dark require' with that she floated away a short distance and raised her arms above her head. Baleful energy began to ensconce her finger tips and then she directed the energies towards the ground. She turned and floated back to the prince whilst behind her the earth began to shudder.

At first the vibrations were minor, then they grew stronger as though something were burrowing beneath the surface. Then the tip of a sword burst from the ground scattering mud and debris across the clearing. Gripping the sword was a skeletal hand sheathed in rusting plate armour, and as Livia returned to float before the prince the skeletal warrior pushed its way out of the dirt. It was followed by another skeletal figure a few moments later. The two figures stood silently, weapons at the ready. They were armoured from head to toe, their ancient armour caked in grime, rust, dust and mud. The warriors open faced helms revealed the decaying visages of the ancient warriors Livia had called to serve, although they were so ancient there was little left to decay. The two figures both looked to Livia their empty eye-sockets regarding the shadowy form of the wraith, who turned and with a skeletal finger set them on their way. The skeleton's eye sockets were illuminated by blue flames as they left, and likewise two pinpricks of blue flame appeared behind Livia's hood.

'The dead permeate this place my prince, and they are eager to serve. If there are any who would challenge us we shall know. Livia's voice still came as chorus of whispers as she spoke, but now she projected more authority into the sound. It didn't make the sound any more natural however, if anything it made the sound of her speech even more unsettling.'I must ask however, to what end have you decided to seize an angel from your father's sworn enemies?'

Then the angel spoke. Livia eyed the being warily, the flames that covered her eyes glowing with fresh intensity as she eyed the wounded being in front of her. 'Where you are is none of your concern child, do as you are told and no harm need befall you.' With that Livia turned her attention back to the prince awaiting his answer.