The first one hits her in the left shoulder, tearing completely through the tender flesh and coming out the other side to pin her to the hemlock tree at her back. The witch opens her mouth to scream but it comes out as a whimper instead, pale hands flying up to try and pry herself free only to yank them away as the magic of the ice pike begins to burn her fingers.

The second one rips through her right thigh. Naya jerks uselessly, desperate to free herself but remains hopelessly immobilized. The third one clips her right bicep, burrowing through the muscle and all the brunette can do is grit her teeth and clench her fists until the spikes fade with the wraith’s attention. Once they have utterly disintegrated she keeps her footing for a split second before her balance gives out and she keels over, falling in a graceless heap.

Naya grunts, her front pressed against the frigid earth as her fingers flex listlessly at her sides. Her vision dims and the witch only holds on to consciousness for a moment before giving in to blessed oblivion.

@Karos@Polaris North@Ace of flames01@Lord Zee@Sarcelle Renard

@Cuccoruler@Karos@Polaris North@Lord Zee@Sarcelle Renard@narcotic dollie

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" A voice rang throughout the clearing, shattering the spears of ice. It was the king of darkness. "HEAR MY VOICE AND KNOW THIS! THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT ARE TO LEAVE MY KINGDOM IMMEDIATELY! THOSE WHO DARE TRY TO OPPOSE MY WILL SHALL BE EXECUTED ON THE SPOT! ASHER! RETURN TO THE CASTLE! WE SHALL HAVE WORDS ABOUT YOUR BRASH ACTIONS UPON YOUR RETURN. AS FOR THE WRAITH, SHOULD I HEAR OF ANY FURTHER MISDOINGS IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN AND EXECUTE YOU MYSELF! GENERAL URIEL, YOU ARE TO BRING THE WITCH TO A DOCTOR THEN BRING HER HOME. AM I CLEAR?!" The king's voice boomed. The clearing then fell silent.

Octavia didn't hesitate to clear the area. She used the last bits of magic to heal Lucius' broken arm and leg, then helped him to his feet. "Let us leave... Hurry now...!" She replied timidly, tugging on his hand slightly. She then looked back at Asher, making brief eye contact with him and reached out to him with an open hand, as if saying that she didn't want to leave and that she was hoping he would grab her hand as a sort of farewell, then looked away towards the ground with a nervous and timid expression, and her hand dropped to her side. "Bye..." She whispered to the young prince then returned to the other side of the border with Lucius, beaten, trembling, and terrified and the near death experiences that transpired today.

Soon after returning to the light side of the border, Octavia fell to her knees, trembling violently. The fear and exhaustion had finally got to her, and the potion's effects had already started to wane as the pain had returned with a vengeance. "I-I'm sorry... B-but could we rest for a bit...? I-I need a moment to collect myself..." Her voice trembling, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears. And quite frankly, she was.

=======================================

Back at the castle of darkness.

"Ah, welcome home sire. Your father, the king, is expecting you in the war room. " An imp servant informed the prince upon his arrival. The imp bowed low and gestured the prince forward.

In the war room was the king of darkness along with a few military generals, however, upon spotting Asher he shooed them away. " Ah yes, Asher, please come in. Do you care to explain to me as to why the princess of light was not only beaten nearly to death but also on our side of the boarder? I'm sure that it was for a very good reason, yes?" The king said, his tone as sharp and cold as the steel of a blade.

@Slendy

Rida's dagger attack was deflected as she was forced to fly back into a defensive stance again. "Your good, I'll give you that." Rida said as she started to bounce off the tree's and seen enough found herself going so fast that she accidentally had herself run into his shoulder. She tried to attack him as she bounced from tree to tree, only to find herself blocked with every attack. "So tell me? Are you having as much fun as I'm having Mr. Reaper?" Rida said with a glaring smile. Each of the tree's she had touched started to form magic circles of light on them. Rida was preparing an attack it seemed. Soon enough multiple spears of light could be seen flying out of the magic circles all aiming in wild directions making it rather hard for the reaper to dodge such attacks. Rida was the leader of a squadron for a reason after all, and she was a fairly good strategist as well. "Names Rida by the way." Rida stated as her spears of light were shot out.

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

@Lord Zee@Ace of flames01
Mozu looked over as the angel took her Lucius. Though Mozu wanted to rip the princess to shreds she decided not to for now, it was best for Lucius to get out of there. And Mozu knew that humans belonged on the other side. She would make him into a werewolf one day though. Then they could be togeather without any worry. But Mozu would have to work on making him like her back first. She knew that some of citizens of light had a fear of becoming a citizen of darkness. The Last time she tried to become friends with a citizen of light, it ended badly. The poor young girl ended up being killed by her own family after becoming a werewolf.

"I'll see you again Lucius!" Mozu said as she became her human form again and waved at him. She had a sad look on her face. To the others left in the area they would see Mozu as a naked girl waving to them. Mozu turned back into her dog form once Lucius had disappeared from view. She at this point started to walk off away from the others, she glared at the others in the forest before walking away, hoping to find something to eat.

@Narcotic Dollie@Sarcelle Renard

It was only for a brief moment, but panic did appear on Uriel's face, not the it would be seen, as the wraith turned herself to the prince. There was no way he could make it in time. He sheathed his sword and then clenched his fist, his eyes on the prince. A small wall of darkness that would block any shards that should hit Asher. It should keep him momentarily safe. But the same could not be said for the witch that was near the prince. She passed out after that.

Then suddenly, the King of Darkness's voice boomed throughout the clearing. The ice shards shattered as well, powerful guy. It was obvious that he became extremely stiff upon hearing the voice. When he gave out orders, Uriel knew that it would be wise to actually follow it. The wall of darkness disappeared and Uriel's arm limped back to his side. He hadn't exhausted much of his magic yet so he seemed fine. He then turned to the Children of Light and then bowed his head as farewell.

He then headed for Naya and then carried her, careful not to aggravate her wounds further. It seems he will be sticking with the witch for quite a long time. She seemed to be in a grave condition considering the holes on her arms and thigh. It seemed to do a number on her. Without further ado, he then started to march back to Minora where he assumed a doctor would be. "Until next time, Prince Asher." He said before continuing on walking.

Once they reached Minora, he immediately took her to a doctor. He could even hear some of his legionaries asking him loads of questions but he dismissed them rather quickly. He told them to prepare as they were heading back to the kingdom proper soon. He didn't want Minora to be in a state of cautiousness because of their prolonged stay there. He just needed to drop the witch off but of course, needed to wait for her to wake up too. He then took her to a house and asked the doctor to look her over. He then went to the side and sat down to wait for the witch's awakening.

@Cuccoruler

Don smiled at the compliment and continued to stay on the defensive side of the fight. His human body unable to keep up with his brains commands and the fairies constant movement. She had to be some sort of officer to preform tactical attacks with precision as good as hers. "I'm not having such a good time!" He replied as he slowly started to notice the magical circles. He cursed under his breath as he poorly attempted to dodge the spontaneous spears of light. Don barely managed to dodge two and was instantly impaled my a third spear. "Ah! For fuck sacks! You're ruining my human form!" He shouted pulling the spear out of his body. A small whole was left it's place. "Damn that's gonna leave a mark when it heals!" He complained as he threw the spear to the side. Don eyes shot at her like darts towards a target when she said her name. He poke his finger in the whole of his stomach and then looked back at the fairy. "I'm Don a Reaper...who's already dead....and who's body you're so kindly fucking up!" Don's grip on his scythe tightened as he swung in the fairies direction like a mad man. His assult mindless and without a pattern. It was obvious he was swinging hard to, when the curved sharp edge of the scythe came in contact with the wood of a tree it sliced through it quickly but not completely. "I'm gonna avoid using my dark magic to harm a beautiful thing like you! So surrender before this little confrontation become more.... Darker!"

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Asher watched his death come for him while feeling powerless to stop it. Needless to say, he still hadn’t come to appreciate the sight. Thankfully, Uriel was able to erect a barrier of darkness before Livia’s barrage could reach him, but the prince was forced to watch in horror as Naya was struck by stray shards. His face contorted into a pained grimace and his teeth clenched in frustration at his powerlessness. How in the world he was going to stop the wraith was beyond him, but if the witch was going to have a chance of surviving he would need to find a way to do so quickly.

The sound of his old man’s voice thundering through the forest put a halt to that train of thought. And as the ice shattered before him, it became apparent that Asher’s chance to end the war had escaped him, as the King’s demands were absolute. His face darkened as the realization set in that all of the bloodshed over the past few hours had been for nothing and that he was to return home to explain himself. The prince didn’t have a clue what he would say just yet, but it was something he was going to need to figure out quickly, as the king had little patience for half-hearted excuses.

Once more, the demon made eye contact with the angel, but he did not understand the almost yearning look in her eyes, as if she was disappointed that she was leaving. Asher said nothing as she left the clearing, his eyes all but lifeless, as he watched the strange creature disappear into the woods. With her gone, the prince’s attention snapped back to the injured witch near him. Being completely spent magically, there was nothing he could do but watch as Uriel lifted the frail girl.

”Uriel,” he called after the general, ”When she wakes up tell her that should she wish it, I will personally compensate her and would like to express my gratitude. The castle’s doors will always be open to her, she need only ask.” Asher wished there was more he could offer the brave witch, but he truly had little more to give in his present situation. Strangely, part of him hoped to see the witch again, but he expected full well that she would want nothing to do with one that attracted misery like himself. "And Uriel," he added before the demon was out of ear shot, "You did fine work today. I thank you for your loyalty and assure you that neither you nor your men will take any blame for this."

Lastly, his eyes fell on the stunned wraith. ”I cannot even begin to make up for your loss, but I swear to you that I never meant for any of this to happen. And while I may not be able to give you a new reason to live, I promise I will do everything in my power to help you find one,” he vowed solemnly. ”Should you need to vent your rage at me, I’ll fight you. But I cannot give you my life, as I am still needed and it will not dull your pain.” With that, the prince unfurled his wings, but before he took off, he gave the wraith one last look of regret. ”Take care Livia, I hope one day we can be allies once more.”

The familiar rush of wind assaulted the prince as he soared through the air. Today, the wonder of flight felt even more pretentious than usual.

-----------

The prince arrived at his father’s castle in a state beyond exhaustion. Luckily, the King of Darkness, ever the prudent individual, had arranged for a servant to meet him at the entrance with a rather strong draught. Feeling returned to his body once more as he drank the bitter brew. He would still need to some rather thorough medical attention, but for now he was ready to meet with his father.

The imp showed him in to the war room and the prince presented himself with all the dignity one could looking as battered and disheveled as he did. And as they cleared out, Asher felt the powerful gaze of his father fall upon him, but still he held his head high, refusing to show anything that resembled regret or shame. "This war has gone on for long enough," he replied to his father's pointed question, resisting the urge to respond with an equally sharp tongue, "And for the first time in months I saw an opportunity to sneak a legion all the way to their capital, so I took it." The prince's voice was even and his eyes refused to back down from the King's icy gaze. "I am not arrogant enough to presume that I am capable of ending the King of Light, but I knew that if I could get a hold of his daughter that there would be a chance to break his will. Unfortunately, she was gravely injured in the process and needed a witch's attention, but from there the situation spiraled out of my control as unexpected variables kept revealing themselves."

The explanation was honest and short, as he was sure that the old man already knew most of what had transpired in the woods. "Does that answer your question, father?" Asher asked, unable to keep all of the day's frustrations out of his voice.

@Sarcelle Renard

"You're right. You could never end the king of light. However, the daughter you could. So why didn't you? Why did you not end the pitiful creature's life? What baffles me even more is that you saved her life. You went as far as to kiss the wretch, thinking it would have made any difference! " The king said with a laugh. A layer of ice covered the floor and froze the Prince's feet like glue. "Foolish boy. You've grown soft for the beast. Perhaps I should send troops to deal with the princess.... just like I did with her 20 years ago..." An evil smile arose on the King's face as he stood up and walked to Asher. He then grabbed Asher's jaw and pulled him close. "You remember, don't you? Your little 'special one' that you played with and treasured so dearly as a boy? If I remember correctly, you came home that day with the most empty look in your eyes. Telling me 'she didn't come today. She promised me that she would but she didn't come.' But you knew why. Because she was dead! It was because of you that she died! It was because you grew soft!" The king pulled back , the ice melted, and he released Asher, yet his evil smile remained. The old man's sharp words roused old and painful memories for the young prince.

" You are going to be a King of Darkness one day. So try to not make that mistake again and find a 'special one' that makes you stronger, not softer.Or else... They will have the same fate as her, understand? ...... You have done well. You are dismissed, Asher. " With that said, the old man returned to his desk and looked at the paperwork and documents layed out on his desk.

@Slendy

Rida have a sigh as she looked down on the reaper from above. "When people hold back on me, I take it as an insult. And truth be told I shouldn't be here in the first place. Tell you what, I'll take your not taking me seriously as your own surrender and leave. If you ever wanna try to take me seriously then let me know." Rida said looking at the reaper with an unapproving look on her face. She hated it when people held back on her. This reaper must have really thought he was amazing if he was holding back. Too bad for him though, Rida was holding back a bit too. If she really wanted to she could have destroyed the trees with her spears of light if she had put more power into them. But thankfully Rida did not like to cause damage to a surrounding area.

Being a fairy she had to protect nature, so destroying tree's was a bit of something she didn't want to do. "See ya later Don, hope we can play again when you try to take me seriously." Rida said before flying off back towards the boarder.

His facial expression became blank at the harsh words of Octavia. Sadness overwhelmed Lucius but he did not say anything to her. Was he rash in what he had said to her? Had he really wanted to die this day, when everything seemed to be lost, yet there was still hope. Hope. That's what he needed the most now, more then ever. He had just been on the verge of dying again and this time, Octavia had healed him.

He looked up at the angel, protecting him, his crippled body and he could not understand why she did not run. To get away from this, to leave him behind in the name of saving her. Instead she had healed him, then refuted his claim by saying that he had to have her permission to die. He had to live and find true love, to see the end of the war. The thing that made him most upset was that if he failed to do this, then he would be imprisoned and renounced as a traitor. Those words, her words, hurt him the most.

She had doomed him to misery and there was nothing he could do about it.

Lucius eventually managed to sit up, just in time to see the wraith turn on her allies and thrust deadly ice spikes around the clearing. Lucius watched in horror as the witch girl was basically impaled by the large spikes. It sent shivers down his spine, was that how it had looked like when he was struck by the monster?

As an ice spike nearly impaled his head, a voice he had never heard before uttered in the clearing. Was that him? The king of darkness? Well, his voice at least.

Things happened quickly after that, both sides went their separate ways and Octavia finally mended his bones. Amazing magic that was. Not an hour ago he had been severally crippled but now he was walking again. Sure, there was still a lot of pain, but none as severe has in his heart. Words had been uttered this day that Lucius would never forgive and that wraith would pay for what she did to them all.

When Octavia tugged at his hand saying it was time to leave, he would have grabbed it but instead he pulled away slightly as he saw her display at the prince. He gave the prince one too, one middle finger before he turned away and led the way back to the border. Lucius tried to see if he could spot or where she had gotten to, but had no luck and he dared to not stay and search. He regretted that decision greatly.

When the angel finally spoke to him, he could see she was greatly upset and without saying anything he sat down next to her, wrapped an arm around her small shoulders and pulled her close to his chest. A hug was, sometimes, all you needed.

@Lord Zee

Octavia met the warmth of Lucius' embrace and gratefully accepted it, hugging him back with a warm, gentle, practically nonexistent touch. "I'm sorry for my cruel order... I'm so sorry... Thank you for protecting me... Thank you... " She murmered to him softly, squeezing him tighter, then fainted in his arms.

============= That Night ============

A young version of Octavia awoke to her father at her bedside that hugged her tightly upon seeing her awaken. It had been a few days since she had made the promise to the boy with the dark wings, little did she know.

" Daddy? What's wrong? Why are you crying? "

" A young boy with dark wings, a demon, appeared to one of our soldiers and said that you were sick and you wouldn't wake up. You had been asleep for nearly a week with darkness poisoning. I had thought I had lost you."

"What happened to him? Is he OK?"

The king fell silent.

"Daddy? Daddy what happened to him?!" Tears started to stream from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, beloved. He died soon after from light poisoning. " The king said sadly, shaking his head.

" N-no! That's not possible! I promised I would meet with him again! He can't be dead! It's all my fault! He's dead because of me! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I promise I will be good! I promise I will be a good girl, I'll never complain, I'll do what I am told, I'll never go to the border again, and never ask for anything ever again! So please! Please don't let him be dead!" She cried. Though she knew that no matter how much she begged, she couldn't bring her beloved friend back to life.

================== The next morning ===============

Octavia woke up with tears streaming from her eyes from last night's dream and an immense pain from yesterday's injuries. She removed her blankets, sat up, and looked herself over. She wore a simple night gown pajamas and her arms, legs, chest, wing, and forehead were wrapped in bandages. She was exhausted from the extensive magic use and her body felt as heavy as lead. Her mind and vision were a blur. Today she was going to stay in her room and recover, thus, she covered herself with her blankets once more and closed her eyes once more. Yet she found herself unable to sleep for some odd reason.

Octavia opened her eyes once more and looked out her window.

---

Naya wakes to someone lifting her head and pressing a cup to her lips. On reflex the witch opens her mouth, grimacing when the taste of peppermint and willow bark tea overpowers her tastebuds. “Hng,” she groans, cracking a bloodshot eye to glare blearily up at Dr. Clayburn. “You could have at least ground it up better. It feels like I just swallowed a whole tree branch,” she croaks, her voice raspier than normal from disuse.

“That's enough out of you,” the old man grumbles, easing Naya’s head back down onto the pillow and placing the now empty medicine bowl on the bedside table. “What would your mum say about all this bitchin’ you’re doin’?”

“She’d understand if she’d been subjected to that swill,” Naya shoots back as she starts to sit up, drugged up enough that the pain of her injuries only have her hissing lowly. She'd known the crotchety old doctor since before she could talk and knew he wouldn't take the jab to heart. “Who brought me here?” The witch asks, running a hand down her front to better assess the damage. She's slightly mortified to realize she's only in her small clothes, but pushes the embarrassment aside for now.

“Some armored fella. He's still out in the foyer,” Dr. Clayburn replies, squinting at her from below a bushy eyebrow. “Looks to be with the royal army. I didn't reckon you’d be the type to get tangled up in court business,” the man grumbles, giving the other an irritated look when she goes to redo the bandages on her arm.

“My clothes?” Naya asks, ignoring his prying comments. The old man was a notorious gossip, anything she told him would be all over the town in under an hour.

“Your clothes are shot to shit, but your boots are right there,” he snorts, nodding to her shoes at the foot of her bed. “Guess you’re not staying,” the doctor grumbles, thin lips pursed as he watches her struggle to pull the footwear on. “You're really in no condition to be up and about.”

“I'll be alright once I get back to the shop,” Naya answers, delicately getting up from the bed and placing a hand on the wall for support.

“Do whatever the hell you want. You always do,” Dr. Clayburn scowls. “My next order had better be heavily discounted.”

The witch nods briskly, wrapping a sheet around herself to conceal her lack of outerwear before making her way back to the main entrance, careful to keep a hand on the wall the whole time. Naya is surprised to see the man that helped her subdue the mage back in the Deathwood sitting in one of the chairs by the door. “Hello,” she says a bit awkwardly, her weight shifting to her uninjured leg as she pauses. “Erm, thank you, for not leaving me for the vultures,” the brunette continues, giving the heavily armored man a small, lopsided smile.

“I'm Naya,” she introduces herself, using her other hand to hold the sheet tighter around her shoulders. Gods, she must look pitiful. “Do you think you could help me again? I need to get to my shop, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make it on my own,” she explains, gaze flicking up to his helmet and where she supposed his eyes must be. “It's not very far, just a few streets over. I’ll be sure to repay you for your kindness.”

@Polaris North

@Narcotic Dollie

Uriel had taken a phantom messenger and sent him to tell everyone in his legion to head back to the capital without him. This was a covert mission after all, all under the noses of the civilians, so there was no need to be him in front. It's not like he was walking back with glory anyway, but he never really wanted that. The legionaries seemed to have enjoyed staying at Minora. Some played with kids and the others were hitting it up at the bar. You wouldn't imagine they were part of a legion under his jurisdiction. They came to him and said goodbye and left for the capital.

In the short while between him bidding farewell and Naya waking up, he had nodded off. That night, he couldn't get sleep properly. He always woke up after minutes of sleep for some reason or another. He hadn't even taken off his armor that while. It was odd, yes, but not too far fetched. He was outside and he needed some form of insulation and his armor gave it to him.

The sound of the doctor's voice and the witch's voice truly woke him up. He couldn't really listen in to what they were talking about as he was still waking up. Once the witch revealed herself, he groggily looked up at her. The feeling wasn't quite obvious thanks to everything covering him. When she said hello, he simply replied with a small wave of his hand.

"My name is Uriel." The general said, formality never leaving. "Of course. It is also within my order to take you home. No need for any repayment." He pointed out before standing up before tilting his head. "Er, do you want me to carry you or do you want to walk?" He asked awkwardly. She seemed to be in very bad shape considering what she's been through. But considering what amount of clothing she had on herself, it was a matter of decency now. He didn't want to carry her without permission unlike what he usually does with others.

@Lord Zee

Mozu had found her way past the boarder again. She was barking and yipping happily outside of the castle. She was even play with a few children who came out to play with her. She especially liked it when some of the children tackled her and rolled her onto her back. Mozu was even happier when they started to rub her belly. Mozu then got up again and started to get chased by the children. It was causing a bit of a commotion.

As Mozu was playing around she could smell Lucius some where, but she had yet to track him down entirely. Mozu had recently been stock piling presents for him within a near by forest. Of course these presents were nothing more than a few towels, a bucket, some balls of fur, a rock. And many other strange items. However Mozu considers all of these items as treasures and she wanted to share it with Lucius. She hoped to make him like her as much as she liked him. Maybe even enough to become a were dog for her.

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

Rida in the meantime had been within her home at a fairy village. She had gotten a report from one of her scouts about what had happened in the forest. "This stupid princess, making my plans even harder." Rida said trying to figure out a way to keep the princess from crossing over the boarder. Maybe even find some kind of a spell or artifact that would prevent Rida from going though. Though the darkness poisoning certainly did a better job of it than anything Rida could come up with.

"Next time I see her, I'm gonna slap her." Rida said looking over to a small box of sardines she had. "Can't exactly slap a princess though without it being called treason. However if I act as if it is a joke and throw a sardine at her she should get the message." Rida said to herself aloud. If there was one thing that Rida was good at it was bending the rules, or finding loopholes. And to her the sardine counts as a rather nice loop hole.

---
A fireplace was lit, burning brightly within the enclosed room, as a teenage Aurora sat within a furnished seat staring into the flame. The room was aged like the world, with olden clocks of different make, dulled yellow paint, and taxidermy animals lining the walls. Her beautiful mother, with hair as bright as the sunset and eyes as deep as the ocean, appeared from behind the young faerie and stood beside her, a smile alight on her pale face. "What is it you wish, my darling?", the mother asked, staring into her daughter's blue orbs.

Aurora said nothing in reply, continuing to observe the dancing flames. Her mother frowned, and leaned closer to her child. "Aurora, dear? Why won't you speak to me?" The beautiful adult didn't understand why her darling child, the one that would always light up when she gained the attention of her dear mother, would ignore her only now.

"Aurora, please. Speak to me." The blond pleaded, trying to gain the girl's attention through her eyes, sadness prevailant within them. As her mother said this, the brunette finally looked back into her mother's eyes, and replied.

"You aren't real."

The room near instantly changed before the teenager's eyes, aging even further as the teen became a woman herself. Everything became caked with blood, the taxidermy animals, the clocks, the walls, and the fireplace, whose flame was currently absent. Aurora's mother, whose eyes were so deep and full of life just moments ago, became dull and lifeless, falling to the ground along with the woman herself, who was covered in blood like everything else. The now adult Aurora brought her eyes towards the door, wide open and reeking of the smell of death. Darkness poured out of the opening and surrounded the brunette, whose blue orbs slowly became as dull as her mother's, Aurora not even flinching as a screech came from within the room, a sharp pair of fangs stabbing into her jungular.
---

Aurora's real eyes opened quickly, the faerie sitting up within her bed as fast as she could, only to flinch and let out a groan as her muscles screamed at her for the sudden movement. Laying back down onto her bed, the faerie sighed after reviewing the dream she just had. It was always the same one, sitting within that chair in the old living room of her old house, staring into the fireplace that was always lit within that former home. Many times before, she had tried speaking back to her mother, to warn her of what was to come, but was never successful, and only hurt once more with the newly revived memory of her love. She has come to terms with her family's death, her sisters and her father, but her mother was always at the back of her mind, giving her that wonderful smile that made the world so bright.

Storing the thought at the back of her mind once more, the faerie was surprised to notice that she wasn't laying on a cot within the Kingdom of Darkness' Prisons. Instead, she was inside of a cottage that doesn't seem to be from the Kingdom of Light, nor Dark. What the heck was going on?

@Polaris North(Hale)

"Octavia? Octavia?" Lucius murmured as he shook her gently to no avail, the young angel had fainted. Lucius sighed, then stood up and cradled her in his arms. "You know what princess? I know you can't hear me but nonetheless, your order was cruel and I wish you would take it back but I know you can't. How can I live like that? You would even mark me a traitor if I went against it? The light is my life and if I loose that... well.. I don't want to think about it." he became silent, he didn't know what to say. The Knight of Angels then began to walk towards the capital, thinking about everything and nothing.

The princess was not heavy in the slightest but Lucius began to feel exhausted by the time the castle came into view. Upon entering the castle grounds, servants came and whisked Octavia away, probably to her quarters. Lucius was asked if he needed medical aid, but only asked for a horse. He did not want to stick around and see Octavia when she awoke, already their relationship was strained and things would only get worse if he remained.

With a heavy heart, he set out and did not look back. With no destination in mind, he went as far away from the border and the war as he could.

----------

Lucius opened his eyes, light stunned him for a moment and as his eyes adjusted he saw nothing but green and blue. He was laying face up in a ditch, the sky above him was as beautiful as ever. The white clouds looked like wings. Angel wings. It came back to him then, the previous day seemed to long ago but it had scarred him as ever. He felt his entire body, looked over the new scars and found he probably looked hideous.

With a groan he got up and looked over his surroundings, nothing looked familiar and the damn horse was gone. He wasn't even sure he was near civilization. He went to grab his staff but what a shock it was when he realized he had never picked it up from the clearing.

"Damn it! Damn it all!" Lucius shouted at the sky. He had no idea what he was going to do, there was no roads that he could see, no paths to take but wonder the wilderness in search of something. He began at once, trying to see if he could find anything useful around him but came up with only a stream, which he gladly drank from.

Hours passed, hunger was beginning to creep on him and he felt so tired but kept going. After a while, his thoughts wondered to the wraith that had wounded him so greatly. He thought about this to avoid his hunger pains, Lucius usually found a persistent mind was key to survival. He could probably touch the wraith but couldn't risk it, the thing was just too powerful and he didn't want to be full of icicles. He shivered, if only he had more power but right now, he was probably at his weakest.

If it wasn't for the damn demon and the princess things would have went differently, now he was lost with no food. So tired, Lucius finally sat down on a rock and sighed. He was surrounded by trees and could not see very far and it only added to his frustration. He covered his face with his hands and just sat there.

"If I was more powerful, none of this would have happened. Gahh! Why am I so weak? Why am I so... human?" he cried out, in the woods.

“U-Uriel,” Naya parrots back, committing the name to memory. Her tongue is a bit clumsy from the effects of the painkilling brew Dr. Clayburn had administered earlier, but she pronounces it well enough to avoid further embarrassment. “Whose orders are you following?” The witch asks curiously, tilting her head to the side and studying the creature more closely.

Her gut feeling still said he was probably a demon, but she found his lack of wings to be most peculiar. Was he born without them or did they have to be amputated for some reason? She takes another step closer, standing on her tiptoes to try and see into his helmet again. “Do you have eyes in there, friend?” She asks, soprano voice colored by curiosity. Did he use magic to see things?

It's at this moment it dawns on Naya that she is out of breath, and when she glances down she sees that she has begun to sway a bit. It seems she has exerted herself more than her still recovering body could handle. The brunette had to hand it to the doctor though, his tea might have tasted like garbage but its numbing effects were impressive. “I think you might need to carry me,” she admits sheepishly, her cheeks going pink as she shifts her attention to study the polished floorboards beneath her worn out boots. “Just give me a moment, alright?”

She turns her back to him and opens the sheet, re-adjusting it so it is now wrapped tightly around her chest in some sort of makeshift dress. Naya pauses to glance down at her now exposed shoulders, frowning at the bandages that wrapped around her left side. She didn't even remember getting hit there. That wraith really did a number on her. But while the witch was still very much miffed at Livia for the killing of Skellington, she couldn't find it in herself to be very angry about the ice spikes. After all, the specter had just been ordered to stand by as her brother was killed right before her eyes, it was understandable that the other woman might be a little blinded with rage.

Still, she'd rather not run into the wraith any time soon, thank you very much.

“Alright,” Naya says hesitantly, turning back around to face Uriel. “Ready when you are. Do you need me to stand a certain way or…?” She trails of, rubbing at her bandaged arm as she tried to figure out a way to make carrying her easier on him.

Suddenly, Naya realizes she can't see her satchel anywhere by him. “Did you get my bag?” The witch asks quickly, trying to stomp down the first tendrils of panic that worm their way into her mind. “Or m-my grimoire?”

@Polaris North ((Uriel))

A chill ran up Asher’s spine and it had nothing to do with the ice the King had summoned. Memories that the prince had long since buried were clawing their way back to the surface. They came in flashes, each one making him wince ever so slightly, but still Asher refused to show any signs of weakness in front of his father. So he listened to his words and took them to heart, his expression remaining neutral no matter what was said. And when he was dismissed, he merely offered a respectful nod and saw his way out, the heavy doors of the war room swinging shut behind him unceremoniously.

Mechanically, Asher made his way down the luxurious halls as he remembered more about what felt like a past life. The boy in them certainly had his name, but the littler prince certainly didn’t act anything like the present him did. He remembered just how curious and playful he had been back then as he explored with his friend. Smiles had come easily and he had been quick to laugh. He remembered just how excited he had been to show his new friend interesting things that could only be found in the Land of Darkness and just how excited he was when she promised that they would explore her side of the border next time. But most of all, Asher remembered how weak he had been. The thought left a bitter taste in the prince’s mouth.

”Send for Valentine,” he instructed the servant that met him in his room. The vampire gave a small look of horror as she took in the prince’s new collection of wounds, but was quick to do as Asher had ordered and left to find the castle’s healer in a hurry. The prince’s right hand had lost almost all feeling, leaving him with just his left hand to fumble with his shirt. Impatience and frustration led to the already tattered finery to be ripped off after a minute of his feeble attempt. Thoughts of his old self were pushed aside. Years of effort had gone into making him a strong and formidable demon, not a bleeding heart that lost his nerve when push came to shove. No, those memories were meaningless and the prince refused to waste another second dwelling on them. The king was right, Asher couldn’t risk going soft after he had come this far.

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A restless night’s sleep made Asher realize that his dreams didn’t quite feel the same way about those tiresome memories. Again and again he was forced to relive them whenever he closed his eyes, eventually ending with him giving up on sleep altogether. As morning came, Asher had become quite fed up with just laying still, eyes wide open. Getting out of bed, however, proved to be much more of a challenge than the prince would care to admit, as his body felt obnoxiously heavy and he somehow managed to seem to be covered in more bandages than skin. Still, after a small amount of annoyance he eventually managed to more or less throw himself out of his cushioned prison and hobble his way across the room to the window.

The view that awaited him was a gloomy sight, as the Land of Darkness was perpetually draped with overcast clouds and little light, but it was home to the demon and he wouldn’t change a thing about it. A wave of nausea forced his eyes closed, which allowed his mind to turn its attention to thoughts of the damn creature from yesterday. ”You are going soft,” he all but spat. "I need to fix that."

@RiverMaiden

Hale was making yet another bear stew. She had grown to have a craving for it for the past week up to now. The amount of bears she had killed was small though considering she was the only one eating. She heard some sounds coming from the Light infirmary. She took a bowl and then poured some bear stew in it. There were actually some bear meat in there. Delicious. She took a wooden spoon and placed it on the bowl and then began to enter the other room.

The fairie was indeed awake and already confused on what was going on. Well Hale doesn't blame her. If she could have a potion for every time she had seen or heard that reaction, she would already have a lifetime supply to use if there wasn't any war. "Surprised?" She asked with a small chuckle before sitting down at the chair beside her. Aurora would notice the lack of bandages around her. Considering how experienced Hale was in the art of healing, she didn't quite need it anymore. Sadly, she would still feel some numbing pain. "Before your questions, and I am sure they are many, eat this." She said before handing the bear stew to Aurora.

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@Narcotic Dollie

"The King." Uriel replied simply. "And I would think Prince Asher was thinking the same. He also told me to tell you that because of your aid, whatever favor you need, the Prince would do everything in his power to get it." He informed the witch. Truly, she had been a great help back then.

When she neared him, he didn't show any form of stepping back. He then chuckled. It was a common question. With the green mist that seemingly escapes his helmet, one could easily assume that he didn't even have a head. "I do have eyes, Naya." He then took off his helmet to let her see. He had silver hair and green eyes. "The mist is but a magical effect... perhaps to be more intimidating, I'm not so sure myself." He explained. He really wasn't sure what it was for. Whatever his mother was thinking when she made this suit, he didn't know what it was.

The general nodded as she began to readjust the sheet around her. Meanwhile, he firmly placed his helmet back on his head. When he got a good look on her, he was actually glad that she looked way better than when he first took her inside. She was bleeding almost everywhere back then. To see someone not from his legion like that, he could help but feel sad for her. From what he gathered, she was a simple witch who ran an apothecary and now look where she is. "No, you're fine." And with that, he scooped her up and carried her bridal style. Well it was more effective.

When she questioned about her satchel and grimoire, the general shook his head. "Regrettably, I found no such things beside you when we escaped the forest. Shall I head back there to get it back for you?" Seriously, he wasn't in any rush to go back home. There was nothing to do but train anyway and his legionaries were still healing so it was like a day off. He'd rather spend the day searching for a satchel and a book rather than sit around all day.

Ignore!

@Lord Zee

Mozu finally caught a strong enough scent and started to follow it towards where she would find Lucius. After about an hour of following the trail and smell she finally found him. Mozu was bouncing for joy as she approached him. "I found you!" Mozu said running up behind him. As she did so she leaped at him turning into her human form again and hugging him from behind. "You smell so good." Mozu said smelling his neck deeply with a smile on her face. She was again naked as dogs had no need to wear cloths.

Mozu couldn't get enough of seeing Lucius and hoped that he would come to enjoy her the same way. She hoped that this would be a good chance to get to know him more as well. "So what are you doing all the way out here? Have you decided that the angel isn't worth it anymore?" Mozu asked Lucius with an innocent smile on her face. "Oh! Maybe you were out here waiting for me!" Mozu said believing that Lucius really did like her back.

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@Ace of Flames01
Rida was flying towards the castle window that belonged to Octavia with the sardine. She couldn't wait to throw the small fish at the princess. That was until out of no where the one creature the made her smile most came and snatched the sardine from her. At first Rida was angry then she couldn't help but smile. It was Steve, her pet pigeon. "Steve!" Rida said with a smile as she hugged the bird mid air with a smile on her face. She dug her face into the bird smiling.

After her fun little reunion with the pigeon Rida and Steve both flew into the window of the princess. "Heard from the report that you caused us alot of trouble." Rida said to Octavia as she landed on the window sill, Steve was next to her cooing in a rather happy tone. To many people it was a wonder that Rida had such a silly bird as a pet, yet it was what made her happy and that was all that mattered to Rida. "Could you stop causing us all a headache?" Rida asked the princess in her usual tone of annoyance.