@Lord Zee@Ace of flames01
Mozu was estatic when she heard that Lucius would buy her a rock. It was an odd thing. Eventually Mozu settled on a rock that had moss on it and also smelled like old socks. It was a bit of a strange thing for her to choose, of course she was a weredog. She had the same preferences as any dog would. "Thank you!" Mozu said giddy as she picked up the rock that was just purchased with him. Mozu certainly was a happy girl.

As the two walked through the market they got closer and closer to the library. "You ever wonder where the light and dark sicknesses come from?" Mozu said passively while looking up at the sky. "I've always wondered if there was a way to by pass it all, wouldn't it be great? Then both sides might stop fighting and start playing more too. Imagine how much fun everyone could have!" Mozu said hopeful as she spread her arms out and spun like a child.

She was still a child to most afterall, so full of hope like any child. At this point however Mozu noticed a familiar smell, one that often put her dog form into a growling fit. It was the smell of that princess again. Mozu just tried to stand infront of Lucius for now not wanting to make them notice her or Lucius. She only hoped that Octavia would pass and not notice.

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@Lord Zee@Ace of flames01
Rida was happily enjoying her sweet when she noticed the princess come out of the library. She looked to be bleeding a bit judging from the stains on her cloths. "Again? I'm going to get an earful about this back at the castle you know." Rida said flying onto Octavia's shoulder and sitting there. Steve landed on the opposite shoulder. It was at this point that Rida noticed Mozu glaring at the princess. "We should leave soon, I think people are starting to suspect you." Rida wispered into the princesses ear. She noticed Lucius though while she was there as well and waved at him a bit before trying to apply pressure to Octavia's back to try and get her to get going.

As soon as the faerie heard the witch's harried reply, an unnoticed grin flashed across her face. Hook, line, and sinker. It was obviously very important, even the general tensed slightly when the flame flickered into existence. When she heard the first response from the witch, Aurora nearly snorted in derision. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. Any grimore could hold two of those spells, and 'everything' is highly subjective. Unless the grimore had every single witch practice inside of it, which it probably didn't, since the soldier had seen many much bigger than his one, the object shouldn't have that much value to the two of them. Aurora's disapproval had clearly been noticed, so the witch had bowed her head in shame, ready to voice the true worth of the book. The brunette unconsciously leaned forward, eager to learn the secret.

Then she heard it, and the world stopped at the sight of pure shock that appeared upon Aurora's face.

The dancing, tantalizing flame, hungering for the fuel it could sense was so close to it, but too far away, had been snuffed out as fast as it had appeared. A thousand different thoughts shot through the woman's head in the blink of an eye, the surprise slowly giving way to anger as her now open hand settled near her left Axe. She's lying, they're only trying to trick me. They know of my incident, and are capitalizing upon it. If I give in, they'll kill me the moment I turn my back on them. They can't be trusted, they're Children of the Dark. Within this swirl of anger within her heart, underneath the hatred and distrust, a single light revealed itself from within the red haze. What if she speaks the truth? Wouldn't I be no better than them? That single thought slowly over took the rest, and gained in momentum as the seed of doubt bloomed within her.

The general had once let Commander Rida go, why not I? The witch was neutral throughout the whole fight of that day, actually taking the wraith's attention one time that lead to the angel and I escaping from the scene. If you were the one in that situation, had you been smart enough to take a heirloom from that bloodied home of yours before it was ransacked by looters, wouldn't you been in the same situation. With each thought, the expression on Aurora's face changed within an instant. Disbelief, sadness, shame, and finally melancholy. The small light, the visages of the sweet little faerie that never knew the touch of war, that smiled and laughed with nothing hiding behind it, the girl that Aurora thought had died with her family, shouted out from within her, and it broke through.

This internal war lasted for the shortest of moments. To the two Children of the Dark, it would have only been a second. The faerie threw her head back and laughed, letting all the emotions that built up within her out with the vocal outcry. Her anger, her pain, her acceptance, her madness. As she brought her eyes back to level with the witch, a bright twinkle of warmth was within them. In one smooth motion, the faerie pulled her Axe from her loop, and chucked it straight at the witch. However, instead of impacting with her meaty flesh, it had gouged itself a divid into the ground 2 feet infront of the human. She repeated the action with her other Axe, eyes trained onto her fellow female's face the whole time. "I shall make this covenant with you. Until the memoir of your mother has been returned to you, my custom silver weapons, that have served me for 8 years of my life, bathed in blood since the day of their making, will be in your care. When we reach the border town of Linore, a trade shall be made for each of our prized possessions. My companions for your grimore."

If she was going to screw herself over, she might as well go all the way. She wasn't joking about them being bathed in blood from their birth. All of her foes have fallen to their curved blades, and if they had voices of their own a baying for the general's red life liquid would be heard all across the forest. For once, just once, in her life of anger, she will see the Children of Dark as people. Not enemies, not dogs to be slaughtered, people. A small tear, unnoticable in the shocking situation fell from her face. The only sign of her madness giving way to a semblance of sanity. The moment she took back her weapons, her madness would return, and give her the strength to carry her burdens once more. But for now, her body was unfettered and lighter than ever before. Aurora's wide, signature smile that lit up cold dark rooms appeared, and was aimed at a Child of Darkness, one that she thought she would never show it to. "Do we have a deal? I'm Aurora, by the way."

@Polaris North@Narcotic Dollie

When Naya next looked up the fae-creature was cackling wildly and for a split second the witch was certain the other woman had gone mad and was going to set the Deathwood on fire herself. But instead of them all going out in a blaze of magic the other woman stopped and unsheathed her weapons before throwing them at Naya’s feet.

"I shall make this covenant with you. Until the memoir of your mother has been returned to you, my custom silver weapons, that have served me for 8 years of my life, bathed in blood since the day of their making, will be in your care. When we reach the border town of Linore, a trade shall be made for each of our prized possessions. My companions for your grimoire."

Naya looked down at the axes cautiously before her gaze flitted back to the faerie’s face, searching for any sign of treachery. The child of light smiled at them, all of her features rearranging themselves into a sweet, friendly expression. "Do we have a deal? I'm Aurora, by the way."

The witch nodded slowly, returning the other woman’s smile with a hesitant one of her own. “We have a pact, Aurora,” Naya answered as she began to sift through her bag, finding the blanket that the house had packed for her and shaking it free. She then leaned down and pried each of the axes free before wrapping them in the cloth and fitting them into her bag.

Well, almost. The handles stuck out a bit and the satchel was so comically full at this point it appeared as if it might burst at any moment. This as well as the spear strapped to her back made Naya look more like a pack mule than a witch.

“I’ll keep them safe,” she said after a moment while rearranging the satchel to fit more comfortably at her side. Naya knew that the other woman was being very kind, anyone else from the other side of the border likely wouldn't have hesitated to destroy her grimoire, so the witch would do her best to return the favor and treat the faerie’s possessions with respect. “Though…,” Naya started, reaching up to scratch at her nose bashfully before confessing, “...I’m not exactly sure how to get to Linore from here.”

Linore was a nice enough market town Naya supposed, but it’s position directly on the border made the witch a little antsy. Even with its strict no violence laws she couldn't help but feel like it was a bloodbath waiting to happen and avoided the city as much as she could.

“Would you happen to know the way, friend?” Naya asked, turning to look back at Uriel hopefully.

@RiverMaiden@Polaris North

@RiverMaiden@Narcotic Dollie

This was the kind of situation Uriel would never have predicted in his whole life.

Aurora seemed to have gone mad as she started laughing. Or well, he was fully aware that she was already crazy with the whole 'I kill every single Child of Darkness I see' but still, this was different. But then the flame present on her finger disappeared instead of growing wild on the grimoire as he expected, and she unsheathed her weapon. On instinct, his hand flew to the hilt of his blade but then Aurora threw both axes at Naya and both landed near her feet. His hand left the hilt and rested lazily on his side as he looked back at the Child of Fae. It was practically the first time he ever saw her smile like that. Well they only did meet once and that was when it was the invasion and he saw another... more crazed smile back then so it shouldn't really count. But it was such a kind smile, something that shouldn't be on a face of a Light soldier who wants to eradicate all Children of Darkness. It was unsettling for the general at first but it slowly warmed up to him.

Then she told them a deal. She will give back the grimoire once they reach Linore while Naya holds onto the twin axes that is her weapons. It was a good deal really. Both wouldn't rip each other's throats out when they moved because they all hold something of importance for the other. And of course, Naya accepted the deal. The general didn't need to input anything anyway so he didn't speak for a while until he was addressed by Naya.

"Linore?" He voiced out first before looking around. He came to this place when he came from the Kingdom of Light and he also knew the way back to Minora. Judging by that, he could probably track down how to get to Linore. "Yeah, follow me." This was one of the few times where he wished he was born with wings. If he was, then it would probably be all the more easier for him to take the two to the border town. He gestured for the two to follow him before he started moving himself.

He started navigating through the forest until he found a familiar dirt path that his legion had made. There were multiple paths but they and they all lead to somewhere. In this case, this dirt path was made at the edge of Deathwood that was near Linore towards the edge of the forest where they could see the Kingdom of Light. The general never thought he would use it to get to the market city though. He liked that place very much. Peaceful, no fights and the mingling between two kingdoms were there. It was a surreal place to have when both kingdoms were at war.

Bright, blue eyes lit up like a festive Christmas tree, filled with mirth at the sight of the witch's bashful expression. That was the cutest thing she'd seen all day, even if there wasn't really anything to compare besides a cottage, an elf, a bunch of dead trees, and an armored general. It was the thought that counts. Speaking of the general, Uriel if her memory was solid, he had taken the lead for the trek to Linore, giving the two women a "follow me" gesture as he set out on the journey.

Sliding the grimore onto her belt, the faerie followed after the man, stumbling slightly when she put weight onto her slightly deadened leg as she steadily closed the distance between them. Aurora didn't know what to make of him, only having a single encounter with the general on the battlefield. He seemed to be very loyal to his Kingdom, but also seemed to follow his own agenda if the Kingdom clashed with his morals. Yes, those morals were a pure sort, but it was very strange for a Child of Darkness to be so... kind, let alone having those morals in the first place. When she had finally caught up to him, the brunette flashed him a quick smile.

"Hey, Yuri-Yuri!" she greeted him with a nickname she had just made on the spot, noticing that they hadn't actually exchanged any words throughout the whole spectacle. "Haven't seen you for quite a while. It's almost like it was just yesterday when we first met, right?" To be perfectly honest, the woman was surprised how such little time passed with so many events happening all at once. She has had many skirmishes and battles that would last for as long as weeks, but they've never been as eventful as the past few days have. Princesses, Demons, Generals, Wraiths, and Near Death Experiences. Five things she never expected to have to deal with in a single day.

@Polaris North@Narcotic Dollie

It was difficult for Asher to wrap his head around the notion that the creature he had kidnapped wanted to be his friend. Much less the part where she was certain that she was not afraid of the man that was responsible for her brush death. Had he been in her position, the prince wouldn’t even think of looking at things from the other perspective, much less offer a hand in friendship. Still, her words sounded sincere, but he couldn’t say whether or not that was because she was simply too innocent for her own good, or because she was truly able to see something in the demon. Regardless, her words did not soften his features or change his attitude.

That is to say, it didn’t change anything on the outside for the prince. Internally however, Asher was feeling more torn than he ever had before. There was part of him that wanted him to stay cold and distant, as he was sure that the closer he got to this creature the more difficult it would become to be the kind of leader that his people needed. And yet part of him wanted to reach out and say something, anything really, but the moment passed before he could choose as she was joined by what had to be a faerie. Wait, why did he feel like there was even a choice to be made here?

The thought made his jaw clench tight and he found himself wondering once again what was wrong with him. It wasn’t like him to feel so conflicted, especially when it came to doing what he thought was best for his people. But here he was, watching Octavia leave the library with a weight upon his chest. Asher wasn’t sure what to call the feeling, but he knew that if things had been different, if their people hadn’t been at war, he would enjoy getting to know the angel. It was a rather unsettling realization for him, but between life on the battlefield and the insufferable pretenses that consumed court life, the prince had never really entertained the idea of making friends.

Asher pulled his hood up, it wasn’t about what he wanted though. A tired sigh escaped him as he leaned down to pick up the torrential amount of books that littered the ground. Prince or not, he wasn’t the type to let others clean up his messes. So he set to work, but the entire time he started to grow more and more frustrated, as he had to keep reminding himself that his people would always come before any of his pointless desires. ”Stronger, not softer,” he reminded himself quietly, a hint of bitterness creeping into his tone.

It wasn’t until he finished organizing the books on the ground that he turned his attention back to the book that the creature had given him. After a brief moment of contemplation, Asher resolved to just leave it there on the table and forget about his unspoken promise to her. Better yet, he would forget about the creature entirely, as she had been nothing but trouble in the two days he had known her. Satisfied with his decision, he turned his back on it and made his way to the entrance, taking each step down the stairs with conviction.

He managed to make it halfway down the stairs before he turned back and grudgingly snatched it off the table.

@Ace of Flames01@Cuccoruler

@Cuccoruler @Sarcelle Renard

"Yes I know... I know... " Octavia replied to Rida, not really paying attention to the faerie as she merged into the crowds. Right now, the Angel's mind was in another place. Where that was, even she wasn't to sure. However, her thoughts were stuck on the demon with the cold eyes. " Why...? Why do I feel like I know him...? His eyes... I know those eyes... But from where...?"

Octavia wanted to learn more about the demon prince, but... At this rate... It seemed impossible. The war raging between their countries had created a wall that now seemed unbreakable. Perhaps it would be best to just give up, to forget everything all over again... All over again? What did that mean? What was she forgetting? That's when the memories came to her in small fragments.

"Let's meet again tomorrow... Promise?"

The words echoed in her mind... It was today. 20 years ago today was the day she made that promise; the real reason for why she came to Linore.

Octavia made her way through the crowds with a brisk pace and out of Linore to a tree that grew directly onto the border; the place where she first met her beloved friend. She looked up at the tree's canopy, just as she had done when she was small; then smiled, a few tears ran down her cheeks. She pressed her forehead against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes. "Hi Crow... It's been 20 years... I know I'm late but... I kept my promise.... I'm here... Just like a promised... I miss you... I miss you so much... And I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I... I just wish you were here... I wish I could see you and talk to you and to hear you..." Her voice trembled violently and was hardly able to speak. She clenched her hands into tight fists, then released. There was a long silence. "Wherever you are now... Are you happy...? Are you safe...? You know... I almost forgot that it was today... Our promise... But... I never forgot about you... I think about every single day and I try to get stronger like you told me to... Though I guess I'm still a crybaby, huh...? .......... I'm trying... Crow.... Trying to be strong... But... It's hard... It's so hard, Crow... Can you even see me...? Can you see me from heaven...? Are you watching me... At all...?"

Another long silence. Octavia sighs and her posture sinks a bit. "I miss you and I wish you were here... I... I love you Crow... I love you so much... You were my first and very best friend... I only wish... I could have told you sooner... Before you died...... Before I killed you... I wish I could have told you that.... "

With that said, Octavia wiped away her tears and a gentle glow emanated from her back and onto her injured wing. She then spread over her wings and with a mighty flap over her wings, she shot up into the air. Once she reached the highest branch on the tree, Octavia removed her Star Dust pendant and hung it tightly on the branch, then landed back onto the ground. However, before landing, she placed an enchantment on the pendant so none but the pendant's true owner may touch it or remove it.

Octavia looked at the newly hung, glowing pendant. The Star Dust was originally meant to be a gift for her friend who was so enchanted by her world, however, it now stood as a symbol and a reminder. A reminder to never forget the one who gave up his life to save hers. The one who Octavia loved and cherished the most.

@RiverMaiden

"Yuri-Yuri?" Was the general's first words. Uriel looked at her with an eyebrow raised, not that she could see it. That was the first time he heard someone call him in such a casual name. Most didn't even think of giving him such a nickname considering his position and reputation. It actually took moments for him to register that it was his own nickname and it came from the girl who tried to kill her the day before. "Never thought I'd hear someone call me like that." He admitted out loud. Even if he wasn't used to it, he didn't exactly hate it. Actually, it made him smile once he knew that it was him being called.

He chuckled, "We only did meet yesterday." He decided to point out. Well it did seem like the battle was a hundred years ago considering everything that has happened. Battles left and right, rampaging monster, angry wraith, the prince and princess, overall, that day was pretty eventful. Although he wasn't necessarily cursing that day because of everything that has brought upon him, injured soldiers and such, mostly because he got to see sides of people he never thought of seeing. Wait, that reminded him, he still needed to get back to the main kingdom to get his soldier's status report.

He shook his head to rid of those thoughts. He had more than enough time to think about that after they get back to Linore and the grimoire safely acquired. He turned his gaze towards the fairie beside him. "Why? Did you miss me?" He asked. There was a smirk on his face right now. Hey he was just teasing her and this shouldn't escalate into a fight, hopefully. Besides, Aurora seemed like the type to let those types of jokes go. But then again, they only did meet yesterday and that was in the heat of battle so why was he sure? Must be because of some outworldly force telling him about it. Maybe that force was sure about the answer or maybe it was just planting thoughts in his head. Nevertheless, what's done is done. Time to wait for the effect.

Aurora blinked. The fairy did not expect that, especially from the Dark general. She thought Uriel was one of those super serious guys who never thought of anything except their job. Well, in that case, she wouldn't keep him waiting. When someone flirts with you, the only real response is to flirt back. She has played this game before, sometimes with the other soldiers. However, it has never led to anything romantic, but she never really expected it to. Just some brief fun to brighten up someone's day.

Unknowingly returning his smirk, Aurora moved closer within Uriel's personal space, blue eyes filled with a hidden curiosity. "Yes, I did," the brunette replied, mirth very apparent within his voice. "Why don't we get... reacquainted with each other?" Her words sounded so innocent, but the hidden conotations of them were apparent as the sun. The faerie wondered how far the Child of the Dark was going to take this game, and was quite willing to keep playing as long as he did.

@Polaris North

@RiverMaiden

Uriel had entirely thought that she would laugh it off but she was playing right along with him. Now that was a surprise. Although admittedly, the general wasn't all that acquainted with the action, he just said what was natural to him. He wanted to pass it off as a simple joke, nothing more, but now that he thought about it, it did sound a little bit flirty. To think he was capable of something like that, maybe his mother did rub off of him at some point on his life.

But when he tried to say something back, he instead let out a cough. Oh, so this was what it felt like to have something die on your throat when you're about to say it. Although he did know that a part of him was mentally stopping him from going back and forth with Aurora. It was probably his soldier sense talking. His gaze turned to the ground in front of him, now looking away from Aurora. He knew that this was all in innocent fun but he knew that if he got too friendly with her, it would end very badly for him. She still is the enemy after all, even with this neutral atmosphere of theirs.

He let out a sigh. "Say Aurora." He started, sounding serious. "Would you do absolutely anything for your kingdom?" It came out of nowhere. Really it did, even he didn't know why he suddenly said that. It was like his own mind was resetting to get out of that atmosphere.

Naya huffed while she shuffled through her bag, attempting to rearrange it in a way that would stop all that infernal clattering.

Clink clank. Clink clank.

The witch growled this time, her movements becoming more vicious as she continued to try and pad the potion bottles in an attempt to muffle the noise.

Clink clank. Clink clank.

“Son of a mangy, flea bitten, no good, gods damned werewolf,” Naya grumbled under her breath as she yanked one of the bottles out of the satchel all together. The noise finally stopped, but now her hands were full. Her green eyed moved to study the faerie and how her gait became unsteady anytime she put much weight on her leg. “Aurora,” Naya started, picking up her pace to catch up with her two companions, “Do you need--,”

"...--hy? Did you miss me?" Uriel asked Aurora, his voice colored with mirth.

"Yes, I did," the faerie answered, moving closer until her shoulders were almost brushing against the demon general's. "Why don't we get... reacquainted with each other?"

Naya went red in her cheeks, coughing and slowing down again to give the two their space. She’d always had a soft spot for a good love story and the last thing she wanted to do was interrupt the start of one. After all, her own prospects on paramours was nonexistent, so she had to live vicariously through someone. She stuffed the potion back into her bag quickly and tried to stay as quiet as possible.

Clink clank. Clink clank.

“Son of a whore,” Naya sighed as she rubbed at her temples and prayed for patience.

@RiverMaiden@Polaris North

An unheard chuckle was released from Aurora's lips when Uriel was unable to respond, only coughing in what seemed to be surprise. She supposed the general was unused to such banter, even though he had started the "game" in the first place. It made her wonder what had brought him to beginning their banter in the first place. A familiar noise alerted the faerie to the witch behind the soldier duo, potion flasks clinking together with every step the human took. Wow, how much stuff did the woman have in her satchel? Potions and materials and axes, oh my! Naga certainly had alot of clutter within her bag. However, before Aurora could even think of helping the woman, Uriel spoke up once more.

"Say, Aurora, the man had at some point turned away from the faerie, his eyes pointed towards their unseen destination. "Would you do absolutely anything for your kingdom?" The air chilled at the sudden question, or rather, the warmth that once radiated from the Child of Light had been snuffed out. Uriel's question had reminded her who she was, those she was with, and why they were even together in the first place. She was the Light, they were the Dark. The only reason she wasn't dead in a ditch somewhere was because of the book strapped to her hip. As she realized that she had the perfect moment to kill a general right in front of her, the magic within her body instinctively started to change, morphing into the pure, encompassing light. A dull orb of light almost absentmindedly grew within Aurora's left hand, in an action that had repeatedly been used to murder the enemies of her Kingdom. Unless he had some sort of device that would alert him to the use of magic, her blast of light would hit him dead on, completely annihilating a true Child of the Dark who could not see her manipulation of her magic.

It would be so easy...

She tightly clenched her fist, mentally sighing in resignation as the magic returned into her body. No. When she killed this man, it would be on the battlefield. He deserved that much. Any other person, she would have vaporized on the spot, but his fighting skill had impressed her, and the only reason their fight didn't end in a single flurry of arrows was because of his honor. Well, she had her own honor, and it was hers to uphold. "Yes... Wouldn't you?" Aurora replied, her emotional state regulating itself once more. She made a promise to set upon this course, both externally and internally. The brunette's burdens were still detached from her, and were not going to be taken up again for quite a while.

@Narcotic Dollie@Polaris North

“Son of a whore,”
“You can’t blame a child for their parentage.” Shadows settled just a few steps behind the strange trio, Kelvin’s true form, arrows and all seeming to slide from darkness. His voice echoed just slightly with the hollowness of the dead, but the tone was quiet and had a hint of amusement. The phantom caught up with the rearmost member of the group with just a few steps, and he slowed to match her pace. With a sideways glance, he waved an armored gauntlet over the short woman’s satchel. The entire bag seemed to darken a shade, silencing the clank of metal for an instant before the sound returned, almost in defiance- his illusion fading. Kelvin’s head cocked in interest at that.

“Tell me,” his hand moved again, this time forming a slightly rippling bubble about the bag- only muffling the sound, instead of canceling it. “Why are a demon, fairy, and human walking peaceably in the middle of the Deathwood?” His tone darkened slightly at the name of the forest. It was one of the few places that had mostly escaped the clutches of time, over the centuries. He had doubts that there was even a Demon alive that could remember when the first tree was planted. “A bond was broken here, recently.” He turned his head to look towards a certain, cursed clearing. “These woods were never safe… but some bonds should never be broken.” A chill touched the air for an instant as ice coalesced underfoot, before disappearing. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, after all.”
@Narcotic Dollie

As they neared the library, Lucius watched Mozu intently, practically ignoring everyone else besides those that he almost ran into. He did not know why she chose the rock she did, but it seemed to bring her joy, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Minus the fact that it was incredibly expensive, and just for a rock- it was all good. Though he made a note to never buy from those damn elven traders, ever again. So why was he watching her and probably looking like a fool with the smile he had on his face? Once again, Lucius did not know.

The wizard pondered her question when she asked about the sickness, he had never really given it thought before. It was really just something he had accepted as a undeniable truth, before he had no reason to go over to the other side for prolonged periods of time but now- it was different. So the light and darkness poisoning, was now very much on his mind.

"I've never really thought about it before. Not until today, not until right now. Perhaps it is just the way the world works, barring those who could not survive from their respected environments simply because it can. Would the world be a better place if it did not exist? Perhaps Mozu, but I'm sure entire knew problems would arise." He paused and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds pass over, "Yes... It would be fun I think, if both sides could play for awhile." Lucius said solemnly before realizing that Mozu was standing in front of him, facing towards the library.

His gaze followed hers, and he saw Rida. The faerie waved at him, Lucius waved back. The Knight of Angels wondered why she was there, then noticed who she was with. Even disguised, he could make out Octavia amidst the crowd. She did not notice him however, and she slipped away but Lucius did not budge. Even though the Angel had put him through a lot, he forgave her. She was by no means a human, but she was close enough and they all made mistakes.

Lucius really did feel better, it was an interesting feeling, the warmth that flowed through him. He gently placed his hands on Mozu's shoulders and turned her around to face him. With his right hand, he affectionately caressed her left cheek.

"Don't worry about her Mozu because..." Lucius paused, smiling again, "Because...I like you too."

@Narcotic Dollie@RiverMaiden

In that silence, he could clearly hear Naya's potions clanking with each other. Uriel looked back momentarily to see the witch trying to stop the noise and failing at that. She had too much stuff in there. Well, it was partially thanks to the house for being so worried about their master who came back with tons of scratches and wounds. She seemed to get more and more impatient with each noise.

He then looked back at Aurora as she spoke once more. He remained unaware on Aurora's thoughts of maybe killing him right now."Yes... Wouldn't you?" Her answer was to be expected and now it was his turn. "I would." He replied although there was an amount of uncertainty in his voice as he did so. "Or normally I would. To follow my king's orders is absolute." He explained as he walked before looking up, towards the sky that was covered by the leaves of the trees. "But lately, I've done nothing but... let them go. The princess, the human, the fairie..." He then let out a chuckle.

"Want a little story about two demons, complete opposites, and yet got along so well with each other?" He offered, the question aimed at both girls he accompanied right now. He knew that story ever since he was a small child. Uriel wanted to tell it to pass the time as they go to Linore. The general oddly took off his helmet and placed it under his arm. He did it because there was literally no reason for him to wear it anymore and he was going to tell a story.

@Lord zee
Mozu was over joyed to hear Lucius say that he liked her too. When he touched her cheek though Mozu blushed a bit. It wasn't often that people petted her there after all. "I'm so happy!" Mozu said with her beaming smile. "B-but." Mozu looked a bit nervouse as her smile turned into a frown. She remebered the last time such a thing had happened. The last time someone wanted to play with her more she accidentally scratched them.

That person was a human from the world of light and sadly the human became a weredog that was killed by the other villagers. It was cruel thing and something that Mozu never wanted to happen again. If someone from the side of light wanted to be with her, they would have to leave everything behind.

"How much do you like me? Do you like me enough to promise to never leave me?" Mozu asked looking up at Lucius. Mozu's ears were gone now as she had a more melancholy look on her face now. Mozu couldn't handle the idea of someone getting hurt because of her again. Much less having them killed because of her. This was probably the main reason that Mozu hated Octavia so much. The angel reminded Mozu of herself when she was being selfish and not caring much about the situations about those around her.

@ace of flames01

Rida watched as Octavia went to the tree and put up her sparkling jar necklace thing. Rida decided it was best to just not say anything about it. Let Octavia figure things out for herself and not getting involved seemed to be the most. It was just cause unnecessary hassle anyways. "It's a pretty tree." Rida said with her arms crossed as she stood on the ground leaning against Steve whom was on the ground next to her. "You wanna get back to the castle princess?" Rida added before looking over at Steve who was preening his feather. He was also occasionally pecking at the ground. "I think it may be time to feed Steve anyways." Rida said petting Steve on the head as the pigeon cooed when Rida mentioned feed time.

As it is, Steve was actually quite large and plump for a pigeon. He had quite the appetite it seemed. At the same time, this allowed him a great amount of power when it came to him dive bombing others from the air. Enough to give a human a concussion at least.

“You can’t blame a child for their parentage.”

Naya would have liked to be able to say that the strange voice had not startled her in the slightest, but the abrupt squeaking noise that escaped her mouth gave away just how much he had caught her off guard. She reached up instinctively to grab at the hilt of her spear, but stopped when her eyes landed on the skeletal form of an apparition. She’d always liked ghosts for the most part, except for that wraith. “Oh,” Naya sighed in relief, lips quirking up into a slight smile. “You startled me, skeleton friend. Your sneaking skills are most admirable.”

She watched curiously as the specter waved a hand over her satchel. For a moment the bag was blessedly silent, but then whatever spell he had cast faded and the clamouring returned with a vengeance. The witch couldn't say she was surprised, every potion the bag held had a bit of her blood in it and that didn’t often mix well with other magics.

“Tell me,” he began as his hand arched over the satchel once more, encompassing it in a shimmering bubble that quieted the noise for the most part and held fast against her contrary blood magic. “Why are a demon, fairy, and human walking peaceably in the middle of the Deathwood?”

Naya’s gaze flickered back to Aurora and Uriel, who still walked together closely, speaking in tones low enough that the witch was unable to make out what they were saying. “That one and I have a contract,” she explained, nodding toward the faerie before she turned her attention back to the phantom. He was quite a bit taller than her, but then again most people were, and had a few arrows sticking into him. Naya pursed her lips at the sight of them. Did they cause him discomfort? How sad. “She has my grimoire and I her axes. We’re keeping them safe for one another until we can get to Linore.”

There was a beat of silence between them before the spirit said, “A bond was broken here, recently. These woods were never safe… but some bonds should never be broken. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, after all.”

Naya didn’t have much time to process the stranger’s slightly ominous words as the temperature dropped and a sheet of slick ice formed on the ground beneath her feet, causing the witch to flounder and lose her footing. The frost disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but the damage was done and she had already begun to fall. Blindly she reached out, firmly grasping the apparition's forearm to steady herself--

Wait..what?

“S-Sorry,” she apologized, letting go of his arm but not moving to step away from him, instead reaching up to prod at his cheekbone. Her finger didn’t pass through and instead came into contact with the cold bone of his skull. “How curious. I’ve never been able to touch a specter before,” Naya admitted, looking up to where his eyes would have been. “...you are a phantom, aren’t you, skeleton friend?” she asked, leaning up onto her tiptoes to better inspect his eye sockets. There was no trace of the flames that were the tell tale sign of necromancy. “You talk too well to be a summon,” she laughed faintly as her fingers trailed down to grip his chin gingerly, turning his head left and right to study him at different angles.

What a fascinating development.

@Gate Keeper @RiverMaiden @Polaris North

Asher left the library feeling defeated. The small book felt like it was burning a hole in his cloak’s inner pocket, a byproduct of how obnoxiously aware he was of its presence. Teeth grinded against teeth as the prince tried to rationalize what had happened back there. It was one thing to not want to make a mess for others, but it was quite another to go back and take something that was sure to mess with his head even more. He wasn’t sure how exactly it would just yet, but given how his past interactions with the angel had gone, it seemed like a safe bet to make. Thinking about the creature didn’t help his current mood, so he picked up his pace.

The city of Linore was a blur in Asher’s peripheral vision as he weaved through the crowd. There was no clear destination in his mind, but the white walls of the library had become stifling to the demon. The further away he got from them, the better.

’Is it really the library you’re running from?’ The thought made him come to an abrupt stop. Asher, the Prince of the Children of Darkness, running? He scoffed. He snarled. He clenched his fists in outrage. The notion was preposterous, but what else could he call it? Just what was it about that creature that always managed to make him lower his guard and become something he hardly recognized?

Asher ducked into a desolated alley on the side of the street. It simply wouldn’t do for anyone to notice a prince having a small scale existential crisis. He turned the question over in his head once more, leaning against a wall for support. It didn’t take a genius to realize that he hadn’t quite been the same since he had met the angel, but pinpointing what exactly it was about her that was getting to him was difficult. The prince ran through the possibilities in his head, weighing each of them as honestly as he could. His face scrunched up in consternation as each second passed.

Could it be love? Another scoff, as that didn’t sound right at all. The two hardly knew each other and Asher was definitely not the type to believe in the whole “love at first sight” nonsense. And even if he had to grudgingly admit that the creature had an innocent beauty to her, that was hardly enough to win the demon’s heart over. Now whether or not he was attracted to her was a matter that he was quick to scroll away for a later date.

But what else could it be then? Was it admiration that he felt? The notion was a hard pill to swallow, as evidenced by the scowl that had taken up residence on his expression, but there was a ring of truth to it. Whether he liked it or not, Asher could not simply dismiss the creature as blissfully ignorant, as she had seen the kind of cruelties the prince was capable of. But still, she chose to look for some semblance of goodness in him. It was something he doubted was possible for him to do. It was also something that he realized he needed.

Asher covered his face with one hand, but could not suppress the small grin he felt tugging at his lips. ”You’re such an idiot,” he muttered, although truth be told the revelation made him feel more relieved than frustrated. ”It really is that simple." Despite the confidence he had in his actions, the encounter with Livia made him question what would become of his people once the war was over. No, that wasn’t the full truth. It had made him question what he would do with peace. Only once before had there been someone in his life that had made him feel like there was a life that was possible for him after this war, but he had lost her. And that was something that he never wanted to experience again.

With his little introspective session over, the prince emerged from the alley and took a look at his surroundings. One awkward second passed by the next as he regarded the unfamiliar street with a blank look on his face. ”Well shit,” he sighed, grasping the fact that his little walk had gotten himself hopelessly lost.

The shock of the woman touching him ‘rattled’ him far more than it should have- but it was odd to run into two that could touch a phantom in such a short span of days. In a way, he was glad that the guise of death masked his expressions. Skulls didn’t have the burden of sharing facial expressions with those around them. Instead of stepping away from him however, she reached up to touch what was left of his face. If Kelvin had the muscles to manage it his eyebrows would have raised. He stood in shock for a few moments of inspection before any verbal response could come to mind. It was odd, that his spirit felt the fingers as if they pressed against flesh rather than bone. Perhaps a subtle reveal that his senses were more a matter of spirit now than of physiological input.

“More curious that one would want to touch one, I believe.” He gently, but firmly grabbed her hand and lowered it away from his face. “You could say that I am but a shadow of my former self.” His voice lowered slightly, darkening at the mention of necromancy. “It might also be that a slave speaks more freely when his master is not listening.” In idle experimentation, he reached over her shoulder and passed a hand through her spear- clearly he could not touch what she carried. A few questions arose, How strong am I in comparison? Can I pick her up? Can I touch her clothes? the last of which made him turn to look away from her awkwardly, erasing that experiment from existence. Some questions were best left unanswered- centuries had taught him that.

“What lays in Linore, to attract such an odd party?” This was interesting, and he had a vested interest in making sure that such a mixed company got along. He had been waiting a long time for this kind of opportunity to be possible. He reached out, holding her by her chin to turn her face one way, and then the other in gentle mockery of her earlier action. “Have you dealt with my kind often?”
@Narcotic Dollie

Lucius was shocked. How could she already ask him that? They had barely even known each other for a week, his feelings had only been known for a day and Mozu was already asking him to promise that he would never leave her. He was incredibly confused, he didn't know how to deal with the situation, so he realized he would have to be truthful. His hands began to shake slightly as he took a step away from her.

With a long sigh, Lucius began to talk to Mozu, "I... Don't even know where to start. How could you even ask that of me? I've barely known you for a couple a days and you already want me to promise never to leave you? Do you have any idea how selfish that is? I think you are a bit too excited about what could be, to actually see if it will be. So right now, at this moment, I can't promise you anything simply because I don't know myself. I'm sorry.

He felt a lot better getting that off his chest, but also on edge. He did not want to hurt her, but if she felt that way already, then it just wouldn't work out. He portrayed nothing as he looked at her, everything was blank in anticipation.