“More curious that one would want to touch one, I believe.” The specter answered as he gripped her hand to pry it away from his face. Naya didn’t fight him, instead blinking down curiously at where his gauntlet clad fingers wrapped around her wrist. It seemed he could touch her as well. The metal of his armor was cold and caused the skin of arm to prickle into goosebumps. “You could say that I am but a shadow of my former self.” He paused for a brief moment, before pressing on, “It might also be that a slave speaks more freely when his master is not listening.”

”Oh. Um, right,” the witch stumbled, thinking back to the incident with Skellington the day before. Naya would have liked to think that her control over the creature had been better than letting Livia turn it into a mindless killing machine, but it might not have seen it that way. The runes she had marked it with had made it protective over her, it wasn’t a natural emotion, and even though she had only wanted the best for the skeleton...maybe she had done it more harm than good?

The feeling of guilt clawed it’s way up and made the brunette's mouth go dry. She tried her best to squash it down.

“What lays in Linore, to attract such an odd party?” he asked, his voice pulling Naya from her musings.

”The faerie needs to get back to the border before the darkness poisoning sets in,” Naya confided, nodding towards Aurora again. ”She found my grimoire in the clearing today. There was a bit of a... skirmish yesterday and I ended up being too injured to stay conscious, so my book was left behind. The general was accompanying me for protection and when we came back to fetch it, we happened upon her. So we made a deal, we’d get her to Linore if she wouldn’t burn my spellbook. She agreed and let me hold onto her axes to show us she meant to keep her word,” she explained before squeaking when the apparition caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“Have you dealt with my kind often?”

”More than what most people would consider strictly normal,” Naya told him, suddenly sheepish. People did not tend to touch her if they could help it, like they were afraid they might get a hex put on them from merely coming into contact with her. ”I had one little spirit that used to visit my shop often to play with the bird skulls, but I haven’t seen him in a while,” she admitted, giving him a small smile. ”I’m Naya,” she said while taking the hand that he wasn’t holding and reaching up to pat at his shoulder. "...And I’m a witch, in case you hadn’t figured it out yet. Just, erm, thought you should know.”

"Will you tell me your name, skeleton?"

@Gate Keeper

@Cuccoruler

Octavia looked at Rida and smiled weakly then gave a slight nod. "Yeah. Sure. I've caused enough trouble for one day, haven't I?" She replied with a deep sigh and her body had visibly become more relaxed. She stretched out her wings wide and, with a mighty flap, shot into the air. She ascended high above the clouds and felt the last lights of day gently caressed her skin. Oh how she had missed this feeling. The feeling of being weightless, the wind whipping at her hair and clothes, the air between the feathers on her wings, the feeling of being truly free from everything and anything. Once at a high enough height, she closed her wings and dive bombed towards the ground, then opened them once more, sending her back up on a second wind.

Octavia looked back at the tree once more with a saddened expression then headed back to the castle as she was instructed.

Grimoire. The word itself was a sort of magic, making Kelvin focus on the woman herself, rather than thoughts of her company. Humans had a wonderful array of emotions they could express. Deciphering them was still something he struggled with, despite plenty of time in practice. Spellbooks were the property of mages, witches, etc- but a grimoire was something else again. Passed through generations- or stolen. Regardless, they contained more obscure magic than most could imagine. He had once witnessed a spell that created a barrier to ghosts, but was permeable to the living from such a tome. What it said of the owner was another thing entirely. Necromancers used such things as well.

The skeleton relaxed a bit when she touched his shoulder, letting go of her hand and tilting up her chin slightly to lean in and look into her eyes which contained the reflection of his bone surrounding the blackness of his gaze.
“Bold, to declare oneself a witch, and in the same breath ask a man for his name; undead no less.” He chuckled quietly and let go of her face, straightening. “Names have power; but you would know that.” Kelvin regarded her a moment, rubbing his chin. “Once I was called ‘Kelvin’.” He glanced over his shoulder at the forest, staring for a moment before turning back to Naya. “I am curious, what did that spirit look like?” The apparition would have offered a slight smile, if his face would have shown it. “I’ve a few theories on the appearance of phantoms… but am a bit short on evidence to support them.” His jaw clicked sharply, “Many of my kind move on too quickly to gauge why they appear the way they do.” His skull tilted inquisitively. ”Though I personally think that our images and dress reflect our subconscious views of ourselves, with more of a focus on identification and emotional importance rather than a true physical reflection.”

@Narcotic Dollie

@ace of flames01
Rida was able to grab the princess before she went into her mad flying. It was a bit hard to keep hold but she was able to thankfully. Fairies were not made to go that speed after all and all she could do to keep up with the princess was hold on and fold her own wings. Her bird just flew back home for the time being.

One day, One day I'm going to end this war. The light will win with a down right over flowing win. None on the side of dark will be left.
This was in Rida's head as she held onto the princess. This was her reason for working so hard to help the princess, her reason for joining the military as a scout, her reason for fighting.

@lord zee
Mozu looked up at Lucius when he said something about not wanting to promise anything. Tears started to fill her eyes then. "Y-your just like the rest of them. You would betray me the moment you got your chance. You would rather see me dead like the rest of them?!" Mozu shouted at Lucius her fangs now showing as she got frustrated with his answer. "You call me selfish!? I've been giving away my own fur and nails just to help you! Because I thought that maybe you wouldn't betray me! Sell me off like you do with the rest of my Kin!" Mozu said growling at Lucius. "All I asked was for you not to betray me." Mozu said before turning around and walking away from lucius. Soon enough Mozu was gone in the crowds. She had changed into her dog form and run off.

“Kelvin,” she repeated, nodding approvingly when he did not disclose his middle or last name to her as well. Smart man. “...like the river?” Naya asked, not missing a beat as she stuffed her hand under the steel plating on his chest so she could scratch her fingers across the scale mail underneath. “Hmmm…,” she hummed, tilting her head curiously as the pads of her fingertips brushed over a leather strap, wiggling a digit underneath and tugging it back only to release it just as quickly. The strap made an audible, ‘thump’ as it slapped back down onto the specter’s chest. It seemed like she could interact with everything Kelvin wore.

Fascinating.

At being asked about the spirit that visited her shop Naya paused. “He wore a cloak and no matter where I was standing or how bright it was. I could never see his face,” the witch explained as she reached up and carefully palpated the exposed bones of Kelvin’s neck. “I was not able to touch him, however he carried a stick around that I could interact with,” she admitted, letting her hands fall away from the ghost again and studying the arrow that was stabbed through his abdomen.

“...Does that hurt?" Naya questioned, looking back up to where Kelvin’s eyes would have been, were he not a skeleton. She lifted her hand and let it hover for a moment, her little finger extending to just barely graze over the feathers on the end of it. How long had he had them stuck in him? It disheartened her greatly to think of him having to suffer for decades, possibly centuries with these arrows piercing him like this. “Would you like me to try and pull them out?"

@Gate Keeper

Octavia wore a regal gown that was embroidered by the finest of gold jewelry and her crown upon her head, her hair was curled and worn up in a bun with only a few small, loose strands dangling next to her ears, she wore very little makeup, and her wings were neatly folded as she entered the ballroom in Linore, guided by her father's arm. An orchestral music echoed throughout the the halls and the room was loud with chatter between both sides as they intermingled with one another, while the dancefloor was alive with couples waltzing the evening away. Tonight was a night of peace between the two worlds, and perhaps, a first step to ending the war. Both kingdoms had been invited to a ball as a show of good will and a chance for both sides to socialize. As such, it would only be right for both Kings and their heirs to attend to prove that this event was no laughing matter.

The king of light and Octavia, guided by her father's arm, entered the room, watching as the festivities were in full swing.

---

---

@sarcelle renard

The king of darkness, meanwhile, stood directly of the door ballroom with Asher with a stern expression. "Tonight is a very important night, I'm sure I don't have to remind you of that. Remember, tonight is a matter of peace and a break from the battlefield, so try to relax and enjoy yourself, so try to not cause a commotion. Feel free to speak and do as you wish. However, keep your guard up. We may be in a Neutral Zone, but that won't stop others from trying to potentially sabotage the event, so be careful." With that said, they too entered the ballroom.

Upon entering, the two were greeted by the king of light. For a few moments, there was silence and tension between the two Kings, but that quickly subsided with laughter from the king of light. The brothers embraced and patted each other firmly on the back. "Brother! It's good to see you! How long has it been? 1000 years?"

"Indeed. Time does fly when you have been at war, doesn't it brother? " The king of darkness' expression softened to a slight smile.

" Indeed it does. Brother I'd like for you to meet my beloved daughter, Octavia, and the future Queen of light!" He said proudly as he presented his daughter, smiling with great pride.

"Ah, yes, your daughter. Good evening, young princess. You are looking quite lovely this evening. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Octavia curtsied shyly, yet with grace and elegance. " Thank you, my lord. The pleasure is all mine." She smiled warmly and gently as she briefly made eye contact with Asher, then took a step back next to her father. All the while, however, she gave off an aura of power and authority that demanded unwavering respect, admiration, and obedience, the aura of a queen; a goddess in mortal flesh.

"This is my son and the future king of darkness, Asher, the pride and joy of the kingdom of darkness, as well as my own. " The king replied proudly as he presented his son with the same pride as the king of light.

This was the first time ever in two centuries that he was out of his armor and into a formal suit. He wore a black blazer over a white collared shirt, black slacks and shoes with a red tie and he looked incredibly uncomfortable. Last time he wore something like this, it was when his mother and father dragged him out of training to attend some sort of formal dance for demons. Although he can't do anything now, his subordinates practically forced him to stay there until the end of the dance. They convinced him using the guise that he would be part of the guard there but then told him that he shouldn't be wearing armor or else it would be a sign of hostility or something like that.

However, he did bring his sword, which is strapped on his waist, but that thing was normal, just in case something went horribly wrong. As always, he was there once the ball had started, an hour before it started really. He had to make sure that there weren't any crazy terrorists that wanted to blow up the ballroom with everyone in it. He had ordered two of his trusted werewolves to sniff out anything that seems wrong and witches to check if there were any magical items that would be akin to a bomb. When everything was clear, those people were allowed to have fun.

Personally, Uriel could do it without the mingling and the lights and the dancing. Yes, that's right, he isn't a very sociable person. If he were to choose if he could be in the training area alone or be in a place where a bunch of people are, he would definitely choose the former. But he couldn't do anything now. He was there, might as well see it to the end like promised.

When the time for the ball to open came, he was placed along with the others who were going to welcome them. In front of him was a general of Light who he has crossed swords with multiple times before. But there was no tension between the two. Once the royals came, they bowed down to welcome them. Then everyone started to mingle. The two kings were talking like what they are supposed to talk, like brothers. It wasn't as if they were at war at all. Look at them, talking like good friends/brothers and it was only the day before yesterday when they were trying to kidnap the princess and then it turned into this whole battlefield with all sorts of wrong in it.

Well, not that he minded that they seemed to be on good terms. Hey, they might call off the war. Sure he'll lose the only meaning to his life as of now and he'd probably need a new job since they might not need so many people in the army but at least no one would have to lose their families to the war anymore. He sat down on a table and watched everyone party. "I really shouldn't have come." He muttered to himself with a sigh as he leaned back on the chair. "Social people and their dances." He grumbled.

Asher was not pleased with his current situation. In the chaos that had been the last few days, the prince had forgotten all about the fact that he had a ball to attend. It had been made painfully clear that his attendance would be required, as his father had promised that he would drag him in chains if the prince refused to come quietly. So here he was, dressed in ridiculous attire that restricted his movement and a gaudy crown that weighed heavily on his brow. But the one thing that bothered him the most was the fact that he did not have Balmung by his side, as it apparently wasn't proper for royalty to come to a peaceful event armed. For the past two years Asher had kept the blade on his person at all times, but now he could truly appreciate just how naked he felt without it. Unfortunately, all he could do was suck it up and resolve to never allow such an event strip him of it again.

His father’s stern warning pulled him away from his thoughts. A brief nod was the only response Asher gave the king, as he had to fight the urge to scoff at the idea of enjoying himself at such an occasion and the very notion that he would ever let his guard down was borderline insulting. Nevertheless, as the doors opened even the sour prince had to appreciate the locale. Between the exquisite ballroom and the tasteful orchestra in the background, the place somehow managed to appeal to the tastes of denizens of the Dark and the Light. The smallest of all smirks worked its way into his expression as he couldn’t help but wonder just how much time and effort had gone into all of this.

The two had barely made it through the door before being confronted by a man that could have only been the King of Light. As the two stared each other down for an agonizing few seconds, Asher’s sword hand twitched ever so slightly, as if trying desperately to reach for the hilt of his sword. ’Forget about what is proper, never again am I leaving it behind,’ he vowed silently to himself once more. But when the two kings embraced like the brothers that they were, those thoughts all but vanished. Asher had been the king’s son for 24 years and for the life of him he couldn’t even remember the last time he had seen his father hug someone, much less smile so honestly. Truthfully, he couldn’t even feel anything other than surprise at how warm his father was acting, which in turn was making it took a great deal of effort to keep the astonishment from sneaking into his expression. Yet he knew that at the very least that his eyes would give him away to any vigilant observer.

The King of Light turned his attention to the woman with red hair by his side. Asher couldn’t help but blink several times, trying to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him, as he recognized the creature. Her dress suited her much more than the prince cared to admit and there was something different about how she carried herself that was markedly different from their last few encounters. Their eyes met for the briefest of instances, an innocent act that if he didn't known better he would have thought was responsible for making his heart skip a beat. ’What in the love of Darkness is going on with you?'

His question would be left unanswered for the time being, as his head jerked slightly in his father’s direction at the sound of genuine pride in his voice. For as long as he could remember, Asher had chased after that kind of praise, but rarely did the king ever voice such a thing out loud or in front of others. It was almost embarrassing for him to listen to his father speak that way of him, but thankfully a small tinge of surprise was all others would see. The internal turmoil was thankfully settled not even a few seconds after his father introduced him. ”It’s an honor to meet you, my lord,” he said to the King of Light, every bit the confident and gracious prince he was expected to be. But inwardly, he couldn’t help but wonder how the king felt about seeing him, the very demon that not even a few days ago was responsible for attacking his kingdom and kidnapping his daughter, here in the flesh. Had their roles been reversed, it would have taken Asher a great deal of restraint to resist the urge to liberate the other’s head from their shoulders.

The prince hadn’t even been in the damned ballroom for more than five minutes and the amount of emotions he had been subjected to was already enough to make him want to fidget nervously. ’Wine,' he concluded sagely, ’Wine is how I’m going to get through this night.'

@Ace of flames01

Kelvin strode through the same chamber, one he had danced in once before over an age ago. He had altered his allusion slightly, to suit the occasion. This would have been more awkward, as the arrows and protruding pieces of armor would get in the way of someone touching him in some areas, but fortunately, few here could actually touch him. He had run into them only rarely over the many years- most of them soldiers of some sort.

Of course, Kelvin wasn’t here to dance. This meeting was supremely important for both sides- and it was only natural that the most oldest of either come to show their good will… or lack thereof. Unfortunately, the few he knew here he rather avoid, excepting one. Uriel sat to the side, obviously uncomfortable. That one was of the few that were an exception within his dislike of all things immortal. The demon was a man he had once strived to be, when alive. It had taken death to teach him the difference though. Kelvin slowly made his way across the room, trying to be careful not to walk through anyone.

“Agreed.” He leaned against the wall just behind the demon, observing the crowd. “Though, I doubt many of those dancing are old enough to even know what this war used to be about.” Kelvin sighed. “Sometimes I doubt it matters anymore.” A familiar face flashed by in the crowd. Naya. Kelvin subconsciously touched his stomach, where one of his arrows was missing. “Maybe it is better that way though. Our children shouldn’t have to suffer for their parent’s sins.” His finger idly tapped the arrow that was in his leg, thinking on the events of yesterday.

---

“...Does that hurt?" Kelvin looked down at the arrow with some surprise. It wasn’t a question anyone had ever asked before. “Yes- but no.” He looked past Naya, thoughtfully. “I gained them attempting to save myself from a greater pain,” he focused his gaze on her. “In comparison, I think the trade would have been worth it… if I had succeeded.” “Would you like me to try and pull them out?" Kelvin tilted his head and wrapped one gauntlet around the shaft of the arrow, and in a jerk ripped it from the scaled plate, holding it up to his gaze for a moment of inspection. Pain radiated out from where he had pulled it, as if he was still flesh and blood, he had already suffered the feeling of his lifeforce leaving his body once though, and this was nothing compared to the last centuries of wandering. As for the arrow itself…

It was nothing new. Silver tipped with a narrow head for piercing. An arrow made for hunting those of the dark. An arrow made by the light kingdom, of all things. Kelvin handed it to Naya. “It will go back to where it belongs eventually.” He reached out and gently touched a piece of her hair. “It is part of who I am. Not just an injury… but a symbol.” He raised his right hand as if weighing something. “Betrayal.” Then he raised his left. “Love.” Kelvins hands shook for a moment before he quickly dropped them, taking a moment to force some memories from his mind. His voice came again, calm and apathetic. “You may keep the arrow for now, but it will come back to me eventually.”

Kelvin’s facial expression darkened slightly at the torrent of memories pouring through his mind. Today may have been steps towards ending the war, but that by itself brought back some of the pain that had started it- and had made it so bloody at the start.

@Polaris North@Narcotic Dollie

As soon as Mozu's tears could be seen, Lucius covered his mouth with his right hand. He was trying to remain emotionless but tears of his own were forming in his eyes and his expression was one of despair as he listened to her. What he had feared the most had happened, The Knight of Angels had hurt Mozu. He tried in vain to interrupt her, "Mozu... please.." but it was no use, she did not listen to him and before Lucius knew it, she was walking away from.

He tried to follow her, but the crowd was just too much and he had a feeling that she might have changed into her dog form. Lucius stood there in that crowd, silent tears ran down his face. His voice broke as he spoke out loud, "I never wanted t-to hurt you." He bowed his head out of sadness, and then it began to rain.

Lucius sank to his knees as the crowds slowly began to disperse, trying to get out of the downpour. He sat there however, his hair becoming increasingly wet and began to cover his face. His clothes became a dripping mess but he did not move. The Knights emotions were running amok in his heart. Why was he so sad? Why was he so upset? Images of Mozu flashed in his head and of Octavia, the princess of light. He had forgiven her but the wounds she had inflicted were more like a curse. Lucius clutched his fists tightly as he remembered being wounded by the damnable creature in the clearing. Once again, Octavia should have left him to die but she didn't. Instead she cursed him and he forgave her but Lucius realized, in the long run of things, that his forgiveness was meaningless.

Then there was Mozu. The werewolf that turned into a dog, who had ultimately wanted him but could not accept that Lucius was unsure of himself. How could he make a promise to never leave her? Relationships die, circumstances change, people die and love fades away. But he would have never betrayed her, would never have given her up for money. But it was his fault after all, that she now hated him. Perhaps if he had said they could work things out, the previous outcome could have been different. Or perhaps if he had the strength to become a child of the dark... The thought sent shivers down his spine. Would he ever be able to get over his fear?

So it continued, Lucius sat there as it rained and thought upon his recent life. Octavia had cursed him, Mozu had actually left him for good and he hated himself for what he was not able to do. Perhaps if he had a bit more power, yes... a bit more would have changed things..



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

The next day arrived and Lucius found himself at the ball. How he had forgotten about such an occasion was beyond him and sincerely wished that he had not actually showed up. If he had not been given the title of Knight of Angels, he was sure he would never have been invited in the first place but this was how it was now.

After yesterday's incident, Lucius finally got himself to move and went back to the place he could call home, the barracks. He arrived in the middle of night, so no one was really up. He was still completely drenched when he reached his bed and there, laying upon the pillow was the invitation. He read it over and over again but eventually changed into dry clothes and tried to sleep.

Now he was there, back in Linore. Wearing clothes that were too expensive for his taste. He drank his wine with an extremely hateful expression. All of the couples dancing around disgusted him and this entire notion of a peaceful evening alluded him. There could never be peace between the dark and light, it was inconceivable. These faces that he saw around the room, they would be at each others throats the very next time upon the battle field.

Perhaps the biggest blow was seeing those that he had fought not two days prior. Lucius wanted to hurt them and make them feel the same pain that he felt now but his hands were fixed, he would not do anything, not yet at least. When Octavia entered the room his glare only intensified and when he saw the kings embrace, he was disgusted. The Knight of Angels took another sip of his wine, remaining in the corner of the room, hopefully out of sight and mind.

Naya sat on her bed that night, the arrow that Kelvin had given her perfectly balanced in her scarred hands. Her fingers carded through the bright plumage on the tail of it, scowling at how vibrant and happy the colors were on such a malicious little instrument. The witch could not sense much magic from the arrow, but even still she could feel that it very much desired to be back with the skeleton, to imbed itself into his non existent flesh and cause pain and discomfort for all eternity.


“I know,” Naya murmured, the shadows of the house whirling around the bed anxiously as the walls gave a concerned groan. “...but maybe it doesn’t have to come back to you the same as it was,” she mused, grip tightening to the point that her knuckles began to turn white. The arrow gave a creak and the witch released it begrudgingly, setting it on the bedside table for now. “Another night,” she decided, leaning over to blow the candle out and then burrowing under the blankets.

---

Naya returned to Linore the next evening for the ball and felt incredibly out of place the moment she stepped foot inside. If she had not traveled two hours by carriage to get there and already booked a night at the local inn the witch would have turned right back around and fled to the comfort and familiarity of the shop. But instead of making an escape to save herself embarrassment the brunette pressed on, making her way through the grand foyer and into the main ballroom.

The dress Naya wore had actually been made for her by her mother and was intended to be the ritual gown the youngest Ashgrave would don to celebrate her magic when it finally came in. It was a simple, cotton creature that was ivory in color so that the blood of all the other witches in her coven would stand out starkly against it as they bathed her in it. Of course her mother had passed on before they had ever gotten the chance to perform the tradition and she was the last of her clan, so the garment remained blissfully clean, for now anyways. The dress felt plain compared to some of the other guests, who wore fineries the like that Naya had never seen before.

Her worn out boots thudded softly against the gleaming marble floors, an obvious contrast to the clicking of the elegant ladies’ heels as they seemed to glide across the room. The witch knew she was being overly sensitive, in truth no one else probably noticed her stomping as there were plenty of other common ladies that wore plain clothes like her, but she couldn’t help but wind a lock of hair around her finger nervously as she made her way around the dancing couples. Her eyes flitted about the room, searching for a familiar face in the crowds.

She saw Prince Asher and his lover, Octavia, speaking together with their fathers at their sides. ’I wonder if they know?’ the witch thought as she watched the kings interact. ’A secret romance would be terribly romantic,’ she decided with a small smile as her gaze shifted to the other party goers. She still had a debt to collect from the young prince, but she didn’t think now was the right time or place. Besides, she didn’t want to interrupt him when he was spending time with his lovely princess. ((@Ace of flames01@Sarcelle Renard))

Naya saw the mage she had held a dagger to not two days prior, scowling and sipping his wine along the edges of the room. He looked unhappy and downright angry, and Naya again felt a twinge of sympathy as she recalled him being almost torn apart by Livia’s brother. ’Best to leave that one be,’ she thought, skirting around him without making eye contact. He looked liable to stab someone or shock the ever loving darkness out of them at any given moment. ((@Lord Zee))

Eventually she found what she was looking for, a friendly face that she was relatively certain wouldn’t mind her company for just a moment. Naya crossed the room to where Uriel sat, his dark armor traded for a handsome suit. “Hello, friend,” she greeted with a grin, stopping to stand next at the table he was seated at. “You seem excited to be here,” she teased, taking in his uncomfortable expression. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one that felt out of her element. ((@Polaris North))

It was here that she realized she might have interrupted a conversation, as she noticed a gentleman standing against the wall next to the demon general. “Hello,” Naya murmured, greeting the stranger a bit more shyly than she had Uriel. He was expressly good looking, with fair hair and a jaw that was squarer than it had any right to be. There was a small scar that ran just above his brow and one that cut through his actual eyebrow, but the witch thought it suited him, adding a bit of ruggedness to his already dashing appearance. “I’m Naya. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” ((@Gate Keeper))

Uriel's answer bothered the soldier quite horribly, a flash of discomfort washing across her face for an instant. To go against the the orders of her King? Impossible. As the general rattled out a few of those he had spared, Aurora silently added herself to the list. She could not understand why the man would allow himself to give his enemies quarter. To be completely fair, she was grateful that she wasn't left a bleeding mess on the floor while the two went on their merry way, but the faerie couldn't wrap her head around the thought of giving her enemies any sort of mercy.

The general's admission to borderline treason would haunt the woman for quite sometime, disturbing her enough that she became silent for the rest of the trip. When the ragtag group of Children of Dark and Light reached the border town, the trade was made almost absentmindedly as Aurora flew towards her home. She later brushed it off, asserting within herself that the man was just as bad as the Traitor for not solidifying on a side, but the doubts he had planted would come back full force in time for the upcoming ball. _{@Polaris North}

---

Why?

The most potent thought that ran through the faerie's head as she entered the ballroom, was why this event has taken place. A thousand voices of distress screamed in her head, even as her expression exposed nothing but cheer, as she witnessed the spectacle of both Light and Dark mingling without weapons flashing between them. The navy backless dress she wore felt more revealing than she first realized as a few turned to look at her entrance. Aurora did not understand the meaning of such a gathering, her mind whirring even as she greeted a familiar face from the Light with a cheery grin, only for said grin to dim exponentially as one of the Dark moved to interact with her fellow off-duty soldier. The faerie moved away from the two, searching for a specific place in the room that would make everything much clearer to her.

Was this a sort of trap from the King of Darkness? An opportunity to rid the world of his brother? Was the Kingdom of Darkness vying for another shot at stealing the Princess? The mere concept of such a conspiracy coming to life forced her to attend the event, even though she would be mostly unarmed. A single silver axe gleamed by her hip, the metal of the weapon causing more than a few Children of the Dark to instinctively move away from her. She was unable to bring the partner of her weapon, along with any sort of armor or protection, but the familiar feeling of the weight by her side soothed her in this foreign territory.

Usually, she would be buzzing around, laughing and interacting with her fellow guests at the ball, but the added company of the Children of the Dark unsettled her. Wasn't there a war going on between the two factions? Light versus Dark, Good versus Evil? So why in the name of the Light were the two groups mingling as if such an event never existed? A cold, but hopefully unlikely thought settled itself into Aurora's mind, gripping her consciousness like a parasite and squeezing any sort of peace she had within the setting.

Was this the precursor of a truce? An armistice? A sign of peace? The thought was both calming and terrifying to the woman, a shiver running through her even within the crowded close quarters of the ballroom floor. On one hand, there would be no more fighting. No more killing, nor bloodshed. She could finally put her two weapons of death to rest within the deepest, darkest place she could find in order to distance herself from all of the atrocities she had committed with them throughout the war. But on the other... she loses her purpose. With perfect clarity, Aurora understood that if the war ever ended, so would her life's meaning. No questions asked. There wouldn't be a single reason to live any longer, as there would be no more opportunities to avenge her family and no other ties to the world.

There were many she had interacted with, most of them Children of the Light, but none of them could truly keep her within the world, could protect her from her own mind. The one person who could have become an anchor in her life was Commander Rida, but the older faerie was much too busy for her subordinate to truly form any kind of real bond. Aurora was very well aware that there was something wrong with her mind, a dark presence that keeps itself beneath the surface, only to come out and augment her fury in combat. It never reared it's ugly head above the pools of her psyche, but who could tell in the future if she possessed nothing but the company of her mind.

Shaking off her current track of thoughts, the faerie renewed her search for her desired company: the largest, strongest bottle of alcohol she could find. The entire idea of the ball hurt her in ways that she couldn't express, so she would drown her internal pains with a gallon of whiskey. In all fairness to the party designers, the event was quite dazzling and complimented both sides of the apparently on-hold conflict magnificently, but mingling with any sort of Child from the Dark was appalling. A certain general popped up into her mind for barely a moment before she snuffed it out. They had only met twice, with both times being ones of tension. There was nothing for her there.

Mozu had been invited to the ball as a sort of representative of the weredogs. Her race was plenty sure, but they were rarely ever seen on the battle field. Mozu had even been given something a bit special for this ball. It was a rather interesting looking blue collar. This collar however had the ability to change into a Blue Gown when she was in human form. With this collar she would not be naked at the ball at any time which was probably for the best.

Mozu had walked through the ball with not much interest. That was until she got the buffet. There was so much food that she couldn't believe it. She was so happy at the sight of the food that in her human form she had grown her ears and tail. The Tail was wagging and hitting a few people causing quite alot of grunts, gasps, and huffs pointed in her direction. Mozu however could care less. "So much food! Oh look at it all!" Mozu said her voice piercing through the crowd. Anyone who recognized her voice would know it was her. Mozu at this point had grabbed a plate and started to put one of each dish on it, once it was full she start to eat it without a second thought.

Mozu certainly seemed to be the most cheerful of anyone in this ball as she was hopping with energy and eating like there was no tomorrow. Where she put this food was anyone's guess. Of course it wouldn't be good news for the gardeners later.

---

Rida in the meantime had been within the ball room acting as a sort of guard, though more of an undercover guard than anything. Oddly enough she was even wearing a dress even. For the most part Rida had been flying around making pleasantries with vairouse nobles who were also invited. To those with a keen eye it looked like Rida was trying to make some of them like her more so she could get a bit more power within the politics.

Eventually Rida found her way to aurora in the crowd. Someone she knew much better than anyone else here. "Haven't seen you in awhile Aurora what have you been up to?" Rida asked before also seeing the bottle of alchol. "Ooh! Give me some of that!" Rida said with a smile. In her mind Rida had been planning. She had even been speaking with a few mages before the ball about creating a weapon powerful enough to end this war once and for all. There had been rumors of the concept of the weapon as well as a few strange ones like the weapon being made of trees.

@rivermaiden

@Sarcelle Renard

"And tis an honor to meet you, my boy. " The king of light grinned warmly. He then turned to the king of darkness. " Come, brother. We have much to discuss! "

The king of darkness nodded in agreement. " Indeed we do." He replied, then the two Kings sat in their thrones that over looked the event and began to conversation and catch up with each other after not speaking for a 1000 years, leaving Octavia and Asher alone.

Octavia smiled at Asher once more. "You are looking exceptionally handsome this evening, my lord. Your attire suits you quite nicely, though the crown upon your brow seems a bit too heavy for your liking, doesn't it?" Octavia giggled a bit then smiled as she took a step forward and readjusted Asher's crown so it wouldn't weigh as heavily, then took a step back. "There we are. That must feel much better. You must not go to these kinds of events all that much, let alone wear your crown that much, do you? Here's my advice: Relax and try to enjoy yourself. Also, don't go to the wine table until much later or you will regret it. I have seen many aristocrats get drunk too early in the night, end up in ditched the next morning with a terrible hangover. As future Kings and Queens we don't have such luxuries to get drunk at parties." She told Asher, her voice was warm and gentle. Though her aura of authority softened slightly when speaking with Asher, it was still very much prominent.

@Gate Keeper@Narcotic Dollie

Uriel almost thought that the man beside him wasn't actually talking to him. He leaned back and chuckled when the man mentioned that most of the people here don't even know the reason about the war. "That is the truth. The war has been going on for ages, only the oldest angels and demons know about it. I, myself, have only been told about it by my mother." He said. He looked at the man who spoke to him. He must not be a Child of Darkness considering that he hasn't seen him before but maybe he was from another unit. Ah whatever, it didn't matter here after all. "It doesn't. Some just fight to protect those they love. Not for land anymore." Ah yes, the main reason why they were fighting was just because of the land and some child of Light died in the crossfire. Ever since then, the two sides have been fighting each other. How foolish, this could've all been prevented should they have just talked it out peacefully. "I am Uriel, by the way. And you?" He asked the man. He may not be all that sociable but he still knew what to do at times like those.

When the man looked at a certain direction for a long period of time, the general got curious and followed his gaze and saw Naya. Did this man know her? Oh, Naya was walking to their direction. Right, she must've been able to remember his face in that rare time where he took of his helmet. He did that twice. Once for her and the other as respect to when he was with the Child of Fae when they were leading her to Linore. Oh speaking of the fairie, did she come? She wasn't very friendly to the Children of Darkness so he highly doubted that she would come. He'll be sure to keep note to look for her later should she be here. It would be interesting to continue talking to her. Yesterday did not go so well for them.

"Greetings Naya. So we see each other for three days straight hm?" He pointed out with a light chuckle. But seeing someone familiar did ease his discomfort. He then grunted in response to her tease. "I'd rather go to the training grounds than here to be honest." He muttered as he leaned back once more, now folding his arms across his chest. When Naya turned her attention to the other male, Uriel began looking at the crowd once more. He could see that his most trusted subordinates were still huddled up together, eyeing the Children of Light with distrust but still talked to them. The air was tense in that group but they didn't show signs of hostility. Considering that they were old and had seen more than enough bloodshed in their lives, it was understandable that they were like this.

He saw a familiar face. That fairie who he had let go and in turn let him go at the siege of their kingdom. He started to dig deep through his memories to remember her name. She was a commander. Commander Rida. Yeah, that was it. Aurora might've mentioned it the first time they met. His attention was once again caught by some commotion at the buffet. It was a werewolf in her half-human form enjoying the food there. She wasn't familiar to him, perhaps it was a citizen who decided to come and enjoy the ball. Unlike them, the ones with high ranks in the government or military, the citizens had an option of not going if he remembered correctly. Seeing that someone that isn't obliged to go went to this party really is something.

His eyes caught the two royals, the younger ones. Octavia seemed close to the young prince. When did this all happen? From what he recollected, they just met each other two days ago in a hostage situation no less. Well it doesn't seem like Asher was very... er, comfortable with her. Ha, this was amusing to see. Asher was usually calm and collected, seeing him like this did bring a smile to the general's face. He took a wine glass from a passing waiter and then began to sip from it.

Maybe coming to this ball wasn't such a bad idea after all. He'll get to see different sides of those he thought he knew and know those he didn't.

As Lucius took another sip of his wine, he saw the witch girl from the clearing briefly look at him. It seemed that even her wounds had also been healed after the confrontation. If she had not held a dagger to his back, then perhaps he would have felt some sympathy after all, but that was not the case. At least not in his current state of mind. She then quickly averted her gaze and he lost her amidst the crowd.

Lucius swirled his glass and leaned up against the wall, scoffing at how ridiculous this entire party was. He took another sip, and almost choked when he heard Mozu's voice somewhere out in the crowd. He immediately stood up and tried to find her and sighed with relief when he finally spotted her over at the food tables. She was very pretty but at the same time, she looked incredibly happy. Lucius frowned, she was obviously not that beat up about what had happened yesterday or it was the food. He hoped it was the food and that she would forget about him just like...

Octavia.

He unconsciously moved his gaze to wear she had been standing previously and was now watching her fix the Prince's crown atop his head. Her smile was what made Lucius angry. Here was the demon responsible for her kidnapping, the one who shot her down out of the air and the very same one she had stopped Lucius from killing- and she was smiling at him. His anger made him tremble and without realizing it, he clutched his fists again and shattered his wine glass.

If he felt pain, Lucius did not show it. Blood and wine mixed together and slowly dripped onto the floor as Lucius hastily made his way to the balcony overlooking the city. What a horrible mistake it was too come here, his emotions were in disarray and it was only because he was human. He breathed in deeply before breaking out into panicked breaths as he looked around. He was alone, like always. Lucius looked down at his trembling hand, he cut him self in a few places, just enough for a good amount of blood to flow freely. He almost wiped the blood on his clothes but stopped, what a dumb idea that was. He already ruined his favorite outfit, no need to ruin this one.

Why did things have to be this way? He carried himself to the edge of the balcony and looked over the edge, it was a long drop. One that would end in a cruel fate on hard stone. So he stood like that, gazing down below thinking of how easy it would be to end the pain, anger and hatred he felt because after all, he was alone.

There was little Asher could do but stifle a look of dismay as the two Kings left him alone with the creature. And of course the first thing she did once it was just them was flash him a genuine smile that he wasn’t expecting. Again, his pulse quickened obnoxiously, as the word handsome was not one he was used to hearing used so genuinely, which in turn made it simple for her to close the distance between them without him reacting. The prince’s entire body went tense as she adjusted his crown, the invasion of his personal space making it difficult for him to maintain his composure. ’Focus,’ he chided himself, again finding that it was all too easy for this one to slip past his guard.

But any attempt to say something, snide or otherwise, proved to be fruitless, as his voice had momentarily died in his throat. So instead, all he could do was listen to her advice patiently, all the while thinking about how absurdly blue her eyes were and wonder what kind of perfume could possibly be so distracting. When the creature warned him about wine, the prince couldn’t help but tilt his head in a small show of bewilderment. ”How do you always manage to read me like an open book?” he wondered aloud, giving her a look that was one part curiosity, one part exasperation. For one in a position such as himself, Asher had spent a long time mastering the art of segregating his thoughts from his body language, but somehow this creature always managed to see right through him with those eyes of hers. To say that he found the fact irritating wasn’t even the half of it.

A quick cursory glance around the room reminded him that there were eyes watching the scene playing out. Some of them, such as the one he saw coming from his would-be-killer Sparky the Mage, were vicious and clearly showed just how little they approved of the two sides getting so close. Asher had expected those looks from the moment he left for Linore that day and were part of what made him doubt that there could ever be true peace between the two sides. But there were some people, such as Uriel who was flashing an obnoxiously sincere smile at the two, which he couldn’t quite ignore. His attention returned to the creature, as he genuinely wanted to know what kind of sorcery she was using to read him so accurately, his expression not betraying the fact that he was growing invested in her answer Or at least, he most certainly hoped it didn’t.

@Ace of flames01

@Sarcelle Renard

Octavia gave Asher a slightly confused look then thought about her answer. Easy to read? What did he mean by that? From the moment she had met him, he had always seemed obvious about what was going on in his mind. Was he trying to purposefully make it difficult? Suddenly, the thought of her childhood friend, Crow, flashed through her mind. Octavia looked down at the ground and smiled gently. Yes... That was why... He is just like how Crow was. She looked back up at Asher. "I believe it is because you remind me so much of a dear friend I lost about 20 years ago. You are just like he was. So cold and distant on the outside, but in actuality, a good person. He was also a demon, like you.... Of course, you are both very different. Unlike him, you are more humble about your strength and are not as rash and are level headed." She then realized that she was rambling on and stopped herself and blushed slightly. "Ah, I'm sorry. I tend to go on tangents, don't I? To answer your question, simply, my remind me of a boy that I loved and I believe that is why I am able to read you. Though I would like to think it was just luck. I apologize. I didn't realize that you were try to be reserved."

Octavia had noticed the staress, both the good and the bad, yet payed no mind to them. She knew from the beginning that there would be disapproval of such a gathering. Yet Octavia chose to not let this bother her, nor discourage her.

Kelvin nodded as the General spoke, smiling. “Sometimes I wonder what that child would think, if they had seen the carnage and killings committed in their name.” He shook his head. “I once thought it was worth fighting for. The blood seeming to boil in your veins at the thought of werewolves savaging your children, witches sacrificing them, and vampires draining their blood.” As Kelvin laughed, the chuckle darkened and died. “At least, I thought it was worth fighting for, until I suddenly found that the true monsters weren’t in light or shadow- they were inside of us.” It was refreshing to talk to another with similar viewpoint, though he had known of the Demon General for ages. Tales of the man’s strange ideals weren’t lacking, though they didn’t do him justice either. Kelvin smiled at the other man. “Kelvin Adalhard.” He reached out and shook the man’s hand- to some slight surprise- though not a huge shock, as soldiers tended to have that strange ability more than others. It was a gamble, if his gauntlet had gone through the other’s hand the disguise would be up- not that it was much of an attempt, as Kelvin always wore this face in the land of the living. He wondered if the other would notice the difference between the rough leather of the inside of the gauntlet and the silky cloth his illusion showed as gloves. There were a lot of factors here, dealing with an immortal Demon General. Uriel may even know him by name, if not by sight. Kelvin let it be though, trusting the fellow soldier to let Kelvin’s slight dishonesty go. It was refreshing sometimes to be treated as a living person.

Naya’s sudden movement towards him made Kelvin quickly turn his head away from her general direction. Uriel’s own gaze let him know that he had been staring for a bit longer than he should have. It was a relief when she addressed Uriel instead. It made sense, seeing as they had been traveling companions for a while. When she turned towards him however, Kelvin resisted the urge to straighten immediately, instead pushing off of the wall slowly and offering an easy smile. “Any friend of our dear General is a friend of mine,” He caught her hand gently and brought it up to kiss it gently, careful not to actually touch his bones to it. Kelvin was careful to touch her hand with the leather of the inner gauntlet, though not a hard feat considering the difference in size. He let her hand go as he straightened, glancing at Uriel. “I am Adalhard.” He leaned toward her slightly and muttered, “I would tell you my first name, but I am afraid it’s a bit embarrassing.” Kelvin gave the Demon General a wink. “Spare me my diginity, at least at our first meeting.” She was quite pretty in that dress, though in his own era it would have been considered far too revealing. He was careful to only look at her face, and told himself that ‘all the young kids were doing it’. Which of course made it worse.

@Narcotic Dollie@Polaris North