---

---

Sakura couldn't help but let out a small giggle to the comical misfortune of the arrogant elf. He and Pride will get along very well or they'll likely kill each other to see who's the greatest among them all. The demoness taught to herself as the elf desperately tried to save whatever's left of his dignity as he's carried off away from here.

"Well, that took a turn." She commented. "Now that the pesky elf is gone, it's best I let you pair be. Enjoy the night, my dears." She said to Risa and Ilan, giving a knowing wink to the satyr before she walked off.

If her father could see her right now, Sakura was very sure he'll be disappointed that his bright and talented daughter became a mother-like guardian to these pathetic people. She wouldn't blame him, she was disappointed at herself at first too. She just reminded herself that it's all part of her mission. Usually, her missions didn't last for more than a week. Wait, has it already been a week? A month? She lost track of how long she was undercover as becoming an ally of the rebels.

She just went back to her table and drank a glass of water to compose herself. She could sense that the longer she stayed here, the more she'll actually like it here. Her heart had gradually been softened by the times she spent with Ayita, Cade, and even Ilan together. She was supposed to hate them as their races, except for the humans, were the ones who mercilessly killed Sakura's kin. She should be filled with hatred and disgust towards these lowly creatures.

However, there was also that other side of her that doubted that. It looked like that doubtful side came from... her heart?

Oh bullocks, she couldn't believe this was happening all over again. She really hoped all of this will go over sooner than later. She didn't know how much more of her inner turmoil she could handle before she'll explode. She needed to let all of this pent up emotions and frustrations out but she knew she couldn't trust anyone.

Thankfully, this ball was an effective distraction. The band stopped playing, signaling that it's time to find their second partner for the night. Her magical paper-crane-thingy re-emerged out of nowhere and fluttered around Sakura. The demoness just sighed and rolled her eyes as she followed the flying paper-crane-thingy that will lead her to her next partner. It was a bummer she didn't get the chance her first partner.

When she saw her partner, she couldn't believe what she was seeing for a second. Somehow her paper-crane-thingy led her to another human!

At least, she looked like a human to the demoness. She just thought it was human because Ayita also had naturally tanned skin too. The demoness thought all humans have tanned skin and she'd never seen a human with a different skin tone yet. The horns on her mask also made her thought it was Ayita but it was probably just another dark-skinned elf.

Even so, Sakura knew of course that there were many of Ayita's kind scattered throughout Avalia. Does that mean there were other humans present among the crowd too? That's probably the reason why the other demons were here, to scout for humans in addition to scouting for the members of the rebel group. She saved that thought for later, she had a role to play right now.

"Hello there. It seems you will be my partner for this dance." Sakura sweetly said and curtsied before the white-haired human. "You may call me Sakura. What is my partner's name?"

At first, Ayita was indeed nervous. Meeting an elf while disguised as one was an easy way to be found out. Not only that but the clothes he wore did give him quite an elegant air, one that it would be expected of a noble. Fortunately for Ayita, he did seem to be way nicer than what she had thought, greeting her with a simple bow before extending his hand to her. What did make her even more surprised though was the phrase he said just after that. That he was neither an elf nor he was from that 'land'.

Ayita's reaction to that phrase was visible. She was confused at first, but no matter how many times she repeated that phrase in her head, it definitely wasn't something someone 'normal' would say. A second later, after realizing that she wasn't mistaken about it, she looked at the supposed 'elf' in front of her with a serious, piercing stare, almost as if she was looking straight to his soul as she decided if he could be trusted or not. The eyes that she showed him weren't one of a noble lady or a naive girl. They were the eyes of a strong woman, the eyes of a hunter. Even if that stare lasted for a second at best before her stare returned to a calm and tranquil one, it was enough for him to know that she shouldn't be underestimated.

"I was a bit afraid to do or say anything that could offend one of the nobles here. I'm not exactly a noble myself nor I am overly familiar with these types of dance." she said with a chuckle.

"I bet that the dances I know would be considered... 'savage' by these people." she said, rolling her eyes.

"That said, I'm afraid you'll have to take the lead. If you're okay with it, of course." Ayita said with a smile, finally taking his hand as she got ready to dance.




As the man introduced himself, bowing to her, Myra did get a bit less wary of him. Despite his smell, he did seem to be a nice person. Smelly, but nice. Maybe he simply didn't have time to take a bath for some reason... Or maybe he simply disliked them. No matter the reason, Mathis did seem to be okay with her despite her being quite... different. Just like what she did with Tan, Myra raised her hand, writing her name in the air with her finger.

"Myra" she wrote in the air as she looked at Mathis with a smile in her face.

Having danced with Tan, Myra did learn a few things with her previous dance, particularly about how she should stand and what she should do when dancing. She also would be sure to be more careful with her tail. She was lucky that whoever was tripped when she was danced with Tan didn't come after them but she couldn't be sure of what could happen if it happened again.

Moving herself a bit less awkwardly than before, she grabbed Mathis' hand as she held her other hand up, in the position Adrian had taught her, looking to Mathis with an inquisitive expression, almost as if asking if he was ready to dance.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Late Afternoon

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

INTERACTIONS:.@13org Myra

O'Ner watched her writing her name in the air; "Myra a very beautiful name" Keeping his smile. He could tell their was something wrong with him. A thought came to his head that it could be his undead smell; he thought he had masked it after his transformation. But she must have a sharp nose to still smell his form. He would have to be careful talking to her.

He wondered if she could even speak; if she couldn't then that would be preferable because their would not be the possible of ruining his cover. Taking her head and leading her to the dance floor; placing his hand on her waist and leading the dance. Even though his movement was a bit sloppy; he seemed to be getting the hang of dancing since last time. His eyes watching her face and body language; wondering what kind of secrets she is hiding.

Baraian Paladice

It was with swift but somewhat smooth steps the dark elf made his way away from Myra after she had displayed her teeth and winked at him. But she also had pointed in a general direction. The entire sight of the creature and it's behaviour made the dark elf frown, there was no doubt something very wrong with her. More so than himself. 'What was up with that display of teeth and winking her eye? Were she trying to flirt with me?' The dark elf's expression grew into a mix of sour and grim. He had no intention of becoming romantically involved with such a monster. The more he thought about it, the more it sickened him. But then again he didn't want to be romantically involved with anyone.

There were no place for love in this world, and especially not for a dark elf. Baraian had considered to walk in the direction that the creature had pointed, but ultimately decided against it. It was a general direction and there were a ton of people gathered about, so many in fact that the elf felt like he needed some fresh air. Thus he began to head up some stairs, looking down at the people gathered below before ascending and spotting the overly familiar attire of a man he wanted nothing to do with. It was that bastard Terneus again, what were he doing up here? The dark elf pondered, but trying to spy on someone like Terneus wouldn't only be difficult in this well lit place, it would also be very dangerous as that elf was paranoid beyond salvation. The dark elf decided it was best to not follow and instead headed back downstairs, moving towards one of the tables which had food and drinks. It didn't take him long to pour up a glass with wine. After that encounter with that strange beastwoman who no doubt had the intent to mate with him, he really needed a drink to remove that thought from his mind. Not only that, but this was probably a good time to do a slight celebration. Things were after all getting closer to where Baraian desired things to be, would the rebels from Ra Monde be successful here then it would no doubt give rise to a major war against the throne.

The thought made the dark elf get a small tickle in the lip as he wanted to smile, looking down into the glass of red wine, it reminded him of blood. Blood which had always been spilt in the existance of Avalia. 'To destroy a king and to destroy the world. How closely entwined they are. I cannot thank you enough little miss for taking up the banner, kill the lich and then plunge the world into chaos. The victors shall fight amongst each other until nothing remains. To become nothing, nothing is more fitting for this epitaph. How could I depart before I can see this world gets what's due? Perhaps that demented governor, the orcs or the demons can be persuaded to take action. Put everything ablaze... and let it burn.' The dark elf's red eyes glimmered as he looked into a nearby lit brazier, the red wine in his glass twirling slightly.

"Hey! Move aside! Coming through here." A squeaky voice was heard near the elf as a small fur clad and vulpine looking boy was pressing his way up to the nearby table containing food.

The dark elf merely stood still and watched. 'A child here? How did it get in?' He thought to himself, looking at the short figure jump up on a chair and then the table, and began to stuff his face with sausages.

'Eat, drink and breathe while you can... for soon the tomorrow come and you will all be dead.' He sighed softly, taking a big sip from his wine. 'How long I have waited...' A small curl appeared on his lips, but it soon vanished as he noticed the short figure was stopping to eat to just stare oddly at him.

"Enjoy your food." The dark elf said in his usual monotone manner, whereof the boy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow before resuming his feasting.

Ayita's response to Darius' provocative statement was a piercing stare that actually managed to intimidate him a bit…. Okay if we're being honest it intimidated him a lot.

Holy fuck was she about to kill me?! Darius thought with raised eyebrows. She must really be an elf... that thinks I'm a demon. Well, mystery solved then! Darius put on a smile to his current dance partner as soon as her demeanor lightened up.

She actually seemed to be rather friendly, and a bit transparent about her feelings when it came to dancing. He hung onto her words a bit before speaking.

"I can lead no problem but…" Darius leaned in some. "I'm not the most familiar with these dances either." He whispered with a smirk. He leaned back as he took the first steps to the slow and pleasant music. "And don't worry about what to say or do while you're with me. I may look like a noble, but I think most would agree that I'm definitely a savage." He chuckled as he figured that could be an odd thing for someone in this world to hear, but he figured he could play fast and loose if it eased up this interaction.

Time:Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Helo


Risa's eyes lit up as a beautiful feline demihuman came up to her. He looked so soft! She was caught a bit by surprise when he bowed and started waving her hands as she blushed, "Oh no, no. Please. My family has no power anymore. You can just call me Risa. You are too kind." He continued to speak to her after a pause with words that gave Risa more credit than she thought she deserved. She smiled at him and gently took his hand, "The honor is truly mine to get to dance with such a gentleman!"Risa let him do the honor of leading the dance.

She pondered his words about dressing boldly. It was perhaps bold to dress in a way to garner attention with her risky position, but she felt in her heart that not doing so would have been the cowardly choice. There was no reason to hide who she was or who her family was. She had not done anything wrong and she was proud of who she was and if she was to exemplify herself as one of the leaders of this rebellion, then she should not make them follow a coward. It seemed this demihuman seemed to admire this choice and she hoped many others would appreciate it as well. Risa did not want to let anyone down.

"My name is Risa! What's yours-Ooh your fur is so fluffy! "She got distracted mid-sentence by the softness of his fur once again and petted the fur on his hand. "How lovely!"

Terneus Andros and ???

'How dare they treat me as if I were some drunk, no even worse... a damned vulgar vagrant. Where is Feldrin? That useless good for nothing commander. How I miss that other one, what was his name again? Well then again they were quick to carry out the order to lop his head off. Too bad that I got the proof of his innocence so late, well no reason to weep for spilt wine. Even elven wine. Unless it's at least fourhundred years old...' The elf mused, thinking back to his younger years when he partook in the mass exile of some low quality elves. The governor felt abit guilty, he really should have executed them instead of sending them away, would have likely saved alot of future problems with them filthy dark elves breeding like rabbits.

The brightly and elegantly clad governor kept ascending the stairs, he briefly looked over his shoulder seeing some man turning another direction after having just gotten up the stairs. The ever caring and polite elven governor decided it was best not to spend any more seconds looking at someone who had absolutely no real worth. But then again, who within this entire hall had? As far as he knew, he was the purest elf there. None were as well dressed as him, none were as beautiful despite the detestable scar which were now forming on his face. His magical powers were almost unmatched, if it weren't for that accursed lich he would have taken the throne ages ago. Ofcourse he would never admit it, as that could put HIM on Aklenroth's list of enemies, and that was not something the elf was fond of speculating on.

While Aklenroth had allowed him to govern over the light elves, he was still annoyed that his skills would be wasted at such a meager position compared to being a king. How wonderful it would had been if he could have wiped out the dark elves, every last one. And while he would be at it, take the demi-humans and orcs along with it. The fairies however could still be useful. To serve drinks and perform tasks which were unbefitting for elves of his stature, or others who shared noble blood. Even if they weren't as pure as he was, they too deserved some privilges for being superior in both mind and body. The exploits of the elven race was truly something which Terneus was most fond of, for what could be greater than reinforcing yourself and those lesser that you are completely and legitimely right.

He huffed slightly as he got up the last pair of stairs leading to one of the balconies, how he really despised walking up stairs. His walk looks far more grand while descending down stairs, like the proper elven god as he truly was. Well the closest thing to a god anyways according to his benevolence. The elf took off his mask and took some fresh air, if one could consider the demi-human's city's air to be anything near fresh. But it would have to do in the absence of the elven realm. 'This city is revolting. More than in one way.' He thought and then coughed slightly, the air was really horrible compared to the elven lands. It even contained some duist particles. Dust particles? Way up where he was? There were a slight change in the wind around him, and his eyes slowly turned to the right and looking back at him were some bright seemingly glowing orange eyes sticking out of some dark shroud. The elf grabbed the mirror by his belt and swung out towards the eyes, which in that instant vanished and the shroud quickly hurled itself into the air. The elf could feel a grip on his wrist, but more than that he was now staring into the face of some nightmarish creature. What in the elven graces was this? The governor felt a chill along his spine, was this a demon of some kind? It bore pale skin, white long hair and with those piercing eyes locked into his. The creature bore some wings which were now halfway folded as it was holding itself upside down, using a single hand on the elf's wrist.

"Boo." The figure said, it's jagged cornerteeth protruding through an amused smile.

The elf gritted his teeth, it didn't matter what this thing was. It was touching his regal form, how dared it. "Don't touch me!" The governor cursed and spitted as he did, before he swung out with his other hand trying to punch it but it propelled itself up into the air still upside down, it's dark wings extending and revealing a pattern of large eyes within.

"My my, how fierce you are." The figure mocked with a soft laugh, as it twirled in the air, landing a distance away along the balcony railing.

"What manner of disgusting half-breed or demon are you? A moth drawn to my light?" The elf asked in a demanding manner, his one arm ready to pulverize this creature if he had to.

"No, I think it might be that your folly shines like a beacon in the starry night..." The moth fairy mused with a smirk on it's lips.

"You insolent creature, do you know who I am? I could have you hang by the morning. Unless I change my mind and blast you to pieces right now!" The elf warned with a threatening tone, his mouth making a frown. This creature was creeping him out.

"Oh.. let me see, you are that one elven governor who almost got himself killed some days ago. Seems you are about as old as you are foolish. I'm sure that wound is going to be great to tell your offspring, if your parts are still working after all the years that is." The fairy grinned and assumed a mocking look in his face.

"Die you cur!" Terneus growled and raised his hand to shoot a ray of light towards the fairy, who went airborne in an instant as if he had foreseen the move ages ago, the soundless ray of light travelled across the sky and finally struck what seemed like a stable not too far away from the building itself. A carriage had been struck most violently by his powerful magic, the elf would have felt a slight amount of pride on seeing the devestation of just a single beam. The ornate looking carriage had been split in two with a scorching hole through it. It was in that moment that he felt it was a shame on a not too bad carriage, now when he thought about it. It seemed abit familiar. And that it was. It was after all his own. Parked neatly in the vicinity so that his grace wouldn't have to walk too far. The elf could feel another thread pop from his wound on realizing he had ruined his own transportation to get home, this fairy was going to pay dearly for this. Terneus looked to the fairy, which very quickly dashed behind some trees and buildings adjacent to the grand structure.

'Such impudent-' The elf thought in a fit of rage before he took a deep breath in and adjusted his composure, it wasn't becoming of an elf of his stature to be petty or overly grudgeful. Even so. Terneus was going to get his hands on that pig faced man, the fairy princess and this damned moth fairy thing along with all the rest later.

Ayita did get a bit surprised on the 'supposed' elf's reaction after the look she gave to him. He did say he wasn't an elf... nor from this land. So what exactly he was? Those words seemed to be, at least for Ayita, a lot like something someone would use to search for other humans. If a human who wasn't careful heard that sentence, they would definitely react to it in a very noticeable manner.

"Is that so? That might be interesting then. We might be better dance partners than we initially thought." Ayita asked with a smirk and a chuckle when she heard Darius saying that, despite his noble looks he would definitely be considered a 'savage'.

"Even though I may not be that good with these specific types of dances, I do trust on my agility and my quick feet. At least you don't need to worry about me stepping in your feet." she said with a giggle as she extended her hand towards Darius, getting ready to dance.

"So... Mr. savage 'non-elf'... Who exactly are you?" Ayita asked as she looked at him with a curious but rather cautious expression. It was clear for Darius that it wasn't just her curiosity, but she was also trying to get more information about him. He definitely caught her attention, be that a good or a bad thing.

"The phrase you said was a... very specific one. Very bold for you to say it too... It could be interpreted in the wrong manner by either demons or elves..." Ayita said, raising her eyebrow with an inquisitive expression.




Myra smiled happily at Mathis' comment about her name. He might smell like an undead but he definitely seemed to be a nice person. When Mathis took her hand and put his other hand on her waist to dance, Myra found it a bit easier than her other dance. Be it because she had already practiced a bit with her previous partner or because her partner seemed to lead her better than Tan did, the dance was definitely going on more smoothly than it was before. The way it was going, Myra even found herself able to stop paying too much attention on her surroundings and try and enjoy the dance a bit more. When she looked at Mathis again, surprisingly enough, she saw him looking at her with a curious expression. It definitely wasn't like how Tan was looking at her, it was much better. The moment their eyes met, Myra gave him a cute and happy smile. That entire thing about dancing was indeed new for Myra, but now that she was starting to get a bit more used to it and the movements she should make, she did find it interesting. Myra did enjoy most things that involved moving herself and while dancing might not be like hunting, where she could run as fast as she wanted or just running around, those were movements that she never did before, new to her which made her interested about it.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Late Afternoon

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

INTERACTIONS: @13org Myra

O'Ner was starting to enjoy himself; after dancing with two people he was becoming more comfortable with his dancing abilities. Seeing her smiling face was a differentiate positive to this ball; having to look away for a moment because he was trying to hide his own smile and embarrassed face. "I am sorry; I have not danced i a very long time" He kept his hand on her waist. Leading her for the time being; keeping his eyes on the people around him. Making mental notes on the other dancers.

He was not sure if she could speak; so gathering information form her would be quite difficult. An option would be asking yes or no questions. "Your quite a good dancer; Did you take classes to learn?" He asked wanting start easy with the questions. But in the back of his mind he wondered if he should be working fast; he needed to ask the right questions to get info and not arouse her superiors.

Darius was relieved to find that his partner's words rang true. Despite her admission of not being familiar with these dances, her footwork and movements adapted well as he led her. Their exchanges of smiles and brief laughter made the dance all the more exciting. He might have almost basked in ignorance and let himself remain oblivious but her curiosity of him struck his own curiosity of her.

Ayita's words were playful, and though Darius could not judge her tone as genuine or not, he did enjoy the thought of being such a mystery to the woman in his presence. He could be anything or anyone for that matter, but Darius felt it better to just be himself. He had lived in the shadow of his late older brother, John for most of his life. He tried to be just like him, sometimes a better version of him, or even try to find a comfortable place in the shadow John cast.

Honesty. True honesty. Why not? Darius smirked at his dance partner and her mention of his initial bold statement.

"Mr. Savage is bold indeed Ms. Curiosity. But since you asked, then I guess I should be polite and answer. Who am I?" He asked rhetorically and said so with a mysterious flare… for dramatic effect of course. "Have you ever heard of the faraway land known as America. It's okay if you don't. It's not really known by many Avalians, but it's where I was born and grew up before arriving here… in Roshmi. It's such a different place, but also has it'sown beauty to it. You wouldn't believe the things that are there and the things that aren't." Darius' crimson eyes lit up with excitement as he introduced and spoke of the mysterious land he came from to who he thought was an average Avalian that would be enamored by the place that many humans called home.

Cade froze for a moment as the royal blooded fairy pet the fur on his paw like hand. Had his dance partner been anyone else, anyone without a royal bloodline that he held in the highest regards, his reaction would have been a very different one. However, circumstances being what they were, Cade stifled any outburst at both being referred to as ‘fluffy’ and being petted, though his tail flicked with annoyance. He did not normally allow strangers to pet him based on their whims, for he was no creatures pet. Instead, Cade focused on her words, for the honor of speaking to royalty was a great one and he would try not to waste it. She had asked him for his name, and for a moment he forgot it, standing speechless at the thought that a member of true royalty would now know his name. For the time being his name carried no weight, he was yet to become the great warrior he aspired to, but one day he dreamed of being someone worth remembering.

“I am Cadence of a Thunderstorm, but many simply call me Cade.” He spoke his name proudly, mirroring none of the humbleness Risa held when she had shared her own name. “And my people believe in the power of names and of heritage, and your family name, Princess Risa, holds a great deal of power. A name that sparks hope, and that is powerful weapon against darkness. The fairies I have met speak great things about you, and you do not disappoint.” Cade added. It did not feel right to address the fairy only as Risa even if she had introduced herself that way, even to use her first name almost sounded wrong. Cade still found himself at a loss for words, what else could say to a royal that would hold any interest, he was just a simple cat. What he did know was that all fairies he had meet before enjoyed a good dance, so he focused on that, taking the opportunity to raise their entangled hands up and gently spin Risa. He continued to focus on the dancing, not wanting to make any mistakes that would make himself look bad in front of a princess. Cade kept an easy smile despite his nervousness, for he was dancing with great royalty. He wondered if things were as Artemis had suggested, and that right now perhaps it was his mother that was smiling down on him. If she was, this moment would have made her very proud.

Despite her previous stare and the brief moment of distrust she had regarding Darius, the dance was honestly being fun. Even though she wasn't that good on dancing, Darius seemed to be quite good at leading her. He seemed to be nicer than what she previously thought. Surprisingly enough, he didn't seem to be worried about her in the same way she was about him. His reply to her questions were, surprisingly, as playful as her own questions were. Ironically, despite him calling her Ms. Curiosity, it was clear that he was as curious about her as she was about him.

For a moment, Ayita forgot the fact that she didn't know who he was and honestly just wanted to have a fun dance but when Darius mentioned the name 'America', her eyes opened wide as she stopped dancing for a moment. Memories of her homeland surfaced in her mind. Her people dancing and hunting, the nature that surrounded them and provided everything that they needed. Despite her silence, as he continued talking about it, he could see deep in her eyes a longing for her homeland. The same excitement and longing that were on Darius' eyes as he spoke of his homeland could be found on hers as well.

"Are you Aniyvwiyaʔi? From one of the seven clans?" she asked after a moment, using the same word her people used to refer to themselves, with hope in her eyes. Was it possible that she found another one of her people here in Avalia? Was she truly not alone?

"Or are you one of them... The white people?" Ayita asked, with her eyes almost as if they were burning with anger just remembering of them. Those who killed her people, burned their land and stole their lives...




Myra was steadily getting better in following Mathis' lead and dancing herself, just like Mathis seemed to be getting more comfortable at dancing too. Myra still had to pay attention when they got too close from other people in order to not whip her tail around but overall things were going really smoothly. When Mathis apologized himself about not having danced, Myra simply smiled at him with a kind expression. It wasn't like she knew how to dance, she was only trying her hardest to mimic other's movements and follow his lead so she wasn't really that worried about it. In fact she wanted just to have some fun and hopefully eat a lot after the dances, just like Darius had promised her.

The moment Mathis turned towards her asking if she took classes to dance though, Myra looked at him with a confused expression. That 'dancing' thing was new for her, was he asking if someone taught her? If it was that then it was a yes. Both Adrian and Darius had showed her how to dance and practiced with her, albeit just a little. After thinking for a bit, she looked to Mathis, nodding her head for his question. Since he was making questions to her though, Myra thought that she should try making one to him as well. Approaching him, she sniffed the air a bit around him then looked at him, tilting her head in an inquisitive expression. Even though she didn't speak, the message she wanted to pass was clear, she wanted to know why he smelled like an undead even though he was nice.

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @baraquiel Sakura

---

Torvi had been so distracted by the thoughts of her last encounter that she almost walked past her next partner. She was far too busy searching the crowd for her friends, wanting to make sure that they were safe. So when she heard the voice of a woman introducing herself she jumped a little. ”Oh.” She said as she blinked at the woman now in front of her. She then shook her head and put a friendly smile on her face. ”Sorry about that, I was distracted by something there. It’s nice to meet you Sakura, I’m Torvi. It’s a pleasure to be dancing with you this evening.” She said as she dipped down into a curtsy of her own. She found it quite interesting that she was dancing with another woman, but she wasn’t about to complain about it especially since she was quite pretty. What she wasn’t sure of, however, who was to lead this dance. She decided she’d give it a shot as the music seemed slow enough that she wouldn’t mess up completely.

”So what brings you to the ball tonight?” She asked, trying to keep a cheery demeanor about her.

When Ayita's feet stopped moving with the rhythm of the music, Darius initially mistook it as her being awestruck by the mention of the mysterious and exotic land known as America. He smiled cheerfully, ready to share more about his home, but…

Why was she still hanging on his mention of America? His own eyes widened as the answer to that very question came to him. The cheerful smile on his face died so swiftly. Slain by Ayita before she could even utter a word. The two of them might have stuck out a bit as they stood there as still as statues amongst the slow sway of bodies that danced around them.

Ayita broke the silence with a question, but he failed to answer it aloud. Aniva-what? Seven clans? He was speechless. Why was he speechless? Is this not what he was looking for? Or was he in doubt? He had been wrong before. Artemis had turned out to not be a human despite her appearance. Maybe this was the same…

His mind was racing with reasons why the woman he now held in dance was NOT a human, but her next words only pushed this doubt away while inviting even more questions in the same instant.

"No… No, I'm not… But wait." Darius shook his head as he felt a mix of both disbelief and... joy. He couldn't keep himself from smiling at her even with her loom of anger. "Please tell me that you're really just like me. I don't know what you mean by seven clans, but I am from… I'm from America. Earth." Darius couldn't believe it. He finally found another human. After almost two weeks in this strange world, he found something… No, he found someone who could give him a sense of familiarity. Unfortunately, he would soon find out that he had less in common with this human than he assumed. The land they claimed as home was the same, but the ideas of home they longed for couldn't be more different. For now, though, Darius was deeply and genuinely happy.

---

---

"Trust me, you're not the only one who's distracted here." Sakura sweetly replied while giggling to Torvi. She admitted that she didn't have any experience dancing with another girl before but there was a first time for everything, she guessed. She let Torvi take the lead as the musicians played a slower, more soothing song this time. The demoness put her hands on the elf's shoulders, which was fitting since Torvi was obviously taller than Sakura, and they slowly swayed to the rhythm of the beat.

She pondered Torvi's question for a bit. Sakura had so many reasons why she was here on the Grand Ball tonight, she just had to choose one. "To have fun, I suppose. It's been a while since I've been to one of these and who am I to miss out on an opportunity to attend one as beautiful and grandiose as this?" She sweetly replied back to the taller woman as they continued to dance.

Torvi seemed nice enough though Sakura wondered why the woman looked so tense as she approached her. Did Torvi sense that something was wrong with the party? Maybe she was partnered with one of the disguised demons within the crowd. It looked like Sakura was right: a demon really can't contain their huge thirst for blood and chaos no matter how much they disguised themselves. If Sakura could find the man Torvi was partnered with, maybe Sakura could confront them after the party and eradicate them. She will not allow such idiocy to risk exposing themselves and foiling Sakura's plans. She had killed some of her kin before due to their incompetence and she will not hesitate to do it again.

"Pardon my intrusion, I can't help but notice that you were quite tense a while ago as I approached you. Is something, or someone, bothering you?" Sakura asked Torvi, glancing side to side before leaning forward to speak softly. "Oh, is it guy trouble? You know, us girls have to have each other's backs. If a man is creeping you out or giving you very wrong signs, please don't hesitate to tell me. I will do everything in my power to help you." The demoness realized that maybe she was being too friendly with Torvi but she decided that this was good. She will take any opportunity to get on everyone's good side so her plans will be far more likely to succeed.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Late Afternoon

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

INTERACTIONS: @13org Myra

When Myra was insisting why he smelled like death; he felt a feeling of discomfort. He would have to lie to her about the smell; a occupation that could explain away the awful smell. “It is quite embarrassing to admit; but I am a mortician. I prepare bodies; I nasty business I know but a necessary one I think” He said thinking that she would not press the matter further. However he was prepared to answer any question she may have. “Even after I wash myself; the smell seems to linger. So I do apologizes for the smell” He smiled once again keeping her close to him; not wanting her to bump into the other dancers.

“So if I may ask; and I hope you are offended by this. But why can't you speak?” He asked hoping that he was not being too rude with his question. Of course he did not want to cause a scene. He was just curious about her inability to speak.

Ayita felt relieved when she heard from Darius that he wasn't one of the ones who destroyed her tribe and her homeland but the fact that he didn't answer if he was part of her people nor from one of the seven clans didn't pass by unnoticed by Ayita, given his silence and apparent confusion. The fact that he didn't know about the seven clans meant that he wasn't one of her people. That said, just the fact that he wasn't with the invaders was enough to give him some trust. She knew she should be careful, that many people in Avalia wouldn't see humans with kind eyes but Darius' reactions were too... honest. Too genuine for someone that might be tricking her. The emotions she saw in his eyes when he asked her if she was like him weren't something one could fake easily. It was risky, but if he was a human, he could be an ally against Aklenroth.

"Tsalagihi Ayeli... The lands of our forefathers. 'America'..." Ayita said in a low tone as she looked to Darius with a serious expression.

"Our people call ourselves Tsalagi or Aniyvwiyaʔi, which it would mean "Principal People" in your language. The white men call us by other names though... Most of them insults to our heritage and history. The only one acceptable is 'Cherokee'." Ayita said as she explained to Darius about what she was talking about and the words she used.

"I'm not an elf. Nor am I from this land, Darius." she said, repeating the very same words Darius said to her a moment ago as she looked at him, carefully analyzing his reaction.

After a moment, Ayita looked at Darius again, with a serious, piercing stare. Even though there wasn't any hostility in her eyes, there was still some doubt. The fact that he was a human meant that he had no reason to ally himself with Aklenroth, which made him an ally or at least someone that wouldn't betray them but at the same time, Ayita didn't know who exactly Darius was. He said he wasn't with the invaders but he didn't know about the seven clans. There was only one question that remained unanswered...

"Now... Who exactly are you, Darius?" Ayita asked as her eyes met his, looking at him with a serious expression.




Myra nodded as Mathis explained why he smelled like that. She didn't know what a 'mortician' was but his explanation was clear enough for her to understand a few words. He smelled like death because he often had to touch bodies for some reason. Myra was a bit confused why he wanted to prepare bodies. Was he preparing them to eat like Zorrah did with the tasty meats she gave Myra? Or he was preparing them for something else? No matter the reason, Myra could relate to the part that even though he washed his body, the smell didn't come off. When she had to deal with undead, it always took her quite a while for the smell to be completely off. After he finished explaining, apologizing for the smell, Myra simply smiled at him, shaking her head. Even though it was still a bit unpleasant, it wasn't nearly as strong as how undead normally smelled. It was almost like a faint scent compared to the strong and repulsive smell that normal undead that she had met had.

When he asked why she didn't speak, Myra looked at away for a moment, almost if thinking about something before she looked at him again.

"Foo!" Myra said excitedly, pointing towards the table where all the food was.

"Koupl?" she said again, this time shrugging with a confused expression, clearly indicating that she didn't know what that particular word meant before she spent a few second with a thoughtful expression, thinking in another words.

"Mii... Mirr-" she began trying to say the word, struggling a bit with the sound of the 'r' before she went silent after she bit her own tongue, sticking it out with a grimace of pain. It did take a moment of silence for her to speak again after that, almost as if she was repeating the word in her head before trying to say it out loud.

"Mii-ra!" she said with a proud expression, looking at Mathis almost as if she just did something incredible. While she did say the 'r' sound correct, she did separate it from the rest of the word.

"Cherokee…" Darius repeated softly as it was a reference he could finally cling to. It was specific enough to truly prove she was in fact a human, but it also seemed to be too specific. He figured a movie quote or a line from a universally known song would do. And why not lead with 'Cherokee' since that name for the tribe is more well known? But as if to further remove any speck of doubt, she repeated his line back to him. It caused him to smirk and give a single nod.

With Darius certain that Ayita was human based on what she shared about herself, he noticed her look of skepticism towards him. Her question of who he was only confirmed her expression.

"Oh right… My turn… Um, well, I was born, raised, and living in Tampa, Florida. I'm a personal trainer and photographer… Or I used to be." Darius was oblivious to how confusing his life might have sounded to Ayita and in his excitement, continued. "I was just getting off the ground with brand new clientele and then… Well, we both know the rest. What about you?" His smile started to fade as he was just noticing how puzzled the woman looked at the moment. Huh?

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Late Afternoon

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

INTERACTIONS: @13org Myra

O'Ner felt great relief when he got away with lying about the smell; he was glad he could get away with having a terrible smell. Even though he usually didn't bother with masking his smell. He would have to speak to Phillippe about buying some deodorant or something to help with smelling like a graveyard. If she was was going to question him further; he would have to think of something that would satisfy her.

Hearing her saying or at least trying to pronounce words; he was bemused by her attempt to speak. He wondered the reason of why she could only speak in single words. Watching pointing to things in the room; shout out what they were. Struggling especially with saying her name; which made him feel sorry for the girl. Waiting for her to finish saying her name before speaking. "I have to say; and i don't mean to sound condescending. But you are the most fascinating person in this ball i have met so far" He said smiling clapping softly for her accomplishment. "I have a idea you may like; perhaps we can head back towards your table and have a drink. And discuss many things" He suggested with a friendly smile on his face.

Much to Darius' dismay, despite his explanation about where he came from and what he did, only confusion could be seen in Ayita's eyes. Truth be told, she didn't know half of the words Darius used. Photographer, personal trainer, clientele... The only word that was vaguely familiar was the name 'Florida', a land to the southeast of the ones Ayita and her tribe called their home. Often referred to by white invaders that came from the east.

"Florida is... the only word that is vaguely familiar to me..." Ayita replied, with a mix of wariness and curiosity on her eyes. She and most of her tribe learned the hard way that they shouldn't trust everyone... A moment passed in silence as Ayita simply looked at Darius before she spoke again.

"If you are really not from Avalia... Then you're being hunted. Just like me. Which side are you on?" she asked Darius, with a piercing stare. Even though Ayita was curious about who Darius was, there was still something that was more important... The situation she was in here, in Avalia. Aklenroth and his allies were hunting for her, like other humans. He was a human but she wanted to be certain that he was an ally.




Myra couldn't feel happier and more proud of herself by speaking her name as Mathis smiled, clapping his hands to her after hearing her saying it. Myra could feel that he genuinely liked being with to her and was curious about her, after all, he did hear her carefully when she was speaking and even waited for her to say her name. That coupled with the fact that he was being kind with her and even said that she was the most interesting person for him so far did make Myra happy. When he mentioned walking back to the table though, Myra looked at him with her eyes almost shining with excitement.

"Foo?!" she asked, blinking as she stared at him expectantly as her tongue darted in and out of her mouth a few times, almost like the tongue of a reptile. She didn't know what those 'drinks' were but it was on those tables that one often ate, right? Just like the castle, whenever she was hungry and asked Zorrah for food, she sat down at the big table to eat.