Terneus Andros

Of all the struggles in the world, why did he, the elf who shone brighter than any other have to struggle past the horde of commoners. While the path had been filthy, filled with people of lesser birth and race. The ever graceful and collected governor of the light elves had pushed his way to safety, stepping over a few demi-humans along the way, even if he considered his doormat in his tower to be of much finer quality. He had to get out of that place. The breeze outdoors was a pleasant thing for him, even if some of the lowly runts around him dared bumping into his near divine form. The governor soon made sure that he would not get stalked by that monstrous thing once/if it got outside. The governor ascended the stairs in the most hurried manner he could, while trying to uphold a sense of nobility and grace. There was no benefit in him sharing company with the others who exited the building, he instead took a left turn and began moving down one of the streets.

It was then he was reminded of the smell of the place, how it reminded him of stables mixed with filthy taverns. It was so unlike the sweet and refined air around his home, perhaps he had to smell this horror in order to further appreciate his home? But there were more pressing matters than the reeking of the city, one of them being able to leave it swiftly. But his carriage had a... unfortunate accident and his commander, Feldrin, had gotten himself killed. It was indeed inconvienient, he should have known better. As for the rest of his knights they were by the healer's place still recovering from that attempt on his person. He could have used them right now if there was a fine enough chair to sit on, so they could have carried him.

But they were most likely going to slow him down at this rate, with the loss of the commander he would have to give them every single command in detail. It was tiresome on his noble voice, it was unbefitting of someone of his stature to overexert his voice. That was something for underlings, not for him. Then came the thought to him, this fairy princess and her rebellion would likely affect even his domain. His home would likely be in an uproar, those ungrateful dimwitted peasants would likely try to blame him. -HIM- of all people, who had done so much to keep their home pure and unaffected as much as possible from the cruelty and filth of the rest of Avalia. Terneus tightened his hands into fists, this was annoying him plenty. He was without food and water, his carriage and even his servants.

He knew there was a long journey he needed to set himself upon, one of much strain and weariness. But he had to make it further north to one of the smaller elven villages. There he could get some food and drinks, but it was a far distance to travel on foot. The governor didn't even spend a second thinking that he could aqquire supplies within Roshmi. After all, he didn't have a way to certify the wares had been treated with the right care, or perhaps one should say noble hands. The thought of a demi-human even coming into contact with his food, drinks or clothes made him want to throw up. Perhaps he could encounter some elven caravan along the way, he had plenty of jewelry to part with in exchange for supplies after all. Yes, this was the plan he decided on. He was going to make his way to one of the smaller villages to the north, then promise riches for those willing to return with him to the sun elven village and bring order.

Then everything could proceed in whichever manner it would, if these rebels would be able to topple Aklenroth then he could use his influence and wealth to encourage his fellow elves to deal with the dark elven plague and seize any wealth left behind by Aklenroth.

'Have them do all the hard work, and then I will reap the reward. How sweet it is to be so clever. To take advantage of those stupid enough to not understand it, it is as nature has desired it to be.' He spent a few thoughts to himself to easen the mood, thinking of his own brilliance could indeed bring light into even the darkest of days.

The governor took a moment to look behind him, he had gotten past only two buildings? Were this how slow those not going by carriage were?

"Oh for the grace of the graceful... my feet are tired." He cussed, waving his mirror at himself, throwing glances towards the building the ball had been within. Perhaps someone would run from it who he could accompany. An elf perhaps? An elven man? Yes, that was prefered. He always found the females of his species to be too occupied with their own appearances, as if that was their top priority. Some of them would not even take the moment and opportunity to look at him. It was not only rude, but he considered it an offense. A crime. While he reassured himself that his own beauty was natural, and also a natural thing for him to display his noble features. His parents at least had the decency to make sure the other half were of noble birth and had a long line of purity.

He could still recall the day when he had delved into the old scrolls and family tree, just to make sure he did not have an ounce of commoner blood in him. When he had looked through them all, he was filled with relief. He was indeed pure noble and elven. If he would have found out there were a commoner in his past, then life might not had been worth living. At least that was the initial thought, but he later realized that he as a noble could likely post-humously make a dead relative into a noble. Thus he could solve such a despicable issue would it had appeared.

"I am really too good for this world, am I not? Is that why you test me, oh old gods of old? Testing your most favored child?" He said aloud to himself, it felt good to hear his voice. As if someone had licked his ears, or if he had been given honeytipped cookies with fourhundred old wine to it.

Baraian Paladice

The magics which the dark elf had flung relentlessly at the large demon, had not even scratched it's massive form. Even with the assistance of others, this foe was beyond them no doubt. People had gotten crushed and eaten by it, and also by the large dark wolf creature which had moments ago been finally shut down. Revealing it's form to be that of a small boy. Baraian didn't know what that creature had been up to, come to think of it he had little clue about who was fighting who within the grand hall. What he did know however was that now the moment had come to leave, the rebellion would likely survive and that was what mattered. Even if he would die here, it would be with a smile. Knowing that the world would be engulfed in the fire it had created for itself.

A man yelled to those still present within the grand hall to leave, and the dark elf sprung into motion towards the exit, turning only around to see the large demon drawing smaller objects and things towards it. Including the boy which had turned into a monster, he was sucked into the hole which the demon had opened in it's chest. "Move!" He yelled out towards anyone still behind, before he left with a group of people that had gotten out around the same time.

'Phase two is over... now time to build the army that will end it all. At last.' He thought as he was met with the breeze outdoors, he didn't linger for long but dashed down the stairs, ready to leave the city.

'Golden Death for everything. Use them well, little blue miss... like I will use you and everyone else to grant this world it's dying wish.' A soft upturn appeared on his lips, as his hair hung over the top part of his face. He though of the lich and his domain burning, but not only that place but the wretched home of his. The dark elven realm was beyond any salvation. The rebellious call of Risa Millinia had made him chuckle within, did she think the dark elves would simply forgive and forget? He knew very well that was most likely not the case. Hatred had borrowed deeply within his kind, towards the elves which exiled them but also to all those whom watched.

For Baraian he also hated their kind, for they were indeed as despicable as the elves which had exiled them to the barren lands. The darkness had lkong loomed over the world, even before the lich became king. He still remembered his days in Daka. Where he had been a fellow recruit beside Xenelith Dreadclaw, one of the commanders for the lich. But back then they both were recruits, whilst Xenelith excelled at the dark elven ways and his ambition seemed to be to serve Aklenroth. Baraian was the complete opposite, meek by dark elven standards and would have ended up dead in the final trials had he not left before those tests came into play.

Had his life had been different, he could had been just like commander Dreadclaw and possibly ended up the same way. But he wanted none of it. Why postpone the end of a world without hope? Why struggle and believe someday it would be peaceful? It was all a lie. There would never be peace, the world of Avalia would be filled with wars and new tyrants would vie for control after the power vacuum of Aklenroth. What Baraian found important now however was to first remove the lich, then he would work for all sides. Pin the largest armies against each other, make them burn down all the cities until nothing and none would remain. Make Avalia a barren dead world.

'It's a pity you are one of a kind Ilan. But I cannot spare this world even if it has a single good person in it. People will repeat their mistakes and never learn.'

---

Kuroi stayed silent, letting the foolish human finish her monologue before looking at the other, much more level-headed woman. Giving her a nod of approval, he looked back over at Ayita and raised an eyebrow, "Precisely what she said. There is no one left to save, except maybe one's ego perhaps...such a stupid thing to hold onto at a time like this though..." he says, eyeing the grand demon, taking a few steps back from it. Looking back at Ayita, he motioned her to follow him, "We best get going if we wish to see another day...and human? Don't act as if your bravery is enough to triumph anything. There is bravery, and there is stupidity - staying here to fight either me or that behemoth is absolute stupidity." He said before watching the demon's tail create a large hole in the wall. "...There's our escape..." He says, gritting his teeth.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Baraian and waved at him, letting him know where he was before he ran for the nearest exit - be it the giant hole in the wall or the entrance the elf was right next to. Escape was inevitable - it seems that the gods had smiled down upon them for once...upon him.

As he ran outside, Kuroi felt the ground rumble beneath his feet, causing him to lose balance. He dove forward and out into the streets of Roshmi, rolling with the momentum along his shoulder and coming up standing. The vulpine looked back, hoping the others would follow his leave. Throughout this series of events, he had not let go of his fan in the slightest and was ready to slice someone at moment's notice.

---

Kenia kept up a steady, yet quick pace as she led the group through the streets of Roshmi. She did her best sticking more to the shadows and streets that seemed less populated as the last thing they needed was to be stopped by dark elf guards and questioned. She let the others talk behind her, occasionally glancing back just to make sure everyone was keeping up. It was obvious, however, that she wasn’t quite in the mood for discussing things yet as she was more focused on getting them to the inn safely and then out of the city. There were a couple times that she motioned for everyone to stop and quiet down for a moment as guards passed them, before continuing on.

Kenia almost thought she would have some trouble keeping Darius quiet due to how much he was speaking to both Vaeril and Bowyn. He had scolded Vaeril at any given chance, seemingly knowing the elven male. With Bowyn, Darius had gone on about the so-called viking and how a prominent group of them were from Minnesota. He claimed they had four special rings due to their legendary prowess against other groups.

Finally Kenia stopped the group and turned to face them. ”Okay the inn is right around the corner. I should only be a couple minutes and then I’ve mapped out a route out from here earlier. Obviously I had no idea things were going to go to hell like they have, but I do like to be prepared if it ends up that way and I’m glad I was.” She informed them all and then turned, going around the corner. The sight she was met with caused her to freeze and her blood went ice cold. There, outside the inn, stood eight dark elf guards talking and laughing amongst each other. Within the center of them was a body, someone Kenia was very familiar with. ”Rei…” She breathed out in shock, despair also evident in the one word. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but then something took a hold of her. A deadly rage filled her as her expression turned to something lethal, especially when she saw one of the elves holding up Rei’s silver ring necklace. ”Stay here.” She told the others, a dangerous tone to her voice as she retrieved a dagger that she had hidden on her leg. She began heading towards the guards with deadly intent.

Darius' hand moved to reach her, but Kenia was already set before he realized what may have been going through her head. Shit… Is that him on the ground?! What is she going to do?!

Vaeril however had decided to follow Kenia up to the dark elves. “Don’t worry I can keep up and I have chosen to help you deal with this issue.” he told Kenia, walking shortly behind her. “We shall dispatch them together.” he said quietly.

Bowyn saw the sharp hint of moonlight reflect off the dagger as Kenia retrieved it. It was clear what she aimed to do, and Bowyn thought it was reckless and impulsive. The group had not yet been seen by the dark elves, they could still slip away unnoticed but he also knew from the way Kenia had said the name ‘Rei’ that the now dead human was a friend of hers. Bowyn didn’t have to wonder what he would do if his own human friends suffered a similar fate, he too would want vengeance. Bowyn glanced over at Darius and responded in a whisper, ”I believe that she is going to end those who ended her friend.”

Bowyn followed Kenia just after Vaeril did. “In this, elf, I have your back.” Bowyn whispered, resolved that if he was going to be a part of this rebellion, then the time for his inaction had certainly come to an end. Kenia’s reaction to the death of a human was enough for Bowyn to know which side she was on, and the sound of grief in her voice was enough to decide that action was necessary.

”They’re mine. They’ve killed my family and now they’re going to pay.” Kenia hissed at Vaeril and that drew the attention of one of the dark elf guards.

“Halt! Any closer and we’ll be forced to attack!” The man said to the group and this merely made Kenia grin sadistically at him before she moved swiftly, closing the distance. The guard swung his sword towards her, but Kenia dropped down and slid under the attack all while using her light magic to disappear from sight. As she reappeared she was throwing a dagger of light at a different confused guard, embedding it in his throat as she slit the throat of the guard that had spoken. Without skipping a beat she grabbed the sword and spun on another guard, blocking his attack with both dagger and sword. She vanished again as she spun around this one before impaling him on her sword. Kenia was now at the man who was holding the necklace, shock evident on his face at how quickly three of his companions fell. She used this moment to fling a scythe of light magic at him, severing his hand that gripped the necklace before she tackled him to the ground. She began viciously stabbing him over and over until he moved no more. She grabbed the necklace and turned to look at the others, blood now covering her.

”Who’s next?”

Vaeril watched Kenia slaughter four of the guards with relative ease. He found himself impressed. “Very well done, but don’t take all the fun for yourself. I guess it’s my turn!” He said before raising his hand into the air and quickly slashing down, causing a small door of light magic to appear in front of himself. Vaeril then took one step and shifted in between the four remaining guards. “And now you shall perish!” he said to the guards now, surrounding him. Vaeril grabbed one of the guards by the throat and used light magic to surround the hand holding the elf, burning through his throat, then he turned quickly to block an attack from a dark elf's sword with the body. He then dropped the body and grabbed the dark elf who tried to attack him, kneeing him in the stomach causing the guard to bend over. “An attack from behind how dirty, but such a foolish attempt!” He said before creating a spear that instantly went through his body as it was created. Vaeril then turned to the last remaining guards raising his hands towards them and shot two bolts made of light into their heads. “I think that is all of them outside, check the area and the inn” He told the others.

"Uhh… Sure…" Darius had watched both Vaeril and Kenia dispatch the dark elf soldiers, but his primary focus was on the body of the young man on the ground. The image burned into Darius' mind while the demon within tugged at him to take action. The poor guy didn't even know what to do. For now, he would hang in the rear to support using his magic if need be.

Meanwhile, Bowyn left Kenia and Vaeril to deal with the dark elves outside, slipping past them as they began the fight and into the inn to check for more. Two more dark elves stood guard on either side of the door, and he spun towards the first one. As the guard lunged at him Boreas flew from his shoulder with a loud screech. The merlin flew towards the attacking guard, raking his talons against the dark elf’s eyes before moving swiftly out of the way. Bowyn used that second of surprise to grab the guard, grappling with him until the guard was positioned in front of him, shielding him from any strikes from the second dark elf as he too moved to attack.

Bowyn’s left hand gripped the neck of the dark elf, his right gripped the dark elf’s wrist as he moved to draw his sword. The cold that Bowyn exuded prevented the dark elf from overpowering him, as frost began etching itself in the dark elf’s skin. His magic flowed from his fingers into the dark elf, freezing every bit of moisture the elf's body contained. Bowyn could feel his own magic inside every frozen crystal of the elf as he began to crack and expand with the sudden freezing. In a swift motion he pulled his hands away from the elf keeping control of the frozen bits of flesh and willing them to be pulled and reformed from what remained of the elf’s body into a collection of shrapnel. Bowyn flung the shrapnel at the second elf, slicing through skin and with one shard slitting the dark elf’s throat. The second elf bled out in a matter of seconds. Bowyn grabbed the sword from the wreckage of what now remained of the first dark elf, and scanned the inside of the inn, ready for the possibility of more.

Outside, Jack squatted with his scythe over his shoulder on the roof of the inn, looking down upon the group left outside. He lifted the head of Rei over the ledge and watched as blood dropped down onto Kenia's face. Initially Kenia thought the drips on her face were from the rain that seemed to be threatening to fall as lightning lit up the sky and thunder rolled. Soon, however, she realized the feeling of the liquid wasn't the same as rain as she went to wipe at it. The blood mingled with the blood already on her hands, however, and so she looked up.

"Y-y-y-you must be looking for this bloke? He is up here, lass! He isn’t screaming as much anymore though." Jack laughed chaotically before dropping the head down beside her. "N-N-N-NOW WE HAVE THE FINALE THAT IS YOUR D-D-D-DEATH!!!" Jack yelled as he tilted his head cracking his neck, He then stood up and readied his scythe, ready to not only combat but kill those down below. Unbeknownst to him, his yell had carried off to quite the peculiar fellow...

Elthrael had gotten further away from his attacker and where he had departed from Risa, his first choice of action had been to heal his wings and hearing, as soon as he had reassured he wasn't being observed. As his hearing had returned from the effects of his healing magic, the first thing he was met with was a distant yell which made his aching ears perk up. The moth fairy darted away mid-air towards the direction of the sound and upon reaching it, landing on a nearby roof which had a chimney. The fairy was met with the scene of a bloodbath outside of an inn.

'My my, such a mess... but what do we have here?' He thought as his eyes set on the individuals about, watching them from his vantage point. To the moth fairy it seemed like there was some kind of struggle still underway below, between a group and a man standing on what seemed to be the roof of the nearby inn.

A soft smile began to decorate his lips as he considered the next course of action, still occasionally looking about to make certain he wasn't snuck up on. Just who were these people? The scattered dead ones were most certainly dark elves, yet he couldn't pick out a dark elf amongst those remaining. What he would soon know and witness for sure, was a meeting between violence and madness. An unraveling...

Horror filled Kenia as she watched Rei's head fall to the ground. For a moment the head morphed into that of her son and then back into Rei. She vaguely heard the words of the human above her as she stared for a long moment and the dead boy she'd begun thinking of as her son. Then she began to laugh. It started as a small giggle, but soon morphed into a belly laugh before she looked up at Jack. "Oh I'm going to have so much fun with you!" She said as she gave him the smile of a mad woman. She flung a chain of light right at the handle of his scythe, yet at the same time she did this she also made a small slash of light right at the back of one of his heels, attempting to slice right through his achilles tendon. She then yanked the light chain forward, attempting to pull him down to her level.

Jack had allowed the chain to attach to his scythe and jumped into the air to dodge the slash at his feet. Before touching the ground, he created a small tornado running down the chain. He then propelled himself through the wind tunnel of the small tornado towards Kenia at full speed. At the last second before impact, he moved to the side while grabbing the chain to swing it and cause Kenia to stumble from the force before slashing the chain to cut himself loose "N-N-N-NICE TRY DARLING BUT YOU WILL NEED TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!" Jack yelled to Kenia.

From inside the inn Bowyn heard the crack of thunder and shouting from back outside, with the inn appearing to be clear of any more dark elves. He turned his attention to those outside and from the entrance to the inn Bowyn saw the severed head that lay at Kenia’s feet, and he saw the blood soaked elf laughing with madness in her eyes. He gave Boreas a look that told the bird to stay inside but as he moved to leave he saw the bird move to take off and follow him. As Bowyn quickly left the inn he shut the door behind him, ensuring that Boreas could not follow, Boreas would be mad but he would be alive. Outside he saw the fight already in progress between two equally mad opponents, and while Kenia’s state was understandable to him, the human, Jack, was clearly nothing like the humans he had met before, he was not only insane but a force of pure evil as well.

Darius slowly shook his head, visibly disturbed at this point at both Kenia and Jack. To him they were both mad. He glanced over to Vaeril who appeared unbothered. A neutral bystander. Darius did not want to be that. Not again.

The clouds soon darkened and rain drizzled down upon the scene. Then a thick fog started to coat the area around them."J-J-J-Just like London." Jack now in a more quiet unsettling tone before jumping back into the fog. He then sent slashes of wind towards Kenia with his scythe, but the attacks were met with a wall of water hastily generated by Darius. The wind sliced through but the attacks were dulled considerably. Kenia had been ready, however, as soon as Jack disappeared into the fog as she threw up a light shield. She hadn't been expecting the wall of water as an extra layer of protection, though.

"Just take the loss and run! It's just you now and you'll die if you keep fighting!" Darius tried to bring some kind of reasoning into this insanity. The sound of his voice managed to shake something loose in Kenia as she remembered there were others here with her. Others she needed to protect, to get out of the city. Some of the madness left her and she was thinking a bit more clear, however she couldn't just let Jack go.

"I can't just let him go and run. If I do that then we're all in trouble. Do you really think he'll let us go? I've already lost a family member and loved one here, I won't lose new allies and friends." As she spoke she searched a couple of the bodies near her until she found a couple more daggers. She also discarded her shoes, feeling much more stable and allowed her to move more silently. Then she moved, making next to no noise as she circled around where she'd last seen Jack. As she did this she sent an illusion of herself running towards where she assumed he was and silently waited.

Jack jumped into the air allowing who he thought was Kenia to run under him. He quickly realized something was off when it continued on a straight path. "Ah... Well interesting, a fake." He said, using the wind to keep himself in the air. "A-A-A-AN UNFAIR FIGHT! I BLOODY WILL RUIN YOU ALL!!!" Jack screamed as his eyes began to glow a pure white. He stretched himself out and the clouds in the area began to spin faster and faster as wind speeds increased. "I-I-I AM THE GOD DAMN WIND!!!" He screamed louder while losing himself in the overwhelming magic flowing through his body. The hurricane Jack started now beginning to shatter the glass of buildings and threw debris everywhere. Jack, now the source of immense power stood stationary floating in the air as all the magic he could release flowed out of him. This was the true potential of human power on display as Jack lost control of himself, unable to move from his spot.

Vaeril looked at Kenia, "He is not going to let anyone go; be careful and prepare yourselves." He called out. Vaeril grabbed onto a solid object, bracing himself. Seeing Jack lose control of himself reminded him of past situations where others had lost themselves. Though wind magic was bad, he had seen worse from fire and earth users. "Grab onto something if the wind becomes too strong!" He yelled out to everyone now. The wind was making everything harder to hear. He watched as Jack lost himself, now stationary floating in the air. "WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING AND FAST!" Vaeril yelled as loud as he could, hoping someone would hear him over the sounds of debris hitting things and glass shattering.

Bowyn gave off the hint of a grin as a heavy fog rolled in, the added moisture in the air was exactly the sort of boost he could use. As Kenia sped off into the thick fog he moved near Darius and Vaeril, pulling the fog away from Jack and forming it into a dome-like shield of ice around them just as the wind picked up. It took most of his focus to keep the ice from shattering as debris from the quickly forming hurricane pounded against it. Bowyn knew that for the sake of closure, Kenia had to be the one who ended Jack, and helping protect the others while she did so would allow her to maintain a singular focus. From both the rain and the water Darius had used to shield against Jack’s slashes, Bowyn sent a handful of large spikes towards Jack. Spikes made of solid ice propelled up from the ground in his vicinity. He had no way to fully control the accuracy of the spikes with the intensity of the hurricane, but managed to keep them away from Kenia who Bowyn could see more clearly than he could Jack. Bowyn’s moments of split focus on creating the spikes and holding up the ice shield were enough for bits of debris to shatter through. He hoped he’d done enough to at least give Kenia a distraction to finish off Jack because he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold the shield much longer. At least not without some help.

The moisture that had been frozen and pulled from the fog, suddenly began gathering around the ice dome. Darius was raising both his hands up with a look of determination.

"Just worry about keeping the dome cold. I'll gather the moisture from the fog." Darius felt he could at least do something like this. It was just like how he had pulled together the residual steam from his shower to form spheres of water. This was just on a larger scale. The water would gather and then freeze on contact with the dome, repairing and fortifying it from the flying debris.

”Oh hush you! I’m already working on it!” Kenia yelled at Vaeril as she formed a protective barrier around herself, trying to lessen the push of the wind and block from debris. She was glad to see both Bowyn and Darius working together to protect the small group from the destruction. Then she saw the ice spears flying towards Jack and grinned as she now knew her plan. Swiftly she sent another light chain at Jack, this time with a spear-like end to it, and impaled it right through his chest. Then, with as much strength she could muster, she yanked him hard down toward the incoming ice spikes, impaling him on a few of those as well. He hit the ground hard, impaling him even further. The wind storm began to die down and she moved towards the pin cushion now on the ground. She watched the life quickly fading from Jack’s eyes and just smirked at him.

”How was that for a finale?” She asked as she stepped on the light spear in his chest and slowly drove it in further until all signs of life were gone. She then continued on, stepping on his chest and then over his body as she walked towards the inn without a word, disappearing inside.

When Kenia finally emerged again from the inn she carried four bags, three of which had the clinking sound of glass bottles in them. She also dragged behind her a slightly panicking demi-human man who’s panic only seemed to worsen as he saw the dead bodies. ”Enough sniveling, you worthless rat. Now it’s obvious someone informed the guards of potential humans here and I’m willing to bet it was you. Am I wrong?” She pointed a dagger at his throat and he immediately began nodding. ”I thought so. While every fiber of my being wants to kill you, I’m going to resist. Instead you have a task. You will take this boy's body, head and all, to the Sun Elf Village. There you will find a tomb for the Biralei family. You will lay his body to rest there with them. I will be checking if this is done and if it isn’t I will hunt you and your family down. You can run, but I’m very good at finding people. Do I make myself clear?” The man nodded frantically and she nodded in satisfaction as she let him go and then turned back to the group.

”Anyone care to help me carry some alcohol?” She asked as she held up the three bags.

Vaeril listened to her threaten the demi-human with secret amusement. He remained expressionless on the outside and turned to Kenia with a nod, "Alright. Good job taking care of that human, I'll help carry some." He moved over to take one bag, leaving one hand open for combat if need be and waited for the others to make their moves, not interested in sticking out or asserting himself as a leader.

"I'll need a drink, so I'll carry a bag." Darius seemed irritated as he walked over to retrieve a bag from. Kenia. "This is all just fucked up. Shit like this is why the DROMs were a mistake." Darius grumbled more so to himself. He did not plan to voice his feelings with this group, but he couldn't help it.

Bowyn relaxed and with a sigh of relief he allowed the dome shaped shield of ice to fall, the ice turning into snow as it fell around them. While Kenia went into the inn he enjoyed the few moments of silence, the sight of snow, and the slightest chill that remained in the air. He let out a sharp whistle and seconds later Boreas flew through one of the shattered windows of the inn. It wasn’t a long wait, Kenia soon returned from the inn carrying a few bags and dragging a demi-human along with her. He remained silent as she made burial arrangements for Rei, and it wasn’t long before it was time to go. Bowyn grabbed the final bag of alcohol and glanced towards Darius and nodded with agreement. “A mistake, well I guess that’s the nice way to put it.” Bowyn said softly, far too tired to elaborate any further.

The various displays of magical powers made the moth fairy curious, these magics were far from the usual kind he was used to. To bend the very wind and water to one's bidding was certainly a powerful tool. And as far as he knew, the only ones to be able to do such a feat were humans. And in some very rare cases special kinds of demons.

Why had there been two humans fighting each other? What possible gain were there in eliminating one of their own? Judging by the dead dark elves, he assumed the lone human were in fact an ally of Aklenroth. And those which served the lich king, human or not would have to be subdued or destroyed. The aeromancer had ultimately seemingly lost control, as it had summoned a fierce and chaotic whirlwind of death.

Upon having first seen it, the moth fairy had closed his wings and then used his chlorokinesis to attach himself to the building he was located upon, which was a distance away from the gathering. He also gathered a few thicker vines to provide him cover from any stray attack from the front. Then as the wind had finally settled and the human was now dead, Elthrael had spent some moment to summarize what had just occurred.

'God of the wind hm? How ironic that the air that you should have focused on was the one you were breathing. But now you've ran out of both place and time, what a shame indeed. But this is the fate of all those who crave the power and lack the control. This is your fate too, Elsea. Power which you cannot control is not power at all but a weakness which shall destroy you and judging by the mess... possibly those around you.’ Elthrael mused to himself as he loosened his grip of his vines and took a soft breath himself.

Whilst the human male had not impressed him, despite the unrelenting barrage of wind magic and the fierce force behind it, he had been impressed by the teamwork done by at least three of the four he was fighting. The moth fairy began to softly hover towards the group, landing on the roof of a building far closer to them. Then he began to softly clap his hands as he took a few steps even closer along the roof of the building.

"Well done, well done. Such fine display of unity, amidst such forceful winds. It seems your foe didn't quite realize he would be the one to... " Elthrael took a slight moment to chuckle at what he was about to say. "...wind up dead. Ahh, and we meet again, oh fairy of the cold lands." The moth fairy said in a softer tone of voice as he set his eyes on Bowyn and his bird. "But where are the two missuses? I take it the dance didn't quite spin the way they thought it would, but what could one expect from entering such an obvious trap." He shook his head softly, his mouth showing a soft upturn at the corners of his lips.

"Yet you have found new company far more interesting, an elven woman with the chain of command in brimming light, a human male aquamancer who seems to be able to control his gift and..." He said in a ponderous manner, looking over to Vaeril. "...someone to carry the baggage. Or in this case... wine by the looks of it. Surely there's more pressing matter than drowning oneself in such sweet poisons." He chuckled softly, looking between those gathered.

"Such as finding the girl... Risa Millinia and those which follow her in this uprising, whilst it certainly be a bold move of hers to declare so openly her resistance to the undead king. Those who are guided overly much by emotions tend to fall because of them, as was the case of this here man... and the other male human which once were in her company but perished. On the other hand, it is a lack of emotion in the king which has left people to join this... rebellion. For he has forgotten whom he is and what he sought for. To not understand others is one thing, to not understand yourself is another." He softly mused, looking between the four and a half gathered.

"But I am certain you have places to go, people to see. Allow me to join you on this little venture won't you? In return I shall offer the human here what others have casted away. Advice that is." Elthrael softly chuckled as he flew over to land atop a wooden post.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Elthrael." He said with his corner teeth visible as he made a slight bow from where he stood. Kenia just listened to him go on and on about things that didn’t seem too important at the moment as she slung her bag over her shoulder. Where this newcomer had appeared from she wasn’t sure, but she’d keep an eye on him. For now, however, they needed to get out.

”Follow if you wish, fairy, I don’t care. If you prove to be a problem I’ll just deal with you later.” Kenia said with a sigh as she fastned Rei’s necklace around her neck. She then motioned all to follow as she led them out of the city through the path she’d mapped out earlier that day and into the forest where they could hopefully find a place to rest for the night.

---

---

Sakura yelped as Ahzmorath broke her chains, the shockwave blowing her backward before she could regain her momentum in the air. Ahzmorath thrashed about, boasting of his superior strength as he made a large hole on the wall. He then started sucking everything into the dark hole in his chest. She heard the others scream in fright as they ran away from the ballroom. Instead of getting fearful of Ahzmorath, Sakura simply felt more irritated at him.

She snarled behind her mask. She didn't want to go full-out to her fellow kin but if he was going to be stubborn about it, Sakura had no choice but to give her all too. She took off her mask and threw it aside before floating upwards again. Her pink dress and the flowers adorning her clothes fluttered and waved about the dark hole on the demon's chest got stronger too. She drew a large pink star using her free hand and two large magical symbols appeared above and beneath Ahzmorath, growing bigger and glowing brighter the more she concentrated. She knew what the demon planned on doing and she knew she needed to get away as far as possible, but she needed to give Ahzmorath a taste of his own medicine first.

"How cute." Sakura said while having an evil smile on her face. "You wanna go back to the abyss that badly? Let me help you with that, ratface!" She shouted before she chanted while objects kept flying beside her towards the hole in Ahzmorath's chest.



Sakura's magic activated and her magic seals glowed brighter than ever before. The seals concentrated all their magic forcefully towards Ahzmorath, making him suck all of them as per her intention. She wanted to fatten up the huge demon, make him absorb more than his body could handle so she could give him some kind of painful remembrance when he reformed.

Knowing that she must not waste anymore time, the demoness let her magic running and left the ballroom out towards the forest. She procured a talisman and activated it while running. "To my aid!" She threw her now-glowing talisman towards a nearby tree and she jumped as the tree speedily reformed itself as a horse. Sakura landed on her tree horse and used its vines as reins as she rode on into the night, never looking back.

As Ayita's eyes swept the now ruined ballroom, looking for anyone whom she could help, the beastkin that had called out for her began speaking, barking about her ego, about fighting and there being no one else to save. Not only him but the other warrior woman too seemed awfully eager to leave. Even though Ayita ignored them, she couldn't feel anything but disappointment. So eager to leave, flee with their tails between their legs, caring about nothing but their own survival. Their only reaction upon facing an enemy that they knew they couldn't win was to flee, all of them, they had no honor. How could they call themselves warriors if they were so easily able to ignore the frightened cries and pleas for help from innocent people, victims of Aklenroth's cruelty. Looking to them, Ayita gave nothing but a single piercing stare. They talk about fighting together but how could she trust that they wouldn't leave her behind just like they were doing to the rest of the people that needed help? She could trust only on herself. Unfortunately, even though that was a completely different world, nothing change. Just like back home, she and her people were again... alone.

Ayita knew she had to leave, she always knew that she couldn't do anything about the demon but when the huge demon began sucking everything into it's chest, it became even clearer that her time was running thin. One had only to give a single glance to see that many wouldn't be able to leave. Some were paralyzed by fear and couldn't move, while others were mercilessly trampled by the huge wave of desperate people trying to flee from the ballroom. Among those who stood behind, one in particular drew her attention. Laying on the ground, wounded with bite marks after being thrown by the black wolf-like creature, a noble, middle aged dark elf male stood there, looking at the demon. Unlike the others who cried desperately, he seemed to already know his fate. Despite that though, the look in his eyes as he stared towards the demon was one of pure hatred and anger. Ignoring the warnings of those around her, Ayita rushed towards him and without saying a single word, grabbed his arms and then his legs, lifting him on her shoulders. Despite being a dark elf, the noble's frame was pretty sturdy and rather heavy. Thankfully, Ayita was able to use her wind magic to make it easier for her to carry the man and thus, easier for her to run away with him outside of the ball. Surprisingly enough, the dark elf didn't resist to her, simply accepting her help, albeit with a reluctant expression on his face when he saw that Ayita was a human.

Finally outside of the ballroom, Ayita put the dark elf on the ground. Outside of immediate danger, he would be able to get away to a safer place. Before doing so though, she looked at the dark elf noble with a serious expression.

"Don't forget that the one who stood behind to help you was a human and remember the one who was responsible for all this." Ayita said, looking straight towards the man's eyes.

"I saw the look you had on your eyes back there. Remember that feeling. Tend to your wounds and rise again to fight for another day." Ayita said to the dark elf before she gave a few steps back, looking at the crowd outside, who were still confused, not knowing what to do.

"Those among you who still believe in Aklenroth..." Ayita said, pointing towards the ballroom in the distance where the demon was still rampaging.

"You can go back inside the ballroom." She said with a dark tone.

"For the rest of you, I want you all to remember how you are feeling right now. I want you to remember the lives that were lost inside that ballroom. Do not forget your anger and hatred for being betrayed, for losing your loved ones..." she continued. Ayita's own voice was filled with hate and anger. Her blood was boiling, for having to flee from a fight, for not being able to stop that slaughter and for realizing that even in Avalia, there were still those who would rather flee and care only about themselves than to do what was right and fight.

"Those who are wounded or who seek refuge, flee from this city and seek the resistance. They will help you." she said, looking to the crowd and the ones that were willing to hear her words.

"Those among you who can and are willing to fight... You saw what Aklenroth is capable of, he can and he will turn this entire town in a pile of rubble to kill every single one of you. Follow me to the port. We shall retreat and regroup with the resistance... The war against Aklenroth is inevitable." Ayita said, finishing her speech as she began making her way towards the port. Whether anyone chose to follow her or not, it didn't matter for her. Even if she was completely alone, she still had to fight. Not to protect herself, but to give her people who were still suffering back on earth a safe place they can call home. She was fighting for something bigger than just herself.

---

Elsea stared for a moment at the portal that had opened in the demon's chest, watching as small things got sucked in then slowly larger things. This wasn’t good, this wasn’t good at all. When would the hole stop sucking stuff in and how strong would it get? She definitely didn’t want to find out. She glanced over briefly at Malachi, then to Cora, then back to him as she mouthed ’I’ll get her to the port.’ She then heard Cade speak and gave him a grin before Cora led them the rest of the way out of the ball.

She watched the girl collapse onto the grass and let her do so for a moment, but it was obvious Elsea was eager to get further away from this building. She had no doubt that the demon would have the power to suck up the entire building and she wanted to be far from there when that happened. ”Well now we get out of Roshmi and make our way to the port, all while praying that our allies make it there safely as well.” She told the other human and then turned to Cade.

”I’m Elsea, by the way. Don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet. Do you by chance know a way out of this city so that we can possibly head towards the port?” She asked as she gave him a grateful smile for helping them get out of the ball.

---

Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @13org Ayita @hide on mana Kuroi
Mentions:

---

The big black portal opening up in the demon's chest was something that Torvi had not been expecting. She watched as it began to suck things into its chest, the force of it slowly growing stronger. She then also noticed the stare that she got from the warrior woman, but it didn’t phase her one bit as she watched the woman go to help someone injured. While she understood trying to help as many as possible, Torvi also knew that as a human it was important to preserve her life if she wanted to help the greater Avalia. Unfortunately she knew that it meant that some of the very few injured that were still stuck inside would likely perish, but the loss of them in order to save herself could mean that Torvi would save many more in the future.

The demon bashed a hole in the wall now and she watched as Kuroi ran for it, urging them to also follow. She did, however she stood in the opening for a moment longer as she still watched the demon and watched the portal keep growing in power. The ground began to tremble, but she somehow managed to stay on her feet before turning and exiting the ballroom. She heard Ayita speaking again and she remained quiet as she watched her, shaking her head at the last bit she said. That’s when someone in the crowd yelled out at her, the person being of similar mind to those that Torvi had earlier killed. ”None of this would have happened if you humans wouldn’t have come here! This is your fault! You humans are a curse on this land!” He screamed angrily and a few more began to chime in, agreeing with him. It was time for Torvi to speak now.

”You all should leave from here, get further away! That demon is showing no signs of slowing and I fear he won’t stop sucking things up until the entire building is gone including things close to it! So go! If you’re a decent Avalian then help those injured as well!” She then moved up to Ayita and spoke softer to her.

”A word of caution, be careful what you say to this crowd and who you invite to the port. There are still enemies amongst this crowd and we don’t want to be the cause of them finding the safehaven of rebels.” She then walked away from her without another word, frustrated with several things that had happened this evening. She then approached Kuroi, her frustration apparent on her face. Both him and the woman spoke too much in a time that required action, but she tried to ignore that frustration.

”I do hope you know a way out of this city? I need to get to that port and make sure my friends are alright.” She asked him, her weapons she’d procured earlier still within her grasp.

After possibly one of the most silent walks he had ever experienced, Darius found himself seated at a campfire along with his company which included the somewhat scary light elf woman, the almost rude winter fairy dude, the lingering forest fairy… or was he a demon… or maybe some insectoid demihuman. Anyway, that guy was there. Then lastly, Not Aklenroth. Oh wait, and the winter fairy's bird that stares too long at the others.

All of them by the fire and all were still very quiet. They were strangers that had just dealt with a very heavy situation, so Darius didn't find it to be too abnormal. In his right hand, he held a bottle of mead he had opened, but not tasted. He was not waiting for anything to happen, just distracted by his thoughts on what had occurred at the ball and then at the inn. There was also the mental tug of war on whether to indulge in alcohol. One part of him wanted to go numb and deal with everything once he sobered up later on, while another part wanted him to remain focused as there were too many problems to simply ignore.

Myra… Artemis…

He wondered where they were. Artemis had vanished before things went south at the ball. He wanted to believe she was safe because of that fact but was wary as to why she vanished after stating she would remain with him. Malgormuun had little good to say about her departure.

Then there was Myra. His hand gripped the neck of the bottle tightly as he remembered how she sprung into action to protect him. Despite Kenia's words assuring him that she would make it out, he couldn't help but worry about her. He had to be stronger next time. Then he would never have to flee to safety while she put herself in harm's way.

He pulled out the memory glass he had in his pocket and waited for the blank reflective surface to become the image of he, Myra, and Artemis before they entered the Grand Hall. He smiled at the image and then held back a chuckle as he noticed Airdan had made it into the photo looking way too serious to be the friendly elf he knew. Darius wondered where he was as well. Knowing him, he safely made it out with his guard detail. Darius turned the memory glass towards the campfire.

"Snap." He said quietly. He thought the fire they had contributed in making came out nicely and that the tamed flames danced more beautifully than anyone had tonight. He also wanted something nice to see whenever he thought of this night. Not being separated from his friends, not the sadistic demons and their carnage, and not the deaths of the two humans. All those things would haunt him, but he would also have this. He turned the glass around and smiled at the captured image. Then the open bottle of mead was lightly set to the ground.

Elthrael Vol'Kerno

"Comerades of yours hm?" He asked Darius, who were located to his right. The moth fairy's eyes glimmered in the reflection from the fire, his white hair flickering slightly from the waves of heat. "Makes one wonder just how many be mourning their companions this night... Not always does things turn out as it does in the fairytales. If there's something I've learnt it is that the rightious do not always win out in the end." He softly mused, as he prodded the firewood with a nearby stick.

"The rebel leader, Risa Millinia. Is what she is doing right and just? Some would brand her a saviour, while others would regard her as an usurper." Elthrael softly chuckled as he put the fire-poking stick to the side, as his eyes kept on Darius.

"Then we have Aklenroth. The unliving king. Why did he become king? Why did he walk the path he did? I think not even he remembers at this point, yet even a tyrant king which upholds some order is prefered to utter chaos isn't that so? That said, there are so many who will not allow his rule to go unchallenged. Because they deem him evil or harmful to their ilk or land." The fairy crossed his legs and gazed around at those near the fire.

"What would happen if he is no more? This girl... Risa Millinia won't be able to take his place. I've ought to know as I have met her, she's far too young and naive. Her view on the world is warped as if poisoned by honeyed words fed to her since birth by the former royals. She lives in a world of dreams. If the undead king somehow would fall, the dark elves and orcs would swarm to the southern lands in masses to raid unhindered. The demons would seize places of power. The elves would surrender or simply protect their own interests. The fairies would scatter, be enslaved or outright destroyed in the ensuing carnage... and so forth." He shook his head softly, with a soft smile.

"It would become a new war of crowns, if there is no clear powerful successor to bind all together, there will be sheer chaos where all the efforts put forth by Risa Millinia and those whom follow her would have been for naught. A strong new ruler would be needed, who could make certain all these tragic things would never repeat themselves..." He exhaled briefly. "But who could possibly have the power and determination needed for that hm?" He smiled slightly towards Darius, his eyes setting on him with a fierce almost penetrating manner. This human did intrigue him, while not being female like Elsea, this male had something about him that made him a better choice than she had been. But for what? Humans were both feared and praised, but overall respected by both sides. A human would make a fine binder between forces, if he couldn't sit on the throne himself a puppet would have to do. As long as he could pull the strings. But as things now where, there were still many paths ahead to that throne. One thing was certain, there was no way that he would allow chaos to sweep across the world and burn the forests and the land more than this rebellion no doubt would. Perhaps this human male could be the key to it all? Time would tell. Risa Millinia would never accept the world he wanted either way, nor would Elsea or Kyran.

The dark elves want their land and slavery. They may keep it. The orcs must be domesticated or enslaved. Their chaotic way of living must be altered. The demons would abide by getting autonomy of their region. The elves would keep their traditions and the demi-humans would retain their lifestyle. The fairies would have to be brought into line and bow to the new King to come and the world that would bring. A world where all would win. 'I won't be Aklenroth nor Risa Millinia...'

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Night

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

INTERACTIONS: @13org Myra, Malachi @princess, @PotterBelladonna.

O’Ner was galloping away from the ballroom; wanting as much distance as he could. After riding for what he assumed was a few miles away he stopped Tulip who looked annoyed throughout the whole ordeal. Getting off Tulip and quickly checking on Myra; from the look of her injuries she had a concerning head wound. He was starting to become concerned about her; he didn’t know if he could heal her with his kind of magic. If he could get her to one of his hideouts then he could have Philip or one of his servants heal her. “You poor poor girl; it was my fault for getting involved; you could have escaped or succeeded killing that beast” Shaking his head feeling terrible about what just transpired.

Taking a deep sigh and getting back on Tulip; looking back at Myra with a sadden look on his face. Trotting off towards the shipyard in hopes to get on an airship and get off this island with Myra. Riding quickly before he noticed two figures in front of him; he could not tell because of the darkness surrounding them. Trotting closer towards the two figures keeping his staff close to him in case they are hostile. Moving closer he noticed it was a male and female form the ball. He wondered if they knew Myra and could help her. “You there i have seen you during the ball; this girl is injured would you be able to heal her?” He asked keeping his distance between him and the two figures.

Time: Night
Location: Outside Roshmi
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Darius @Helo Bowyn @Alivefalling “Vaeril” @Dezuel Elthrael

---

They’d made it out of Roshmi without any further incident and thankfully everyone decided to remain quiet until they stopped to make camp for the night. It had given Kenia enough time to get completely past the blinding, maddening rage she had felt from finding Rei dead. There was still a deep sadness that gripped at her which she knew wasn’t going to fade anytime soon. In fact, she wasn’t sure if it would truly fade ever. She’d have to eventually tell both Malachi and Corvina about what happened as well and that fact made her heart crumble even more. Would she even be able to tell them? Had they survived the night's events? Gods she hoped they did. She didn’t know what her mental state would be if she’d lost them too this night.

Now she sat around the fire still in her blood soaked dress, sharpening one of her daggers as she also kept an eye on all her new companions. Trust was something she didn’t have in any of them as was the case when she met anyone new, but she had a mission to complete. The only one so far she felt might earn a small amount of her trust was the winter fairy, Bowyn, and his bird. So far he was the only one that seemed to be honest in his own distrust and that was something Kenia could respect in a person.

Her attention was pulled as the human, Darius, pulled out a memory glass and seemed to be looking at a memory. She glanced over at it, but her heart stopped for a moment as her eyes landed on a familiar figure. The rhythm of her blade sharpening faltered for a moment as she had to focus on staying calm. Did this man know Airdan? Now wasn’t the time to ask, that could come later on in their journey. Instead the moth fairy seemed to begin talking, saying something about how things didn’t always turn out like they did in fairytales. She couldn’t keep herself from scoffing at this. Wasn’t the events of tonight enough for that to be obvious? Why state it?

That’s when he mentioned Risa and now she was quite interested, curious about what he had to say about her as he seemed not too fond of her. He claimed she was too young and naive to be a ruler and this amused her to the point where she could be silent no longer. ”Well then if we go by your logic, fairy, then I suppose no fairy should become ruler of Avalia as you all appear as young children to an elf.” She said as she inspected her dagger and then glanced at Elthrael with a smirk. Even she was viewed as being very young in the eyes of some elves and yet she was the age of many of the fairy elders who were considered the wisest amongst their kind. If age and experience were what one wanted to base being “suitable” to rule off of then it should be an elf, demon, or devil who ruled these lands and no one else.

”You claim to know how each race would react, but tell me this, how much time have you spent with each race getting to know how they truly think? Asking how they’d react once Aklenroth were gone?” There was clear amusement on her face as she leaned forward on her knees, now engaged in this conversation. ”Then you speak of Risa Millinia, claiming to have met her and implying you know her intentions. You make it out like she wants to take Aklenroth’s place, however that isn’t true in the slightest. She merely wants to take back her birthright, become queen of the River Kingdom and nothing more. She made that clear in her speech tonight.” She kept her same entertained smirk as she idly twirled her dagger in her hand. This fairy seemed to have a lot to say, especially against Risa it seemed.

She leaned back a sighed a bit before continuing on. ”I suppose my point is why must there be a ruler of all Avalia? Why not allow the races to go back ruling themselves as they did before Aklenroth, but also have a syndicate of all the races to keep the peace? I remember a time before Aklenroth when the races ruled their own and there was relative peace and no war of crowns. I believe we need to go back to separate rulers of the races as no race is going to agree on one ruler of Avalia as they all will believe someone from their race should rule. That will cause a war of crowns and needs to be avoided.” Her eyes then fell on Darius and a curious question came over her.

”Tell me, Darius, how are things ruled where you come from? Is there one sole ruler over all or are there separate rulers?” She asked him, eager to find out what his home was like.

---

Kuroi looked over at Torvi and gently facepalmed himself, still processing what he had gotten himself into. "I'm throwing away any chance of innocence I have here but...the slums is where I found some sort of safety after my name was declared a criminal's..."

The vulpine dubiously looked over at Torvi and shook his head before turning his attention back to Torvi, "If you wish to trust a stranger who has as much resent for the Lich King as anyone else then I shall take you through the slums and out of this city. Where is your destination, if I may ask?" he asked, offering his hand to her to show at least some sign of trustworthiness.

The stage had already been set for Kuroi, his actions and beliefs would now truly define him as a member of the rebellion if caught. The only thing that he couldn't shake from his head was how orchestrated the entire ball had been. He should have seen such a thing coming, he shouldn't have attended at all and merely wait until his mother pulled the right strings in order to clear his name (or at least try to). His hand remained extended to Torvi, waiting for her to turn him away or reciprocate his actions.

After the blow Myra took, she wasn't able to feel, hear nor see much in her barely conscious state before going unconscious. The only thing she remembers seeing was the black wolf creature being struck by multiple spells before turning into a small boy and going unconscious before she felt something grab her. Without strength to resist or protest, after that it was all just darkness. Myra wondered if she would ever put herself into such situation if she didn't meet all the people she had met so far. Running away from that creature would be much easier and safer than trying to lure it away from her friends. Was she going to die? Even if the creature was down, there was still the huge demon sucking everything into his chest and a lot of other stuff happening at the ballroom.

While Myra was still drifting in and out of consciousness, she noticed a few scarce things. The ground moving below her, the way her body and the place she was in moved up and down, scarce pieces of information that weren't able to tell Myra much other than that she was being carried away by someone or something. She was still dizzy and couldn't feel or think very well to ascertain the state her body was at the moment. Even opening her eyes was still hard for her and despite her efforts, she fell unconscious again and once more, darkness fell over her eyes and mind.

Some time after, Myra finally opened her eyes again. Alarmed, Myra struggled and trashed a bit before she regained her balance as she jumped down from whatever it was that she was on. Assuming a low posture, still incredibly alarmed, afraid and feeling cornered, she looked around, baring her teeth and claws as she growled and hissed as she looked towards the people who were near her. It did take a while until she situated herself enough to realize she wasn't inside the ballroom anymore, nor she seemed to be in immediate danger. Only then Myra stopped hissing and growling, realizing that one of the people that were near her was Mathis. Even though seeing a familiar face was a bit relieving for Myra, she didn't know the others, which made her maintain an alarmed posture, ready to bolt away. Even though she did remember barely seeing them back in the ballroom, Myra didn't know if they were allies or not and judging by how Mathis had a stick in his hand, it seemed that he was still a bit uncertain about that as well.

The human who called herself Elsea asked if he knew a way out of the city and Cade nodded. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Roshmi without his possessions, all of which he had left behind before attending the ball. While most of his things were easily replaceable his halberd was more than a possession, it was the only thing he had to connect him with his brother. But Shadow would not have led humans deeper into a dangerous city just to retrieve a weapon, and Cade knew that he couldn’t either. The other halberd he now held, the one Ayita had tossed to him from a guard, was neither well crafted nor did it hold any significance, but it would have to do for now. He could not be selfish enough to try and risk their lives for a sentimental weapon. It was strange to think of creatures as powerful as humans would look to him when deciding where to go, what to do next, but he knew the city well enough, and he knew how to survive in the forests. Cade could also still remember what it had been like in Lora after rebellious talk had been uncovered, and he suspected the retaliation against Roshmi would likely be far worse.

“I’m Cadence of a Thunderstorm, but most call me Cade, and it would be my honor to lead you both to the port town. I think we should stick to the perimeter of the city, make our way as quickly as possible to the forest before we encounter any further trouble.” Cade said, removing the mask from the ball and tossing it aside. He headed towards the northwest, waiting for the two humans to follow as well, leaving Roshmi’s Grand Hall as sounds of destruction still bellowed from within. “I had hoped tonight would show Avalia in a better light to the human I first met, but this night has shown me the darkest side of this world. I hope that even after tonight your kind can still see Avalia as a place worth fighting for.” Cade added.

Bowyn appreciated the silence during the walk and the few moments where it lingered as they sat around a campfire. Everything about this day had been exhausting but he was grateful that Kenia had the foresight to grab mead for the journey. He drank from the bottle of warm mead he’d grabbed waiting for the alcohol to wash down the bitter memories of the night, and didn’t even bother with frosting the bottle. He had used a great deal of energy during the fight with Jack, way more magic and on a larger scale than he was used to. Worse than the exhaustion he now felt, even worse than the sight of that poor human with his head severed, was the feeling of having killed others with magic. Magic was a gift fairies had to better connect them to nature, to creation, and to use it to kill, felt like a perversion of that. The awful feeling in his stomach was neither caused by or helped from the warm mead but he drank it anyway, waiting for a content numbness that just wouldn’t come.

Elthreal broke the silence, the other fairy certainly had a skill for knowing just what to say to get under another’s skin. While Bowyn merely nodded in agreement with the majority of what Elthreal said, Kenia voiced a different view. Bowyn wondered why so many seemed to simply take Risa at her word, from a prepared speech made safely away from the danger it had caused everyone else there. It seemed to him that if Kenia truly cared for her now dead human friend she should know who helped cause that death. Rei would never have been in Avalia if it had not been for Risa’s actions, and the deaths of him and those who died after her speech at the ball could not be made right by words. This, however, was a point he kept to himself, Rei’s death had clearly been painful for Kenia and he wouldn’t throw that at her simply to make a point.

“Her birthright?” Bowyn repeated with a scoff and shake of his head. Bowyn continued to speak with a more detached tone, finding the discussion a welcomed break from his previous thoughts. “Should being born into power mean you get to inherit it? We’re talking about a fairy who admitted to abducting another race to fight a war for her. Someone just as willing as Aklenroth to use others as pawns. Why trade one heartless royal for another? Don’t get me wrong, I want nothing more than to see the lich finally meet his end but I must agree with Elthreal, Risa does not strike me as one suitable for any thorne. At least Elthreal has actually met Risa. While the rest of us have only heard a prepared speech she gave safely away from its disastrous consequences. Actions say a great deal more than words, and hers certainly fall in line with Elthreal’s description. Since the humans have already been brought here, without a say in the matter, perhaps they should lead us, both in this rebellion and in what follows. Give them some sort of choice in it all, our collective races have only made a mess of this world anyhow. But what do I know? I’m just a half drunk fairy who talks to a bird.” Bowyn ended his words with a slight grin and another drink from the bottle.

Elthrael Vol'Kerno

The elven woman and the winter fairy had both made their own inputs soon after his own, one of them was questioning him while the other was agreeing with him? He decided to asnwer the elven woman first, despite how pleasing the winter fairy's words were.

"No fairy hm? Oh, I am not saying that.. just that a more developed mindset is needed, one which usually comes with age. However such is not the case with your elven governor. Lest you'd see him in more favorable..." He chuckled momentarily. "Light."

Elthrael seemed quite amused by the little encounter with the elven governor, just how conceited could one man be? Yet it had not been him which had attacked him when he had seized Risa. That attacker was something else, something with the power to create high pitched sound. A very bothersome thing indeed. Some kind of harpy? A sirene? A demon? Whichever the case, it was no longer important. The princess had slipped out of his fingers, in a very defiant manner. There was very little he could do with her now, much as with Elsea. A person he cannot control is a person that is useless to him and would be better discarded. The elven woman seemed to also possess some defiance in her words, yet with more reservation than most.

"I've spent enough time with plenty of races in this world of ours, have they been companions, captives or simply just enemies. So many various kinds chose to travel through the forests, be they orcish raiders, demi-human bandits, elven merchants or simply curious fairies. Oh and as of late humans too." He blew some air through his mouth, glancing to those gathered before turning back to Kenia.

"Ahh, I was there you see... when the humans came... at least for two of them. A male human, very aggressive and stubborn. A female, fiery in spirit and body. Risa Millinia and her two companions, Kyran and Dio was there too. A vulpine and her...fair haired fairy friend."

The moth fairy chuckled softly before continuing. "Had she a hand in bringing them to this world? Who knows. Though it is highly likely. However others soon picked up the scent in the air, hounds of Daka more precisely... rare to the southern regions, lest you find yourself invited to a dark elven feast. A dark elven beastmaster engaged the humans, alongside Risa and her companions. Ultimately the group decided to withdraw, with the male human covering their retreat as he was so set upon it." He paused as he remembered the moment, just how many from that one encounter was still alive? Were he to be the only one remembering such a meeting? Perhaps so.

"Then he was... dealt with by the associates of this dark elf. Some large demon and a winged woman. I guess he didn't know things were... heading the way it did. What a shame. Same can however be said for that female human, Elsea. She bears the ability to call upon the flame, her temper and lack of restraint is quite similar to that element indeed. But who knows where Risa Millinia, her companions and that human is now. I shall hope you will not follow the awful trend of the other two humans... in dying or combusting into flames that is." He said momentarily tossing glances over at Darius, inspecting him as if he were an alien, and in some sense he was. Were this man going to prove more useful than the other two? The moth fairy was intending to find out, but all things had their time. For now it was to continue his conversation with the elf.

"So you crave the past hm? Not overly surprising hearing this from an elf. But sometimes there's no past to return to, no matter how much you might desire it. How do you think Aklenroth came to be where he is this day? He played the various factions against each other and rose in the chaos as a sign of stability. The dark elves flocked to him like... vixy vulpines in heat and more followed." He snorted slightly, picking up one of the many bottles by the fire, looking through the glass abit.

He soon lowered it and smirked to Kenia. "People are greedy, that's why those whom have little want abit more... and more. Aklenroth's rise and his kingdom was the last one standing because of this greed. No matter if there were twenty kingdoms or two. There would be a winner and many losers. The lich king gave favors to a few, but left the masses in rags and craving for a change. Greed is a dangerous thing. Aklenroth's gain to magical powers was however not free, he lost something along the way..." The fairy said as a matter of fact, putting the bottle down, having not taken a single sip from it's contents. His attention turned now more towards Bowyn.

"She did most certainly partake in such action and is the reason why they and alot of others are now dead. People have the right to be angry for being here and what has resulted from it all. Your conclusions are refreshing to me, winter fairy. Even a half-drunk winter fairy which converses with a bird has more sense than most, I've had the unfortune to encounter these last few days. Governor included. As for the humans having a say in all of this, they have all the right to be angry, they had no choice after all. I mean how would you feel being ripped from your world and lunged into who knows where? Yet even so I've come to realize that humans are also prone to make errors of their own which people living in this world may pay dearly for." He sighed softly, looking to Vaeril, then to Darius, then Bowyn and finally Kenia. This was indeed a curious gathering, and seemingly so far not as hot-headed as his last group. The winter fairy showed much promise for one, the huuman and the male elf however remained so far silent and listening. People who talked plenty were generally those with little to hide, did these others had something to hide? If so it left the moth fairy with a fine little quest for later, pry open their heads and discover what they were thinking of.

"Oh and human, in case you considered the offer provided by the lich king, as his face was seen across the world. I would highly advice against it, that man is no longer a man truly. He feels nothing, yet he is everything wrong with Avalia and at the same time he is as hollow and empty as the void. He cares more about his enemies than he does for his servants, all be replaceable to someone who has all the time in the world. Or so it may seem. He would rather devour your very soul than let you return to your home. Why? Because he has the power and none to stop him. He has nothing to gain by sending your ilk back, nor keeping you alive after this rebellion." The moth fairy gave Darius a deeper look, as if trying to look into the man's very soul would he meet his gaze. This human. Perhaps he indeed would be the one.

"Yeah, well I'm hoping they win out of this one." Darius mentioned softly in response to the fae, Elthrael's initial words. As the fae continued on, he spoke in a way that was familiar to him about the state of the world. Vessia, the groundskeeper of Edena came to mind. Both spoke from a neutral standpoint, complimenting and criticizing both Risa and Aklenroth. This very position caused Darius to give his attention to the peculiar looking fae. He set his memory glass down beside him and listened.

Elthrael simulated what he thought would happen should Risa be successful. A power vacuum was likely if Aklenroth was removed from his single seat of power. He had heard of the very same thing happening in countries where a dictator was swiftly removed without a proper succession to follow. It would be a problem, but would it be a problem for him to deal with? The DROMs were Darius' focus, but perhaps the two issues were related. If Elthrael's prediction proved true, only the strongest faction would prevail, and humans were the best way to amass power quickly. Their magic developed extremely fast and they were not beholden to a particular race. By this logic, the faction with the most humans had the highest chance of victory. And one way to increase those chances was with the use of DROMs. All with the risk many seemed so blind to.

Kenia suddenly piped up to mock Elthrael's words a bit. He couldn't put a finger on whether she was trying to be lighthearted to seem less offensive or if she was actually scoffing away his words. She made a point in noting Risa not intending to take Aklenroth's position before going on about each race ruling themselves like before. Darius frowned slightly in slight disagreement. He did believe each race should govern its people, but not like before. What was before had led to what is now.

Then she posed a question to Darius himself. He took a breath before he would answer, but Bowyn spoke in reaction to Kenia. Of those who spoke on the topic, Darius felt he agreed with Bowyn most and even smirked at the last bit. Darius decided to sit quietly as Elthrael spoke again. He clarified his previous words to Kenia and then spoke of his time with Risa, her companions, and two humans...

"Then he was... dealt with by the associates of this dark elf. Some large demon and a winged woman. I guess he didn't know things were... heading the way it did. What a shame. Same can however be said for that female human, Elsea. She bears the ability to call upon the flame, her temper and lack of restraint is quite similar to that element indeed. But who knows where Risa Millinia, her companions and that human is now. I shall hope you will not follow the awful trend of the other two humans... in dying or combusting into flames that is."

Darius furrowed his eyebrows, his crimson eyes meeting Elthrael's golden ones. He didn't even know where to direct the tinge of anger he felt. To Azriel and Umber for murdering a member of his kind... or Risa and her company for making such a situation possible. There was a third culprit who sat silently across from him, but he only gave him a short glance. Azriel and Umber were doing what they were ordered. Risa was desperate to the point of inconsideration. Aklenroth was… also desperate.

Elthrael seemed to pin a lot the blame on Risa and even legitimized Darius' feelings towards this entire predicament. And then finally, the fae addressed him, speaking against Aklenroth and of his false generosity. Their eyes met, crimson and golden.

"I probably wouldn't be here right now if I had considered his offer. The lich is… I hate to use the words good and evil, so I'll just say he's not the best thing for Avalia. This Risa girl might not be either, but I think we should bring any and all concerns to her when we meet her in person." Darius looked to the others. "We all agree that she's young, not very experienced, and maybe even selfish. But I think it's good that we can identify the flaws. Aklenroth will never change. He is who he is, and has been for a very long time. There's hope in Risa though. We don't have to work under her, just with her." He paused and sighed. "And I recommend not relying too heavily on us to lead after this rebellion. You all know Avalia better than any of us ever will. You don't want leaders who don't understand this world or its people. That being said, I also think the DROMs need to go. For good." Darius said averted his gaze back to the fire, failing to remember to answer Kenia's question. It was a long way to the port and he was sure there would be more than enough time to converse.

Baraian Paladice

The dark elf looked over those in his company, Kuroi, Ayita and Torvi. Baraian's face was dripping with sweat, there was a clear tension on his face. It was important to leave the city as quickly as they could, before the dark elven guards could apprehend them for questioning. If there was even going to be such a thing. Perhaps his heritage could get them out of such a situation, yet a perhaps was not comforting enough. They had to leave for the north, find refuge at one of the port towns north of Roshmi. That was their best bet, from there they could plan their next move.

"My vulpine friend. We best keep moving, things are going to get alot worse before it gets any good. Let's move northwards shall we? We must regroup with other survivors. The king's men will search every corner of the city, including the slums, we best be swift and cautious. They will find every hiding place there is in this city even the haven. But the members have most surely withdrawn from there in advance. Right now we need to focus our efforts where most needed. With the fairy princess and our leader." Baraian spoke in his monotone voice as he was moving with hastily steps, he was eager to get out of the city. The more rebels that could evade the king the better.

"Proper introductions will have to wait. I am Baraian." He said in a stressed voice, his face displaying that he was likely running all manner of scenarios and calculations in his head.

Time:Evening
Location: Outskirts in the trees not far from Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Potter


Risa's eyes widened as she watched a head pop out from the water. She stared at her in astonishment as she spoke her name, then introduced herself as Artemis. For a third time tonight, flashbacks went through her mind. The moon illuminated the woman's face. A much-needed smile crossed Risa's face and she threw herself into the river with her without a second thought to throw her arms around her. She burst into silent tears not long after doing so, whispering "Artemis, it's been so hard. I don't know what I'm doing."

She could not believe she was really here. It had been years since she had seen the mermaid. Risa had millions of questions but there was no room in her mind to even fit them. Risa cherished getting to see her again so much, but even now she knew she couldn't spend much time doing so. Kyran was missing. Elsea was left behind in the ball. Rinsing her face and sitting a moment had brought back some clarity and broke through her shock.

Dionaea was dead. She had done enough schooling in healing to know when to identify it was too late to heal and the unfortunately vivid image of her corpse in her mind was obviously too far gone. Even if it hadn't been, it was completely impossible to know the location. Risa could not say she felt like sobbing about it. Her grief had remained a sort of empty feeling. The panic of not knowing where her other friends were was also loud in her mind. There was so much happening that she had no idea what to feel.

Risa let go of Artemis and climbed out to sit on edge of the stream, shivering. "How did you get here? Have you seen Kyran by any chance?" She asked quietly.