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"When I was a little girl, I had a hatred of spiders."

Hōshasen grew up not knowing who her parents were. The House of Sunspring told her she was left as a baby at their doorstep one night and she had been in their service for as far as she could remember. They were all light elves with long flowing locks that were as gold as freshly grown wheat and eyes as green as the first sprout of leaves in the spring. They were elegant and refined in anything that they do as they were one of the upper-class families of Roshmi City back then.

As for her, the thing that made her different was Hōshasen being a demihuman. Her hair was white as the moon and her skin was a pale shade of blue. People would often look at her in awe because they saw how beautiful she looked from the waist up, but their look of admiration turned to that of horror when they turned their eyes to the thing below her waist. Where her legs should have been, there existed a large arachnid with grey hair all over its body along with two pairs of huge, black, glass-like eyes. Children would throw things and laugh at her while saying mean things. Even her own kin, the other demihumans, would look at her like she was unnatural. She thought they were her people, yet they were disgusted and appalled to even call her as one of their kind just because she looked different from them. It led her to hate herself, especially on her spider half for being the sole purpose of making her life a living hell.

It was a good thing that the Sunspring family took her in. They treated her with kindness and took care of her every need though their idea of kindness was making her one of their housemaids at such a young age, making her clean every crook and cranny of their humungous house every single day. Every supper, they were kind enough to let her eat even just a portion of their scrumptious food. Sometimes, the food they gave her smelled funny and was covered in a layer of grass-like green fuzz, but she thought they loved her so much that they gave her such unique foods. She often ended up suffering from diarrhea and vomiting but she thought it was just her body rejecting the food as she was not being used to such luxurious meals.

There will be times where Hōshasen made a mistake, did not wake up in time, or did not do her duties well enough to their standard. They would scream profanities at her or often harm her by whipping her back and her abdomen. As their vine made contact with her skin and leave a mark on her, she chided herself in her mind for being such an idiot. The House of Sunspring took her under their wing, who was she to be so incompetent in doing her duties as part of their family? At least, they said she was part of their family. They even included her in their social gatherings and they tasked her as their main entertainer where they ordered her to dance around on her eight legs. Hōshasen pushed through even if her whole body was in pain, just so she would not bring shame to her family.

When her duties were done for the day, she returned to her room late at night. They provided her with a pile of rugs to use as her bed and a small candle to serve as her light. Her favorite hobby was combing her silver hair; it used to be flowy and long just like theirs but the Sunsprings cut it because they said it would look better on her. She was heavily thin but they said it made her look prettier. She was conscious of the scars on her body but they said the scars suited her. She combed whatever's left of her hair every night while smiling at the mirror. Tears would start rolling down her cheeks before she knew it but I still did her best to lift her smile up. She was very thankful for everything they’ve done to her but as the years went by, their feeling of gratitude was beginning to get more and more tainted by sadness, anger, and hurt.

One day while accompanying the Sunspring matriarch to the market, Hōshasen collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion from carrying all the matriarch bought in addition to the chores she did before leaving. Luckily, a hooded figure was able to carry her. Hōshasen could barely see what the stranger's face looked like but she could tell it was a woman. Despite having no pupils, her amber-colored eyes showed her kindness and her smile was sweeter compared to those given to Hōshasen by her family. The stranger put her hand over Hōshasen's forehead and mumbled something incomprehensible. The stranger then helped her back to her feet and whispered to her ear. "Your home is poison." She said as she walked away.

Her words left a mark on Hōshasen. It was all she thought of while doing her chores and of course, the Sunspring family grew irritated by her aloofness. With every word, punch, kick, and scratch they threw at her, Hōshasen was starting to feel nothing but an impending hurt in her heart. After all these years, she thought everything they did to her was their way of showing how much they loved her. Now that she had grown up, the stranger's words made her realize that what she thought was her home was not it after all. Perhaps the stranger has put some sort of spell on Hōshasen to make her mind clear so she could finally see all the hurt she's been through under this family. Nevertheless, she was thankful for that person's words.

That night, while all of the Sunspring family was peacefully asleep, Hōshasen silently crept into their rooms and studied their slumbering faces. The public thought their hearts were as beautiful as their faces but their souls were rotten to the core. Like it was in her nature, Hōshasen began released bright blue spider webs from her mouth towards the sleeping elves. Her web had become poisonous and corrosive from all the painful years she endured under their wing, making the elves scream in agonizing pain as their flesh began to burn. Some more of the family members rushed towards the sounds of screams and they too were covered in blankets of Hōshasen's webs.

She felt no remorse as she proceeded to cover the entire house in her poisonous webs, basking everything in sickly bright blue. She didn't stop until all the screamings became silent, and the only sound she could hear was their skin being burned to a crisp by her webs. Hōshasen sat in the lounge area, tears streaming from her eyes not due to sadness but due to happiness. For the first time in her life, she laughed freely and out loud as it echoed throughout the webbed hallways. Suddenly in front of her, the stranger from earlier appeared. She reached out to Hōshasen with her hand while smiling sweetly at her, and without hesitation, Hōshasen took the stranger's hand with an evil smile on her face. When the authorities came the next day, they were greeted by the foul stench of the corroded corpses of the entire Sunspring family covered in spiderwebs.

"When I was a little girl, I had a hatred of spiders. I was told I was as ugly as a demon and I will always look like a monster, but I knew the truth. At the moment of being free from the hell I was in, I have never felt more beautiful."

Ayita was already starting to walk away when a voice suddenly yelled from the crowd that she had just finished addressing, making her immediately stop walking and looking behind. While there were a few people who agreed with the one who yelled, the others were still in silence, looking back and forth between Ayita and the ones that were yelling towards her. Just as that happened, Torvi approached, with a few words to say to the crowd, before Ayita could reply. Even though her words were, at first, correct, saying that they should leave and help others who might be wounded, the moment she turned to speak with Ayita, her words didn't help to quell her anger.

"Risks must be taken if we want to do anything about Aklenroth." She said in a tone that while wasn't outright hostile, was clearly not happy either before walking towards the crowd.

"Despite all this, you still think Aklenroth is a fair and kind ruler? Don't be such an idiot. Even if we humans weren't here, he would still kill everything and everyone who stood in his path." she began after giving a step forward, looking straight towards the one who yelled towards her.

"I will give you and your friends a choice..." Ayita said, walking towards him. Her eyes, posture and steps were enough to open a path among the crowd without her even having to try. Among stares of fear, anger, confusion and... surprisingly enough, some of admiration and respect, she approached the man, looked him in the eye for a second before punching him straight in the face, sending him to the ground with a surprised expression.

With fire in her eyes, Ayita proceeded to put her knee on the man's chest and grab him by the throat, pinning him down in the ground. The anger was clear in her eyes and the strong winds surrounding her were just another warning that she wasn't joking.

"You can either go back inside the ballroom or if you really think you can take me on, I can end you, right here, right now. It's your choice." Ayita said, looking straight inside the man's eyes before she released her grasp on his neck, leaving him on the ground as she walked back to where she was a moment ago.

"Aklenroth is a plague to Avalia, a tyrant and those who side with him will be considered my enemies... And will be dealt with accordingly." she finished, with a menacing tone as she began walking away.

"Instead of shifting the blame towards the humans, face the problem yourselves. You can all do something, even if you can't fight. Now... You can chose whether you will do something or if you will be a pathetic coward like that vermin over there, crawling on the ground and his friends." Ayita finished, before she began walking away to the port.

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

---

Kenia listened to the others speak, none of what they were saying truly phasing her. They were, however, doing a wonderful job at revealing to her what their true colors were. She’d definitely have to keep a close eye on them all. She put her dagger away and her sharpening stone before taking a drink of her alcohol. ”Everyone seems so quick to accept and blame Risa for bringing humans here, and perhaps there’s truth behind it. Here’s the problem I see, however, and these are the questions I’m asking myself. If she is so young, naive, and inexperienced could she truly be the one that orchestrated bringing all the humans here? That doesn’t seem like the work of someone with the description that’s been provided by the moth man, now does it? So perhaps she’s fooling us all into making us think she’s young and naive while in actuality she’s quite cunning. Or perhaps she’s being used as a pawn, having been convinced to take the blame when she didn’t have anything to do with it perhaps? That would be quite cunning on the puppet masters part as it could provide an opportunity to paint them in a better light as Risa is now painted the bad guy, wouldn’t you say?” The last question she turned her gaze to Elthrael with a look of suspicion since he was the one who had outwardly claimed he knew Risa and was painting her young and naive. She gave him a small smirk before sighing and shrugging.

”But those are just the questions I find myself asking and I supposed I won’t know the answers until we actually get to speak to her in person as Darius has said.” She said as she grabbed her pack and pulled a blanket out of it. ”That’s enough talk of this for me tonight. We all need to get some rest at some point, but we also need people on watch to make sure nothing sneaks up on us while we’re vulnerable. I’d like to have two to a watch at a time as two sets of eyes are better than one and two are more likely to keep each other awake. Darius and Bowyn, if you wouldn’t mind taking the first watch I would appreciate it. After you guys I’ll take watch with Elthrael and then after that I’ll also take the last watch with Vaeril as the last watch will be the shortest. That way everyone else can get some good rest and we’ll be ready to get moving at first light.” While it seemed like she was giving the group an opportunity to refuse watch, she really wasn’t about to take no for an answer. If they were to be in this group together then everyone needed to pull their own weight and that included being on watch. With that she moved to lay down and get what little rest she would allow herself in order to lead them all the next day.

---

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”It is a pleasure to meet you Cade. Thank you for being willing to help us get to the port town, I truly appreciate your kindness.” Elsea thanked him with an appreciative grin as she looked over at Cora. She silently linked her arm with the other human as one would with a good friend as she indicated they should follow Cade. She glanced back at Cade as he spoke once more and gave him a sad smile. ”Sometimes one needs to see the darkest part of a world in order to see it needs saving. I myself have already decided I will do whatever I can to fight for Avalia and the wonderful people I’ve met here already.” She hoped her words would bring some sort of comfort to the cat man. So far she had a feeling that their group was going to get along splendidly.

---

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

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Torvi had chosen to ignore Ayita now as it was clear she wasn’t about to see things from her view. While she agreed that risks needed to be taken, unnecessary risks weren’t and telling a whole crowd out in the open about the port town was an unnecessary risk to Torvi. It was merely inviting the same kind of danger they experienced tonight, if not worse, to what was to be their safe haven, but the woman either didn’t see that or didn’t care. So Torvi had to ignore her now and hope the warrior woman’s actions didn’t bring more trouble to them.

She gave Kuroi a smirk as he agreed to lead her through the slums to get out of there. ”I wouldn’t say I trust a stranger, but more I have confidence in my ability to kill a man if they prove to be dangerous.” There was a slight joking tone to her voice as she took the hand he had extended, but there was also truth and warning behind her words. She didn’t foresee, however, this man trying to cause her any harm. ”I wish to make it to that port town in hopes I can reunite with my companions. If you do not wish to go there I understand and I’ll be able to find my way once out of this city. So as long as you can lead me out of here I’d be ever grateful to you.” She explained to him, sincerity in her words.

Torvi glanced over at the dark elven man, having a little less trust for him purely due to the fact that he was a dark elf, but she didn’t say anything. He obviously knew Kuroi and so she had to at least trust a bit that he wasn’t entirely like other dark elves. She’d just keep her wits about her as she traveled with them. ”I’m Torvi and as long as I get out of this city I’ll be happy.” She said to the man as she began to follow the two, falling silent and following their directions.

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


"I don't think we can go back into Roshmi for clothes, I can fly over into River Fairy Kingdom for them tomorrow." Risa answered. She climbed out of the river and glanced around before her eyes set on an owl nearby on a branch. She waved it over gently, holding out her arm for it to cling to. She asked it to locate a nearby cave and to inform other creatures to locate a red-haired fox demihuman. The owl began flying off North and she beckoned Artemis to follow it with her, "Kyran was with me and I lost him. It's proving difficult to find him, so maybe it's best I ask some animals to continue the search until morning."


Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Potter@Eviledd1984@13org


Malachi had attacked any dark elves that got in the way of the others escaping with light bolts, staying until the very last of the room ad escaped and then leaving himself. The blonde girl had accompanied him. He quickly took her hand and began putting distance between them and the ballroom, moving off with her without asking her another word. He halted hearing a voice ask him if he could heal. He turned to face the duo, the same white creature before and the gentleman. He glanced around at other fleeing folk and grabbed a nearby fairy by his arm and yanked him over, gesturing her towards Myra. Reluctantly, the male fairy moved towards her to try to heal. "It's up to her if she is going to accept the help." He told the male.

"Risa? Hmm, Risa… Risa! RISA MILLINIA?! The pink headed child?!" Valaeon boomed as he stood up from the banquet table containing a large hearty feast. Before him a blue scaled dragonborn, Torq, who barely made it out of the events in Roshmi alive. He had been tasked with locating a contact within the rumored Golden Death, but they were not so easily found.

"Yes she's the gran-"

"Princess! She is Princess Risa Millinia! Here, we do not accept the rule of bones! Bones are either trash or given to dogs! Risa Millinia knows this, has claimed her birthright and has started what will be a glorious rebellion! Hahahahaha! A tiny fairy turned out to be the bravest of us all!" Valaeon laughed with joy as he had been waiting for such a day to come. The day when the Sanguine Draconis Militia could find an ally to rush into battle with. Torq did not appear sold on the idea, but he would leave it to Valaeon's uncle, Rexus, one of the three leaders of the militia. There was Rexus, Baerun, and Valaeon. And before the militia took any action, the three leaders had to come to an agreement.

Rexus was the more conservative of the three, not wanting to engage in the affairs of others races. He was eldest and was previously often out ruled until Aklenroth's total conquest 100 years ago.

Baerun was proud yet a skeptic. He wanted Avalia to be rid of the Lich King, yet he saw no clear path to victory. He refused to have the militia step forth to oppose Aklenroth unless there was a sizable force backing them. He often noted how Avalians complained about the Lich King, yet so many rolled over at the sight of his armies.

Valaeon was the optimist that felt the time was coming when Avalians would stand and fight. All he needed was evidence, and he believed he had it. All in the form of Risa Millinia.

Moments later…

"So that is the verdict? The Sanguine Draconis Militia will simply watch from the sidelines… Fine! I guess I will go off on my own." Valaeon frustration was on full display as he stomped away from the other leaders who had outvoted him. One of them, a red-skinned dragonborn growled ferociously. This was Rexus.

"Do you intend to defy the decision! If you drag our militia into this hint of a rebellion-"

"Quiet! I said 'on my own' so that is how it shall be. Besides, I merely wish to visit a good friend of mine." Valaeon grinned before giving a nod. Rexus scowled at his nephew while Baerun placed a hand to his shoulder to stop him from committing an act he would regret.

* * * *

Within a few hours Valaeon arrived to Port 10 by Amora. Upon arriving his eyes scanned up high. It was the best area to search for his friend. But the best way to find his friend would be to…

"CARNEYLUS! My dear friend, I have arrived! If you are here in town, it would be a joyous reunion!" Valaeon bellowed causing people in his immediate area to look upon him with either surprise or disdain. There were many that recognized the loud and boisterous dragonborn from his past visits to the port town. He heard the mumbled complaints to his shouting, but Valaeon knew these folk were not used to pride and joy under the rule of the cruel Lich King.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Night

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

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

O'Ner looked quite annoyed at the two figures; he wondered if he was wasting his time trying to get these people to help Myra. But the two of them had gotten a man who apparently knew how to heal Myra; he would have done it himself but his preferences are not with healing others. “Myra please calm down; these people are here to help heal your wounds” making his way over towards her. Placing a hand on her shoulder; in an effort to try and calm her down. “I will be standing right here; and you how perferent are you with healing magic?” He asked the stranger with a raised brow.

His hand gripping the staff he was carrying with him; he was becoming increasingly worried about Myra’s wound not being able to be mended. After the male healed most of Myra’s wounds; O’Ner turned to face the man. “Thank you sir for all of your help” Turning to face Myra with a soft smile. “How are you feeling now? Are you able to go with me to the docks to get off this island?” he asked her his eyes looking over towards Bella and Malachi; he had seen them around at the ballroom. He had a feeling they were rebels; so he would have to keep an eye on them.

Time: Midnight-ish
Location: The River Fork Between Orc Landing and Illuminata Kingdom
Interaction with: Elthrael @Dezuel, Kenia @Tae, Bowyn @Helo, and "Vaeril" @Alivefalling



Confusion. That was the perfect word to describe Darius' initial reaction to waking up in his bed… in the middle of a forest… again? This had to be some kind of dream, but it seemed too much like that night. The cool breeze between the trees and the earthy smell of the forest was too vivid. What was this?

"Hmm." Darius sat himself up and took a moment to admire his long lost bed and thought about how he had parted with it and never saw it again. The natural sounds of the forest filled the air, but he didn't pay them too much attention this time around. The chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects, and even the uneven rustling of trees behind him...

It was the continued rustling that snapped Darius out of his nostalgia and remember what came after the rustling in the trees. He reached down to grab his sneakers to slip on and sprung forward from the bed. Not this again! He thought as he turned towards the trees where he knew the cave troll would come from. Like before, the large figure was attempting to navigate through the trees whilst making a sharp sniffing sound. Bye! Darius wasted no time running in the opposite direction as fast as he could. He already knew the drill.

He ran through bushes and branches and even when he heard the loud crash of his bed, he continued on. The sound of the creature rapidly breaking through the forest was heard just like before, but this time Darius had a greater gap in distance from the creature.

Despite feeling fearful, he knew exactly where he was going. Straight to Skar. He just needed to reach her so things would play out just like before. That or he would run until he woke up from this dream.

Darius gasped as he broke through the treeline and into an open plain that he greeted with a smile. Only a matter of time.

He covered quite a distance before he heard the creature break through the treeline. He glanced over his shoulder to see the troll.

"Yup, same thing."

"Now where is she? Skar?! I should see her by now." Darius' eyes filled with concern as the orc was nowhere to be found. "What the hell is going on?" Darius was perplexed. Skar should have shown up already. He finally looked back at the cave troll who had finally closed the distance. Wasting no time, It swung a strong palm at Darius.

Everything went black.

When he opened his eyes once more, a shocked expression took hold.

Confusion. That was the perfect word to describe Darius' initial reaction to waking up in his bed… in the middle of a forest… again? This had to be some kind of dream, but it seemed too much like that night. The cool breeze between the trees and the earthy smell of the forest was still so vivid. What was this?

The rustling started, and he placed his shoes on again. This time there were no distractions. Darius simply ran. He pushed through to the clearing. And again Skar had not shown. And again the troll caught up to him. This time he was snatched up with the troll's hands clasped around his body. Darius screamed in agony and his bones crunched from the strength of the monster. The pain did not stop as he coughed up blood and felts himself shrink and fold under the pressure. Again, everything went black.

He opened his eyes again. On his bed. In the middle of the forest… Darius ran again, but this time he forgot his sneakers. It was too late now, he had to keep going. Then he stepped on a sharp rock.

"Fuck!" Darius waled. He hobbled through the forest, but he was nowhere near fast enough to outrun the troll. It grabbed him by the head and forcefully smashed his skull against a tree. Again, everything went black.

Do you no tire of dying to this creature? You cannot outrun it. Skar will not come to slay it.

Darius awoke in the bed again.

"Malgormuun… You can't keep me here!" Darius shouted into the sky as he got off of the bed.

I can and I will until you show me you can fight… that you can do what needs to be done. If you cannot slay this troll, how will you ever hope to kill her? Fight Darius! Kill!

Darius breathed heavily as the troll came through the trees. He gathered water in front of himself before shooting a blast of it at the creature. Like a powerful firehose, the pressure caused the troll to stumble back some before it shifted to the side. It gripped his head.

CRUNCH

He woke up again, in his bed. He gritted his teeth as frustration took hold of him. He wanted this to end, but it would not cease. He would continue to relive a nightmarish version of this night over and over again without end. When he ran, he was caught. When he fought back, he was defeated. And it all ended in death. Sometimes it was painful, while other times it was so quick he only felt the initial twinge of pain. He just sat there, scowling at the ground in front of him feeling both anger and defeat. The rustling in the trees and the sharp sniffing became louder as the troll approached. Darius didn't budge. He didn't care anymore.

"Huuuman... Huuuman…" The troll spoke, unlike previous times. Its rough unpleasant voice sent a jolt through Darius, which only pissed him off more as it seemed like Malgormuun was baiting him.

"I refuse to play this fucking game! Fuck you! Fuck this troll! Fuck this bed! I just can't…" Darius shouted as he hopped off of the bed and faced the direction of the troll.

Huuuman… Huuumansss… thissss is my promise to you. I will do... whatever it is in my power... to get you home and safe. Thissss is not a war you assssked for... Anyone elsssse with bloodied palmsss should also treat them with this respect... Putting another race in danger in chasing our hope makes us as evil as the dark elves. Force no one against their will. Choose better.

Darius' distraught face went neutral as he stared coldly at the troll who finally emerged through the brush, stepping on his bed and crushing it as it did. Despite his calmer exterior, he was filled with the same fury as when he had first heard Risa spout those words at the ball. Darius' left arm began to morph as a black substance seeped from his very pores just as the troll reached out to snatch him.

"NO!" Darius roared as he jumped backward to dodge the troll outstretched hand before swiping downward with sharp serrated claws, removing segments of the troll's fingers. It recoiled its reached out hand and looked at its remaining digits as it cried out in pain. Unfortunately for the troll, its cry had become nothing but gurgling as a sphere of water surrounded its head. It whipped its head around and even swiped at the water that was like a deadly mask that would eventually drown it. Distracted, the creature hadn't paid much attention to Darius' movements… sharp pain from the rear of its ankles was accompanied with two audible pops. Both tendons were cut.

The troll fell to his knees and then caught itself from falling face first with the hand lacking most of its digits. The blood spilled onto the forest floor. The other hand was used to swat the water from his face while it also attempted to consume the water as well. Anything to keep from drowning so miserably.

"This is what you wanted! Right?!" Darius had circled around the hulking beast, both his hands were large sharp claws with blood dripping from them. "Right?!" He slashed at the back of its arm that was being used to hold itself up. The troll's body fell on his limp arm. "Are you choosing better this time?! Huh?! After so many of us died already?!" Darius rounded the troll's body until it could see him as it drowned to death. "How's that Malgormuun?! How's that Risa?! How's that for better!" Darius yelled as Malgormuun could be heard laughing.

Yes, better! This is not who you are Darius, but this is who you must be! Again Darius! DO IT AGAIN! Fight! Kill! Don't hold back… Don't… hold back...

As his voice faded, so did the scene. Everything went to black.

He woke up again, in his bed…

------

A silent night for most was a night of unhinged violence for the man who opened his eyes. Relief filled him as he finally did not see the night sky, his bed, the troll, or even… her.

As he sat up and looked around at the others, he was surprised to be the only one awake so early with how long his nightmare seemed to be. What Malgormuun put him through felt like days. It had been on the cusp of torture until he succeeded the first time. It became easier to strike first and feel the warm blood hit his skin. Sadly, killing the troll was not the endgame.

Darius pointed a finger to his open mouth and shot fresh water into it. He swished the liquid around, gargled, and then spit it out on the ground. The splatter of the liquid on the ground caused him to wince as he remembered the first time Malgormuun made Risa appear before him instead of the troll. He had spit blood from his mouth in a similar fashion when she entangled him in vines and caused enormous thorns to jut out of them...

Next in his morning routine, he washed his face by cupping his hands together and generating water before splashing it onto it. He took a breath and started walking a few feet from the camp to warm up his body for the day. Again, he thought of his nightmare. Risa's twisted smile haunting him.

The troll had been easy. It was a monster. Looked like one. Behaved like one too. It had a humanoid body, but it lacked enough humanity that Darius did not mourn it every time he slew it. He did not hesitate to deal the final blow. Risa… Risa was different. She was kind and soft-spoken. She was delicate and gentle. The first time she appeared, they actually shared a dance within the wilderness with all the critters of the woods watching as a delighted audience while the songbirds sang a melody. Even within a dream, it seemed unbelievable. It was like a ballroom within the forest. She claimed sharing the dance was the only way the dream would end. She had promised… and kept promising many things. Happiness. Home. Peace. But sadly… very sadly, at the conclusion of the dance, when the audience vanished, and the melody ceased, she killed him. A warm and friendly smile was plastered on her sweet face. It was as if she was gifting him his own death. As if he should appreciate her fatal gesture.

He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air as he started making circles with his arms. First forward, then back. He felt stiff from how lousy the ground was in comfort. Comfort... That was far out of reach for him as he thought of how he had killed the fae princess for the first time.

She pleaded with him not to. She begged for mercy. For compassion. Something she had done previously that allowed her to kill him. Both fauna and flora were her murder weapons, but her delicate voice was perhaps the deadliest. He gripped her throat to silence her, then turned away slightly as he dug claws into her throat and snatched what he could out. He did see her die that first time, but he was sure she did. He did not want to do it. He had to...

He started performing lunges and eventually moved on to pushups, and then burpees. He normally went for a run when he was this bothered, but it was not only unsafe, but even that would remind him of the nightmare. Instead he moved onto his magic, surrounding both his hands in their own membranes of water. He then focused on condensing the water, making it tighter around his hands and appearing as a thinner layer. He relaxed his arms before causing the membranes to pull his hands outward and manipulated the membranes to make circles with his arms once more.

He tried to appear fine, but he was clearly disturbed.

Myra was still confused, alarmed and in pain due to the wound in her head, but seeing how Mathis wasn't acting in a hostile manner around the two other people, Myra ended up trusting his judgement and his words as he said that they were only trying to help. Myra Immediately stopped growling and retracted her claws, although she was still watching those around her with a wary and alarmed stare. The moment the male elf grabbed an elf, pulling him closer to her, Myra gave a step back, hissing for a moment as she saw him approaching, but stopping soon after, seeing how he didn't seem to be armed and he was almost as scared as her with the entire situation.

Thankfully, it seemed that trusting the elf and the strange people indeed wasn't a mistake and just like Mathis said, they were trying to help her. As the male fairy used his magic, Myra's wounds and the pain in her head slowly went away. Not only her wounds were healed but she was feeling a bit better already. Just the fact that the pain had stopped already helped her immensely, being able to think better.

After the fairy was done, Mathis thanked him and turned to Myra, asking if she was better and if she was able to walk, which Myra replied with a nod of her head. She was still a little bit dizzy and confused but as long as she didn't need to run full speed, she would be probably okay for now. Even though the wounds disappeared, she still needed some time for her mind to heal from the stress.
With the matter of her wounds solved, Myra looked around for a bit, almost as if she was searching for someone before turning to Mathis again with a worried expression. She didn't know where Darius and Artemis went, nor even if they were unharmed... Not only that but it would be hard to find them in the middle of so much confusion...

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Evening

LOCATION: Outside Roshmi City

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

O'Ner watched the male healing Myra; he was indeed grateful that Myra’s wounds could be healed. Once again thanking the male for helping Myra; handing the man some gold for his assistants.Turning to address Myra; she looked quite concerned no doubt she was worried about Darius and Artemis. Even though he felt a little but less connected with them; he was worried about their well being. “Perhaps they are at the docks waiting for us? Perhaps we can ask around and see if they are there; if not then we can ask the others who escaped if they had seen the two” The undead general was rubbing the bridge of his nose.

It would not hurt to ask the elf and the human; “Have you two seen a human and a merwoman from the masquerade wandering the island?” He asked, having a feeling that they did not know anything helpful to the two of them. “Do not worry my dear we will find them” He turned toward Myra trying to reassure her; they would find her friends.

Cade led the way out of Roshmi, staying far from any lights or traces of others and sticking to the far outskirts of the city as they left. He stuck close enough to the humans that they could easily see him, and as a cat, his vision at night made it easy to navigate in almost total darkness. Once deep enough into the forest they took shelter inside a cave for the night, and though Cade would’ve much preferred to spend the night high up in a tree, it occurred to him that humans seemed much less equipped to sleep there without falling and likely injuring their more fragile looking limbs. His dreams that night were plagued by images of the demon from the ballroom that had destroyed and consumed all around it. The haunting presence of a beast that could not be fought, at least not by him, and the feeling of being powerless to help protect those around him, prevailed throughout his dreams. In his sleep he occasionally emitted a low growl and there was a continuous nervous twitching of his tail.

He awoke before dawn with a restless feeling of needing to do something to make up for the things he was not able to do the previous night. He headed out from the cave, silently moving through the foliage as he did what a cat does best, hunting. It wasn’t long before he came upon one of the very large rodents that were common in the area, and with stealth and grace he pounced on the unsuspecting creature. Cade stopped on the way back to the cave’s entrance to grab a few pieces of the fruit that grew nearby knowing that humans often liked to eat more than just meat. Once he made his way back to the mouth of the cave he set to work building a fire to cook the meat over. He would have to wait for one of the humans to light it though, thus far any attempt to light a fire using only what the forest provided had only left him with piles of broken sticks.

---

The rest of the night had been uneventful, and Bowyn spent the majority of his turn on watch pacing along the perimeter of the campsite and indulging in the stolen mead. The constant movement allowed him to burn off his anxious energy, he was fully involved in the rebellion now and that was all he could think about. It began to occur to him that as much as he despised the choice made by Risa and the rest who had summoned humans to Avalia, that he, and those like him, also carried some of the responsibility for that choice. Everyone in Avalia that could clearly see the evil of the Lich King and did nothing to stop him only added to the circumstances that made those who activated the DROMs feel that their action was justified. His compliance with evil was something that needed to be rectified, but beyond seeing the things that needed to be destroyed, he held little hope that Avalia would ever be anything better than what it had always been. Avalia was a place that had allowed an entire race to be banished and did nothing while the dark elves became twisted by evil, it had allowed a lich to take power and to use the dead as pawns, and now it had had stolen a race from another world to correct its own problems. Other than the obvious goals of ending Aklenroth, laying to rest the undead, returning the humans and destroying all traces of DROMs, what would come after that, if he even survived what came next. Did he even have the will to fight for something better when he didn’t even believe it possible, because now it was clear to him that to continue his apathy to the world around him was what allowed evil to thrive, and it would allow it to all happen again.

When it was time for him to sleep he passed out drunk and exhausted. His sleep was empty and if he did dream he did not remember it. Bowyn was awoken by Boreas returning from his hunt with a shrill cry as the merlin proudly announced his success at having caught a meal. His hangover robbed him of any feeling of restfulness he might have gotten from the few hours of sleep, and he sat up with a headache and full bodied heaviness. The night had left him with the understanding that what he needed to do was make the effort to connect more to both this group he now traveled with and to Avalia in general if he wished to avoid falling back into apathy. As he watched his bird eat the much smaller bird Boreas had caught during his hunt, Bowyn decided that the rest of them should also eat before continuing their travels. He forced himself up from this spot on the ground, heading to a nearby stream to catch fish. He later returned with a few fish on wooden spears that he placed around the fire to cook. A small effort to contribute, he could handle that, it seemed like a step in the right direction.

---

Regardless of what had happened the night prior, Kuroi decided to lead Baraian, Torvi, and Ayita through the slums. Although they had multiple close encounters, he did his best to lead them through the safest routes that wouldn't involve conflict. Unfortunately, Kuroi was forced to engage guards who were on the lookout for him and whoever else they deemed as guilty. At one moment throughout the night, he found himself trapping a dark elf's weapon arm against their body before slamming them against the wall to knock them out. Another was blocking their impending path, forcing Kuroi to stomp down onto the crock of his knee and put him in a rear-naked choke until he went unconscious. Many other violent, yet non-lethal incidents took place throughout the night as one would expect.

With only a couple of hours to rest, in the most uncomfortable of places, Kuroi eventually managed to lead them to the very edge of the town. The sun had risen, and Kuroi fared much worse than he did the night prior. He was visibly exhausted and covered in sweat, grime, and a bit of blood from the unholiness that had been spawned in the ballroom. Leaning up against the city walls, he sighed, trying to recuperate his breath and focus his attention on his allies before speaking.

"There are two routes we can take now. We can either go through Roshmi's sewer system, something we could have done earlier in hindsight...or we can go straight through the gate and take our chances. Votes?" He asks, kneeling down as he looked at the three who he had led to this point so far.

Other than a simple nod accompanied with a sharp, dangerous stare, Ayita was silent the entire time when Kuroi led them through the slums. In full alert, she made sure to not let a single movement pass unnoticed, whether it was from Kuroi, Torvi and the other man who was with them or any people they might stumble with on their way. The very fact that she was among strangers and that she didn't know the slums as well as Kuroi did already put her in a disadvantageous position in case something happened. That said, even though she didn't trust them that much, she still had no other choice but follow them. Ayita had to get to the docks to try and find Cade and Sakura again.

Even with Kuroi's knowledge of the slums, it was still a long and exhausting way until they got to the docks. Without much time to rest, Ayita was already tired when they arrived on the city walls. Her stamina from hunting and dancing back in earth did help her a lot, although it didn't give her infinite stamina. Stopping both to rest for a bit and hear Kuroi's words, Ayita leaned on the city walls, much like Kuroi, as he spoke.

"Drawing attention might not be the best choice in the state we are right now." she said, opening her mouth to speak something for the first time since she joined the group.

---

---

Zephyrin was devastated.

Two weeks ago, she secretly set out from the winter fae settlement — her plan only known to her grandmother — on a long and arduous journey to Roshmi City, which she had been fervently looking forward to. She could not get there quickly enough; so impatient was she to set foot in Roshmi. She had been dreaming of the moment she'd finally enter through the gates of the beautiful and extravagant city.

Now here she was, standing outside the city walls, only to find out that the city had been put under lockdown. Apparently, it happened not too long before she had arrived.

Zephyrin gawked at the huge gate before her and sighed. Her shoulders slumped forward as she raked her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes.

"..fate must be playing cruel tricks on me." She grumbled. She turned her back in defeat and dragged her feet towards the direction of the woods.

Zephyrin's head hung low as she walked at a snail's pace. To say she was disappointed was a huge understatement. Zephyrin had spent her childhood years dreaming of this day. She had planned it all along, but unfortunately, reality did not cooperate.

Now that her excitement was gone, the feeling of exhaustion finally caught up to her. She was tired, hungry and dirty. She wasn't even sure where to go now.

'Should I just head back home?'

The idea crossed her mind for a moment, but she immediately rejected it. Her journey would have all been for nothing. Besides, she could already imagine the scolding she would receive from her father. She at least had to make her punishment worthwhile. But how?

Zephyrin was now standing in the forest with no plan or destination in mind. She looked down at her soiled clothes, causing her to frown. Before anything else, she needed a bath and her clothes washed. There had to be a body of water somewhere in the forest.



After what seemed like an hour, Zephyrin finally caught the sound of flowing water. She followed it and spotted a small clearing with a stream up ahead. At the sight of it, she walked faster, but before she could step out into the clearing, she spotted a man approaching with a few wooden spears in hand.

Caught by surprise, Zephyrin immediately hid behind a large tree. After a few moments of holding her breath in anticipation, only silence remained. He didn't seem to have noticed her. She released a breath of relief.

Before she left, Zephyrin's grandmother had warned her about the dangers of traveling alone as a winter fairy. Not only were there powerful beasts roaming around, but there were also people who hunted them down for a fortune. It was for this reason that most of them stayed in the settlement for the entirety of their lives. They were too scared to venture out.

Fortunately for Zephyrin, she had not ran into any dangers yet. Until now, that is.

Zephyrin peeked from behind the tree and watched the man curiously, wondering if he was a threat. He seemed to just be peacefully catching fish, but hey, even villains had to eat.

There was quite a distance between them, so it was hard to make out his features. The only thing that stood out was his silver hair, which was quite a common trait amongst winter fairies and elves.

She watched as he skillfully caught several fishes, and something told her that those weren't all for himself. He must have been camping out here with a small group, and there was only one way to find out.

Zephyrin followed him back stealthily. The trees provided enough cover, so it wasn't hard to stay out of his vision. She carefully avoided stepping on the broken twigs and dried leaves, moving nimbly from tree to tree.

As he started cooking the fish around a fire, the delicious smell wafted through the air and made her stomach growl. Her mouth watered, and she gulped. She sneaked another peek, looking intently at one the fishes he was cooking.

Dazed by the sight of delicious fish, she unconsciously took a step forward, unaware of the large rock infront of her foot.

"Ow..!"

Zephyrin tripped and landed on the ground a few meters across the stranger who was silently grilling his fish. She looked up at him and gave a nervous laugh.

"Ha..hahaha.. Just passing through.."

Thanks to last night's downpour of rain, she was covered with mud, and her hair was a tangled mess. To him, she must have looked like a creepy stalker or a beggar. Either way, the humiliation caused her to freeze on the spot.

Time:Morning
Location: Cave a mile from Roshmi
Interactions:@Potter


Risa awoke with a jolt, to which the bear she was laying against also jolted, causing her to fall back on the cave floor with a groan. The female bear grunted and nudged her. "I'm okay sweetheart." She said and gently petted her. She felt a nostalgic deja-vu and felt a new wave of sadness crash over her. The events of last night surfaced in her mind and she glanced at Artemis briefly before scrambling to her feet. She walked outside hesitantly to glance up at the sun's position. It was still early thankfully.

Everything felt like a bad dream.

The chirping birds and sunny atmosphere just didn't mix with the night before.

The pretty princess from before was unrecognizable with messy hair and a dirty gown. But most of all was her hopeful expression was replaced with a depressed one and her clenched fists were now shaking with fear. Just as the sadness seemed to be getting too much to bear, the memory that had given her nostalgia resurfaced.

Her brother's face looking down at her from above as he tried to fetch her from the clutches of bears. She smiled a little and looked backward at the bear that was staring at her from behind. "I can't give up so soon." She said softly.

She glanced around until she spotted a bird and cooed it over to ask for an update on her friends. The little hummingbird told her that Kyran and Elsea were both safe with others. Dionaea not being a name to brought up with the other two hurt her heart but it was so relieving to hear the other two were okay. She knew she'd see them again. The bird filled her in that the plan had worked and others were moving toward the port. However, the bad news was that Roshmi was in martial law and the people were being terrorized. Risa swallowed hard. She knew that might be a consequence and that was a heavy feeling. Was she doing the right thing? She wasn't sure she even recognized herself.

Just over a week ago, she was part of a playful duo of female fairies that just wanted to help the new incoming heroes make the world a better place. This last day not being attached to the hip with Dionaea felt foreign to her. She couldn't believe this would be the rest of her life.

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Risa could not go down this track of sadness in her mind. She needed to unearth herself from the melancholy; there was no time for it. "I just wish you were here with me, Dio." Risa whispered.

"But I am with you, Risa!"

Risa's eyes snapped open with shock as a little spider hanging down on a string of web spoke up. She stared down at it with surprise.
She had never been good at conversation with bugs. That had been level only Dionaea could reach.

"I'll always be with you... Even if you can't see me!"

Tears filled her eyes as she realized what was happening and gently kissed her finger, then just barely brushed it on the spider.
Dionaea, knowing her impending doom, would take the time to pass a message to soothe Risa knowing her kindness. But there was a truth in it that brought Risa much-needed comfort. Those she had lost were really with her all along, in spirit and in her heart.

Risa moved back into the cave, "Artemis, please wake up. I'm sorry, but we need to move as early as possible."


Time: Evening --> Morning
Location: Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Potter@Eviledd1984@13org


Malachi shook his head in reply to the man. "I haven't seen the sort." He had given more help than he had been willing and wasn't sure he could trust the duo. Dark elves would be swarming the area, arresting anyone associated with the situation at any moment now. "Roshmi is no longer safe." He told them all then glanced at Belle, who he had exchanged names with in passing, while the fairy had been healing the creature. "I am going to take my daughter away from her and go into the woods for tonight. I suggest you do the same." He took Belladonna's hand and began moving into the woods. If the other two followed, be as it may. He just wanted to find safety for the young woman. Hopefully, Kenia had gotten Rei and Corvina out of here already.

He escorted Belladonna, and perhaps the other two, into the woods, sneaking them through an exit point in the gates a few rebels had taken over. He had them walk a good five miles out for the next few hours before finding a safe area to make camp and sleep.

Malachi had only slept a few hours with his uneasiness and had been up earliest. The day was ironically kinda lovely. He had let Belladonna sleep in and spent some time collecting eggs for breakfast. She'd need her energy for today. He leaned up against the tree as he awaited eggs to be cooked over a small campfire, figuring the smell and crackling fire would be a gentle awakening.

Cora’s night had been peacefully silent. The sounds of the screams and cries had faded out and brought her silence. She wasn’t sure if that was ethical or not. At the moment, she wasn't concerned. Her mind drifted back to her elven parents and human companion, Rei. She hoped they were safe and well. She reminded herself that logically, worrying would cause her more stress. She pushed them out of her mind for now. Her mind focused on the situation at hand: escaping, and finding safety.

Cade had led them through a safe path, though she remained guard. Her hands were clenched and ready to light up at any moment. Once they were safe, they were able to rest. She listened to Cade growling occasionally, and kept watching his tail flicker. He’d been kind and led them to safety. At this time he did not prove as a threat. This brought her peace as she managed to drift into dreamland.

Once she awoke, she found Cade gone and Elsea asleep. Her mind raced as she scrambled to her feet. Before she could begin to let her mind wander into uncharted territories, Cade returned food and sticks. He’d been trying unsuccessfully to light the fire. Smirking, she strode over to him and turned out the fire. Focusing, she narrowed her eyes, and imagined flames erupting. She grinned as it roared to life and sat opposite of Cade. ”Thank you.” She gestured to the food and swallowed. She had never eaten any woodland creature before, or much less watched one cook over a flame. Cora swallowed and took a deep breath.

This was a new world, with different times. She’d have to make due. Swallowing, she stared away from the food and to Cade. ”Do you think you could teach me how to hunt later? I um… I don’t have much experience, and I don’t want the burden based upon you solely.” She smiled faintly and folded her hands. She moved closer to the fire and tugged at her dress. She missed her sweatshirt and sweatpants. Cora sighed and took a deep breath to calm her thoughts. She opened her palm up and created a small fire to hold closer to herself.

---

Belle smirked at Malachi’s comment and didn’t interrupt. She remained silent and began to follow him. It was to her surprise the two began tagging along. She shrugged it off. If they were a threat, Malachi and her would handle it. The white creature piqued her curiosity but she did not voice it. Her brain felt as if it might explode. Too much had happened for one night. Internally she felt she could scream, walking back into this forsaken forest. Belle clenched her fists momentarily and released them. Thank God she was in shape, because the damn elf made them walk five miles. Cursing in her mind, Belle was ecstatic when they finally stopped to rest. She curled up in the back of a cave nearby to remain hidden. Her identity was out there now for those who had seen and survived. Too fucking bad. Humans were here. Her only regret was not yelling, “Come and get your human!”

The crackling of fire and smell of eggs caused her to jolt awake. Ready to strike, Belle began to form a bubble around herself and then relaxed. Malachi leaned up against a tree as he cooked two eggs over a campfire. How he had found them she didn’t know, or cared. If the elf had mugged someone she’d approve. Belle stood up and dusted off her dress. She began to relax, only to tense again as she glanced around for their two carry on travelers. Belle said nothing to them. Whoever they were would come out and so would their true colors. She glanced at Malachi. ”I hope you paid for those.” Belle managed a tiny smile as she tipped her head gratefully. She went over to the fire and began surveying her surroundings with a watchful eye. Her gaze flickered to the others occasionally, and with silent menace.

---

The night had been quiet. Risa had found an old friend of hers, a bear, and had led them to safety. A cave was the choice of safety which brought Artemis relief. She smiled as she watched the bear and Risa cuddle up against each other. She wished she could speak to animals the same way but retain her mermaid form. She sighed and stayed awake a few hours to guard Risa. Finally, sleep consumed her and through half the morning. Her eyes slowly opened when she heard Risa’s voice. Was something wrong? She began trying to remember the previous night. It was a blur of chaos and loss. She bit her lip and climbed shakily to her feet. All the walking had caused her weariness to form in her body. She needed to dip in the water soon to wake her muscles back up.

”Risa, what’s going on?” She slowly crossed over to her and frowned. ”Does someone know we are here?” Concern filled her voice. She began to glance around and cleared her throat quietly. She was ready to emit a loud, powerful scream in case they had been found. She pulled Risa to her side and stared down at her.

Darius had not even noticed Bowyn getting up and leaving. Instead, while exercising several meters from the campsite, he saw only Boreas in the spot where the winter fairy had slept. He could tell the bird was picking at something but didn't go over to find out.

However, Darius did decide to end his workout. If people were starting to wake, he'd need his strength for the journey ahead. He would need every ounce of it. The water he had used in his brief training was now a puddle at his feet. With a wave of his hand, he pulled it from the ground, and with another wave, he spread the water into droplets onto the surrounding vegetation. Edena. What I would do to go back to that place. Things were simpler then. Easier.

Darius took in the scenery of the forest before the smell of Bowyn's cooking reached him. Perhaps some food would lift his spirits. He turned to the aroma and made his way over to the campsite, but then suddenly a woman fell through the treeline and landed on the ground.

"Ha..hahaha.. Just passing through.."

Darius instinctively had his hand ready with a generated sphere of water in his palm. A part of him was surprised by his own haste.

"Looks like you caught more than fish." As he made the statement he noticed the fairy's disheveled appearance. She'd seen better days. He glanced at Bowyn and then the cooked fish. Maybe she wanted some fish…

"Just a dance Darius! I would never hurt you. Promise."

Maybe she didn't. Darius would wait until she made her intentions clearer.

Time: Evening/Morning
Location: A summary of his time leading up to the present and into the woods near Roshmi
Interactions: Alone

Being lost was a strange and completely unfamiliar experience for Valok. He had never been truly alone, never had the terrifying uncertainty of having to decide things for himself. The entirety of his life up until now had always been decided for him; he always had orders to rely on, someone to tell him what he should do and what he should think. Now there was only him, left alone with his thoughts. At first he thought he liked being alone, he could stare at the stars and there was no one around to bother him or think it strange. But he quickly ran out of pleasant things to think about, and spent hours thinking about what a terrible mistake he had made. He had left his post, he was a deserter. They would never let him back into the army now, once he was caught his life would be over. He knew this was exactly why he wasn’t offered choices, why he just followed orders because the first time he did make a choice, it was to betray everything he’d been taught.

But then at night there was the dream; the torture of the human and of the rebels that Valok had witnessed at Chism, vividly repeating inside his mind whenever he slept. He would stand, watching as he was ordered to, keeping anyone from interfering with what was happening. Occasionally glancing into cold eyes and at the sadistic smile on the face of his commander who inflicted the slow torture. All around him he heard the deafening screams and cries for mercy. Then he watched as his commander's cruel face and empty eyes slowly morphed into his own face, and then his face mimicked the same cold expression. Every night since he deserted he watched himself commit the acts that haunted both his sleeping and his waking mind.

Valok understood the truth within his dream; this was what the army wished to make of him, a twisted and cruel monster. It was not a question of if, but of how long it would take, just how easy would it be before all humanity left him and he was no different from those who tortured for fun? How many times would it take for him to witness such horror before it became another thing he grew numb to, and how long after that before he too was a willing participant? The visceral feeling of being horrified by acts that could only be described as evil was one of the few things that truly cut through the constant numbness he’d always felt. It had made him feel real in a way he hadn’t for a long time. Impulsively he made the choice to hold on to that feeling, searching for where it would lead him. Every time he woke from the nightmare he was left assured that he had made the right choice, but his resolve would slowly ebb away throughout the day until he faced the nightmare once again.

He kept choosing to travel south, further and further from his home and everything he had known. The first town he found himself in was small, composed of mainly light elves and demihumans. It was there that he first noticed how the townsfolk watched him, with looks of fear, distrust, and occasionally anger. It was a disconcerting experience, to know that strangers already saw him as something he feared he might become, something already evil. Was he evil? Was that what being a dark elf meant, should he revel in another’s pain like so many of his people did? The townsfolk were afraid of him, he could see it, sensed it like a palpable aura. That feeling, and those glances, remained even after he traded away anything that marked him as having come from the army. He had no answers for the questions he was just beginning to form and only hoped that more clarity would be found if he kept moving south.

Eventually he found himself in one of Avalia’s largest cities, Roshmi. Val found himself struck by the beauty of the city, even at night it felt bright and warm. Even the air had a welcoming smell and freshness to it, and he caught whiffs of unfamiliar foods and spices. The southern races that called Roshmi home walked with a spark in their eyes that was unfamiliar to him, though when their eyes met him, he found the same gilmore of fear. At least in a city as large as Roshmi it was easier to hide. Valok had always found it easy to blend in with shadows, to remain unseen and unnoticed. All it took from him was to remember that he came from nothing, he felt nothing, he was nothing. Then through his dark magic he could become nothing; at least to the average and untrained eye. It was more comfortable to be someone unnoticed, more like how he felt back home, and this was how he travelled through the city until he came upon a strange sight in a town square.

A bright orb, glowing just as a moon did, broadcasting a message through magic to all the towns folks that gathered close around it. It was as if Halastra, the goddess he was taught to worship above all Elven gods, had guided him here, to this moon like orb. Valok watched, entranced, as a young fairy gave an impassioned message of rebellion. He found himself mesmerized with curiosity; it was not the sort of message he expected, not the words of someone who wanted to see peace end but someone who wanted the world to be better. Her words against the dark elves, spoke to him in a way that eerily reflected his own thoughts and fears about his people and himself.

She had also called dark elves slaves to Aklenroth, and the king himself a mad one. It was jarring to hear someone say such things with such strong conviction when everything he knew told him the opposite. No dark elf he knew was forced to serve Aklenroth, he and all he knew did so willingly, out of loyalty for the only leader that had ever shown his race kindness. While he couldn’t agree with every word she spoke, the whole of her speech resonated with him. This was someone who could help him understand; why the rebels wanted a war in a land that had known peace for so long. This fairy, Risa, was someone who spoke as if dark elf was not synonymous with evil, and as someone who wanted an Avalia that was better for all who inhabited it. Was that what he wanted as well?

He had been taught that it was right to hate the light elves, and all the races who flourished south of Daka, but the why had always been hazy. It had been the light elves alone who had banished his people, and that had been centuries ago. How many light elves still existed old enough to have been responsible? How long should old wounds be allowed to fester before rot set in and nothing remained salvageable? Unlike so many of his kind Valok only felt apathy in place of anger and hate when he thought of light elves, fairies, and demihumans. Perhaps in this his hollowness had been a gift, preventing him from falling into the trap so many of his kind had. He felt no reason to cling to the past, no reason to seek vengeance against creatures he’d never met, at least not without someone telling him that it was what he was supposed to do. He had seen first hand the pain his kind brought to others, and he knew enough to know that was not the kind of elf he wished to be.

He wondered if Risa’a words were just words, or if they held truth. If he might find the sort of answers he was seeking or a new purpose if he found these rebels. Would the articulate fairy accept a dark elf into her band of rebels? Did he even want to be welcomed amongst rebels? He could see clearly where the dark elves were wrong, where he had been wrong, and the flaws in so many of the things he had been taught, but was that enough to betray his king? It seemed the only way to really know was to try and see.

Risa’s message ended with a grizzly sight; another fairy, this one dead and covered in thorny vines. A strange way to end a message but it did not seem to be Risa’s doing, and with the energy of the crowd beginning to rise; soon heated words became heated actions. Now would be a poor time for him to get caught by guards. As the city descended into chaos, Val knew it was time to move elsewhere. Though this had once been the ideal place to run into the rebels it was no longer safe for them either. He knew exactly how his kind would likely lock down Roshmi and Valok made his way out of the city before the worst of it happened.

Another night spent alone in the woods faded into another morning where he awoke cold with sweat from the repeating nightmare. He again set off with nothing but a vague destination in mind, but he figured any rebels who had left Roshmi would be somewhere nearby. Their leader, Risa, had claimed heritage from the River Kingdom and he was sure the dark elves would have that area locked down tight as well, making that location not the ideal direction to head. A more likely option would be for them to head towards the Flower Kingdom, a terrain with plenty of areas to hide rebel camps. If this was the case he might be able to run into rebels near the coast or one of the port towns. The other option was that might head towards the Sun Elves or the smaller demi-human towns even further on, but that was much further and a larger area. So, Valok headed in the direction of the cost, hoping his guess was correct, and if not, well he was a deserter, all his time was borrowed anyhow what did it really matter how he spent it.