Bowyn raised an eyebrow at Zephyrin and grinned slightly. “If I was being held captive would they really let me go fishing all on my own? I’’m Bowyn, and strangely enough I am actually here of my own free will.” He said finding it amusing. Traveling in the company of a pair of elves, a human, and forest fairy in the southernmost part of Avalia was certainly not how he’d ever thought his life would go. Bowyn could barely surpress the urge to roll his eyes at Elthrael’s flirtatious magic show he put on for the newcomer. While Elthrael’s talent with magic was more than respectable, it was clear to Bowyn the forest fairy was more preoccupied with chasing skirts than he was with the rebellion. While there were many circumstances in which he could see this being a hindrance currently it occurred to him that the forest fairy’s brand of charm could be of use; because Zephyrin was a problem.

Though she didn’t appear to be an enemy, she had already seen Darius using his magic. There was no way to pretend that he was anything but a human, and while most winter fae weren’t exactly chomping at the bit to help Aklenroth there were many circumstances in which he could see her selling them out to their enemies. Be it for the sizable bounty on the human’s head or to save herself should the lone fairy run afoul any dark elves. To allow her to part ways with the group would be a huge risk, but keeping her around would mean they could at least keep an eye on her. So he kept quiet while Elthrael went on about fruit and roses, keeping any sarcastic comments to himself and hoping the forest fae’s charm worked better here than it had at the tavern. Instead Bowyn went about eating his breakfast and thinking more on the present situation. Why else would a winter fairy travel so far from their village alone if not out of a sense of boredom and need for excitement and adventure.

“You mentioned you were lost, I hope you were not on your way to Roshmi City. We just came from there, it’s absolutely littered with Dark Elves, not really the kind of place that would be hospitable to a winter fairy traveling alone. But if you happen to be more interested in adventure and less concerned with the destination then I think you’re more than likely to find that if you stick with us. And there is safety in numbers after all.” Bowyn offered the invitation with a forced smile after Elthrael had finished his bit. He hoped he had pegged her motives correctly. Though it felt slimy and underhanded to manipulate another into the rebellion, the danger of dark elves tracking them down concerned Bowyn much more than the ethics of his actions. He would feel worse if he were to die in this forest without accomplishing anything, and even worse still if dark elves managed to follow them to port town where Torvi and Belle were likely going to be as well. The fate of one of his own race paled in comparison to fates of those he already considered friends and to the entirety of the rebellion.

Time: Morning
Location: Forest
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Darius @Helo Bowyn @Alivefalling “Vaeril” @Dezuel Elthrael @HowlsOfWinter Zephyrin

---

A battlefield. Bodies littered the ground. The sounds of weapons clashing sounded all around. The ground was soaked in the blood of all the races. This was the scene that Kenia stared at, completely confused. There was a sword in her right hand and a dagger in her left and she was completely soaked in blood. This was the rebels battling the lich king's forces. It wasn't clear who was winning and who was losing as both sides seemed to be losing many of their warriors. A panic came over Kenia as she knew she had to find the others. She had to make sure Malachi, Corvina, and Rei were alright.

As she moved through the sea of battle she caught sight of a familiar figure. When she'd known all her life, who was one of the first to ever love her. Her father was locked in battle with a dark elf, but another was coming up behind him. She moved quickly, running her sword through him and watching him drop. "Kenia what are you doing here? If you love them, you should be protecting them. You must find-" Nym's words were cut short as a sword burst through his chest and Kenia let out a scream in despair. Behind her father stood Airdan giving her a menacing grin. Hatred filled her as she sent a flurry of attacks at him.

The elven man let out a chuckle as he blocked every attack. "Why are you wasting your energy on me Kenia? Didn't you hear your father? Your precious loved ones are in danger." He then vanished and Kenia looked around in shock and confusion. Was he planning something? She had to find Malachi and the others. She began running, desperate now.

First she saw Rei, he was fighting that psycho human. She had to save him, but he was so far away. She ran as fast as she could, but then he turned and looked at her. "You failed me Kenia. Don't fail the others." The words cut deep and she wanted to vomit as she watched the human behead him. Anger filled her, but before she could attack there was Airdan again.

"You better hurry, little girl. You're running out of time." He was mocking her and she wanted to murder him for it, but now wasn't the time. She just grit her teeth and ran past him, fighting a few dark elves along the way until she saw Corvina next. The girl was battling some large demon and Kenia marvelled for a moment at her flames. She fought fiercely and Kenia felt a small bit of pride. She could see the exhaustion, however, and knew that her magic would fail her soon. Kenia pulled out a dagger and threw it at the demon. The weapon hit its mark, but did little at slowing the demon. That's when Malachi appeared and Kenia breathed a small sigh of relief. That relief was short lived, however, as she watched in horror as Malachi shot Corvina through the heart. How could he do such a thing?

As she got close she realized something was wrong, something was very wrong. Malachi's eyes were empty and glazed over. His skin was pale and as Kenia got to him and grabbed him he was cold. Malachi was dead. Her heart shattered and she realized she was losing everything she cared about again. It was all because she wasn't strong enough to protect them. She had to do better, had to be better. She needed to make them her priority. "Find us, before it's too late. Find me, Kenia." His empty eyes met Kenia's tear filled ones and she began to nod.

"I will. I promise you I will find you and Corvina." She told him as the dream began to fade and she could hear the sounds of people stirring from sleep.

---

Kenia merely peeked one eye open, watching as others silently got up. Bowyn began heading into the forest and Kenia would have been suspicious, however he was heading in the direction of the stream she also visited the night before while on watch. While she didn't entirely write it off, she could understand that perhaps he wished to bathe. She herself had done so while on watch as she'd been completely covered in blood. She'd also exchanged her dress for that of her common clothing as it was more practical to travel in.

Darius had gotten up and gotten moving, which she silently watched for a moment and noted he seemed bothered. He'd also used his magic to clean off his face which Kenia found to be quite useful. The way he appeared had her wondering if he two had a bothersome dream. Perhaps she'd ask him about it later. For now she can't ntinued to lay there, deciding there was no use in getting up yet until Bowyn had returned.

When the winter fae had returned, however, he seemed to not be alone. Kenia's hand silently went for the dagger hidden under her pack which she'd been using as a pillow. She made no move yet, however, as she waited to see what the others would do. How would they react to a stranger finding them? Perhaps this group was far too trusting as they seemed to welcome her into camp after her claim of merely being lost. Then again perhaps it had been the right move as the woman now knew they had a human. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer right? There was no way to tell if she were friend or foe yet so Kenia would just keep an eye on the woman.

Kenia silently got up and began making sure stuff was packed up and ready to go while Elthrael did his little show for her. While Kenia knew well how the art of seduction could get someone to reveal secrets, there was a part of her that doubted that's what Elthrael was really trying to accomplish. Either way that was his prerogative and she really didn't care what he did in that department.

She turned to Bowyn once things were packed and gave him a thankful smile. "Thank you for catching us breakfast. I truly do appreciate it." While the smile was a little forced, her words were sincere. If he hadn't gone fishing then she wasn't sure what they would have ended up doing for breakfast. So having the fish was a major help.

"If you wish to continue trying to woo the newcomer so that you may bed her then that's fine, but you'll have to continue while we're on the road. We leave in fifteen minutes." She said as she turned to Elthrael, though the last part was directed at everyone. While she couldn't and wouldn't force anyone to follow, she was leaving in fifteen minutes and the others would have to make a choice to follow or not.

"Zephyrin, was it? While I don't care if you decide to join us, I will give you the same warning I've extended to everyone here. If you do anything to threaten the safety of this group, if you do something that puts us in danger, I will not hesitate to dispose of you. I'm not telling you this as some sort of fear tactic or threat to keep you in line. It's simply a fact and a promise." With that she gave the woman a grin and turned to take a fish to eat, but paused. "Oh and you can call me Kenia." She glanced over at her once again before turning back to the food and taking a bit to eat.

Despite the stench and the location, Ayita didn't find it hard to close her eyes to rest. Not only she was too tired to worry about the location but she was also too worried about everything to even be aware of the smell. Ironically enough, combining the stress, exhaustion and everything she was feeling, the very second she sat down against the wall, in the cleanest spot she could find (which wasn't that much better than the rest), it made her able to rest better than she would have if she wasn't so tired or stressed. It was almost as if her brain had completely turned off due to the exhaustion. Just like she told earlier, it seemed like she was indeed just about to collapse if they hadn't stopped to rest.

At that moment, even though Ayita knew she didn't trust Kuroi and the others completely, she knew she had little choice. She was already incredibly vulnerable and wouldn't be able to fight nor flee if something happened, so she was forced to trust her new 'companions'. That said, at least they seemed to be as exhausted as she was and it was highly unlikely that they would have energy to do anything to her. With that trust born out of the stressful situation they were in, she finally close her eyes, hopefully being able to sleep well enough to recover her energy in order to be ready to whatever it would come next.

Even though it wasn't exactly the best sleep Ayita had, the short rest was very welcome to recover her strength and at least make her able to move herself without struggling after each step given. Plus, now that the extreme exhaustion wasn't that bad as it was before, she finally started to notice how bad the smell on the sewers had. The second Kuroi started moving, she did as well. At least for now, following him was the best option since he seemed to know the city and the sewers very well.

---

---

Ethereal was quite the charmer. If he had been speaking to a soft and naive woman, his flirtatious antics may have worked. However, Zephyrin was not one who would swoon over a man's flowery words and gestures. It was hard to tell whether the forest fairy was putting up an act of some sort, but the part where he was fond of women was definitely not a lie.

The forest fairy had a smooth way with words, and it was a manner of speaking that she was all too familiar with. He talked in the same ingratiating manner as Zephyrin. Unbeknownst to him, he was not the only one who was skillful at flattery and had great control of his facial expressions.

Zephyrin excitedly jumped to her feet in feigned delight. Her eyes lit up in child-like wonder as she clasped her hands together. "Oh, wow! I have never seen something so marvelous!" She beamed. While Zephyrin did take her reaction up a notch, it truly had been her first time seeing a forest fairy use Chlorokinesis. It had been a spectacular display of his power, and Zephyrin had to give credit where it was due. If only he hadn't done it with other intentions in mind.

"Thank you for the lovely fruit." Zephyrin took the fruit from his hand and took a bite, it's sweet flavor washing over her tongue. It was the best apple Zephyrin has ever had. Was it because it was grown by a forest fairy? Probably. And it was something she could get used to.

"Well, aren't you poetic? Or perhaps it's just your natural charm. You do have more than your fair share." Zephyrin held his gaze and smiled, returning his flattery.

On the other hand, Bowyn was clearly not amused by the forest fairy's flirtatious display. Zephyrin had to suppress an amused grin. The flash of doubt in his eyes, however, did not go unnoticed. He seemed to be ruminating over something in his mind. Zephyrin studied his face for a moment, hoping to catch a glimpse of what it might be.

When Bowyn brought up Roshmi City, Zephyrin decided to answer him honestly. It would only give rise to more suspicion if she hid the fact that she had just come from that direction. Besides, she had no reason to lie about it.

"Ah! Beautiful Roshmi.." Zephyrin frowned, recalling the moment she'd arrived at the city gates only to be barred from entry. From where she had stood then, she couldn't really tell what was going on. So when Bowyn mentioned the dark elves, she was truly surprised. There seemed to be more to the story, but she refrained from asking. She was still a stranger to them, and if she pushed them for information this early on, they would only become more reluctant to tell her anything.

"Actually, I just came from there! I travelled this far just to see the city, but it was already closed when I got there. I've been wandering the forest since then, unsure of where to go from here." She furrowed her brows at the thought of dark elves. Things would have gone really bad if she had been unfortunate enough to come across one. But her worries quickly vanished and was replaced with excitement when she realized that Bowyn had mentioned joining them for an adventure. Of course, she would't refuse it.

While everyone had been friendly towards Zephyrin so far, the elf who introduced herself as Kenia was not so welcoming. Although she said her words weren't meant as a threat, it did sound like one. Unmoved by her threatening tone, Zephyrin returned her grin with one of her own. She was used to being treated with contempt, but the elf just seemed genuinely concerned for the group's safety.

"Thank you for allowing me to travel with you. I feel much safer now that I am in the company of a group. You all seem very dependable." Zephyrin's eyes scanned the elf from head to toe, studying her physique. She seemed like she was capable of fighting. Although she was a little rough around the edges, the poor elf looked like she had been through enough. Her eyes looked cold and steely.

Zephyrin looked at the group, her eyes stopping short at Darius' direction. She couldn't hide the curiosity and excitement that shone through her eyes. Zephyrin had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she would wait for the right time to bombard him with all her questions. After all, he initially did seem wary of her.

The spiders were approaching the group and to make things even worse, their numbers just kept increasing in a steady pace. Due to that, Myra was starting to get nervous with the situation. Fortunately, it seemed like Mathis quickly agreed with her suggestion for them to leave. Even though she didn't know if the other two would follow her suggestion, she still looked at them with an urgent expression. Her thoughts were clear when looking at her expression, she knew that they should try to run away. Fight in that situation was very, very risky for all of them.

It was then that, with a whistle, Mathis called for his horse, which came running to his encounter. The moment he lifted Myra though, she let out a squeal of surprise as she was put on the horse as she shook her head vehemently, protesting against it. Not only she didn't really need the horse, since she would easily be able to keep up with it, but as Mathis began riding away, Myra noticed that the two others didn't follow them and were left behind. Jumping away from the horse, Myra pointed towards where the couple was fighting before giving Mathis a smile and dashing away. Despite her lack of words, her smile said enough to Mathis. He should go to a safe place himself and shouldn't worry much about Myra. After all, she could easily outrun the spiders if things got too dangerous.

Getting back to where the fight was happening, much to her own surprise, Myra saw both the male and the female ready to fight, instead of trying to run away. Didn't they know that the spiders were venomous? Didn't they see the bright colors? Not only that but if they weren't careful, they could be easily overwhelmed due to the spiders' numbers and even a single scratch would be very, very bad due to the venom.
Reappearing from amidst the trees, she ran towards both the girl and the guy with a surprising speed, jumping and stepping on one of the spiders before landing nearby them, taking a low, aggressive stance as she put herself in front of both of them, using her tail to form a defensive perimeter in order to try and at least slow down the spiders. Hissing and showing her teeth, claws and talons to the spiders, Myra looked behind towards both of them and pointing away from the spiders, urging them to follow her and run away.

Terneus Andros

The morning was a sour one, if one were a governor. There had been no sign of edible things along the path he had gone, and the signs didn't make any sense to him. They all seemed to be like very crude drawings, not at all like proper elven signs which were delicate, intricate and far superior. But where exactly had he gone, it felt like he had gone for days with his legs and he felt like throwing up whenever he was reminded of the disgracefulness of having drunk water from a muddy pool. Who knew what else had stuffed it's ugly mug in it, all manner of beasts and inferior things. The elf quickly shook his head, he couldn't allow himself to stoop to such a level to dwell on lesser creatures. Which in the larger picture were insignificant no doubt.

The hardships put forth, he had cleared them all with elegance, at least he thought so. The gods were most certainly going to reward him soon for his temporary sacrifice and suffering. Then the elf's ears began to twitch, what in the elven graces was causing that noise? It was with outmost boldness that the governor decided to step into the forest, what were in the forest that could possibly pose a threat to an elf of his standing. No doubt with every pitiful critter simply scatter upon seeing him. No doubt had the birds and other creatures spread far and wide the words of the generousity, grace but also the power of one such as he.

Then he heard a whistle and some sound against the floor, the unmistaken sound of a horse. A horseman in the forest? Perhaps one of his servants looking for him or perhaps someone having been dispatched to relieve him of his troubles. It was with a mix of anger and annoyance that the elf saw a figure ride further away from him.

"He-" He began to open his mouth to yell towards the horseman and his passanger which resembled some kind of beast. 'A tamer out here?' The elf thought as he moved through the various bushes. Where did all that spiderweb comes from anyways? Some ranger had certainly failed his woodsman tasks of keeping the forests tidy.

Then the elf saw something ahead, two other figures fighting against what seemed to be large arachnids.

'I cannot allow myself to be looking bad here. Ugh...' The elf pinched the bridge of his nose, which reminded him of his pain in his face and that made him boil over. All the walking, no food, no servant, no clear water, no wine... That's it. It was time to let go of a little steam, but surely the elven governor was a man of patience, understanding and restraint.

"Die you eightlegged vermin! I've killed two-hundred of your ilk already!" He yelled and raised his hand to shoot beams of light to pierce some of the spiders. And it was not long after that he recognized one of the figures.

'Isn't that the half-wit Kalay- Kenova... whatever her name was travelling with. Fortune at last!' The elf suddenly felt more energy coming to him.

"Where is your mistress, half-wi- Ah." He took a moment to cough and change his question. "Your. MISTRESS. Where. Is. She? Do-you-understand?" The governor pointed to Malachi and then to his own forehead, trying his luck at body langauge. After all, someone in the gathering was clearly lacking a few noble steeds in their stable. Terneus also set the eyes on the other figure next to Malachi, what manner of beast was this? Like a... fat elf without the graceful ears? Probably some kind of disgusting demi-human or experiment.

"Oh surely you jest? This is just a fraction of what one may achieve if there is a will to do it. The powers I possess however be nothing compared to the potential that the humans possess. I've seen their destructive and defensive powers firsthand after all. Not a thing many have seen, and even less spoken of. Also you are most welcome, how very refreshing with someone who appreciates the gift of the gods." Elthrael made a bowing motion with the top part of his body towards Zephyrin, with one hand behind his back, slightly like how a butler would greet people.

"Poetic? Isn't life itself very much so? It has a prologue and an epilogue. Almost as if we all are part of a grand book of some kind, where the end of it shall forever be another page yonder. What ultimately matters is if we obtain what we desire in the chapters which we are part of. It applies to everyone. To the rebel princess, to Aklenroth, to the the humans... to everyone whom live or has lived. One could say life itself is like a maze, where we are all searching for the fabled ending where all of our wishes and dreams come true." The moth fairy smiled and closed his eyes momentarily, walking up closer to Zephyrin.

"Natural charm hm? Well, you are quite the natural beauty yourself, certainly not lacking in the finer things. I'd imagine there are things far sweeter than apples though for those intrigued." The fairy set his eyes at Zephyrin's mouth, more specifically her lips. His own mouth creating a sligt smile with one of his sharper cornerteeth becoming visible, and almost seeming to sparkle for a moment before he turned his attention towards Kenia.

"My my, aren't you quick to jump to conclusions, elven missy. As curved with your tongue as you are with your body. One could almost think you had the imagery already worked out in your head. Must be those keen elven senses hm? Lest you be keen on just thinking of me? My my... the indecency!" Elthrael smirked towards Kenia upon hearing her words, he passed along a wink in her direction, followed by a soft chuckle. The fairy's magic began to work further on the now small tree of apples, causing several red ones to grow from it. Elthrael pocketed two of them, putting them into his attire, and a third which he decided to take a bite out of.

The fruit was indeed sweet, almost as sweet as the coming future would hopefully be. Of all those fighting the lich king, he had to make sure that in the end he would hold all the cards or this world would be lost. All the lives lost up until this point, all the animals and forestation that had been reduced to ashes. Such a sacrifice wouldn't have to be for naught. "Ahh, but ofcourse we shall continue our 'Woo-hoo'ing' session along the way, oh glorious leader. Your permission has also been noted, Kenia." The moth fairy snickered, with the red apple in front of his mouth.

"Nothing like meeting new people and threatening them with imminent death at the first sign of danger. Ahh, all the emotions bringing people together. Unbelievable isn't it?" The fairy chuckled as he looked between the groupmembers, readying up to leave.

Baraian Paladice

"Forgive me friend for my silence, it's just that I didn't expect things to turn this way. This place really is the cesspool of the world. It reeks..." The dark elf wrinkled his nose, coughing and putting some cloth in front of his mouth and nose. There was no way they could stay where they were, the smell itself whilst surely not enough to kill them. The various other things could infect them and make them sick enough to the point of death.

"We cannot stop here.. we need to keep moving.." The dark elf said in a weary tone, the prospect of death wasn't the reason that pushed him forwards. It was to see the end of the rebellion and if his dream would come true. While everything had not gone according to plan, it was still underway. The injury caused by the elven governor however was still making it's presence known. How could he not had seen it coming? It irked him, of all people he had to be wounded by a complete fool. A powerful fool however.

The dark elf looked over the two women in the company as they ventured forth. "Do not lose hope. We will make it through this... believe in yourselves and that good will prevail." The dark elf said in his monotone voice, before offering his non damaged shoulder as a support for any of the women would they want it.

'Heh... speaking words not even I believe in, what a joke. There is no hope for this world. There never were. People will never change. The only release from this hellish existance is death. Death of it all.' The dark elf grew silent again, dwelling on his own throughts as if channeling them like they were some form of mantras.

"Do not let my appearance make you uneasy, none hates Aklenroth more than I. We'll definitely defeat him and bring peace to Avalia." Baraian said in his usual monotone voice, but with some reassurance.

'A lie? Not fully... I hate him as much as everything else. Hate... is my only true companion until we all shall be consumed in a final Golden Death.' The dark elf clenched his teeth togetherw, to stop himself from laughing.

As Darius feasted on one of the fish provided and cooked by Bowyn, he silently watched and listened to going ons of the rest of the group. If anyone here knew him any better, they would find Darius' behavior troubling. He was normally the social butterfly, but there was much weighing on his mind. So much had happened last night, but there was also so much more to come. He tried to ignore Elthrael's display of magic as it made him uneasy. He was still shaking off last night's nightmare.

When Kenia finally spoke up, it was to address the group in continuing their journey to the rendezvous point her allies had established. He figured she would also address Zephyrin the way she had, giving the same warning she had given the rest of the members of the group. Kind of reminded him of Kol... Kol disguised as a hot female light elf named Kenia? At this point with all of the skin wearing and disguising, Darius wouldn't be all that surprised even though he was aware of how unlikely it was. Darius watched for Zephyrin's reply, wondering how the newcomer would respond to Kenia's icy words.

Zephyrin's polite reply was nice to hear. Even if it was faked, it meant she had some level of tact which would keep the dynamic of the group running quite smoothly. No infighting yet.

When Zephyrin's sights landed on him, he stared back. He wasn't used to such a look toward himself. It was the same one he may have had upon first seeing Edenia or Roshmi City. As a human he was a curiosity in this world, but this was not something he was used to so he just assumed Zephyrin was just captivated by his good looks. Sorry Elthrael. He shot her a warm smile before addressing the group himself as he stood up and cleared his throat.

"If anyone needs water for the road, I can spot you… I mean I can provide some before and probably even during the trip." He wasn't sure if Avalians used that particular term in that way and kept it simple.

Bowyn simply shrugged and returned the smile as Kenia thanked him for bringing back fish. It had seemed the best way to contribute something to the group; Darius could provide water, Kenia had seemed to unofficially put herself in charge and, more importantly, had supplied them with mead, and while Vaeril seemed to mostly keep to himself he was at least useful in a fight. On the other hand, Elthrael’s biggest contribution currently seemed to be running his mouth, which, at least, made him entertaining company.

“Do you not agree that any sign of danger should be swiftly dealt with? Or are you so blinded by a pretty face that you forget just how much danger we are already in and just how much more there is to come?” Bowyn asked, glancing towards Elthrael. While he hoped the forest fairy was simply planning a game of poke the bear with Kenia, he didn’t know Elthrael well enough to know if he was the type who would put his own conquests before the safety of the group. He didn’t doubt Elthrael would keep a close eye on the newcomer but would he actually be watching her for any sign that she was a threat? While Kenia’s approach was blunter than his own, it seemed necessary to make clear that any betrayal would not go unpunished.

“I see that despite Elthrael’s best efforts you seem more interested in Darius. I’ll echo Kenia’s sentiment; we have extended trust to you, betray that and it will not end well for you. But if your interests really do lie in adventure, and maybe even in doing something that truly matters, then you will find yourself welcomed here. The same protection we extend to each other, would include you as well.” Bowyn returned his attention to Zephyrin, using hollow words and an empty smile to frame the rebellion as something appealing to one he saw as young and naive. While it remained to be seen if anything they did would actually matter, it did matter to Bowyn. He had goals he could at least grasp at, and if he was willing to fight and even kill for them, he was certainly willing to stretch the truth for them.

It certainly did not escape Bowyn that manipulating someone into the rebellion was upsettingly close to being just as bad as using humans as pawns in a war. He could rationalize, tell himself that Zephyrin had a choice, not a great one either way, but it was still there. What he couldn’t deny though was the knowledge that if anyone had told him just how much rebellion could cost, back when he still had things to lose, even when he had been young and naive, he would’ve chosen differently. But full on rebellion had been brought here, and with it meant sacrifices, not just of lives but of any claim to moral highgrounds. One thing that was certain was that Aklenroth would not hold back, the lich would be ruthless in his pursuit of victory. If a rebellion were to succeed they had to be just as willing to cross lines. Bowyn found himself now willing to sacrifice parts of his humanity for the safety of those he cared about and for his newfound goals. Perhaps this was a similar realization Risa might’ve come to when she chose to bring humans here. As Bowyn readied himself to leave, he wondered if he had in fact judged the princess too harshly. He hoped whatever her motives were would become clearer once they reached the port.

Time: Morning
Location: Sewers of Roshmi
Interactions: @13org Ayita @hide on mana Kuroi @Dezuel Baraian
Mentions:

---

Torvi had been rather silent the entire night as they made their way through the slums. She only spoke when the need arose and even then it was simple responses to questions. When they would come across those that wished them harm she would assist Kuroi, taking notice that he preferred not to kill many of the guards. She didn't quite understand it, but she followed his lead there. There was no sense in upsetting the one who was leading them out of the city.

Now she stood on the street looking down and the entrance to the sewers. She hadn't really understood what a sewer was, but now that she could smell it she was piecing things together. While the smell was unpleasant, it didn't compare to the smell of a corpse that had been sitting for days in the summertime. That was a smell that had graced her nose quite a few times as she often was one to help prepare a body to be sent off to Valhalla.

As the others made their way into the sewers, the exhaustion apparent on everyone's faces, she remained above ground for a moment. She began ripping at the bottom of her dress, making stops of semi-clean cloth. Once she finished, Torvi tied one of the pieces around her face to cover her nose and mouth. The makeshift mask helped lessen the smell a bit and she hoped it would help the others as well.

She made her way down into the sewer and looked at her companions briefly. Everyone was worn out, Ayita and Kuroi especially it seemed. While she was feeling it as well and would be lying if she said she wouldn't enjoy taking a break, but she knew they needed to get out of there. She handed one of the strips of cloth to Ayita as she watched poor Kuroi collapse. She then moved to Baraian and held out the scrap of cloth as she listened to him speak and offer to help support one of them. "You will have to forgive me, but I will likely continue to be skeptical of you until it is absolutely proven to me that you mean no harm. It may be unfair, but it's hard to trust a dark elf when it seems like the rest of your people want me dead. I can not help but wonder if you have ulterior motives." She told him bluntly before moving on to Kuroi.

She did her best to help the man back up, using what little strength she still had before offering him the cloth and her own shoulder for support. "Perhaps if we support each other it'll give us just the right amount of strength to get us out of here and then we can rest a bit more comfortably." She offered him a weak smile, trying to be a little encouraging at least.

Cade was relieved to find that Cora neither thought he was crazy or wrong for bringing up such a dark topic. For someone who, by her own words, had not experienced war or even hunted, he was surprised at how much like a warrior she spoke. He did not doubt that she meant what she said, and he nodded in agreement; it was better to die fighting than to simply not try. “Avalia chose well in bringing you here. Some believe that the DROMs are simply random, but I doubt that. I think Avalia, the very soul of this place, chooses her heroes carefully. The humans who came here long ago were great heroes, we have stories and songs to honor them. Perhaps one day people will tell stories and sing of our bravery as well.” Cade said with a smile as he retrieved the gamey rodent meat from the fire.

“Do you not come from a tribe? It is both like a community and a family…” Cade began explaining what a tribe was confused by her question from early. Then it occurred to him that perhaps she wanted to know about the tribe Ayita was from rather than not understanding the word itself. “Ayita, the first human I met, shared stories from her tribe, about their lands in the plains and mountains and the sorts of creatures they would hunt. She also told me of her tribe’s enemy, white men, who destroyed these lands, motivated by greed and power not unlike the lich who rules here. From what you have shared, your home sounds different. You have no need to hunt and have not been to war, are you from a great city? Like Roshmi? Are you of the noble class to have your food farmed and prepared for you?” Cade asked.

From the little Cora had shared about her experience on Earth it sounded very different from what he had heard so far and he found himself intensely curious about what the cities on Earth must be like. Were they as impressive as Roshmi? Cora herself was interesting as well, neither a hunter or warrior by trade, but still so willing to fight. It was a vastly different outlook from the majority of those he knew in Roshmi. So many creatures here had allowed city life to make them soft, willing to live with tyranny rather than take the risk to fight for something better. He didn’t see how it could be just mere luck that the very best of humanity was often who stepped through the DROMs. Cade offered the freshly cooked meat to Cora atop a large leaf to use as a plate, then grabbed one for himself, and left a third for Elsea as well. He could tell Cora looked much less excited about the breakfast than he was, and grinned slightly. “Not as grand as the feast from the ball but it is certainly better than eating cave bugs.” He added, teasing the human.

Cade was using a lot of his self control to keep from overwhelming the human with questions. While there were dozens of things he still wanted to know about Earth and what it was like, more than certain that many if not all of her answers would be different from Ayita’s, they needed to eat quickly so that they could get moving. Questions could always be asked later as they traveled and he wanted to cover as much ground as possible and get as far away from Roshmi as they could before they would need to rest again. Cade tore into his own portion of meat quickly, even though the food at the ball had been good he much preferred this. He could hunt it himself and he didn’t have to use the silly cutlery that the elves liked so much to eat it with.

---

Apparently Elsea had really needed some sleep and hadn't realized it as the instant they got settled in the cave she fell asleep hard. There were no dreams that graced her that night nor were there nightmares. Just solid, heavy sleep. The stresses of the day...no, the stresses of the entire time she'd been in Avalia were beginning to take their toll so it was no surprise that she didn't hear either Cade or Corvina awake. She also didn't initially hear their talking either. What actually woke her was the smell of breakfast.

Her eyes opened and she lay there for a minute staring up at the ceiling of the cave. She blinked a few times as she tried to gain her bearings and that's when the voices of the other two began to register with her. She listened for a moment, taking note of someone in a tribe, feeling slight confusion as where she came from they no longer lived in tribes. Once they did, but now they were separated out into clans that were overseen by lairds and those lairds were overseen by a king. Where had this person they were talking about come from that still had tribes?

Then something else caught her attention and she found herself finally sitting up and looking to her companions, or more specifically, to Cora. "Where in the bloody hells is the United States of America?" She looked at the girl in complete and utter confusion, having never heard of this place before. She moved so she too was now sitting with them and noticed the food that was cooking. She glanced over to Cade who seemed to be the one that had caught the food and gave him a smile.

"Thank you for breakfast, it looks absolutely delicious." Elsea said as she grabbed some of the meat. She was no stranger to eating rat before, having done so multiple times back home. When times were hard you had to make do with whatever you could get your hands on and sometimes that required eating rats.

Time: Morning
Location: Forest near Roshmi
Interactions:@Potter@Dezuel@13org@baraquiel


Malachi was surprised that the white creature had come back and jumped in front of them for defense. It was unusual behavior from a demon and he was shocked that she even cared. She seemed to have good instinct so he began to wager his options for only a split second before the all too familiar voice of Terneus reached his ears before he could react to the demon beckoning them to leave. He bit back a groan. Belladonna would have to conceal her magic, thus could not defend herself in this situation. He glanced at the governor with a stoic expression. He was referring to Kenia he supposed. Normally he'd be happy for the extra help in the battle, but Malachi was grumpy. He wasn't a morning person. "We got separated. Don't you have a city to govern?"

He glanced back at Belladonna and then at Myra, before facing the spiders again. He moved forward slightly to aim his bow in the air as the arrow was quickly imbued with light magic. He channeled light energy from the surroundings as he shot one arrow up and a cascade of multiple arrows made completely of light began raining down on the spiders, lighting up the area. It was a bigger attack than he had hoped to expend his energy on so early, but it could not be helped. It wouldn't destroy all of them, but Malachi was sure it would do a good deal amount of damage enough for them to try to put some distance. He was sure these were babies and there had to be a mother back where the blue hue was coming from. Though he wanted to rid of her and create a safer forest for the humans and other allies, it would be risky for his other two companions considering Belladonna could not protect herself without exposing herself.

"Alright, you win, furry thing." He told Myra, then glanced towards Belladonna then at Terneus, "There's a mother spider back there that will be life-risking to battle. Retreat." He grabbed Belladonna's hand to tug her into a run.

Truth be told, Ayita could understand why Torvi didn't trust Baraian yet. In fact, she had her own doubts about everyone there, but given the situation they were, betraying each other right now was suicide. She kept hearing in silence as Torvi and Baraian spoke with each other as Torvi handed strips of cloth for them to make a makeshift mask such as hers.

"You have my gratitude. This will surely help against this terrible smell..." Ayita said, doing the same as Torvi herself did, tying the strips of cloth into a makeshift mask.

"We were all forced into a situation were we don't have many alternatives but to cooperate if we want to live. Betrayal and infighting right now would be just suicide. Just as Torvi said, we should support each other. Once we get out of this, then we can start thinking about if we can trust each other or not. After all... It's not like we have any other options at the moment." she said. Her words, unlike Torvi's which were encouraging, were simply brutally honest.

As she finished tying the strip of cloth over her mouth and nose, which helped a lot to lessen the foul smell of the sewers and even allowed her to breathe a bit easier. Turning to Torvi, Ayita nodded, thanking her in silence.

"Funny... I once met a demon who said something similar." Ayita said, turning to Baraian with a half smile.

"Demons aren't trustworthy. They lie, deceive and scheme, but if there is one thing you can have absolute trust about a demon is on their hatred." she said with a chuckle, remembering about Inori, whom was, along with Cade, one of the first people she met when she came to this world.

"I'm not sure if it's the same for dark elves but maybe you might have some demon blood in you..." she said, jokingly.

"Anyways... At least for now, the enemy of my enemy is my friend." she finished with an exhausted sigh trying to conserve as much energy as she could. She was being sure to take the best out of every second they had to rest. Now that the foul smell was lessened thanks to Torvi's makeshift mask, it made resting considerably easier.




While Myra was surprised and alarmed when she saw the strange beams of light flying in the air, together with a light elf that approached the group, going as far as hissing and growling to him as well, the moment she realized that he was killing the spiders, she immediately stopped, acknowledging he was on their side. That said, the fact that he was also trying to kill the spiders wouldn't prevent her from being a bit wary about him. Unlike the couple whom she and Mathis had camped with, she didn't know him nor had a reason to trust other than that he was killing the spiders. Still, she knew that every help would be welcome.

Despite the strange elf arriving to help them, Myra still thought that staying and fighting wasn't a really good choice and continue on a purely defensive stance, her using her tail to create a defensive perimeter around them while swiping it in the air if any spider got too close. Knowing that they were venomous, Myra didn't want to risk striking them with her tail, instead simply kept threatening them and looking back to the girl and the blonde elf that was with her while the white haired elf that had just arrived stopped fighting for a moment as he looked to the blonde elf and started making some weird gestures as he spoke in a really strange manner. The way he pointed towards the blonde elf and to his own forehead could only be interpreted by Myra as a question if his head was unharmed or something like that. Interestingly enough, the words he said seemed to suggest otherwise due to the word 'where', which Myra knew that was used when someone was searching for something.

Despite her curiosity in the weird, white haired elf, which honestly did distract Myra for a brief moment, she quickly turned her attention to the spiders once more, while keeping looking back at the blonde elf and the girl with an urgent expression, pointing away from the spiders with a clear nervousness. Thankfully, it seemed the blond elf had understood what she was frantically trying to tell them. Giving a step forward, the blonde elf aimed his bow upwards and shot a strange, shining arrow. After a brief moment, many arrows made only of light began raining down from above, striking the spiders, killing and damaging a lot of them, enough to clear them a good and safe escape route.

The very moment he yelled them to run, Myra dashed ahead, using her enhanced senses to go as far away as she could from the spiders while being careful to not go too fast to make them lose sight of her. Thanks to her enhance sense of smell, aided by her tongue which darted in and out of her mouth as she ran, she quickly steered the group away from the spiders, stopping when they were in a safe spot.

---

---

Due to Malachi's attack, a great portion of the spiders was killed, causing some of them to scurry back in fear to the den. Hōshasen was just there, seething with rage as she ensured her children were healthy and well upon coming out of their eggs. When some of her spiders came back and brought her news of the group's retreat, Hōshasen bared her fangs. "Such cowards. Are these the ones who will really fight back against the Lich King? How pathetic." She said before turning to the other spiders. "My children! Since the so-called resistance is nothing but worthless cowards, we must take this chance to claim this forest as ours! Go forth as planned and destroy everything in your path!"

---

---

Amongst the sewers under the City of Roshmi were the group of Ayita, Torvi, Kuroi, and Baraian. They thought they were all alone but little did they know that there was a demonic presence within their midst.

A man was somewhere under the sewers with them, his wooden sandals making gentle splashes on the murky waters as he dragged the bottom of his blue clothes against the putrid waste. No one should ever find this type of environment welcoming but the man would disagree. After all, this was where he spent most of his childhood growing up. A small rodent emerged from a pile of garbage from his right and just as fast as the blink of an eye, the man struck at the rat and impaled it with his very long claws. The rat's squeaks of pain could be heard throughout the sewers but when he unhinged his jaw and showed rows of razor-sharp teeth, he swallowed the entirety of the rat in a single gulp, once again enveloping the sewers in silence.

He was told by his Master that a part of the Resistance was here and indeed they were, noticing different types of scents from the ones he was used to smelling in the sewers. He smiled in devilish glee with his forked tongue licking his lips. "How graciousss of Massster to provide me with a buffet sssuch as thisss? I am eternally grateful for her boundlessss kindnessss." Maneru the Deceptive Mist said.

He pulled out his mask that's seething with magic and put it on. He could immediately feel the mask's magic being imbued on his body and Maneru let out a sigh of contentment. "Aaah... Ssso much power within my grasssp. Perhapsss I ssshall play with my food firssst before I devour them ravenousssly." At his will, light blue mist billowed out of the edges of the mask, spreading out to fill the sewers until it was about to reach the group of Ayita, Torvi, Kuroi, and Baraian before stopping. Maneru laughed. "Hehehe... I sssee you, walking pilesss of meat."

Their group will see nothing beyond the blue mist that blocked off their path. The mist just stayed there, not making any advances towards the group at all as if an invisible force was stopping it from enveloping them too. They could only see shadows of movement beyond the mist, getting darker as they got closer before they emerged from the mist. They would be surprised to find out that they were facing their clones. Their clones wore the exact same clothes and hairstyles as the originals, even down in the way Torvi ripped off the bottom of her dress. The clones all wore blank expressions on their faces, standing in place and just staring at the originals for a few moments before Kuroi's clone made the first move and advanced on the original group, followed by the other clones.

Time: Morning
Location: Forest
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Darius @Helo Bowyn @Alivefalling “Vaeril” @Dezuel Elthrael @HowlsOfWinter Zephyrin

---

"Some may be more dependable than others." Kenia said in response to Zephyrin as her eyes glanced over to Elthrael. She doubted how dependable he would be. The man decided to leave the group last night and build himself a shelter. The lack of offering to build a shelter for all of them spoke a lot to Kenia about the type of person he was. He was selfish, that was very clear.

She'd turned back to her pack, going through it once more to take inventory of what she had as she listened to the others. At Elthrael's words towards her she considered for a moment hurling the throwing dagger she was glancing at in her pack at him, but Bowyn's words made her pause. She decided she liked this winter fairy. He could be blunt and had quite the sharp tongue. She enjoyed this much more than flowery words much like Elthrael liked to use. She'd have to thank Bowyn later for helping keep her from losing her temper.

"You caught me, Elthrael. I had QUITE an image in my head. You know I've always fantasized about castrating a man and feeding him his own balls and I couldn't help imagine you being the perfect candidate. Care to help me in fulfilling this fantasy?" She asked as she stood and slung her pack over her shoulder, giving the moth man a sadistic grin. Scarily enough there was something in her eyes that said she wasn't joking about this.

She then turned to Darius and her grin turned into an appreciative one. "That'll be very helpful, thank you Darius." She then glanced at everyone else, eager to get moving. "Shall we?" She asked, though truth be told even if they weren't ready she was going to start heading out shortly.

Elthrael Vol'Kerno

Each action has a reaction. This is something he learnt long ago, his mentor often told him the importance of consequences. How it all was linked together like a massive long chain of events. Much like the events which had passed on in the past, the events of the present and those which would lie in wait in the future. The most cunning of all hide behind a mask of a fool, yet if he remains behind that mask for too long he may become the fool. Yet reveal a part of yourself, and others may come to do the same as a statement of either agreement or disagreement. Much could be learnt from it. Much had been learnt from it.

Kenia, the elven woman was displaying her nature openly and drawing attention to herself. She wouldn't be an ally of the lich, that much was certain to him. The male winter fairy was similar to the elven woman, yet not as openly dreadful with his words. He showed concern for the group, not a trait of a spy or a servant of the lich for certain. Out of those present, he seemed the least likely to be serving the lich king and that made him an ally. His perception of the moth fairy's words and behaviour to Zepherin made more of his nature known.

'How easily some can reveal their true nature just by their words or actions... but people can only react in manners of their own experience. Not all bear the luxery that my mentor bestowed upon me.'

The female winter fairy, Zephyrin was appearing grateful and energetic. A big contrast to her male counterpart, yet such could also be a fine thing. Her nature however was far more difficult to discern, the girl had a look about her. That of a sly little vixen, the girl was certainly worthy to make note of. Perhaps she was the most similar to him out of all present, time would however tell if such would indeed be the case. Patience would reward those who'd had it, and Elthrael had the patience to wait. Bide his time, watch his companions closely with penetrating intent. The human of the company, was a hydromancer? Just like how Elsea had controlled the very flames themselves, this man could wield water to his bidding? That power was certainly grand in it's own way. But if this was the case, than this man wouldn't be able to defeat the lich alone. How could one drown something which doesn't even breathe? It was a pity, had he had been given control over the fire that Elsea had things may have worked out more fine. But as it now looked, there would be no reason to train him to become stronger if he cannot do anything to the lich. Just how many more humans were in Avalia? Were the rebellion doomed to fail?

'He listens well however, that itself is promising. A thinking man is a good man. It is one you can bend to your whim with the right words. That other beings find interest in you is not an oddity. It is to be expected. Even if ultimately it may prove to be a disappointment.' He thought briefly back about Elsea, then he watched as Zephyrin's attention set on Darius. The moth fairy adorned his corner-toothed smirk as he turned his head to answer.

"To act one must first see, to see one must focus, to focus one must remain calm in thought aswell as form. Though I can see how the fair missy's snow-coloured skin can be blinding. As for the the danger, it hasn't changed at all for me." He allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips. "Trust none, none in this group nor this world. That is the best service you can do to yourself and those who share your path along the way. The only thing you can trust is that people will do what is within their nature to do, whatever that may be." The moth fairy mused softly, moving away some strands of his white hair from his face, allowing them to join his hair flowing over his shoulders.

Kenia's reaction to his words had not been met well or so it seemed, as the woman had barraged him with words. And so early in the day too. He felt obligated to return the favour at that point, to simply let it slip would be rude. "Much akin to the yellow and green fruits when they are newly grown, you seem overly sour. Must be that elven women age like milk or akin, after all you do not look -that- young." It was in a taunting manner that his words were chosen, they came out of his mouth almost with a pouty-looking expression on his face, before his face completely changed to be fully serious.

"Though if you were intending to fulfill said fantasy of yours, I would have no other choice but to squeeze you... like a lemon... until you run dry." His mouth showed no sign of jesting, his gaze cold towards Kenia before his lips formed into a smile and his expression changed to a more amused one. "So pleasantries aside, shall we get moving hm? Like following the flow in a stream wouldn't you say, Darius?"