Time: Morning
Location: Outside of Roshmi City
Interactions: @FunnyGuy@Dezuel@Helo@HowlsOfWinter@Tae


Vaeril had stayed away from the group and avoided talking for the most part during the morning, but this was all part of the bigger picture. He had a plan, though it could make others suspicious of him, he could use it as a way to help as he had watched many people die during the ball he hosted. He found his company to be rather cold-blooded as they had moved on quicker from the traumatic night than he had initially thought they would. Vaeril had finally decided to get up from lying down all morning to join the group. He had decided it best to sleep in and gather his energy while getting to skip all the small talk. However, it was best he’d prepare himself for his little charade.

He emerged, stumbling, with tears dripping down his face. It helped that he had seen the looks of traumatized men who had lost everything more than he was willing to bet anyone in Avalia. It was child’s play to mimic the look.

”Darius!”He called to him. As he got close enough, he handed Darius a half drank bottle of mournwine and crumbled down to the grass. Doing a quick scope of the group that had looked like the quick glance of a traumatized man to the eyes of others, he noticed that another winter fairy had stumbled their way into southern Avalia. Vaeril found this quite intriguing when regarding the mere rarity of the race he’d be joined by not one but two of them.

“Ooh...Good morning. My humble apologies for sleeping in. It was a big night to take in. “ He tried to smile through dried tears and then turned his head to Zephyrin. “Hello there. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Vaeril.”

He had not spent much time with the group but it was clear their opinions of the revolution were contradicting each other. He was not sure yet if they’d all stay together or if they would somehow be bound together towards a common destination. “I think it’d be wise to create even more distance from Roshmi, yes?” Vaeril seemed to have little concern for what they had previously been discussing and had interrupted it with his words. With a shaking hand, he leaned against the tree, struggling to get back on his feet. He looked to Darius for help. “I am so sorry I am like this I am making a fool of myself, could you please pick me up and maybe grab me something to eat?”

---

---

'Ah.. is that hairstyle popular in the human world?'

The winter fairy was in her own head, coming up with a list of questions to ask Darius about the human world. Were all humans as tall as him? And is it true that their sun was made out of gold?

As thoughts and questions swirled around in her head, she no longer paid attention to the other individuals as they bickered. She only continued to openly stare at the human from his head to toe.

'Then, what about-'

The winter fairy's train of thought was interrupted by the words Bowyn had directed towards her, his almost-icy tone and change in demeanor having caught her attention. Zephyrin's scarlet eyes darted towards the male winter fairy, scrutinizing him. She gazed at his face, from his conflicted eyes and down to his brittle smile. That, coupled with the solemn expression he wore on his face sent warning signals to Zephyrin.

Eye behavior can be very telling, and Bowyn's eyes showed telltale signs of an internal conflict. He seemed to be arguing with himself over what was right and wrong, or rather, it looked like he was convincing himself that he was doing the right thing. Either way, he was definitely hiding something. Whatever it was, Zephyrin would soon find out.

As Zephyrin studied Bowyn's face, she wore a mask of confusion and innocence. It didn't look like she was trying to analyze him, she just looked confused and almost hurt by the comment he had made.

Feigning a lack of understanding over what he had meant by his words, Zephyrin merely replied in a naive and carefree manner, as if to imply that her being interested in Darius was normal and not at all questionable.

"Of course I'm interested in Darius! I've only heard about humans through tales of adventure. Meeting one is like meeting a real-life hero from my favorite book!" Zephyrin chuckled in a hearty manner, then looked down at her hands shyly.

"Oh, but I'm interested in Elthreal, too! I've never met a forest fairy before, let alone one who can make an apple tree grow in mere seconds! It was the best apple I've ever tasted. I feel very lucky." Zephyrin added, her smile growing wider. Nothing seemed amiss, nor was there a trace of lie in her words. But of course, this was because she had only spoken the truth.

When manipulating the way that people viewed her, Zephyrin realized she did not have to be a good liar. She only had to present the truth in a manner that best fit her narrative. And by using the word "interested" in a different context, Zephyrin was able to show that her interests came from an innocent place. Like a child simply amused by the wonders that surrounded her.

After Zephyrin made her last statement, she looked towards Elthreal, whose eyes were roaming around the place and assessing everyone keenly. She noticed the way his penetrating gaze scoped his surroundings, making sure that no one was behaving suspiciously.

Zephyrin did not overlook the way his eyes particularly lingered on the male elf for a moment longer that it did with anyone else. This caused Zephyrin to look towards the male elf who had been quiet up until now. Zephyrin shot him a friendly smile after he introduced himself.

"Good morning, Vaeril." She replied.

To Zephyrin, Vaeril just looked like a normal elf who had gone through a rough night. However, if a man like Elthreal had a reason to be wary of him, then he must be someone worth keeping an eye on.

Elthreal was not a simple man. He liked to speak in riddles, and it was obvious to Zephyrin that he was more perceptive than the others. It was evident in his scrutinizing gaze. He may have welcomed Zephyrin, but he did not trust her. By keeping his suspicions to himself instead of vocalizing it and warning her like the others had done, he had put himself in a favorable position. Zephyrin would be more lax around him, and thus be more prone to slip. It was a good thing she'd caught that detail.

When dealing with a suspicious person, it was a far more effective technique than threats. By giving her a stern warning, Kenia and Bowyn had only managed to drive Zephyrin further into her shell. Now Zephyrin would be more cautious at maintaining her facade around them.

It was in this way that Elthreal differed from them, and that made him more dangerous. Despite being able to see through his actions, Zephyrin couldn't read his intentions. She would have to be even more careful around him.

That aside, Zephyrin didn't know what was was keeping the group on edge, but it must have been something big if they were this suspicious of each other. It was clear to her now that this group did not travel together because of camaraderie; they traveled together because they had the same goal. However, they seemed to driven by different motives.

Whatever was keeping them on their toes, Zephyrin was not particularly interested about it. All that mattered was that she no longer had to travel alone in such an unfamiliar place. As long as they were useful to her, she would continue traveling with them.

"Ah, alright!" Zephyrin eagerly responded to Kenia and Elthreal as they got ready to leave. She dusted her red dress and started walking.

Alas, her bath would have to be postponed.

---

Elthrael and Kenia clashed like two elderly women fighting over the last cup of tapioca pudding in a retirement home for the ninth time in a month… except they had just met each other… and they weren't old women… well one of them could be considered old, but you know how elves are. Darius let those two have at it as he just figured they just weren't compatible yet. To him, the sexual tension was as clear as day. And no, the previous analogy about the retirement home did not apply to that. He gave them both warm smiles when they addressed him individually.

"Just trying to pull my weight." He replied to Kenia.

"More like going… with the flow.'" Darius quipped to Elthrael with a smirk. Despite how selfish the guy seemed, he liked the way he talked. Like Dr. Seuss or something.

When Zephyrin spoke up about her interest in him, Darius mentally facepalmed. That makes way more sense of why she's staring at me. A hero… I guess...

Zephyrin continued, stating she had never seen a forest fae either, which gave the impression she did not get around much. Before even the ball, Darius had seen a bit of every race. Every race except hers. Darius was not the sharpest guy around, but Bowyn and this female shared a resemblance. He also recalled last night when Eltrhrael indicated Bowyn's kind did not usually venture this far south. He was nearly lost in his pondering when his name was called by… Vaeril.

”Darius!” He turned to face Vaeril who stumbled over while handing him a half-drank bottle.

"Vaeril? You…" He stared at the bottle labeled as "mournwine." From what he remembered, Kol had told him was a beverage dark elves especially drank during their lowest points. "When the pain is too much." Darius whispered softly as he repeated the words that Kol had shared with him after one of their training sessions. Darius' eyes were fixated on the bottle as Vaeril played his game. He was now an elf plagued with sorrow from last night's events. It was his ball after all where so many had perished.

Darius gripped the bottle tight as he considered indulging in its contents. Perhaps another time. Darius let out a heavy sigh as he stood to help Vaeril get up off the grass.

"It's okay old man. Helping you up is the least I could do. Plus, you'll owe me once we get back home. Deal?" Darius grinned as he handed him a speared fish. Vaeril was much too heavy for Darius to carry while traveling, so he simply got beside Vaeril and wrapped his arm around his back to his side with the mournwine bottle still in his grip. "Now just get your arm over my shoulder and we'll be ready to rock until you sober up some." Darius looked to the group with an uneasy smile like Yeah I know my friend is kind of embarrassing. "We can keep up. Let's get out of here already." And with that and a little bit of clean up, the group set out towards the port.

Time:Late Afternoon ~ 3pm
Location: River Kingdom, behind The Pretty Flower




The male voice's words could be heard over the chatter of the tavern from the inside, which raised in volume as it reached the air at the end of his words. The back wood door of the bar flew open and his eyes fixated down on Risa. He sounded quite annoyed but he was trying to conceal it out of politeness. Risa found herself meeting eyes with the bartender who let out a hushed shrill noise of panic upon seeing her. She had her purple cape wrapped around her and her hood over her head, but she knew it wasn't enough to conceal her identity for very long.

He grabbed her wrist and hastily led her up the outdoor staircase to the second floor. Risa stumbled as he tossed her forward into the small apartment. She turned to watch as he shut the door behind them, locking it. The male fairy with his green, ripped-up pants and matching green wings provided Risa a sense of nostalgia that almost made her relax despite everything. She moved her hood off her head and awaited his attention.

He turned and threw his arms around her, hugging her tight, "Young lovey, do ye even realize the amount of trouble you've gotten yourself into?! Oh my flowers!" He put his hand up around her head to pet it comfortingly. "People have been talking about you night and day. Oh and coming right into the plaza with the kind of reputation you've crafted! Though I'm more than impressed ye managed to do it without getting caught."

Risa returned the hug and waited until it was over to address his words. It had been tricky. Following up the river to River Kingdom had been easy. Traveling between the two areas had been so commonplace to her. She and Kyran had bounced between them almost daily as kids and Helio had flown with her more times than she could count. After checking that Artemis wasn't in their meeting place yet, she had made her way straight to the plaza. Having to sneak around the back of the bar in the past to avoid getting seen drunk, she had also learned the back alleys quite well, so she had decided it was worth the risk to meet with Vereon. However, the stakes had been higher than ever. She knew if even one dark elf saw her, it would be the end for her.

"You don't know the half of it."Risa sighed tiredly as he held her upper arms, looking her and down. He unhooked her cape and led her to a chair to sit down. She practically melted into it out of exhaustion, leaning her head back over the edge, "I don't think I've ever been happier to see you."

Vereon went to work fixing her a cup of tea, glancing over his shoulder at her. "And I to see ya, little lady. Don't withhold not even a peep of the story. Did ye go to a ball in a dress that beautiful? I hoped you'd have been being less conspicuous."

"I'll tell you everything, Vereon.. I just-..." Risa began to tell him, tiredly picking her head up to glance his way.

He frowned, cutting her off, "Relax first, lovey. Don't get yaself ill." Vereon soon moved to crouch down by her chair and place the tea in her hands.

She smiled faintly at him, grasping it tighter than usual.

"You've changed, rosebud." He said sadly, "Usually that smile is so wide it can't fit your face... And I think this might be the first time I've seen you without-" Vereon stopped himself as his brain caught up and put together a few possibilities. "If ye plan on getting drunk and puking on the bar again..."He started teasingly, quickly trying to switch the tone of the conversation.

Risa hid the sadness his words brought him and instead let herself giggle at his joke. "Oh no. No drinking for me." She then gestured towards her dress and asked, "Think you have any extra clothes for me if you could spare?"

"I have several of the clothing I've had to wash for ye but you've never come to collect. I suppose today is good a day as any." The fairy hopped to his feet to fetch the clothing, calling to her as he moved into his closet."We'll have to do something different about those looks, anyone would spot ye a mile away with hair that reaches almost to ya bottom!"

Time: Morning
Location: Outskirts of Roshmi
Interactions: Kyran


The night prior, Ezeri had managed to get ahold of a fairy fleeing Roshmi and “nicely” intimidate her into healing the demihuman male. He stayed unconscious for the remainder of the night, so she lugged him to a safe cave to sleep and decided to wait until morning to talk to him. She was first to wake up and went to work arranging breakfast for her, Melzor, and Anzu.

“Hey! Ezeri, when do you think that mut, inbred creature will wake up?” Melzor called to her from his spot as he lounged against the cave wall.

“Give him time, Mel. We will wait so we can see if he can move and if so we will leave. I don’t plan on staying... This place is so damp, disgusting, and cold for my taste. Maybe we will find someone who doesn’t try to kill us the moment they set eyes on us.”

” Aw but you don’t want to keep him as a pet? He’s more funny-looking than Anzu.” Melzor said with a cackle.

“Mel you should know I don’t make pets of sentient creatures.” Ezeri retorted coolly.

Melzor took a moment to catch on to her quip, replying,“I understand…. Wait, What the fuck did you just say about me?”

“You know I am joking, Mel, you're basically my best friend at this point, but seriously this boy seems distressed. He has been moving around a lot even in his sleep and muttering about something called Risa, whatever that is. I don’t want much more to do with him and his life.”

Shortly after their talk, Kyran had suddenly woke up, violently jolting upwards to a sitting position, “Risa! Where is Risa!? What happened? Where am I?” Kyran exclaimed in a panic.

“Settle down boy… You’re in a cave. I brought you here since it was the safest area outside the city. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead so consider yourself lucky.” Ezeri told him. She did not have much experience at being comforting, so that was the best he could get.

“I need to find Risa. She is my friend and we got separated. All I remember is that she was in danger when I blacked out.” Kyran told them, scrambling to his feet.

“Well I apologize but I am not here for a search and rescue and unfortunately I am stuck here in this plane for a week.”

The words coming out of this demon-like creature made absolutely no sense to Kyran. ”Plane? What?!” He repeated in confusion.

“I am not from here. I come from a place called Avernus.” She explained.

“Yeah! It’s hot as fuck there... lots of fire and molten rock more bearable weather than this shit place.” Mel interrupted the two.

“Excuse my friend there. That is Melzor; he is what is known in my plane as an imp. He tends to have a loud mouth and a way to get under your nerves quite often.

“At least I’m not a bitch,” Mel quickly retorted.

“Shut up and let him speak... As you were saying?”She returned her gaze to Kyran.

“Well I need to find my friend soon. She could be hurt or worse.” Kyran said, eager to move on from the idle chatter.

“You’re on your own. Good luck. We’ve done all we can for you.” Ezeri said as she packed up and left Kyran in the cave without another word, Melzor and Anzu following along. As far as she knew, he didn’t try to follow.

Time: Morning
Location: Forest Outside Roshmi
Interaction with: @Tae Elsea, @Helo Cade, @Potter Corvina

---

@Helo Cade

Dry leaves rustled towards the camp, signaling someone or something approaching.

"Cade! What are you doing with these people! THEY ARE THE WHITE MEN!" Ayita shouted as she arrived at the camp. She appeared to feel betrayed and full of anger. "I knew deep down you were just like them! Seeing you with them now tells me everything!" Ayita's hurt expression was a fleeting sight as she turned away and ran into the woods.
-----

@Potter Corvina

Before Elsea could answer Corvina, a light giggle sounded. One only Corvina could hear.

"Changing subjects? What's wrong? Ashamed of your family?" Linnet leaned comfortably against a tree with her arms crossed. A smile plastered on her face. "If anything we should be ashamed of you. A waste of time brat that should have been left in a dumpster. Accomplished nothing but alcoholism." Linnet sighed after speaking with such venom. A flame appeared in her palm, dancing about before grinning. I bet I'm better at this than you as well… orphan." Linnet stepped back outside of the campsite with her hands raised. Looking for a fight outside the campsite.
-----

@Tae Elsea

"Elsea… How can you be so trusting of these two. Especially one that plays with the flames that might have snatched away your life. Were your clansmen not as hospitable before the betrayal?" Umber only spoke to Elsea, not using an illusion. He remained unseen, using trees and distance as his concealment.

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


Malachi turned to the two females once they had stopped. He paused for a moment, seemingly weighing his options. His gaze moved to Myra and lingered on her. She seemed to understand English despite being nonverbal, but her intentions were still mysterious to Malachi. " From our location, we're going to head west and stay close to the shore." He said curtly. Ultimately, as long as his main goals were unthreatened, that's all he cared about.

He glanced around for the other man that had fled on the horse, but it seemed he wasn't in view. The governor hadn't seemed to catch up with them yet, but he was sure the nuisance of a man would at any moment now.

Malachi decided to begin walking and let whoever followed, followed, knowing at least Belladonna definitely would. He moved his gaze towards Myra if she so did move with them, asking, "You are looking for the companions you came to the ball with I assume. Is there a name we can call you?" Whether she could actually answer was what interested Malachi.

Cade grinned proudly as Elsea thanked him for the food. “Of course I enjoy a good early morning hunt, best way to start the day.” He said greeting the second human as she joined them as well. While he ate, Cade listened as Cora listed off several strangely named places from Earth, though he understood none of it. Her claim of being from the future was very strange, humans from different places certainly made sense but from different times was a lot to think about. If she came from the ancestors who were Ayita’s enemy was she an enemy too? Cade was certain if he met an Orc from the future that he would also consider that his enemy, but humans seemed a much more complex race than Orcs and he knew nothing about conflicts from Earth. He remembered hearing that Ayita’s lands had been burned, and he had seen Cora casually playing with fire in the palm of her hand. Was that just the human getting used to her magic, or something more sinister? The destructive nature of the white tribe whose motives had been as dark as the lich himself. Would she too burn the forests of Avalia for greed and power?

Watching as Cora tried to hide the obvious disgust at the meat, he found it difficult to imagine her being as evil as those Ayita had described. Cade had listened to Cora speak with a willingness to lay down her life for the same cause he believed in. Cade studied Cora for a moment; he thought on her statement of having been alone on Earth, and the pain hidden in those words, and he couldn’t see her as an enemy. He knew he was with these humans for a reason, they were who Avalia chose as her champions and he was meant to help them. While he knew much less of Elsea than he did of Cora, it occurred to him that all the humans brought here were alone, separated from their own tribes or families. When Cade had traveled with Ayita and Sakura they had all looked out for and cared for each other, much like a tribe. He decided these humans needed that too, all the humans now in Avalia likely would, no matter what place or time from Earth they came from.

Before Elsea had the chance to respond to Cora’s question something shifted in the air. Cade had an immediate feeling that something was off and as a gust of wind rustled through the leaves he jumped up, hackles raised and his ears flattened against his head. Cade made a low, guttural growl, his lips curling to expose his teeth as he searched for the source of the noise expecting a threat but instead he saw Ayita and stopped. Cade stood shocked and confused as she shouted at him, claiming a betrayal. Cade didn’t understand what was happening, Ayita at the ball had told him to get these humans to safety, but before he had the chance to respond she was running off into the woods. How had she even known about Cora and why was Sakura not with her as well?

”Ayita!” Cade shouted at the image as she ran from the edge of the camp. Cade started to follow but stopped, he couldn’t leave the other humans alone. ”Come, we have to follow her.” He added to both Cora and Elsea who seemed concerned with something else entirely. He couldn’t understand why they were not already ready to chase after Ayita, did they not understand that it was dangerous for humans to be alone here?

Bowyn gave a slight shudder at Kenia’s strange fantasy, that was a mental image he certainly could’ve done without. That was the problem with elves, they were too violent for his liking. He felt like the animalistic demihumans often got a bad wrap, when it seemed like elves had a far more barbaric nature to them. He hoped the weird pissing contest between Kenia and Elthrael would be dropped after that but the forest fairy seemed more than willing to continue his game of poke the bear. Normally he would enjoy watching someone else antagonize an elf for fun, but Bowyn had seen the pain the elf felt for the loss of her friend and for that she had his sympathies.

“I’ll tell you one thing you can trust, Elthrael, if I have to watch Kenia feed you your own fruits I’m gonna lose my breakfast so how about you two put whatever’s between you on pause until we get to the port.” Bowyn said as he smothered the fire with handfuls of dirt as he prepared to leave. As he did so he noted the sorry state that Vaeril was in as he stumbled towards the group. Great, an elf who couldn’t hold his drink, he only hoped that Vaeril wouldn’t slow them down. Darius seemed willing to help Vaeril stay on his feet while Bowyn preferred to take on the burden of carrying much of the remaining mead, something he valued more than the stumbling elf.

Based on Zephyrin's reaction, Bowyn saw her as yet another empty headed fairy and imagined she’d get along well with Risa or easily find herself swept up by Risa’s words. He had yet to decide if he thought the fae leader of the rebellion was simply young and foolish or callous and manipulative but either way he thought her talk of hope and a better world would take with someone like Zephyrin. War and conflicts thrived on the young and naive; taking them in, using them up until they either found themselves among the dead or spat back out broken and jaded. If being a part of that cycle meant keeping the humans safe, Aklenroth’s end, and peace for those he used in his undead army, then Bowyn was more than willing to do whatever necessary.

Bowyn kept a quick pace as he walked, following with the group and saying very little. He didn’t want to make too much noise just in case there were dark elves searching the forest. He didn’t need to know more about this group, Bowyn wasn’t interested in finding himself invested in anyone else. He was already worried about the fates of Torvi and Belle and that was more than enough. Now more than ever was not the time to form attachments, he needed to keep his head clear, focus on his priorities.

The night Roshmi burned...

"Valaeon, my friend, I am not deaf yet! I can see, hear and sense you perfectly fine. Even before you landed!" A voice answered from above, where a man hung upside down with some form of dark wrap around himself, his clawed feet holding unto an old wooden post. One of his fingers poking his ear after the bellow provided by the demi-dragon. A long black braid swinging slightly below him, as if it were a pendulum. The figure didn't wait long before spreading his batlike wings and allowed his grip of the wooden post to loosen as he landed on his feet close to Valaeon, folding his wings soon after he did.

"It is however good to see you are well my friend, there are some things which require our attention must urgently though. There is light on the horizon, in more than one way. Walk with me will you?" The bat-demihuman nodded towards the direction of Roshmi, then attempted to place one of his arms around the back of the demi-dragon to urge him to walk with him to the top of a wooden balcony to one of the higher buildings of the port town.

A toothy grin was pasted on Valaeon's face the very moment Carnylus greeted him. He would admit that his approach was not always the best, but it got him the results he wanted… mostly.

Valaeon walked with Carneylus, being guided by the hand on his back.

"Light you say?" Valaeon furrowed his brow to the southeast. To Roshmi. "It's unfortunate the sun would never arrive so early… Have things really gotten so grave?"

"It would seem so, at this rate the people living here will become entangled in this war. It does seem like one in any case, so what do you think is the best course of action now? Have all living here depart to the flower fairy kingdom?" The winged man turned to face his companion upon reaching the wooden balcony, to Carneylus this war came in an inconvinient manner. But even so it wasn't something he nor anyone else could ignore.

"The strong will always oppress the meek if there is a will to do so. The reason I sought to become stronger was to protect those who cannot protect themselves. The king may offer some stability, but he is nothing more than a tyrant who sows discord which someday will and as we now have seen will blossom into rebellion." The winged man blew out air through his mouth, causing some strands of his hair to blow upwards.

Valaeon had his eyes set on the horizon as he thought of the innocent lives that would lost in the inevitable conflict. Tragic as it was, it was also unavoidable.

"Unfortunately, this is not the first hint of rebellion. All that came before were either quelled swiftly or on standby awaiting a miraculous advantage over the Lich. The absence of my brothers is proof that many lack confidence in the young fae princess..." His smile returned as he turned his head to Carneylus. "So before we alarm these people. We will search for the face of this rebellion. Princess Risa Millinia."

The bat-man nodded, Valaeon's reasoning was indeed sound, but so were his brothers.

"I can understand those who feel hopeless, I was once one of them. But there comes eventually a time when you can no longer turn a blind eye and wish for things to go away by itself. The young fae princess may have the spirit, but what she truly needs is a major victory against the forces of the king. Only then will the spark of hope awaken in those whose forgotten how it felt." Carneylus said softly, a finger curling some of his hair as he leaned over the balcony railing.

"Valaeon my friend, I believe you are right. We need to find Princess Risa Millinia. But there is someone, or rather something else we also should find. " The winged demi-human turned his head to look at Valaeon, his facial expression being serious and thoughtful. He remained silent for a few moments, if Valaeon needed some moments to gather his thoughts.

"Soruklithbaal. We need to end the undead dragon, that will awaken the people of Avalia to fight." The demi-human allowed one of his clawed hands to stroke his chin in thought. "But how would we do that?" He said softly, before closing his eyes and smiling in Valaeon's direction.

"Soruklithbaal..." Reality seemed to slap Valaeon in the face as his confident expression wavered. As much as he wanted to tell Carneylus how ridiculous such a feat was, it was necessary in defeating the lich. There was no path to victory without devising a way to remove such a powerful abomination of a weapon from the battlefield. Valaeon took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "The intellectual and the cowardly would say it is impossible... I am neither! Undead are not unbeaten and neither are my powerful cousins. I will see to it that Soruklithbaal is not but ground bones and ash scattered across the battlefield!" The fire in his eyes was hi determination in victory. A great sound suddenly rumbled between the two men.

"BUT, we need to feast my friend. My stomach yearns for a different kind of battle." Valaeon grinned while placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. Valaeon always enjoyed the food from the port. So much fish to be devoured!

"Haha! I expected you would say something like that, my friend!" Carneylus said in a laughing manner, as he looked to the hand placed on his shoulder. "You are trying to prevent me from being first to the food table aren't you?" The man looked at Valaeon with a serious expression before it faded to be replaced by a grin.

"You got the right idea!" The darkhaired man said in a joyful manner as he attempted to shrug himself free from his draconic friend and dart across the wooden second floor on his bare feet, his aim the wooden stairs leading down to the first floor and the dining hall which was being ready for their arrival. Last time Valaeon had visited the port town, he had eaten half the fish before anyone else had even gotten into the hall itself. The winged man wasn't taking any chances this time around. That salmon was going down, one mouth or the other.

Time:Late Afternoon ~ 4pm
Location: River Kingdom, upstairs of the Pretty Flower


"I am a genius."

Vereon spun her around from his grip on her shoulders to face a glass mirror. He moved her hair from the back and over her shoulders. Looking over to the mirror, he smiled at his work. Risa's insanely long locks were cut just to the middle of her chest. Though not a short haircut, it was such a stark difference from her usual length that she looked different. The few bangs that had been cut into her hair tickled her forehead and felt bizarre to Risa. Pink hair was common enough amongst fairies and even seen in other species at times though more rare. There was no need to try to change it.

Risa tilted her head as he brushed her hair and began to put the bunch of hair on each side into braids. "Little goes a long way huh, lovey?" She was dressed in a green, long peasant dress and had been given a plain brown cape that she had left on the side of a chair for now. She looked quaint and foreign to herself, but she was grateful for its charm. Vereon bit his lip, worried by her silence and added, "I'll have a better outfit for ya tomorrow. Trust me. It will be the complete opposite of Risa Millinia! Ye won't recognize yerself."

"Thank you Vereon. You've been so sweet."Risa said finally and smiled at him. "I'll never forget your kindness. Let me make prepare some supper for us. It's the least I can do. Well, actually..." She moved to her ball gown and began to fish out a bag from a belt that was underneath it. She turned and began to dump some amas on his table, to which his eyes lit up. She gave him a good seventy amas. He went to work talking right away. As she listened, she moved into the kitchen to start using some of the ingredients to prepare a stew.

"Seriously? Ya sure? You don't have to pay me. Oh sweet alaberries." He moved over to it rapidly and looked at Risa. "Vena might finally let me take me seriously. I could buy her something so beautiful with this!" Vereon's eyes watered as his dreams came crashing down as soon as they started, reminding Risa that he had been one of the moodiest fairies she had ever met despite being one of the nicest. "Oh she after that Gurthel. Disgusting name that thing has. Says she only dates a man who is willing to fight for his people. Well, I tell ya, she'd be mighty lonely if he's off to training or at war all day wouldn't she? But I won't give up! I will win Vena's heart! Not all of us be cut out for war and death, but I sure do have my other qualities don't I?"

Risa sighed, coming over to him before he could continue and put her hands on his cheek."Vereon. Look at me."He blinked, surprised by her sudden movement, "You're a wonderful man and you will find love worthy of a heart as big as yours. If Vena's interested in Gurthel and not you, then I think you should find yourself a girl with a better head on her shoulders."She wiped his eyes gently with her thumbs and kissed his forehead as if they had been family by blood. Risa wasn't sure if all this was worth anything with so much on the line. Soon little things like romance there would just be no time for. "Truth be told, I don't know if it's even ..."She let go of his face and averted her eyes as she thought out her sentences more carefully before continuing. Her impulsivity was a habit that she needed to let go of if she was going to be of use, even in such a mundane circumstance."If you want romance, then go for it, Vereon. Life is a gift so seize the moment."

Vereon stared at her and asked, "When did ye get more mature than me?"

Risa didn't consider mature to be a good word to describe her at all. If anything, Risa felt much the opposite, as if she was too young and ignorant for the place she was in. She knew she was different now, but she also knew she was grieving and it was impossible for her to be the cheery, obnoxious girl who jumped on his couch singing and then at other times brought animals into this very apartment without permission to do so.

Somber. Drained.

And it had only been a week in.

"I best tell you everything."Risa decided. She explained everything from start to finish: how she and Dionaea had came to help the elves, how she had protected the human Jean-Luc and found herself a main target for the revolution due to her name, and then how she and Dionaea lost their homes. How she didn't even know if her parents were alive right now. She told him about the ball and the speech, to which he asked her to detail what she had said. By the time she was catching him up to the idea that Dionaea had been brutally murdered and she was separated from Kyran and her new human friend Elsea, she was already serving the stew in a bowl in front of Vereon.

Vereon fell silent as they ate, replying only with, "I'm sorry."

Risa looked at him, racking her brain for what was the best thing to say, and finally gave him a huge smile, "Oh don't worry. I will do everything I can to make sure none of this was in vain. Avalia will be freed."

"This is a burden many grown men could not even handle. Are ya sure ye don't want me to help find a way to back out of this? We can hide ya somewhere."

"I'm going to meet with the other rebels the day after tomorrow. I don't know what kind of impression I left but I'm sure I'll have to try to prove myself a worthy figure in this."Risa told him quietly, ignoring his previous question. It was too late to back out now.

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I heard some folks talking about ya speech at the bar. They thought that ye was the one to summon humans. Maybe ya oversold that guilt and beat yaself up as ye usually do. So make sure that gets tidied up."

"Maybe I didn't directly bring humans here but I stood there and let it happen. That's a horrible mistake I have to feel guilt for."Risa said sadly, staring down at her plate. "If I made myself worse in that manner, then I will tell them my story if they so want to hear. I don't know if I'm who they want me to be."

Vereon took her shoulder gently. "With that big heart, I know ya are."

It took a moment for the graceful elven lord to gather his composure, after all these spiders were not a threat to someone like him. At least that's what he believed. The forest itself was in dire need of elven restoration, with all the web scattered about and beastfolk running amok. And now they were leaving. They were what?! They were leaving! Governor Andros blinked his noble eyes at the sight of the strangers deciding to leave, but they were leaving without him. Him of all people. The most important person around.

"What are you doing?! Get back here this instant! I command you to cease- Get off my boot you dirty arachnid!" The elf yelled in annoyance as he kicked a smaller spider off his once clean boots, the elf shot two more beams of light at some more spiders as he was making his way forwards quickly towards the group as they were leaving. Too bad the governor's fast movement, was the equalent of being very slow to everyone elses standards. All those years in the carriage was surely to blame for this unfortunate setback.

"I said get back here, I order you to carry me with your unworthy hands! I care not in which manner you do this, but that it happens right now! The rough terrain is damaging my pure feet..." His yelling soon turned into muttering as he looked around, seeing spiders scattering or darting off into the forestation. He had come to a forked path in the forest, which path did they take? One of the prints looked like a reversed "U" and seemed to dart off to the left, and there was some other prints leading right. The elf knew that right had to be the right way. The governor was certain he would soon catch up with the incompetent half-breeds and when he did they would have to pamper him as he deserved. Lost amidst his thoughts, and whose thoughts were better to get lost in. The elf found the forestation to be getting way thicker.

"Annoying trees! How did those idiots manage to get through here without removing these things. Out of my way!" The elf spoke up and channeled his light magic, creating beams which would slice open a path between the various trees and bushes. Frightening off any nearby animals and spiders still about.

"Aha! A path! I knew it, salvation from my troubles at last- what in the smooth elven arses is this?!" The ever so considerate and patient governor noticed that the path he had taken was now being split into three separate paths.

"Which path leads to the idiots and what paths do not? Let see... what path would I take if I was an inbred imbecile and halfbreed? Why must I suffer the presence and existance of all these inferior things?" The elf asked out to none in particular, the forest now being quiet and the more he wandered off, the deeper the forestation and more quiet it became. Had he taken the wrong turn? Not a chance. Such a thing could not happen to a esteemed individual such as himself.

No such idocy was privileged for the less rich. Then the elf finally heard a sound, like a low roar and it took him by surprise. What in the world was this creature that had snuck up on him? Then he realized what it was. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Hunger. He was hungry. Poor hungry. Not just the gluttonous desire to eat something expensive for the sake of it or look down upon the poor. He was starving. How could he? He who shone brigher than any other? To have to feel like a poor person, the feeling was enough to make him want to throw up. The idea of poverty and him being in the same sentence, even mentally was abhorrent.

'This is all Feldrin's fault! That idiot got himself killed without my permission, and that idiotic pig-man and his duckfaced bitch. Damnable fairies and demons! The world would be better off without you.' The elderly elf lamented his situation and where he was, someone had to be blamed for his unfortunate misplacement in the forest, without water, food, luxery and servants. He stopped for a moment and began to wonder, did he really take the middle path? He was so full in his thoughts, it might had been the most right one. But how? How could he had allowed himself to- No, this was the forest itself turning on him. It wasn't his fault, the forest was most likely serving something.

Then came a sound again, not from his stomach but from above. A decently sized nut was falling down from a nearby tree. And up in the tree sat a familiar face, the squirrel from before, it was peeking down to the dinner it had just dropped by accident. Possibly due to it's size. The elf's eyes widened as he lunged towards the nut and grabbed it. "Hah! I've got it! Fortune favours the beautiful!" He said aloud triumphantly as the squirrel squeaked angrily at the elven thief.

"Oh you want this? Not a chance you fleabag, this is going down the elven inner circle. More precisely my inside." The governor allowed a cruel chuckle as he cracked the nut's shell and began to pick out the nut within. He looked up towards the hungry squirrel with glee, the idea of this pitiful creature being on the receiving end of this stroke of luck filled him with more determination. But he was tired. Way tired. He had to find a place to rest at soon... but the forest was so dirty.

---

The vulpine couldn't help but gag and wince in absolute agony as he tried to rid himself of the awful stench that had taken over his entire self. The smell was awful and it was all he could concentrate on. Whatever the dark elf and the woman were quarreling about was none of his concern, the sewers were literally crippling him! Were it not for how exhausted he was, Kuroi would be able to at least tolerate being down here, but without anything to filter the smell out of the air, he was paralyzed on the ground. Upon feeling Torvi offer up her shoulder, he looked up at her, and quickly took the piece of cloth, using whatever strength he had yes to tie it around his nose and mouth. He stayed knelt down on the grimy ground for some time, taking some time to catch his breath and calm himself down.

As his heartbeat slowed down and his sudden stench-induced panic attack faded, he slowly hoisted himself up onto his feet and began to share his wait against Torvi's shoulder. Although he said nothing, he stared straight into his eyes, his gaze expressing nothing but gratitude to her. The vulpine did his best not to weigh her down and shifted himself to the point where she was on his shoulder. Kuroi couldn't bear to weigh someone else down, especially now that he recovered with the makeshift mask bestowed upon him. Kuroi had gone on ahead, keeping his arm wrapped around Torvi's waist as he led the group through the sewers to the best of the ability.

Everything had gone well up until they were blockaded by the wall of blue mist. Similar to before, Kuroi's ears suddenly went stiff as he narrowed his eyes towards the wall of blue mist, slowly positioning himself against the wall to give Torvi another support in case he would have to fight again. Similar to a wild animal, Kuroi bared his teeth as he brought up his free hand in front of his face. His eyes widened as he saw four cheap copies of him and his party walk out towards him. Blood rushed through him and adrenaline coursed through his veins, almost enough to keep himself alive a few seconds in combat. He kept a tight grip on Torvi and began to walk backward, motion the group to do the same as well.

"...We just can't win...reveal yourself, caster!" He snarled out, an ugly scowl faintly outlined through his cloth mask.

As his false self began to walk towards him and the rest of his group, Kuroi desperately looked over at his companion and raised his makeshift mask to reveal his bared teeth towards the four clones. It was at this point that the vulpine had outright resorted to ferality. His foxlike features had definitely stiffened up to that of a furious fox ready to defend his den, and the pupils of his eyes had widened as he stared forth at the enemies.

He only relaxed slightly as he looked over at Torvi - anger and sadness were in his eyes. "Forgive me...I just need...the strength..." He said softly before he suddenly took her by the arm and dug his sharp teeth straight into her forearm. Although he was no vampire, and far from an uncivilized bloodthirsty couth, he needed a new scent to empower him for the time being. Nothing but shame ran through him as he felt his fangs penetrate the woman's tender flesh. Obviously, he made sure to bite in an area that were from any vital arteries or veins; he wasn't trying to kill her after all.

Moments later, he slowly moved away from Torvi and licked at the blood around his lips. His left finger scooped up some of the poor woman's blood and pressed it up against his nose through the cloth, trying to overwhelm his senses with a scent that wouldn't severely cripple him. His pupils were extremely dilated by this point, and his focus was on the four clones that he was sure were here to eliminate them once and for all. Once he had licked up all the blood, he pulled down his makeshift mask back over his mouth and let out a snarl. He brought both of his hands up, readying his sharp nails as if they were the claws of a lion.

This was the only way Kuroi could see himself surviving the situation. Succumbing to mild ferality was the only logical solution he could make in such a weakened state. As adrenaline coursed through his veins alongside the taste and smell of blood, he was able to distract himself from the putrid stench in the sewers. Kuroi was now ready to stand his ground alongside his newfound allies.

All he could hope was that Torvi could forgive such a horrendous injury.

The brighter the day got the less acute Valok's vision became. At least the forest helped obscure the sun and the shadows cast by the trees remained the only thing truly familiar. He had encountered none of the predatory creatures that so freely roamed the far northern forests, the creatures and even the planets here were dreadfully benign. When a large arachnid scuttled towards him, its dark chitin accented by a brilliant blue that signified venom, he smiled. The unfamiliar but clearly dangerous creature was a welcomed sight, something that reminded him of home and the constant threat of danger that always loomed in Daka. Its small claws chattered threateningly at him, its jaws chittered with pure hunger. His hand moved slowly following the creature's movements as his will shaped and reformed the small shadow the creature cast into a spike that lay flat against the ground, following the spider's movement as it scurried towards him. Once it was near him his wrist flicked and as his fingers pointed upwards the spike rose up from the ground impaling the creature on it’s shadow making a wet crunching sound as it did so. A fluid leaked from the creature and Valok held the shadow until he saw the frothing jaws had stopped chattering and the light left the spider's many eyes.

“Not today little one.” He said softly before releasing his grasp on the spider's shadow. Curiosity beckoned him and Valok bent down to lightly touch the froth that leaked from the spider's mouth, finding a tingling numbing sensation in his finger and thumb as he inspected the substance. Large demonic spiders with a powerfully paralytic venom seemed acutely out of place for this forest. He encountered a handful more of the spiders in the forest, varying in size and most larger than that first one, but all equal in aggression and a seeming goal for killing whatever crossed them. They were minions of something, something far more dangerous. The threat, the reminder to keep his sense sharp was welcomed. It was a familiar sensation, far better than the relaxing ambiance the forest had held, something which threatened to dull and weaken him. He dispatched the spiders he came across with shadows as his weapons, finding creatures without a sense of ingenuity to be a weaker opponent than anything with true sentience.

Erebokenisis, manipulating the shadows, was as natural to Valok as drawing breath. Perhaps even more so than an average Dark Elf, for growing up he and those like him had so little. His childhood was not filled with toys or trinkets; they were given nothing that wasn’t deemed a necessity, but shadows could be found anywhere. Shadows became his toys, his entertainment, when he had time for such a thing, and forming them into shapes to tell himself stories was the only reprieve from the brutality of his upbringing. Shadows and darkness were his constants, the one thing always there when he needed them; for protection, entertainment, and comfort. Valok was content to walk with only the shadows as his company but eventually he came upon a small group. There were three of them, the most notable was a white furred and red eyed demon with a prominent tail, along with two others who appeared elfish in build.

There were things that just came naturally to a Dark Elf; to prefer darkness, to find more comfort in the moon than the sun, to play with the shadows, and a deep hatred for the Light Elves. Valok didn’t know if it was entirely taught, but rather genetically inherited, to remember the pain of being outcasted, to recognize on sight the enemy of his people. He felt the fire of hatred, the instinct to kill the moment his eyes landed on the male Light Elf and as a few seconds passed he willed the cold waved of apathy to overtake those flames. He smothered what he felt igniting in him with the consistent sensation that never quite left him and so easily hatred and rage were replaced with coldness and neutrality. When he studied the other elfish shape, the female, he felt nothing but whether it was because he had already chosen to ignore his ingrained hatred or if she simply was not a Light Elf remained uncertain. The fact that they travelled with a demon piqued his curiosity; while it could be that they were loyalists to the King, many demons were, it was also more likely that if they were not loyalists and they had accepted a demon, they may also be more hospitable to Dark Elf.

Valok knew there were more of the large spiders scattering through the forest and that travelling alone meant increased risk of being overtaken by one. The fact the numbness was still felt in his fingers told him a single bite from these creatures would mean certain death. The risk of approaching the group was less than taking his chances with the spiders, and death in combat with sentient creatures was far preferable to being eaten alive by mindless minions. He attempted to approach in a non threatening manner, but to anyone with a trained eye would recognize his stiff posture and movements as one with training, one taught to never be relaxed in the company of others. He did not try to hide his movements, or to silent his footsteps, nor any other means of stealth in which he was accustomed to. Once within earshot of the group he spoke in his even and hollow tone, choosing actions he thought showed his lack of sinister intentions. ”Are you, by chance, traveling towards the coast? Something dangerous lurks in this forest and I’d prefer not to take my chances with the odd spiders alone.” Valok said, avoiding direct eye contact with anyone but his gaze fleeting between the three, studying their movements waiting to see who of them would indicate themselves as their leader.

Now that they were finally away from the spiders, Myra kept looking at the girl and the blonde elf. Noticing that the white haired elf didn't follow them, she looked back to the way they came and then to the girl and the blonde elf with an inquisitive expression, almost as if asking if they want to go back to fetch the other elf or not.

When the blonde elf mentioned going towards the shore, Myra tilted her head a bit confused, before she began sniffing the air and after a moment, finally pointed roughly towards the direction where the shore was if they went in a straight line. She didn't know why he wanted to go there, but if that meant she could find either Mathis, Darius or Artemis, it was good for her. After some time thinking, she finally looked towards the blonde elf again, nodding towards him and following him as he began walking away.

As he mentioned her companions though, Myra opened her eyes wide, nodding her head energetically. If he knew where Darius or Artemis were, it would help her quite a lot. Regarding her name, she still remembered how to say it, especially the troublesome single 'r' sound that she had discovered how to say back in the ball.

"Myra!" she said, emphasizing the r sound as she touched her chest, indicating that it was her name then looking at both the blond elf and the girl, tilting her head inquisitively.

The very moment she said that though, she suddenly stopped, interrupting everything she was doing as she abruptly turned her head towards the forest from where the sound of steps were coming from. Knowing that it could be the white haired elf, she didn't hiss but it was obvious that she was incredibly alert due to her posture and how her tongue darted in and out of her mouth aiding her on the identification of the stranger together with her nose. While she didn't have enough time to remember the scent of the white elf, due to all the spiders and the chaotic situation they were in, if she detected any strange scent that might be similar to the spiders, undead or blood, she would already enter a hostile posture. Otherwise, she would simply keep watching how the stranger moved, until she was sure he wasn't a threat.

Time:Evening -> 8pm
Location:River Kingdom


The gravestone still sat in the small opening in the forest where Risa had first sat with Cloud. The tall trees’ canopies hung over the area. Flowers of all varying colors had overgrown the patch of soil where he was buried. She had planted one every time she had visited. The moonlight illuminated the stone grave through the breaks in the branches of the trees above and the chirping of crickets filled the night air.

She had asked that Artemis meet her here tonight, but Risa had come earlier in the night, hoping to take some needed time to process everything before Artemis arrived. After leaving Vereon to cover his nightly shift at the bar, she had flown straight to this spot.

Risa’s wings fluttered as she hovered over the grass and delicately set herself on her knees near the grave. Her fingertips traced the name engraved as she stared at it longingly. Reading Cloud's name in the stone still made her heart sink. Even after all this time, she couldn't believe he was really gone. She had come here time after time to talk to his grave with the hopes he was there listening.

"Hi there Cloud. I hope you've been having a nice day in the afterlife. I hope it's okay if I talk to you..." Risa said softly and ran her hand over the top of the grave as if she was caressing a cat.

The night was still. There was no breeze at all yet Risa felt cold. Feelings buried deep began to resurface, toppling over the mountain of emotions Risa had already been struggling to carry on her back. Though she had been the one to suggest meeting Artemis here, she was starting to regret the idea. She would have to compose herself, but she wasn't so sure she could.

“I got myself in a lot of trouble. Accidentally gotten myself into a revolution. I know you'd be proud of me, but I don’t know what I’m doing." She whispered softly to the grave as if it were bending an ear to her woes. "I had to give a speech and I'm not sure if it was any good. This was all supposed to be Helio. He was...”

Risa drew off thoughtfully before finishing her sentence,“He was the soldier. The one everyone believed in. I don’t know if I can be that for them… Maybe I got in over my head and this is-…” She burst into desolate sobs as her words finished, unable to continue speaking. The dam had finally broken and there was no holding it back. As heavy as the words had become, her body did too as it slowly descended her into the flowers.

Little did she know she wasn’t alone.

“Supposed to be Helio, huh?”

Risa stiffened her crying, her eyes widening at the sudden intrusion. She slowly sat up on her elbows to face the newcomer. The voice was coming from the deep blackness of the woods. A silhouette began to form once it got close enough to for the moonlight to gently caress. The figure moved closer toward her without a sound. Risa saw a flash of red hair gleam in the moonlight as he revealed himself slowly from the shadows and it felt as if time itself had stopped. The forest had gone mute and the surroundings irrelevant. She scrambled to her feet, and then threw herself towards the male and practically fell into his body, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

A hand moved to the top of her head and carefully stroked her hair. “I told you I’m always going to find you, Risa.”

She clutched at the fabric of his black shirt. The hand kept stroking her hair for a few minutes as she continued to cry. The gentleness was nostalgic and for the first time in a long time, Risa felt safe.

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

---

Perfect. The response she'd gotten from Elthrael was exactly what Kenia was hoping for. "Oh my, it appears I've gotten under someone's skin." She said with a giggle before giving a devilish grin to the moth. "And thank you for recognizing my superior age! I do take pride in it." The woman truly couldn't care less what his thoughts were on her appearance, but she did find it very humorous that one moment he was speaking highly of her curves and when she didn't respond favorably he turned to trying to insult her appearance. Hac she really hurt his pride that much?

Her attention was then pulled to Vaeril as he seemed to drunkenly stumble towards Darius. She narrowed her eyes at him as he spoke to Darius as if they were very close. Darius even mentioned Vaeril owing him when they got home which would insinuate they definitely knew each other for awhile. How incredibly lucky they were to be able to stick together after the shit show that happened at the ball while herself and the others seemed to have been separated from their groups. While she was suspicious of everyone, there were some that were more suspicious than others. Vaeril was suspicious purely due to the fact that he was the host of the ball. Sure he could be innocent in it all, but it made the suspicion worse when it was his greeter who summoned the demon. Darius had become suspicious purely from the fact that he was an acquaintance of Vaeril. Both Elthrael and Zephyrin were suspicious due to them just appearing out of the blue. The only one that had gained a tiny amount of trust with her was Bowyn and his bird, Boreas. Even then, though, she would watch them closely.

"I'll trust that you can keep up, but know that if you can't I will not slow my pace. That goes for everyone. If you fall behind I have no qualms about leaving you to find your own way." And with that Kenia began swiftly setting the course. They had a lot of ground they needed to cover and she was motivated by her separation from her makeshift family. Even though she moved swiftly, if one were to pay attention they'd notice her foot falls were silent. She chose her course carefully and skillfully. She also tried to keep the breeze blowing towards them so if something were ahead of them those with a superior sense of smell would detect them before the enemy could smell the group. She was carefully calculating things and constantly scanning their surroundings as they moved along.