Day 2 afternoon-> night. The port. Near the park.

There was a sense of admiration for the dragon-kin, Valaeon. Few had the immense strength and durability that he held, and fewer still were having a good heart to go with it. The last day's dinner with Valaeon and the bovine-demihuman Minothea had been a refreshing time, where Carneylus felt like he could momentarily put his thoughts away. Thoughts of combat, thoughts of what would soon be on their doorsteps and what would have to be done. Was he ready for it?

For a large majority of his life, he had honed his skills to the best of his ability, learning from others but adapting it to his own style of fighting. But no matter how much training there were things in Avalia which were deemed impossible to fight against. The lich and his dragon were two of these things. Yet it was these two things which needed to fall in order for Avalia to be rescued. There were often thoughts wandering in the demi-humans mind, on just how many lives would be lost in this rebellion of the fairy princess. Were they truly unavoidable? Like rain falling down, you could not dodge all the raindrops. Or could you? It was questions such as these that always pried their way into his mind.

Of what could have been if he had been stronger, if he had been faster or wiser. Was there even a use to dwell on the past, when it was unchangable? For him it was something he couldn't avoid, it was after all what had made him into who he was this day. But who was he really? As he sat in the seaside park, duking out with his thoughts and remembering nightmares of the past. The hours seemed to fly him by, pondering on how he and Valaeon would be able to identify rebels from Aklenroth's minions.

Ultimately he found himself without a plan, they couldn't just openly gather them up without drawing attention and risks to the port and everyone in it. The winged man felt that he needed some more time to ponder, and taking a flight through the late evening sky was relaxing. He stood up from the finely made wooden pillar which he had sat upon, spreading his batlike wings out wide before flapping up into the air. Feeling the soothing wind clashing against his form as he dove through the sky was so liberating, he couldn't imagine a life without wings. Yet so many people didn't have wings, and they made do nontheless. He suspected that they wouldn't mourn something they never had to begin with.

While Carneylus was able to fly, there were others far better at it than him that was for certain. Yet it was from the sky, overlooking the port that his eyes noticed something on a nearby roof some humanoid stood. A stargazer? The bat-winged man decided to swoop down and land a distance away on the same roof the figure stood upon. The figure itself was winged, but not of the same variety as himself. As the figure turned around to gaze at him, even before he had properly landed he was met with a golden eyed gaze. The figure stood there with one arm by it's waist, dressed in a lightblue coat. His white long hair blowing slightly in the gentle wind, perched upon his shoulder sat a smaller figure which could easily be recognized as a pixie. But this person was something else. A fairy?

"Pardon the intrusion, I couldn't help but notice you from up above. Anything the matter or are you just enjoying the night air?" Carneylus began to address the two figures as he folded his wings, offering a courteus bow akin to how a butler would greet his employer. His dark ponytail blowing slightly in the wind and his red coat flickering in the wind, his dark eyes scanning the odd pair in front of him.

"How very perceptive, you have good eyes, bat-man. Yet I hear having good ears be far better. Oh nothing is the matter, yet at the same time... everything matters doesn't it? The night air brings out all manner of creatures of the night." The goldeneyed man said in a soft voice as a smirk crawled up on his lips.

"I am not following. There is no need for speaking in riddles. Please speak plainly." Carneylus explained before he noticed another presence, coming up to the roof of the building they stood on was none other than the young bovine girl, Minothea.

"Dingbat! What are you doing up on this roof? Whose that? I knew you were up to no good again!" Minothea spoke in a hushed manner almost to herself, as she was cloaking herself in a small black cloak and hood, coupled with a lantern she carried by her belt.

"Minothea, that is my line. What are you doing up on a roof in the middle of the night? You don't live here." The batwinged man threw a judging glance at the young girl, who replied by quickly looking elsewhere. "That's not important! Not your buisness creep." She chirped and then pointed to the mothwinged fairy in front of Carneylus. "What is that thing? A demon? Is that a pixie?" The bovine girl pointed with her right hand index finger to the goldeneyed man and the pixie on his shoulder.

"Little girl, it is past your bedtime for fairytales..." The fairy chuckled softly towards the small bovine girl

"Grr! I am not little!!" Minothea was preparing to leap out towards the fairy but was grabbed by the back of her collar by Carneylus. "Let go of me, I am going to run him over!" Minothea barked and her eyes flared up towards the fairy. But as she did the lantern by her belt loosened and began to trail down the roof, the light fading from it. The fairy looking man got airborne for a brief moment, but quickly fetched it before it slipped off the roof, by hurling it up into the air using his own boot, snatching the handle with his left hand.

"Temper temper..." He said in an amused manner and floated back to his former position as the bovine girl seemed to calm down. "Oh thanks... I guess." She said with a pouty face on seeing the fairy saving her lantern. "See? You can be nice! Good work! Almost pixie perfect!" The pixie cheered from the fairy's shoulder.

"Not at all little girl, it is I who shall thank you." He said with a chuckle, as he opened the lid of the lantern after a few moments. His eyes soon after darted to his own shoulder, and his right hand found itself snatching the pixie. It was then the pixie found itself in a new enviroment, in the form of the inside of a lantern, with the lid neatly attached on the top.

"H-hey! Let me out! Come on!" The muffled sounds of the pixie could be heard from within the partly glass container, it's fists slamming on the glass to no avail and with aq pouty facial expression.

"I knew that guy was a jerk! Let me down Carney! I am going to pound him into a pulp!" Minothea's nostrils flared and her eyes seemed to flare up, her tail wagging impatiently and her ears twitching.

"What is the meaning of this? What are you doing to that pixie?" Carneylus asked the fairy as his eyes narrowed, while the fairy placed the lantern down on a chimney.

"I was putting a lid on a little annoyance, is there a problem with that?" The fairy smirked towards the demi-bat, the golden eyes scanning him over.

"If there is something I cannot stand it is when the strong bully those unable to defend themselves." The demi-bat continued, letting Minothea down as she had calmed herself.

"Oh what are you going to do? Cry on me? The strong do what they wish, it is the natural order of things. It has been and shall always be so." The fairy chuckled as he walked away from the chimney, this time sideways across the roof, observing the bat-man.

"I am going to teach you a lesson in empathy. Prepare yourself." Carneylus drew his saber from it's sheathe and pointed it towards the fairy in front of him.

"So you are going to cry on me... well look at that. You are a fool to take on a moth in the dark." The fairy smirked and drew his own blade from it's sheath.

"You are the fool here. Bats catch moths in pitch black." Carneylus answered, his wings flickering briefly as if preparing to be used for flight at any moment.

"Amusing. I thought you hung upside down in your own feces and had gotten it backwards..." The fairy mocked in a beckoning manner using his free hand, as he walked across the roof very gently.

"Your mockery fall on deaf ears!" Carneylus yelled out and moved towards the fairy slowly, readying himself for the initial swinging motion of his blade.

"I hear your ilk have keen hearing! How very sound rumors indeed!" The darkwinged fairy hurled back with an amusing tone in his voice, his blade ready to thrust into the bat-man.

Elthrael had the initial speed and began to thrust his sword towards Carneylus, aiming for his arms, but the bat-man began to slowly change his posture mid-swing and the fairy felt something was seriously wrong and put his wings fully in reverse and getting out of the overhand swing from Carneylus saber as it fell down. But it never struck the roof of the building, the man had such fine control of it that it stopped far before that.

"You are quick!" Carneylus hurled towards his opponent, which replied in his own way. "And you are duller than your blade!" Elthrael taunted, but internally both men were having thoughts of their own.

'This fairy is different... just what is he? He avoided my blade at such remarkable speed, despite that I knew where he was going. I must not let my guard down here for a second.' Carneylus thought as he watched his opponent being airborne now.

'This man is able to see through my strikes? As if he could foresee them. Precognition? No demihuman possesses such things...A demi-bat. Echolocation... He senses my movements...' Elthrael's golden eyes feasted on his nightly opponent.

"Punch him a new jawline Carney!" Minothea yelled from behind the chimney as she pocketed the lantern with the pixie within it. Throwing a few air-jabs while she were at it.

---

”I have no qualms about missing a meal. It won’t be the first time I’ve missed a meal and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” Elsea said in response to Cade with a smile. She truly was eager to make it to the port and make sure Risa and Kyran were okay. She needed to give Risa a hug as she was sure it hurt her to see Dionaea’s mangled corpse.

Her attention was grabbed once more when the discussion turned to demons and whether or not there were good demons. ”I’m sure there are friendly demons, but the only experience I’ve had so far with demons were the two at the ball in Roshmi and they killed a LOT of people.” She said with a shrug and sigh as she continued walking.

Time: Afternoon Day 2
Location: Forest
Interaction: @Helo Bowyn @HowlsOfWinter Zephyrin @princess Clara

---

Kenia was throwing a few light attacks and quickly noticed that ice attacks weren’t also flying quite yet. She quickly glanced back at Bowyn and could immediately tell something was haunting him. ”Shit..” She muttered as she quickly began to try and formulate a new plan in case Bowyn didn’t snap out of it. While she was in the middle of thinking she watched as Bowyn’s bird companion, Boreas, darted up in the sky toward the wyvern. Her eyes widened as she heard Clara calling for him to come back. Then Boreas did the bravest and most selfless thing Kenia had ever seen anyone do. ”No Boreas, wait!” She yelled out to the bird, but it was too late. The bird sacrificed his life in order to help them. Her heart shattered for Bowyn, but there wasn’t time to grieve just yet. They couldn’t squander this opportunity that Boreas had provided them.

As she got ready to launch another barrage of light attacks suddenly ice started flying at the wyvern. She glanced back once more as she watched Bowyn hyper focus on the wyvern. It seemed even the blood from the wyvern he was freezing and using against her. Arwen was also doing as she said and then some it seemed as she focused on crushing the tail. Perfect. Soon the wyvern came down, crashing into the ground. It seemed the fight wasn’t quite over yet as the beast still had some fight in her. What Kenia wasn’t expecting, however, was for her to whip her tail at them only for it to come flying off. Kenia was preparing to dive out of the way when an ice shield formed in front of them, blocking the tail. She glanced back at Zephyrin to see the woman visibly struggling to form the barrier. At least the woman didn’t prove to be completely useless. She’d have to commend all of them for their efforts later, for now they needed to finish this.

Once the ice shield crumbled Kenia ran for the wyvern, pulling out a dagger as she did so. As she got closer, however, she used her magic to vanish from sight. She then swung herself up onto the wyverns back, appearing once again as she made her way up to the head. She grasped onto one of the horns with her free hand before plunging the dagger into the one good eye of the wyvern and then held on for dear life as she knew what would come next. ”Arwen, Bowyn, put an end to this quickly if you would please!” She yelled at the two, wanting to put this wyvern out of her misery as quickly as possible.

“I had never heard of devil’s before but just because we have yet to encounter something does not mean it cannot exist.” Cade said to Ezeri with a smile. She seemed more open-minded than her companion, Mel.

“And I never thought it was possible to encounter a creature more foul-mouthed and tempered than an orc and yet…” Cade simply glanced at the imp and chuckled. It was quite humorous to see the little creature attempt to act threateningly, reminding him of something akin to an angry raccoon.

He did not listen to the warning against trusting demons, though he and Sakura disagreed on a great many things, she was a true friend. Just as he believed Ayita to be, and just as he was beginning to accept Cora, Elsea, and even Ezeri to be friends he could trust. In all of them, Cade saw good hearts and strong spirits, and those were the most important qualities one could possess, that was all he needed to see in someone before he counted them as a friend.

"We can surely make up for a single missed lunch once we arrive there. Once we find our companions we should celebrate with a great feast and much ale. Who should we be on the lookout for?” Cade asked of Elsea and Cora.

"Ezeri, what is it that brings you to Avalia? Is it anything we can help you with?” He added, realizing he didn’t know why the devil had come to their plane.

Leon nodded at Vaeril but couldn’t help but still feel weird about his offer to buy them whatever they wanted to pick out. There was the somewhat obvious and sinister explanation that he wanted something in return for his generosity, something he wasn’t willing to be upfront about. Then there was the way he seemed very quiet, reserved, and almost awkward, especially in comparison to Lucia’s very extroverted nature. It reminded Leon of the way he had been as a kid, always insisting on extravagant birthday parties to ensure people would actually show up. The way that, back when he was on Earth, he always took care of the bar tab or dinner bill, because he always suspected that without money, without having something to offer, other people wouldn’t stick around. He couldn’t help but wonder about the elf’s motives, whether they were just lonely or actually sinister as he looked around at the merchandise Gadgets and Convinces had to offer.

There was the stuff that immediately drew his attention, winged shoes that promised an increase in speed, or an extra boost to a jump. Then there were rows of hoverboards, newer and nicer than the old beat up one he’d gotten a little over a week ago, but his worked just fine, he’d fixed the thing up himself. It meant more that way, when you took something old and broken, something labeled as junk, and fixed it up yourself. There was a strange-looking tricycle that would be fun to study but certainly wasn’t something he needed, and the same could be said for the location senders and transmitters. They were things that would be fun to study, to take apart and figure out how they worked, how they could be improved upon, but not anything he needed. He did grab a light maker, a pair of sunglasses, and a memory glass mirror. If he did ever go back to Earth, it would be nice to have memories of Avalia, though he wasn’t sure it would survive a trip through the portal the same way the tech he’d come with had been fried by the journey here. He made sure what he grabbed wasn’t too much.

Lucia was clearly greatly enjoying the shopping trip, grabbing all sorts of strange things. A lot of it looked like camping equipment, and it occurred to him that the rebellion would probably not only take place in cities and well-stocked towns like the port they were at now. Leon had never been camping, he wasn’t even sure what all one would need to bring with them to survive in a forest. The closest he’d ever been to the wilderness was an area of town where all the buildings were mostly abandoned or bordered up. He’d have to add wilderness survival to the long list of skills he was going to have to learn in Avalia. He watched what Lucia grabbed, also grabbing a travel shelter, blanket, backpack, and water purifier.

“As someone usually in your general vicinity, I would definitely prefer you not shooting things blind. This shop’s pretty cool, lots of random stuff here. Hey did you see the shopkeeper? Looks like an extra from Cat’s...” Leon said with a grin. He realized they probably didn’t have that weird nightmare of a show here in Avalia.

“Uh nevermind, but hey look what I found.” He said showing the small handheld mirror that could capture pictures. It was much cooler than a camera.

Leon grinned at Lucia’s excitement over the darksight glasses, and he decided at that moment he rather liked Vaeril for making his friend so happy. He held the memory glass he’d picked up and he took a quick snap of Lucia as she grabbed the darksight glasses, before grabbing a pair of the glasses as well. He relaxed more, maybe Vaeril really just wanted to make some friends. He headed back over to where they’d left the elf and with a grin went to place the sunglasses on the rather quiet elf.

“Hey buddy, I think these really fit your look. Way cool. You know, I don’t really need much here, but maybe after we’re done shopping I can get us a round of drinks. My treat, as a thank you.” Leon offered, sure a drink was a lot cheaper than everything Vaeril was about to pay for, but he’d feel a lot better if he could return the gesture in a small way.

“I grabbed a few things, you sure you’re okay with this?” He asked as he showed Vaeril the backpack and the stuff he’d packed into it. It would come to about 260 amas, and other than the memory glass none of the stuff was anything he was too attached to owning. Then he spotted Lucia loudly reminding the couple they’d seen at the beach to grab birth prevention. He laughed and shook his head.

“Honestly Lucy, no more fruit for you, even the slightest amount of sugar and it’s all bets off.” He teased from across the store.

Bowyn lost sight of most of the fight, his focus solely on the beast in front of him. The wyvern hit the ground, its wings now shredded and useless. Arwen had managed to pop its tail, splattering blood across him, and that threat was gone as well. Zephyrin put up an impressive shield, preventing the worst of the beast’s attacks. Kenia was gone and then suddenly atop the creature taking out its other eye. He knew the wyvern was done for, and there was only the choice to go for the kill and end it quickly or other option, to unleash vengeance, allow his magic to be spent until the exhaustion numbed him. All the wyvern had left were its jaws, wild and snapping, and rather than go for a kill, he wanted to take than from the wyvern too. Make sure the creature felt helpless before it died, made sure it knew right before it lost its life that there was no hope left that it would survive.

Bowyn didn’t move from where he planted his feet, he felt nothing but cold and numb as he kept his eyes trained on the raging creature. He wouldn’t run from this beast, he wouldn’t allow himself to fear it again. It had killed Boreas, it wanted to kill them too, and that was all that mattered. He was going to enjoy watching the life leave this beast. He breathed in, then out, and was surprised to find his breath lingered in the air. The air around him was so cold, beyond what it should be here, and he knew it came from him. It radiated out from him, he felt cold in a way he never had before, in a way that made it almost impossible to even remember what warmth felt like. He heard the wyvern unleash another cry of pain and fury and Bowyn returned the scream back at the beast. He tapped into magic so cold his own lips turned blue, his fingers felt like they were on fire as the icy magic left him. He didn’t think about that pain, or what tapping into magic like that would do to him. He only thought about the empty spot on his shoulder where a merlin used to sit, and the solace the wyvern’s death would bring.

He kept control of the ice daggers that had cut the beast’s wings, sending the now bloody shards of ice after the beast’s mouth. His next plan was to have the ice daggers strike right as the wyvern snapped its jaws. He’d use the ice to pierce the wyvern’s mouth to keep it from ever opening again. Once he had the mouth closed, he’d freeze what remained of the creature’s frothy slobber to further freeze its mouth closed. Then control the bloodied frozen saliva to force the wyvern to slam its head hard against the ground. Kenia was still atop the creature’s head but he had little doubt she’d be able to move in time, the elf was quick. Bowyn had no plans to show any mercy, the thought of mercy or giving it a kinder death did not even occur. He’d seen enough of what these creatures were capable of, and he wouldn’t watch it happen again. Wyverns, dark elves, and Aklenroth were all creatures that had taken things from him, creatures of destruction, and they weren’t worthy of mercy.

Time:Afternoon
Location:Forest
Interaction:@Tae@Helo@HowlsOfWinter
Outfit:This outfit, but imagine the cape is down to her ankles and the skirt is shorter.
Inventory:Ama pouch, map, berries, 2 potato cakes, a knife, some rope, and a blanket.


Clara grimaced as blood splattered a little on her face, but did not waste time wiping it off. The tail was flying at them and she needed to stop it in time. Just as she went to maneuver rocks in front of them to block it, a shield of ice appeared in front of them. The tail knocked into it, cracking the ice with its force, and then plopped on the floor. She glanced over at Bowyn, thinking it was him who had made that move at first, but soon realized it was Zephyrin who had the expression of concentration. "Nice going, Zeph! Totally nailed it!"

She didn't expect Kenia to suddenly run at the wyvern and swing herself upon its back for a rodeo. As Kenia made its way up to the wyvern's head, the creature bucking wildly to try to throw her off as she stabbed its eye, causing it to cry out in fury and agony. She's badass. Clara thought with admiration. Kenia then called for them to finish it. Her gaze slid to Bowyn, but he was not available to take a call. His eyes were locked on the wyvern and he looked like he probably wanted to stab it, set it on fire, then bring it back to life and repeat the procedure at least forty-two times.

Bowyn screamed right back at the wyvern, sending ice at its wings and its mouth too this time. Clara wasn't surprised to see he was trying to freeze its mouth shut, but her eyes actually widened at the sight of it slamming its own head against the ground. After the hard hit, it looked like the wyvern was struggling to survive at this point. It was losing a lot of blood. She felt slight sympathy for the creature. It was a shame it had to have come to this, but it was them or her. The best thing she could do was put her out of her pain.

Clara raised her hands upward, raising some of the rocks in the area. The elves had taught her she could manipulate the shape of rocks, but it was a feat she had yet to pull off. Still, Bowyn had inspired her to try to do so. She hoped she'd be able to just conjure material in the shape she chose just as he did soon. She concentrated on sharpening the edges of the rocks and it took a moment, but surely enough with some struggle she achieved some success. The small rocks each came to a sharpened edge as pieces of unneeded material fell off them to the ground.

She sent the rocks right for the wyvern's chest as fast as she could. The rocks plunged into her chest like knives. Clara even pushed them in deeper for extra measure, blood oozing from the punctures. The wyvern's muffled cries lowered in volume as its legs unbuckled and she dropped her head to the ground. Clara sighed in relief.

Clara was quiet for a moment as she thought everything over. They most likely knew she was a human now and she was not sure what that meant to them. She wanted to do something regardless of what they thought of her. She moved over to Bowyn and slowly moved to give him a hug so he had time to step back if he so did not want one. She was a stranger and she was sure maybe her comfort wasn't wanted, but the pain in his eyes had been evident. She had thought Boreas to just be his pet, but it was clearer than ever by his reaction that Boreas had been way more special than that to Bowyn. Once he had either stepped away or accepted the hug, she moved over to a spot by a nearby tree and set down her flower crown. Kneeling down on the ground, she closed her hands in prayer position along with her eyes.

"I hope you're at peace, Boreas."She whispered.

---

The wyvern had weakly tried to buck Kenia off its head to no avail. Agony swelled in her eye as the world went black around her. She screamed in agony and blindly moved forward, trying her best to charge at her attackers. They had to die with her! Pain exploded in her mouth and she could not even cry out this time. When she tried to unhinge her jaw, it would stick in place. She became increasingly aware of the coldness in her mouth. She knew the fairy was using his ice against her still and she wanted to stomp him to death.

Then, her own head suddenly slammed into the ground without her permission, hard enough for her to see stars despite being blind. She began to slump at this point, in too much agony to keep moving. The pain soon traveled to her chest but this time, it was only momentary.

She felt nothing. All of the pain that had weighed her down was gone. The wyvern was no genius but she knew her time was up. She had lost. With reluctant acceptance, she let go.

Time: Afternoon
Location: Convenience store, River Port
Interactions: @Potter Lucia
Ambiance: River port


Nur raised her brow at the high pitched voice coming their way. She returned the wave, with a more controlled, less excited wave of her own. The comment of the birth preventers made the corners of Nur's lips turn into an amused smile. She could actually appreciate the elf's humor and didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Nur wanted to return the compliment, looking at the woman. Besides, Darius was really focused on the items he was purchasing. Really focused! The elf's clothes weren’t particularly eye catching, and her eyes wandered to her hair. It was whitish blonde, with a black streak.

If she couldn’t stop aging, her hair would eventually turn out that way. Feeling subconscious, she touched her hair, checking to see if it hadn’t turned white all of the sudden. Actually Nur had to admit it didn’t look half bad on the woman.

“Hi there, I’m doing great thanks!” Nur said cheerfully. She smoothed the wrinkles from her dress, and adjusted the green shawl, letting it rest over her shoulders.
“Thank you, I love it too, I just had this made at the tailor” She wanted to recommend his services to the woman, but remembered Fabrice to be kind of a killjoy.

She made her way over to the elven woman. Nur looked at her two companions and narrowed her eyes. She was pretty sure what was going on here.
I like your style..” Nur said with a smirk, referring to her shopping with someone else's amas. As an expert at said activity, Nur could only appreciate someone with equal skill.

Item by item, Darius carefully read the label of each thing he set inside his cart as if he had never seen them before… Probably because he hadn't. He wanted to make sure he picked out the correct items for what he wanted while Nur walked the aisles with him. She appeared to have all that she needed. The shop seemed to be at peace until… the squeal.

"Uh…" Darius grimaced as he heard the sound, but didn't let it stop him from browsing. Excited people were a thing after all. The same voice seemed to pop up throughout the store commenting on different items, but soon the voice's owner shared the same aisle as both Darius and Nur.

The female elf greeted them and made a joke about birth preventers, but that went totally over Darius' head. Instead if laughing, he kind of just stared at her with an eyebrow raised before she complimented he and Nur's wear.

"Thanks." He simply said, though his tone revealed the bit of awkwardness he felt. With that, he returned to his shopping. Darius felt like he grabbed everything he needed, but eyed the zoomies. They reminded him of the boots of Hermes from a classic video game series he had played. He contemplated purchasing them, but then decided against it. He had a much cheaper method of increasing his speed anyway.

As he pushed the cart to the counter he noticed a green-haired man putting sunglasses on Aklenroth… "Vaeril." He smiled, but was also surprised to see the fancy elf mingling with others. He also noticed the female with the weird jokes and high energy with them… Oh, and Nur was talking her up. Kind of an odd bunch… Maybe they're nice. Seem nice… for elves at least.

This is an oddity. What is this...

Malgormuun was easily ignored as Darius approached Vaeril with a mischievous smile.

"Hey there cool guy." Darius greeted Vaeril sarcastically before nodding to Leon as he slowly passed by with his cart. "I think it fits him too. Name's… Orland, by the way. Orland Legolas of the Crescent Elf Village." Darius said rather proudly as he felt he nailed the name this time. He gave a solid nod to Jordo, letting him know he was ready to check out.



"How about you? Tell me how you met the super interesting elf that is Vaeril." Darius said as he arranged his items swiftly. First he removed his backpack, affixed the leather strap to his instrument, and let it hang at his front. He then attached his timeteller to his utility belt and placed everything else into his backpack minus the portable solar box he tucked into a belt compartment. He would surely play with that new gizmo in due time.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Afternoon, Day 2

LOCATION: Forest near Coast/Creek

[/quote]

INTERACTIONS: @13org Myra, Malachi @princess, Belladonna @Potter @Helo Valok

O’Ner wiped some of the blood off of his face, now he could see somewhat of what he was doing. Grumbling a little that he had missed and hit the owlbear instead, however that was one nuisance that he did not have to worry about. However he was still concerned about Belladonna, and Malachi, with him transforming his staff into a scythe they would be suspicious of him. He could see that the first owlbear had bled to death, which was fine with. The same could be said of the second owlbear’s demise, the two of them were safe from these creatures. It seemed to him that he had done some good work help, even though that was not his intention. He looked over towards the young owlbear cub that was cuddling up against it’s now deceased mother, something clicked in his head. Something he had not felt in a very long time.

O’Ner walked over towards the young cub, kneeling down in front of it. He felt like he was reliving that particular memory, the pain and suffering of a child greatly affected him. He did not want another child to suffer like the one those many years ago. “I am so sorry, please forgive me.” He whispered as if he was saying this to the young girl he had murdered those many years ago. Causing so much death and suffered for the years he was Aklenroth’s general, had caused him a lot of mental anguish.



Flashback End

Wiping some tears from his eyes, something that he had not felt in a very long time. He turned around away from Myra, feeling embarrassed for crying in front of her. “Let us go,” He said, trying to sound cold and distant. Wondering if there were more of these owl things, that could come out and try to attack them.

Once it was clear that both owlbears were dead Valok managed to get back on his feet. He was still dizzy and none of the pain from the owlbears attack had faded, but he was alive. Even in pain, it felt good to be alive. Malachi bandaged the wound to his head, an action that both confused him, and made him uncomfortable. To have another aid him was to show weakness, to have his new commander not only bandage wounds but aid him in even walking was a great embarrassment. Valok was sure he had done everything right, followed orders to attack and he had not given up. Yet he felt that he must've disappointed Malachi in some way, that to put his injury and weakened state on display in such a manner must surely be a punishment. His former dark elf commanders would have at least have given him the chance to at least try and keep up or be left behind. However, he did not argue with Malachi, he would not publicly disrespect or question his commander. His head hung low with shame as he walked as silently as possible.

He watched as Belladonna coddled the smaller owlbear that wandered out of the forest. He understood humans even less than the other races of Avalia. This was one of the same creatures that had tried to kill them, and the human was petting it and treating it like it was precious. Were they keeping this owlbear as a spoil of victory? Certainly, it would fetch a decent price on the black market, or with proper training and an obedience collar, it could prove useful one day. While he could certainly recognize the usefulness an owlbear could provide in battle, he decided he certainly disliked the creatures and he would prefer to keep his distance from it. He kept to the other side of Malachi, away from the owlbear. Belladonna treated the creature like a child, and this was clearly the wrong approach to start training a warbeast. He kept his thoughts on the owlbear to himself though, as Malachi had ordered they stay quiet as the light elf made a shield of invisibility while they walked.

Valok found himself disappointed that they were leaving the others behind. Although Mathias had fought rather clumsily, he had enjoyed hearing the demihuman’s stories of his quiet life. He had wanted to learn more from him about why he hated The Great King, to better understand why so many clearly felt this way. Myra had fought exceptionally, and he held great respect for the demon. He had felt more at ease when they had the company of a demon from Daka, like he was not the only outsider of the group. Now he was only in the company of a light elf and a human, and Belladonna was so distant, he understood so little about the human and she relieved nothing willingly. Malachi was a leader, and while Valok was comfortable enough following his orders and trusting in his judgment, he could not burden a commander with his endless questions. The thought of making it to the next town filled him with nervous anxiety, he had no idea what to expect from the other rebels, whether they would be in any way welcoming of a dark elf.

Time: Afternoon, Day 2
Location: By a spring, closer to River Port
Interactions:@Helo@Potter
Outfit:Outfit from the Ball
Inventory:Sword that's sheathed, Bow and quiver of arrows. Then: 2 hankerchiefs, liquid body cleanser, wayfinder, toothbrush, travel-size hair and teeth cleansers, small round of rope, small amount of disinfectant and bandaging: all in a fanny pack that's facing behind him, hidden behind his cape.


Malachi nodded when Belladonna thanked him as he tried to hurry them through the woods. The invisibility wore off and he glanced at the two of them as they came back into view. Belladonna seemed enamored with the owlbear and her spirits lifted. He smiled a little bit to himself. She seemed as young as Corvina and Rei. He was sure this was all difficult for her, so he had to admit it was nice to see the girl not look so on edge for once.

His gaze moved to Valok. His mood was a lot harder to read, but he was sure the man was in pain. "Hey. You doing alright? You were brave, Valok. Just hang in there a little longer and we'll get you some help."

Terneus Andros

River fairy kingdom.

The path to the river kingdom of the fairies had been relatively peaceful for the governor, which had now gotten some time to rest and recuperate in his remaining carriage. The two knights were sitting at the front of the carriage while he was sitting inside speaking to his aide, Halma. His aide had suffered during most of the travel, answering all manner of questions that the silverhaired mage had for him. Most which more or less involved himself and his belongings. He also learnt that Kenia had indeed not delivered the 'elf beastman' to his doorstep, so it was most likely that he was indeed the one he saw in that forest. Had the feral creature killed Kenia and broken loose while under transporting to his land?

Not that it mattered anymore, since he had lost his castle. His bastion of light. His mighty tower. How many years had he gazed out of those windows looking down at those below, it had made him feel as if he indeed was a god. How dared those ungrateful commoners dare raise a hand against his right and just authority. One of the things the carriage passed by was a village which had been... put through some grotesque treatment that made the carriage come to a halt.

"Oof! You idiots don't stop the carriage that rough, I was looking at myself!" The governor snarled as he had hit his face in his handheld mirror from the impact. One of his knights knocked on the hatch before opening it. "M-my lord... this village has been... you better look at this my lord." The knight stuttered slightly.

"Look at what?!" He cussed and peeked out of the window at a village which had been seemingly ravaged by something dire, with dark elves and fairies piling bodies together. "Am I supposed to care? Some peasants and witless dark elves cleaning up some mess. They likely made it themselves! Now continue along the way, I have wasted enough time looking at this distasteful scenery." He pouted slightly and motioned for the knight to continue and close the hatch.

Some time later...

"My lord, we are approaching the gates!" A knight opened the hatch at the front of the carriage to deliver the message to Terneus.

"You shall knock before opening the hatch, you unfit dimwit!" Terneus raised his voice in a reprimanding manner to the audacity of his knight, which had dared to interupt his thoughts about himself.

"Stop the carriage, I shall educate the imbeciles at the gate." He waved dismissively to the knight and adjusted the collar of his shirt, rising up from his seat once the carriage stopped to let the passengers off. His spare carriage lacked a proper red carpet to go along with the wooden stairs. There was some mud along the pathway. The governor frowned and wrinkled his nose, looking over to Halma for a moment. It didn't take long before his aide found himself pushed out of the carriage and falling into the mud below, and the regal looking governor would follow shortly after using Halma as a makeshift mat. To get dirty again was highly unappealing and highly inappropriate for one of his standing, his aide was meant to aid him after all. And he had much things to pay back for.

"Attention you of lesser birth, I, Lord Terneus Andros, governor of the light elves demand passage through the lands of the king." Terneus motioned and held out an arm towards the dark elves stationed at the gates, while there were several fairies looking him over and hushing their children and elders. There were also some demi-human refugees from Roshmi making camp outside which had given him glares.

'These insignificant mongrelbreeds, they do not know how lucky they are to even gaze upon my radiance. But at least these spineless fairies are whispering, they know their place for certain. Enlighten your offspring bug-folks, tell them of the day that the fairest of all elves graced them with his presence.' The elf mused in his own mind as the dark elves seemed to look him over and then inspect the papers provided by his knights. How much he wished that he could wipe out all of those dirty dark elves, but alas with the situation of the world it was not safe. Just how many more years would he have to tolerate their simply unbearable nature and arrogance? Thank the elder gods that he was a high ranking official of the lich king.

"All seems to be in order... you may pass." One dark elf almost seemed to snarl out, as if the mere sight of the governor was fueling his hatred and spite anew.

"Ofcourse it is. Now stop wasting my time, I have places to be and people to reprimand for their failure to suppress this ridicolous rebellion." He said in a non-chalant manner, waving his hand dismissively. While his words were indeed a lie, he had no wish to speak truth to some dark elf of his real intention to grab more power for himself during the conflict. If Aklenroth would somehow be removed he would be possible to force the weak into making him a regional ruler. Maybe even a king? The elf licked his own lips as the thought crossed his mind, but there was some annoyance in being king. Such as hearing pleas of people that didn't matter, or to work extra hard. That was tiresome. A puppet on a throne would be better, as long as everyone knew -he- was the one in charge. Maybe he could put some disabled idiot on the throne? Maybe that feral beast-elf could do? Terneus began to walk as soon as he was able, the knights taking care of his carriage as it entered the river fairy kingdom, while he walked in front of it alongside Halma.

"This is terrible..." Terneus said after awhile, looking around at the various buildings and people looking at their treading into the kingdom.

"I know, I feel really bad for all these poor people... what manner of monster would do such a thing like what happened at that village?" Halma said in a ponderous tone, his face growing whiter by the minute, despite being covered halfways in dried mud.

"Not that you, acorn brain! I seem to have gotten a mudstain on my coat and what is that smell?" Terneus wrinkled his nose in disgust as he walked past the fearful looking citizens, some of them just peeking out of their homes or from behind their stands.

'These people could carry all manner of sicknesses. This is like treading into some kind of sewer. Ugh. Who would do such willingly?' The ever so thoughtful and caring governor thought while fetching a silk napkin from his pocket to use as a temporary mask to reduce the horrible scent in the air. "Are they roasting some beastfolks? This reeks worse than mournwine or those filthy hounds that Dreadclaw fool had with him." He grimaced as they approached the market and shops district, when they came upon an odd scene.

There was an odd looking fairy sitting on a throne in the middle of the shopping square, all around there were groteque twisted things. Were those arms? Dead fairies? Dying fairies? The governor couldn't quite make out what terrible sense of art it were, just that the smell was overpowering his noble nose and making him feel sick. There were many onlookers, and they certainly made note of his arrival. Halma and his two knights seemed to become near panic stricken at the sights unfolding in front of them, but they followed Terneus nontheless forwards. The fairy on the throne were also keeping a few other individuals nearby.

Terneus icy eyes scanned Umber, Azriel and Artemis over. He snorted in an arrogant manner, what manner of gathering was this? Some carneval of the grim and gruesome? Of the wicked and wretched? Of the ugly and poor? And then it happened, some gathering of fairies began to cluster around him and pulling at his clothes and pleading.

"Please help us! They've gone mad!" A fairy man said in a hushed but fearful manner, his eyes widened in sheer terror. He was soon flanked by a female fairy crying. "They killed my husband, please you got to help us." She pleaded and pulled at his coat.

"Stop touching me! Whose gone mad? Whose in charge here?" He demanded as he shook the fairy man roughly by the shirt.

"H-helio M-m-m-millinia..." the man stuttered as his face was overcome with fear and sweat and he fell to his knees as soon as Terneus let go of him.

"Millinia? That name sounds familiar.. where have I heard this before? Halma?" Terneus raised an eyebrow aloft and looked at his terrified aide who seemed as if he had seen a ghost. "M-my lord Andros... this is.. I.. Risa Millinia is the one leading the rebellion and also a remnant of the old fairy royal family. This... is her brother? But.. he died? Oh by the graces what has happened to this place..." The elf's words crumbled into mere mumblings as he seemed to realize what all the bizarre 'art' really were.

"Ahh! Yes, I knew I knew that name. It is of less importance than my own but it does cast some light on this situation." Terneus began to stroke the ruffles on his shirt thoughtfully, while still holding his napkin with the other, the crowd of fairies still looking at him.

"Terneus Andros?" One fairy said in a questioning manner, and soon after there seemed to be a domino effect of whispering amidst them, and then there was some rising in voices.

"Lord Terneus! Please help us! We can pay you for helping us! He killed my daughter!" An old fairy man spoke out, followed by another which chimed in a similar voice. "I give you all I have if you stop this madness!".

"Help you? Do you people really think that I am- Pay me? All you have?" The elf raised an eyebrow in sheer surprise, but also in the same moment an idea was born in his head. As if it had indeed been his idea all along. It was truly a blessing that he was so gifted, not only in looks but in intelligence too. The governor took a few moments to adjust his coat, and assumed a pose as if he was the subject of a master artist. Like a sculptor or a grand painter looking him over.

"I, Lord Terneus Andros, have heard your pleas of aid and shall do my noble duty. If you have the amas so that I may feed the poor orphaned children of the elven orphanage in turn. Your donation shall be most welcome." Terneus said in a calmer voice than usual, his face depicting a shimmering smile as he unhooked the cloaks of his knights and ordered them to hold the cloaks as if they were sacks ready to carry things of wealth. Soon after he beckoned the fairies forth.

"We must all help each other in these troubling times..." He said as if he was eating on the most tasteful piece of meat ever eaten, as if there had been butter sliding all over his words. Halma merely looked on in a mix of shock and disbelief. Soon enough there was plenty of jingling sounds coming from the two makeshift sacks and the Governor waved to the fairies in as if he were a british queen, and they were the unsuspecting crowd being duped. "Rest assured, I shall spring into action right away, in the meantime please stay indoors." He said as he bit his teeth together shortly after to conceal his cruel urge to chuckle at their hopes.

'These idiots deserve all that is coming their way, and I deserve this for being so much more clever... mmmmm...' He loved hearing his own voice in his head, it was like soft silk licking his very soul. The four elves and their carriage continued towards the area where the throne were located, after the knights had put in the makeshift sacks of fortunes into the carriage itself.

"Who is in charge here? Are you Herio Milpenia? I, Lord Terneus Andros, governor and servant of the king, demands to know what is going on here. I require some methods of long distance travel and what is that terrible smell?" He felt it more strongly now, the reek of... death? As he addressed Helio and those present near him. Grimacing at the wingless fairy.

'And I thought they were disgusting with their wings on...'

Time: Afternoon Day 2
Location: Forest
Interaction: @Helo Bowyn @HowlsOfWinter Zephyrin @princess Clara
Outfit: Outfit she changed into after getting her things

---

Kenia realized that Bowyn was in this for vengeance now, she could tell just by the look of him. She’d been in a similar state two nights ago and understood it well. She also understood that she needed to move otherwise she’d also be caught in Bowyn’s wrath and she swiftly bailed off of the wyvern moments before he slammed the wyvern’s head into the ground. She rolled as she hit the ground, but soon was on her feet again as she watched both Bowyn and Arwen finish the beast off. A part of her felt sorry for the creature, but there was no getting around what had to be done. Unfortunately they lost one of their own in the process as well and that fact angered her. Boreas may have merely been a bird to some, but it was obvious he was so much more than that.

Arwen had slowly approached Bowyn and Kenia remained quiet as she watched the two briefly, unsure of what to say. While the pragmatic side of her wanted to skin what she could from the wyvern and leave quickly, her heart screamed at her to do otherwise. To give Bowyn as much time as he needed, that’s what needed to be done. She spotted her flower crown a little ways away from her and silently moved over to it, picking it up off the ground. It must have fallen off at some point during the battle. As she grabbed it, however, something else caught her eye. There, not far from her crown, lay a smaller flower crown that used to adorn the head of the beautiful bird. Gently she picked it up and closed her eyes as she fought off a wave of emotions. She didn’t know Boreas well nor did she know the depth of the relationship between the bird and Bowyn, but his loss brought back up the feelings from losing Rei. She felt ill for a moment, but pushed past it as she came to a resolve. She noticed Arwen to a spot near a tree and set her flower crown down.

Quietly she began gathering some rocks and started stacking them at the base of the same tree Arwen had gone too. She could have asked Arwen to do so, but the girl was offering comfort to Bowyn and Kenia didn’t know how spent she was with her magic. She wasn't about to stop the girl, however, if she decided she wanted to help as well. Once it was complete she then moved to the wyvern. She found the largest and prettiest scale she could and skillfully removed it from the dead beast. She then used her light magic to carefully engrave on it ‘Boreas, Bravest of All’. She set the scale down, propped against the rock pile, and then took off her crown as she set it also propped against the memorial sight. The sight of it stirred a memory…



Kenia looked down at the small flower crown once more before she opened her mouth and began to sing the same song sung at her grandfather’s funeral. As she did so she slowly walked over to Bowyn and gently took his hand before setting the small crown in it. She then looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes, before stepping back and continuing to sing her dirge.

As he watched the wyvern draw its last haggard breath, Bowyn grinned with satisfaction. He had no interest in why the wyvern attacked, only the sense of victory for having killed it. And with that feeling came the guilt, the knowledge that this wasn’t how a fairy was supposed to feel about killing. He shouldn’t get any joy from it, killing with magic was a deep perversion of a gift made to protect and celebrate nature. He had used that gift not only to kill dark elves but now a creature of the forest. One that could not reasonably be held accountable for its actions, it wasn’t an action that should bring him joy, but to watch it die had brought him a spark of that. It had killed Boreas, and he felt the missing weight upon his shoulder. He had nothing to dull that pain, not even a drink to stop it from all crushing down on him.

The thought of Boreas brought a heavy weight to his chest and it was hard to breathe. His only friend for so many years, gone. Beady eyes that he could trust not look at him and see what others surely saw. The reason he couldn’t go back to his own village. The knowledge that when his own people saw him they must know; that out of dozens who had died he was the least worthy to still draw breath. The first time he’d ever killed a dark elf he had found it cathartic, it had felt like validation that he was worth something. Worth life for having taken it from another, proof that he had more strength than he thought. He had found himself horrified at this part of himself. He stayed away from violence as much as possible, and that had made it easier to pretend it wasn’t part of his nature. He had watched a massacre, seen the evil in those willing to give in to that nature. It hadn’t been what he wanted for himself back then. But it was clear that there was power in that, the wyvern lay dead, and he survived. They had all survived, except for Boreas, but the bird knew what he was doing, he was making sure they all stayed safe, he had shown Bowyn how to be brave. It hadn’t been mercy or kindness that had saved them, it had been through violence that they all now lived.

Bowyn knew that he was not a good man, but good men didn’t win wars, didn’t overthrow kings, and couldn’t protect those close to them. Bowyn knew he would go to horrible lengths to achieve his goals. He also knew he’d have to keep that part of himself buried until necessary. If others saw it, he’d be alone again. He’d thought he’d been alone before, but he’d always had Boreas at his side, to force him to keep going. Now, now what did he have? He had a chance at vengeance, for everything he’d lost. A chance to, if not destroy, at least hurt the lich he held most responsible. He had Torvi and Belle, who somehow cared about him, somehow managed to make the rest of the world seem a little more like a place he could stand. He had this new group, he wasn’t nearly as close to them, but he wanted to keep them safe too. None of them had run, they had all fought together, and that bonded him to them. They were all worthy of his trust, and he found them all to be good company.

Even though the fight was done, he still felt impossibly cold from his own magic. He shivered uncontrollably and tried to calm himself enough to feel warmth again. Before the forest here had felt almost unbearably warm and now warmth seemed like a distant memory. His teeth chattered and his skin had remnants of frost upon it. His attention turned from his own thoughts to Arwen who moved closer and drew him into a hug. For a moment he remembered warmth, felt the cold of his magic wane, and Bowyn felt calm again. He no longer saw his own breath appearing in clouds from the cold that radiated around him.

“Thank you. I guess I was wrong, you fight well human, but I still don’t plan to ditch you in the forest.” He tried to offer Arwen a smile but couldn’t quite manage it. He followed Arwen over to a tree where he placed his own flower crown on the ground as well. He hadn’t cried for Boreas, the attempt had frozen to his face during the fight. He was too exhausted for tears now anyway. Instead, he managed a sad smile as Kenia built a rock monument and engraved a wyvern scale for Boreas. He was more than a bit surprised that the rest took the time to pay tribute to his friend. This also brought him warmth, he did not feel as alone as he thought he would without his friend. Kenia placed Boreas’s flower crown in his hand and began to sing a mournful song. He placed the flower crown beneath the wyvern scale and smiled at how shiny the grave marker was.

“Boreas always loved shiny things, he would like this a lot. Thank you.” Bowyn said softly.

“He would expect us to continue, we shouldn’t stay here long. We should take what we can from the beast; its horns, hide, teeth, they’ll be worth something at the market. Shouldn’t let it go to waste.” Bowyn added as he looked back over to the corpse of the wyvern. It was easier to think practically, there were things that needed to be done, he had to focus on that now. If he spent too long thinking about loss, and about Boreas, he would only lose the will to keep going, and it would be so much easier to just sit and wallow. They had to make it to the river port, once they were somewhere safe, then he could allow himself to feel the pain. Right now, he was too numb and exhausted for it all, but the grief loomed, threatening to hit him all at once if he let it. When it did hit, he needed to not be sober, needed something to soften its blow.

Though he would never admit it, Valok was thankful when they took a brief break from the walking. He only nodded to Malachi, not sure what the other elf meant by his words. He did not consider himself brave, he was made for battle, to follow orders, and that was all he did. Belladonna offered a similar sentiment, the human also seemed worried by his injuries. He thought she might be better off worrying about the owlbear that pecked at her face, a behavior that would be far less amusing when it was full grown. He decided that surely they must think him useful, as a warrior for the rebellion, there was no other reason to explain their concern with him. This was good, if he was useful to the rebellion they would keep him around, and he could learn more. He would have the chance to fight for something different and maybe that was what he needed to feel the sense of purpose he was supposed to have felt in the dark elf army.

“My injuries are unlikely to be fatal. But to go out fighting and to be remembered for strength in battle would be the highest honor.” He said to both of them, he wondered if light elves and humans desired something different from death.

“If and when I do die, and either of you are around, would you burn my body? I do not wish to become one of the undead. Or you could feed me to the small owlbear, I believe they eat mainly meat.” Valok asked, not worried about voicing such a treasonous request in front of these two. Dark Elves did not burn their dead, they allowed them to be used in the undead army as it was seen as a great honor, and that was the only fate he truly feared. But to rebels, such a request would not be seen as an act of treason the way it would amongst his own people.

Time:Afternoon
Location:River Kingdom Plaza
Interactions: @Tae @FunnyGuy @Dezuel @Potter
Outfit:: Armor he has on
Inventory:Sword


Helio squinted his eyes as he watched a carriage come toward them in the distance. "Look at that gaudy thing. Gotta be an elf." He commented and lounged back with a grin, looking up at Azriel. "All from every town shall come bearing gifts for the great fairy king. " After adjusting his crown, he watched as a man just as gaudy as his transportation came out of the carriage. "Oh what is that."His amusement was impossible to keep off his face as a mischievous look overtook his expression.

It introduced itself as Terneus Andros and he made a noise as he struggled to confine a burst of laughter from leaving his lips. If he had been drinking something, he might have spit out water everywhere. He knew that name. "Oh wow."He straightened up in his throne and leaned over, peering at him.

The asshole governor who spends outrageous amounts of time at every event, staring at himself in the mirror!

Helio could recall his mother telling him she heard a rumor that he'd even kiss the mirror. He was absolutely obsessed with himself and all of Avalia knew of how terrible a governor he was. He paid no mind to anyone in the Sun Elf Village, and spent all his time grooming himself and buying ridiculous, tacky elvenwear.

He started to laugh at both the governor's reaction to the fairy and the randomness of this event in general. He was unable to help himself. Oh he hates the dying fairies! And the smell!

His laughter slowly died down as he got control of himself and he got to his feet. "Lord Teeeeerneus Androooos!"He bellowed dramatically as he addressed him, grinning at him. "All the waaaay here in the River Kingdom. The finest! The handsomest! The most generous governor of all of Avalia! Oh you have no idea how welcome you are, good sir! If traveling arrangements is what you need, then traveling arrangements is what you'll get! The great king Helio would never offer you any less. " He jumped to his feet. "An amora can be arranged and at your disposal, however, I do encourage you to stay and relax a little with us. You look weary and like you could enjoy a good meal."

He anticipated that Azriel was going to be either angered with him or also take part in wanting to mess around with the governor. It was no secret she hated them. Helio couldn't say he was a big fan either, but this was all just a joke to him that he wanted to spend more time laughing at.