[IC] Along a Dark Road (Athos & Kate)

[Athos]

The sun gently eclipsed in the sky as the call of the night hearkened the luminescent star to it's resting place. Blue light reflecting off of the castle walls, the capital of Esper looked dreary in the afternoon light. The tension lingering in the air was unmistakable as Lyall walked up the lonely stairs leading up to the castle. It had seemed that the ambitious young elf was the only one in the entire kingdom of Esper to either be brave or stupid enough to answer the royal decree that came from the King himself. There was almost an ethereal whisper that carelessly bounced in the winds that blew throughout the lands. But to Lyall, the day was a bright day indeed. His King had finally acknowledged his need for someone like Lyall and he was more than happy to respond to the King's summons.

Jumping through the castle steps two at a time, Lyall's small frame bounced lithely upwards. He eventually made it to the top of the steps and stopped briefly to admire the gargantuan architecture of the castle. It seemed a castle fit for the Gods, not any mortal king. Elven or not. With a tightening sensation in his chest from anticipation, he approached the guards that guarded the doors of the castle. Unfazed by their quizzical looks, many of the guards knew Lyall only as the broom man that swept the castle after hours, he strode with an air of omnipotence. The question was not if the guards were going to let him into the castle, it was what they would do to stop him.

He had not come this far to have his Fate thrown eskew by a guardsman. Thankfully for our young esquire however, after he explained that he was answering the summons of the King for a worthy knight to escort the young princess through the Carpathian mountains, the guards gave very little resistance other than a few sniggers at the young man's expense. Striding through the halls with the swagger of a conqueror, Lyall felt as if he had already won half of the battle by being granted entrance into the Sovereign's halls.

The hallway was adorned with countless portraits of past Kings and Queens of old and the pillars that held up the building seemed to have a history of their own carved into them. Lyall would of been happy enough to just marvel at the intricate designs and murals on the walls for hours by himself but he had come on a mission. That mission was far greater than any portrait hanging in a castle, Lyall had already fantastical designs and murals painted in his head of himself being depicted in the murals after this mission.

Entering the grand hall where the fates of entire nations were decided, it was then that Lyall entered the presence of the King. Feeling his breath swept up from his lungs, he walked in the most solemn manner possible as he approached the King's throne. He could feel his knees shaking in the presence of the monarch and it seemed as if his own body was determined to strangle him.

It was then that he saw her. Dressed in a simple purple dress, the young Princess of Esper sat beside her father. She was absolutely the most breathtaking creature the young esquire had ever laid eyes on. It seemed that the only one missing in the room was the Queen herself. Determined to continue on his mission, he forced each leg to move in front of each other until he was approximately twenty feet away from the King. It was then that he perceived the King's sour mood lingering in the air. Taking a knee after doing a most gracious bow, he put his hand over his knee as he bowed his head once again as a deference of respect.

"Your Highness, I have heard your summons and I come as your most humble servant to escort your daughter through any dangers that may occur on this journey. I pledge my life to this journey, and if you are to agree to let me be your servant, I promise to bring your daughter and the cure for our beloved Queen's ailing health back. I swear this on my honor," he said with the calmest yet confident voice he could muster. Despite his small size, he was determined not to squeak like a mouse in quite possibly the most important minute of his life.

[Katelyn]

A cold hand touched her bruised cheek as she flinched from the pain of watching the woman below her wither away an not her latest injury. She reached up and took the fragile fingers in her warm grasp, her smaller hands covering her mothers and drawing it from her cheek to her lips as she kissed it and closed her eyes. Pain lanced her chest and failure sat like a wet cloak around as she pondered upon the days lost by the latest debacle just beyond the city walls. She was sent on a mission - a difficult one no less - but simply a task to retrieve the plant and she couldn't manage to get past the forest because of her wealth and title. She released her mother's hand and looked into the dull grey gaze as she smiled sadly.

"I am sor.." she was cut off by a sharp raspy hush.

"Do not apologize to me child for it is I who am sorry. Your beautiful face is marred because you foolishly thought to move beyond the walls of the castle. Your father should be taken to the gall.." she paused only to cough, red droplets splattering the lovely white sheet that held her only means of warmth.

"Oh mom," Lillith whispered as she moved to gather a small cup of water and a cloth, cleaning her mothers lips as her violet eyes filled with warm tears. Her mother tried to assist, but the weakness of her approached death allowed it not. She finally gave up trying and watch the child she'd birthed take care of her, love overwhelming her in the midst of her fear and grief.

"Lillith, promise me that you will not leave the castle again. You are too small and young to be doing these things." She breathed in a soft shaky breath and closed her eyes in an effort to stave off the pain that ate at her.

"I cannot, mother. I would forfeit my own life for yours. The ends of the earth and hell itself would not hold me back from rushing toward a cure." Her mother started to talk again and Lillith stood and shook her head, long violet strands moving about her lithe figure. "No. Do not take away my hope. You and father have locked me in the castle for all my life and you are all I have. I will not watch you die. You cannot ask that of me."

Before the Queen had a chance to answer a knock resounded from just behind Lillith, one of the servants poking his head in to let the princess know that she would be needed in the throne room shortly. She nodded to him and turned back to her mother who had slipped off to sleep, or so it appeared. Lillith reached down and tucked the covers around her, kissing her cold forehead and praying over her with a soft whisper.

Turning to go, she paused only a moment to look back, gaining strength from her beloved before moving to meet her father. A long purple gown adorned her body, a maiden stopping her just outside of the throne room to brush through her hair and pull it this way and that to ensure that she looked picture perfect should someone answer the summons of the king. Lillith finally slapped the girls hands from her and walked into the room, her father pale and losing weight much too quickly. Appearance was everything and from the looks of things their kingdom was slipping under the frail ice of peril.

She took her seat and looked to her father before the far door opened and a handsome young man entered. "I will go alone if no one is chosen. I'm not asking, but letting you know that you can send me with someone or turn your back as I go it alone, but I cannot stay here while she dies."

His eyes shifted toward her and he nodded. "You are your mother's child."

They both turned to look upon the young elven man as he approached, his words filled with belief in their derivative meaning and coated with a promise of victory. Her father stood from his thrown and touched the boy on his shoulder with his royal staff. "Come closer boy and tell me what means to you have to defend the princess? I sent ten of my finest men and they lay strewn and my daughter fought her way back to me. Tell me how this would be different if I allowed her to leave with only one man, someone such as yourself?"

[Athos]

Lyall waited for as a response before he felt the heavy scepter of the monarch rest upon his shoulder. Immediately he was filled with warmth, preemptively assuming that it was a sign of acceptance. However the King's next words chilled his freshly warmed soul to it's very marrow. In all of the versions of this meeting that he had played in his head while climbing the stairs, he had never considered the question that the King had just laid upon him. Though it was just a simple question, Lyall already tasted defeat at his lips. Why should the King entrust his one and only daughter to a young Elven child that wasn't even fit enough to be chosen as a lowly guardsman at the orphanage. Looking at his small childish hands, he quickly scrunched his fingers into a fist as he did what the King commanded and stepped forward until he was close enough to see the unhealthy pallor of the King's complexion.

Despite the Kings immense power over the realm, he resembled a sickly elderly gentleman more than a proper monarch with how frail and aged the King looked. What may of once been an attractive ruddy face was marred by the scarring of Time. Taking a few seconds to gather a proper response, Lyall wondered what would be a proper response to the King's question. What did he have above any other man in the country? What exceptional quality did he possess that should elevate himself above his peers?

"With all due respect Your Majesty, I know that I am not the strongest, quickest, nor most experienced Elven boy in Esper. I know why you would ask what makes me so different, and the only thing that I can say is that I have always been a loyal servant of Your Majesty for as long as I can remember. It is for that reason that I can tell you with such an assured air that I will bring your daughter back safely. I'm not doubting the loyalty of your ten soldiers that were slain and I grieved as well for their losses, but I have been waiting my entire life for a chance to serve you. If you allow myself to act as your daughters guard, there is not a single monster or man that could touch a hair on your daughter's head for I am willing to do whatever it takes to serve Your Majesty and His Kingdom. That is the only promise I can make to you that I know I can keep."

[Katelyn]

The king watched the boy as he moved closer, his gaze analyzing the younger man’s structure and stance, his old ears perking up to better assess the courage and confidence of the elf. He nodded as he thought through his response and never let his eyes move away from the boy just before him. “What is your name, son?”

Lillith watched the song and dance before her and knew without a doubt that the young man would do as he had pledged and protect her with all that he was. Everyone deserved a chance to serve their king and their kingdom and sadly enough it appeared as though this man had yet to receive his opportunity. She knew her father wanted to bellow from his seat that no one would take his child from the castle again, that all opportunity was shattered when his finest were dropped without a moment’s notice.

Danger fed on opportunity and to defeat it one didn’t need to be stronger or braver, but more cunning. She felt he could provide this and she was sold to his cry for a chance.

“Father, I would have him take me to search for the plant.” She looked to her father and nodded as he understood clearly that no one else was coming and she would not take defeat sitting down. The girl was cunning and brilliant and he would lose her if he were not careful.

He looked back at the boy before him, standing slowly and with concentrated effort. He cleared his throat and nodded at the man. “I will honor your request, but understand that if harm befalls the princess that you shall not only suffer the consequence of death, but everyone you know and love with suffer alongside them.

“Father…” the princess stood and touched the Kings arm, but he jerked it away and glared at her.

“My word stands, child. Do not question me in this.” He looked back to the boy. “Honor and glory to befall you on your journey and the destiny of the one you protect to mirror your own. Do you accept?”

[Athos]

The carriage seemed to moving at a crawling pace throughout the city. Lyall admired his silver mithril gloves in the reflection of the morning light. After he had agreed to the King's terms, the rest of the meeting was rather uneventful. The King had advanced the young elf a portion of his pay in order to purchase proper supplies for the journey and allotted a week's time to acquire them. He was not going to simply risk the entire fate of Esper to fall awry due to lack of equipment, and Lyall felt more radiantly dressed than he had ever been his entire life.

Despite his new wardrobe, the Elf felt surprisingly hollow inside at the King's words that were given to him during the meeting. When he had agreed to this mission, he had done it out of a preemptive need to serve his Sovereign. But what of the young nurse that he so cherished? Could he possibly bear the guilt if something amiss was to fall upon her due to his actions? He doubted it; he would not be able to live with such a pain. All together, the young elf's mind was a pot of different emotions boiling together during the meeting. As the King's suitors measured him for his new garments, Lyall tried to steal glances at the princess to see if she bore any markings on her face that would betray her thoughts, but he had little to no success. It seemed that Fortune did not favor his inquisitive efforts, and Lyall was left to wonder how the princess was going to react to him escorting her.

It seemed a rather silly thing to worry about, but Lyall was genuinely curious if the princess viewed him with the same admiring look he viewed her with. Part of him wanted to know if his affections that he viewed her with were unrequited. A more childlike part of him had already drew fantasies in his head of her clinging his arm for safety as he slew whatever dangers they faced. It was quite amazing how the mind could so quickly forget the affections he had previously for the young nurse at the orphanage and shift them to this new princess that sprung into his life. Nonetheless, for the rest of the carriage ride, Lyall dreamed of elaborate romances with the young woman that had stolen his affections with a single glance.

As the carriage reached the outer gates of the city, it slowed to a stop. It was at the outside boundaries of the city that the young knight was to begin his escort. Sunlight gleamed off of his silver and mithril armor as he stepped out of the carriage, it was deemed for safety reasons that they should begin the voyage as early in the day as possible due to the dangers of travelling in the dark. With a regal sword swinging at his hips and a doctor's bag on his shoulders, the young elf looked like a rather silly pint of a man standing in a knight's armor.

It seemed as if he was the first one to the gate however, so after paying the carriage driver, he chose a nearby tree stump and took a seat. He couldn't very well go on his journey without the princess in tow. Sitting on his improvised seat, he decided that the best way to spend the time would be to fiddle with his new toys. Lyall began rummaging through his doctors bag eagerly and soon lost himself in its contents.

[Katelyn]

"Lillith, I do not believe this will be wise of us to send you out amongst the wolves with nothing more than a boy to protect you." Her father huffed in distain once the room cleared allowing him a moment of truth before his only child. The winds of time would move forward with ancient effect until she returned and he feared more than her loss, but the news being brought before his love and watching her die from a broken heart far before doing so from the disease that racked her lovely frame.

Lillith stood slowly, placed a kiss on her father's head and began to walk from the room. "I have but only one fear father." She stopped just before leaving, turning her head slightly as her long lavendar curls touched the top of her dress and danced about in the soft winds that blew through the castle. "I fear that I might sift in my lofty castle and do nothing while the creature that I love most dies. You cannot do something, so on behalf of us both... I will. I care not who accompanies me or doesn't. This is my destiny and I will fulfill it."

She pushed hard against the door, leaving behind doubt and fear and embracing reality with optimism and an unfailing sense of serenity. She would travel to far lands with the assistance of the young elven boy that had offered himself to her family. Heart was more capable than head most days and being as he was, she wasn't concerned with his capabilities in the slightest. The day turned to evening and the darkness swallowed up the events of late, giving way to morning and the start of their journey. She woke with the sun and dressed quickly for comfort and warmth, her long hair drawn up into a tight bun and her clothing layered around her small frame and providing much needed protection.

As she moved to the gates of the city, various castle guards bowed and showed their respect for her position, her own eyes focused on the small outline before her as she gazed at her companion in curiosity. He seemed to be very involved at looking at something within his small medical bag and she almost hated to bother him, but knew that the day would move quickly from their grasp if they didn't leave soon. She stopped a few feet from him, her small brown slippers making very little noise which afforded her additional time to analyze him and the precarious situation they might face.

She cleared her throat as she pulled herself up into the carriage, her own sword on her back and her daggers strapped to her outer thighs. She slipped into her seat and breathed in deeply, a lovely smile on her lips. "Good morning. I do not believe I caught your name yesterday, brave knight, but whispers within the castle assign you the name Lyall. Is that correct?"

She smiled and extended her hand, long well manicured fingers were the result of living in royalty, but she longed for the days of getting them dirty and utilizing her skills and whole being to make a difference - to enact change. "I am Lillith. Please do not refer to me by my title or my lot in life just in case someone of nefarious intent might be watching us. Do come and let us take hold of the day before us." She settled in and looked out amongst the high mountains before them, the dark crevice of trees laying at the bottom of their first large valley and filled with darkness.

"It was just there that we were attacked. I'm thinking their must have been at least 20 men hiding behind trees lying in wait to get us." She reached in her bag and pulled out a large bottle of light blue liquid. "Here... a friend of mine is a soothsayer and a bit of a witch, but tell no one. He told me that if we were to take a drink of this when arriving into a precarious situation that we would appear to those around us as that which they least desire to attack. I suppose I might be a sweet looking little old woman or something of that nature, though the composition of my body in actuality changes not. Magic..."

She took a small drink and passed it to him, licking at her small lips and smiling. "Tastes like blueberries."

[Athos]

Lyall was woken abruptly from a soft voice in the distance. It sounded much too regal to be addressed to him but as he looked up, he saw the Princess of Esper before him in a simple dress though her speech and delicate features betrayed her royal origins. Grasping her hand tentatively with his own, he drew himself up from his seat with his doctor’s bag slung over his shoulder. He looked at the blue liquid offered before him before he gently refused it with a kind naiveté. Putting his hand over the stopper of the open bottle, he looked at the young princess before him.

“Save the liquid for yourself... Lillith,” he said before he awkwardly paused. He was not used to referring to royalty in such a laissez faire way. “You’re the one who has to make it through this alive,” he commented without a hint of contempt or superiority, just in a dreary matter of fact way. He stood up and stretched his arms for a brief moment before he remembered he was in the presence of royalty. “My name is Lyall Bookchild, a man with a soul as strong as his back and a tenacious demon to all that oppose, and it is an honor to be your escort! Let us be off then before the day goes to waste.”

He thought that his machismo boast would of sounded cooler when he said it but instead he just felt like he had made an extravagant fool of himself. He had read it once in a book and thought it sounded extraordinarily cool when the protagonist said it in the face of certain death. He didn’t afford to let his doubts show on his face however and kept up the show of bravado lest the princess call his bluff. Truth was that Lyall wasn’t much of a fighting demon, or even a man. Before anyone could question it however, he began the trek from the town gates with the young princess in tow towards the grim dark valley that loomed ominously from the distance.

[Katelyn]

She hiccuped softly and smiled at his claims, nodding and pointing toward the darkness that lay below in the valley ahead of them. "I do believe that we might run into a bit of trouble in the forest, but now that I appear like an old woman to those that would cause a princess harm, we should be a little more protected."

The sun hid itself behind the clouds and all wildlife seemed to grow weary and muted as they neared the forest, the path laid out before them whittled into the grass with light brown stones that were well-worn and pressed deep into the earth. Travelers into their beautiful city had only one entrance and one exit and yet the width of the road allowed for only one traveler at at time. A smile touched her lips at the means of conversation that must have occurred time and time again along the road when two travelers found themselves with the dilemma of who might yield. She looked over at her companion as the forest loomed ahead and touched her bag.

"I have several weapons and am quite good at hand to hand combat as long as there are not more than two opponents before me. The last time I traveled this way I fell prey to the situation handed me because there were six of them and one of me, all of my father's men having been taking to the ground. If not for my quick feet and desperate desire to breathe for another day I'm not sure I'd have made it out alive."

They paused just before the forest, large dark trees rose up before them creating a curtain effect, the narrow entrance into the once lively wooded area was tight and shrouded in shadows. Lillith squared her shoulders and swallowed hard, looking at Lyall with pseudo conviction and smiled. "Let our adventure began, right?"

[Athos]

"Of course!" Lyall said with enthusiasm that betrayed his youth and inexperience. Truth was that he felt like his nerves would burst into flames if they were restrained a second longer. He felt like he had chains on his arms that were begging to be unlocked. He yearned for his adventure to begin already, and after smiling back at Lillith, bravely stepped into the woods as if his skin itself was made out of chain mail. He was determined to take the lead in this exploration despite his utter lack of experience compared to Lillith. Truthfully however, if he were thinking, he should of let Lillith go first since she certainly had much more protection with the potion effects but his egotism took over where experience should of.

He had no idea what to suspect in the woods and while he walked with a carefree demeanor, his hand firmly grasped the hilt of his sword with such force that his knuckles were turning white.