Through a Nightmare, Darkly [MAIN PLOT]

[Emma]

I recalled that I’d once had Ellesméra described to me by some half-drunk minstrel in my bar. In his exact words, the forest coated the land like an exotic fur, so inexplicably green it was like a new colour. Rivers like shiny frayed white wool poured between the lower terraces of what a human could easily mistake for very large hills or very small mountains that were, in fact, buildings. When it was winter, the snow glittered like daytime stars, and when it was summer, feather headdresses of green crowned every tree. But all year long, the sun, a pure golden coin, was always kissing the face of a sky so blue, it was as if sapphires had been spilt across the heavens. In the evening, it became the colour of a peacock’s feather- violet tinged with flashes of bronze and green.

Clearly, that minstrel had been as blind as he was drunk.

Du Weldenvarden was in a state of chaos now. Ellesméra, at the heart of the strife, was even more so. It was deathly silent, the only noise the wailing wind that tore at our hair and clothes, and dark. Though it was still relatively early morning, the weather had decided to make Ellesméra just that much more unappealing by sending massive storm clouds to shroud the skies in darkness, occasionally interrupted by white flashes of lightning that gave the impression of an eerily grinning, dancing skeleton. The roar of thunder occasionally rumbled through the air. It was going to start raining soon- I was sure I could already feel a light drizzle. I dropped my hand to my waist, tucking Myaja’s precious weapon further beneath my cloak. A rusty blade was the last thing she needed.

“Ah, here we are. The very highlight of backwoods existence, friends.”

The witch’s cutting, strangely accented voice made me glance up. Sure enough, something resembling a looming black hill was some ways in front of us. Distant childhood memories told me that this indeed was the palace of Ellesméra, the Queen’s home- and now, her prison. I gave it a deliberate death glare. Rescuing royalty from the clutches of evil trees was clearly something for the military to handle. But what with the Riders finding it a fantastic idea to put my sister in irons and therefore destroy any semblance of hierarchy in Du Weldenvarden’s army, that task was now up to a motley crew of foreigners, aristocrats, and criminals. I was part of the latter bunch, obviously- a Lieutenant of the Hive was expected to go and rescue his superiors.

But my allegiance to the Hive wasn’t half the reason I’d been one of the first to respond to the call to arms. The nation of Du Weldenvarden, the country my sister Myaja loved more than anything, was collapsing. She was probably half-insane by now, locked up in Ilirea and unable to do anything about it. The mental image made me smirk, but my mood quickly soured again. She would have expected me, banished or not, to save her liege. I owed it to her to see that task completed. I sat up straight in the saddle and nudged my horse, one of those ice-white ones specially bred by the elves, to move just a little faster. It snorted, preferring commands given in the ancient language. I, however, preferred to let my actions speak rather than my words, and booted it into submission.

“You did not read that kicking a near-sentient being will earn you its respect in a book, did you? I suspect the small letters would have strained your eyes overmuch.”

I stared down the girl riding just a few yards to my left in grim silence. Hardly out of adolescence, she was notably short for an elf, but had about ten times the arrogance to compensate. With steely grey eyes and feline features highlighted by inky black eye makeup and red lipstick, ‘Laioni, Unwilling Ward of the Riders’ did seem to enjoy standing out. Her ivory skin was a stark contrast to her raven-black hair, and her outfit was guaranteed to draw second glances. It was a floor-length black velvet dress, the skirt of which was nothing but sliced ribbons complete with sleeves and shoulders ripped off, and a top that exposed a fair bit of cleavage. Gloves of the same colour and material stretched past her elbows, and she wore vicious-looking stilettos on her feet.

It was also worth noting the man sitting on her left- a tall human getting on in years that I now knew to be Edan Valaician, General of all Broddring’s army, who had been arrested at the same time Myaja had at the Renaissance Gala. Armed with a longsword and dressed in chain-mail and leather armour, he stuck out like a sore thumb amid the mystical elven scenery. I was surprised that a human, and one who was supposed to be chained up in Ilirea no less, was here in Du Weldenvarden for what was obviously an elvish matter. But I reminded myself that beggars couldn’t be choosers, and the poor bastard already had more than enough to contend with, being under Laioni’s watch. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he’d had to put up with on the way here.

“You are very quiet, Lieutenant Kolbjorn.”
“Oh, yeah?” I sneered back at the witch. “Only compared to some.”
She tossed her head. “Then have a care where your eyes linger. You gawk at me as if I were covered in eels.”
“Eels would be a nice change.”
“Prudery!” She laughed. “How charming. I expect paranoia from the likes of you humans. This is much better- you know I do prefer to be stared at lustfully, if at all.”
“I’m a little old for you, kid. Keep trying.”
“Oh? Then shall I strike a pose or two? And you may tell me ‘hot or cold’?”
“Lemme save time for you there, ya floozy.” I leaned towards her. “Cold.”
She laughed again. “You are a tease.”

I decided the best way to deal with her presence was to ignore her. Turning my head back to the path in front of me, I saw a person up ahead that made me pull hard on the reins. I looked harder. I thought it was a man from the outfit and bearing, but the person’s figure assured me that it was a woman, and an elf. When she turned her head, I saw a face that was somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t match it to a name. She was clad in some kind of military uniform that consisted of a white turtleneck tunic, grey high-waisted breeches, and a knee-length men’s coat of deep ultramarine fringed with a high collar. She also wore dangerously heeled black leather boots that reached her thighs, and short white cavalry gloves on her hands. A deadly-looking sabre hung at her left hip.

The woman gazed across the intervening distance between us, right hand on her sword. Her dark hair looked like it had been slicked back with oil, and her piercing green eyes looked over each one of us carefully, seeming to assess whether we were a threat or not. Then, much to my surprise, she gave a smile and a gracious curtsy, coat sweeping out behind her. But before I could ask her who she was, she turned and disappeared among the trees with speed only an elf was capable of, ironically moving much more quickly on foot than we were on horseback. I turned to look at my two companions. Valaician had a look of clear recognition on his face, while Laioni looked pensive- even worried. When she caught my gaze, however, she tossed me a wicked smile and spoke.

“The plot thickens, Lieutenant Kolbjorn. Let us continue on our misadventure.”

---

There were few ways to accurately describe the palace’s state, but ‘slimy’ was a fairly sufficient term.

I had visited the grandiose home of Queen Dellanir on more than a few occasions, and marvelled at its ancient trees each and every time. When I’d first received word of the disaster that had occurred here not two days ago- mysterious flameless explosions, the disappearance of the guards on duty, and the self-imposed quarantine that every resident of the castle appeared to be going through- I hadn’t expected the foliage to have any say about it. But it did- vines and roots obstructed every entrance, and branches clawed threateningly at the air. Completely obliterating the earthy scent of spring was the saccharine stink of decay that made me mildly nauseous. Green pus was secreted from the split bark of the trees, and new flowers rotted even as they bloomed.

The palace was dying. And that meant Dellanir was as well.

I strode along the outskirts of the castle, chin in my hands, my brow wrinkled in deep thought. I pushed away any concerns about the well-being of the Queen and the people within to analyze the problems before us, as well as their solutions. The first step would be to get into the castle and out again safely. A magical barrier, hazy violet and crackling with energy, had been placed around it to stop the sickened foliage from infecting the rest of Ellesméra, and it could not be opened by the two spellcasters guarding it for more than a few minutes at a time. Beyond it were the trees, which would be our biggest issue even if we were able to get within the palace. Slicing through them or pulling them apart would only anger them further, so we would have to locate any free openings.

I stopped, firmly deciding that I wouldn’t be able to do anything until the rest of our team arrived. So far there was only me, the leader, and the trio I had passed on my way here. Placing my hands behind my back, I slowly angled my head to stare at the elf that had assembled this team. Anastasio D’artagnan. The butcher that had brutally murdered countless humans and elves in the Blue Divide- almost all of which had been civilians no less. He should have received death, but was instead sentenced to life imprisonment in the bowels of Osilon’s mines. And yet he was the brand new Count of Ellesméra, officially installed as such one week ago. I didn’t doubt that conspiratorial acts at the top of the government were what had gotten such a lunatic exonerated.

Such things always happened in political intrigue, and Du Weldenvarden, with the Grand Game, was anything but an exception. However, this particular case grated on my nerves. What was even more irritating was that D’artagnan looked nothing like a lunatic. Tall and thin with piercing golden eyes, he was the very picture of an attractive, sophisticated man in the prime of life. He wore a coat of ice-white satin trimmed with silver braid and pearl that matched his trousers. His boots were the palest fawn leather, embroidered with curlicues of silver and gold, and he wore several rings on his fingers, including the signet of Ellesméra. On his glamorous, black-haired head was a white fedora, which matched his white lawn shirt with its sewn knots of pale green ribbon.

“Such sinister glares do you a disservice, Miss Venali,” came D’artagnan’s smooth voice, only then causing me to realize how intensely I had been staring at him. “Yours should be a face that smiles.”
“You can save that kind of flim-flam for your prison floozies, D’artagnan,” I snipped at him.
He stared at me for a long moment from where he was casually leaning against a tree. “You’re not a fan of me, are you, Miss Venali?”
“If you want to put it so monosyllabically, then no- I don’t much care for you.”
“May I enquire as to why?”
“You are a…” I paused, thinking over my words carefully. “A green-brained skipperty-hop.” I gave him my most brilliant smile. “And I mean that in a very caring way.”
“You wound me. Did I happen to slaughter someone very dear to you?”
I scowled. “It’s none of your concern. Aren’t those our fellows arriving now?”

He turned to look, unbound black hair laving over his shoulders. Three horses and their riders had indeed arrived. Of the trio, I only recognized one - Edan Valaician, the arrested and rendered inactive General of Broddring. He was remaining very close to an unarmed elf girl with seemingly macabre tastes in her appearance that wouldn’t stop giving me curious glances from behind her long dark locks. And finally, there was a tall human with close-cropped jet-black hair, tan skin, and hard eyes that was dressed in an elegant black overcoat, leather boots, and formal white gloves. A katana in a silver sheath was held in his right hand, which he tucked into the belt around his waist in one smooth movement. D’artagnan removed his hat and bowed to them, smiling a charming smile.

“I appreciate your coming here. However, I do believe we’ll hold off on the introductions until the rest of our friends arrive.”

Characters Used;; Kieran Kolbjorn with Laioni and Rusalka Venali with Anastasio D'artagnan
Words;; 2185
Muse;; EHHHHHHHH.
Thoughts;; SO IT BEGINS. X.x

[Kite]

*Amelia works her way through the forest with the ease any home-grown elf would have, and laments the state of the forest around her, of the blight that afflicted her home and the home of her ancestors. The pus and stink that was excreted from the trees was cloying and, frankly, sickening to smell and see, as were the rotting flowers and the dying roots and vines that thrust into the air, blocking entry to the castle as well as the branches that were threatening those who walked by.

Threatening. That shows how much the forest rebelled at the problems before it, the problems that were occurring inside.

The resident Hive Lieutenant of Ellesmera walks to the meeting place of the group to enter the palace and save those inside, and is wearing wears a black leather vest with very intricate metal work in it that covers her bust but is low cut over a navy long sleeved shirt, the shirt sleeves with very slight frills in it down to her wrist, where she has leather and metal gauntlets that cover from her forearms to her knuckles and has leather pants matching in color to her vest and discreetly padded knees so she could land on them softly, and tops it off with leather knee-high boots that are made to be silent on stone and on earth and are well-kept but worn enough to be comfortable. She swings her arms around her for a moment as she begins to approach the meeting place and sees that five of the group are already there, and recognizes maybe one or two.

The first she sees is one of the few she knows, but only by reputation and deed. Anastasio D'artagnan, the murderer of many during the Blue Divide and newly minted Count of Ellesmera, is standing in a coat of bright white with a silver braid that matches his trousers and boots of fawn leather with silver and gold wrapping itself up the boots and topped by a white fedora with a feather in it and is wearing several rings, including the signet ring of Ellesmera. He is accompanied by an elven woman who is wearing a turtle-necked tunic of white, tan high-waisted breeches, and a knee length male’s coat that is a deep hue of ultramarine with short calvary gloves on her hands and a sabre on her hip.

There are also three on ponies, two of them being human. The first human she sees is a human of older age that is wearing a mix of chain-mail and a long sword. He seems to have a very military air about him, and she wonders what he is doing in the Elven forests. She will watch him carefully. The other human she recognizes as Kieran, a Hive Lieutenant in the Human realms that she had met previously. He seems to be wearing a cloak and has a sword on his hip that he seems to be trying very hard not to get wet. The last horse-riding being in the clearing is an elf, one that she does not recognize but that seems to have a love of black, wearing a low cut, floor-length dress of black velvet that is seemingly shredded and sleeveless, which strikes her as odd when paired with her makeup and hair, but which Amelia doesn’t comment. The military man on the ponies seems like he wants to speak, but is staying quiet and observing those around him, including Amelia who has just arrived at the group, and is watching the elven woman next to Anastasio interestedly and seems to recognize her. Amelia hears the woman on the ground speak as Amelia approaches, saying that we should leave the introductions to later. In response to that, Amelia just nods to Kieran as a hello, and awaits the rest of the group that are yet to arrive.*

[mriswith]

Dull roll of thunder pressed over the treetops above. A quick crack of lightning split the sky into a hundred pieces; a lingering shade of the realm's raw power hung in the blackness and then faded away. Silence reigned between cracks, and the roads were bare, but not from the coming storm that might soon drench them with the soft slaps of dew. The world had stopped; all life in the forest held its breath. A creeping darkness wound itself about the heart of nature with its tentacles striving to spill across the known world and beyond.

A lone figure could been seen flashing between the large trunks from afar. Well-traveled boots were blurred from the pace the wearer had set. If not for the roar above Elven sentries might hear her approach... if there were any sentries to be found. The pervasive darkness lashing at the heart of Du Weldenvarden seemed to have stricken most Elves to their homesteads. What would become of them if their government was lost? A power vacuum in the heart of The Game's homeland could prove devastating, and not just to the residents of the great forested lands.

The growing darkness hid her approach, though she kept off the main roads and wove a gradual change in path to make tracking her difficult regardless. The situation was dire enough to warrant her participation, the sentries seemed absent, but the Elven woman couldn't let her guard down. There was so little information about the plight ahead the smallest detail could cast her aside before she even laid sight on the Palace.

Drawing near, Ishiyo's red eyes flicked to the side as she darted out and across a main road. She was close now. There seemed to be others further ahead gathering. With the dearth of life in these woods it was very likely they were the ones she should meet in this place. Perhaps the only good thing to come of this so far was in knowing the rest of the group was assembling. Not that the Elf had been enthusiastic about the names listed out before she'd set to the road. Some of them, in fact, sounded incredibly reckless; enough to bring her to question in silence whether they wouldn't cause just as much trouble to the Queen as their current threat once it was dealt with.

As the distance closed, Ishiyo began to slow down. The others must be on edge as well; it'd be best not to startle them by her approach. The magic clinging to her body faded as her speed fell, kept in place only so long as she'd kept moving. She hadn't come the entire distance on foot, but the last leg into the heart of Ellesméra had been.

Dressed in thin, black garments flowing down the length of her arms and legs, Ishiyo sported a dark green, sleeveless tunic on her upper body. The green boots she wore had shin guards that came to a peak just above the kneecap to provide protection against foliage and ground-attacks alike. Her short, ruffled black hair looked about as out of place as ever, but refused to stick up at any odd angles thankfully. It wasn't every day she sported color. Traveling into the Elven realm, however, it seemed prudent to blend in.

As she drew up closer to the group, the Elf could see the Palace beyond the veil holding back the tide of corruption. Her red eyes took in the vegetation working on choking the life out of the Palace and those within. Sadly, her clothes would be unlikely to blend in enough to fool the vegetation itself of her whereabouts if it truly was their enemy.

Reaching up, she pulled the mask hiding the lower half of her face down. Drawing in a deep breath Ishiyo regarded those now present. Edan Valaician: Former General of Broddring’s army, criminal, and no doubt formidable foe on a battlefield. Laioni: Associate of the Riders and charge over the released Former General; a girl that seemed to like the stranger tastes of the outside much like Ishiyo herself on other occasions--this not being one of them. Anastasio D’artagnan: Count of Ellesméra, butcher by act and reputation though she'd never met him personally. The others--Kieran Kolbjorn, Rusalka Venali, and Amelia--Ishiyo was not well acquainted with; perhaps once she learned their names they would be more recognizable from any alerts, warrants, or reports. Might even be possible she'd come across some of their minions on a job or two over the years. It would be rather unfortunate if she had history with them.

As the Elven woman stepped forward, joining the other Elven women and man present, Ishiyo removed her left hand from the guard of the sweeping blade sheathed within. She'd kept it from bouncing about as she'd flown over the land and its uneven terrain, and kept it ready in the event of an attack. No need to set a hostile pose before people gathered to infiltrate the Palace in order to save the Queen or restore order, however. Not yet, anyway. Too many suspicious people present not to find this a dangerous situation before they'd even come in sight of their true foe. Something or someone had to set Nature itself against the Palace.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, un du evarínya ono varda," Ishiyo greeted them formally. The atmosphere was electrified not only by the magic contained, the barrier containing, and the coming storm, but by those standing there in wait. Too much was being said without speaking, it was almost deafening.

[pterodactyl]

I knew taking that temporary post in Ellesméra would be dangerous, but this was not what I had in mind.

The young woman had been with the Hive for maybe a year or two in a professional capacity. Before that, they'd made sure she was indebted to them, dependent upon them, enough to stay. Then came the training in killing and all those splendidly amusing pastimes. She'd developed a sense of how to please people in her adolescence as a body slave, and it came in handy when she could manipulate a man into killing his friend. She and the Hive could get away clean, with no one the wiser. Of course, Mia still knew. So did the Hive. That was okay. The Hive was always pleased with her work, and that was really all that mattered.

In all her time in organized crime, however, Mia had never seen anything like this. The very forest she had thought beautiful a scant few days ago had now turned against everyone. A purple shield crackled above the noise of the storm, and though she tried not to pay it any mind, Mia found it a bit unsettling. Spewing pus and stinking sweetly, the palace itself fought off anyone nearby. It was almost as though the building was attempting to protect its inhabitants, not unlike a mother bear. What the mother didn't realize was that while she was fighting to protect her cubs, they were dying without aid.

The storm only worsened the frightful sight of the ailing forest, starkly illuminating the damage in sharp flashes of brilliant white light. Panic-stricken visages were emblazoned upon Mia's vision as they looked in the lightning's glare, captured in a split-second of agony. The high canopy of leaves above thrashed noisily, groaning under gusts of wind and rain. Water droplets fell more thickly every second, classified as almost rain now. We'll all be soaked through if this keeps up, Mia grumbled inwardly. It wasn't that she didn't want to help save the queen. She did. The red-haired Hive operative was ambitious, eyeing lieutenant positions that could suddenly open at any time. If the group succeeded, it would mean prestige for Mia in certain circles. If Dellanir lived, an additional debt of gratitude from the elven queen herself would be tacked onto the stack of rewards from this op. No, Mia was excited. She just didn't care for this weather, and even with the cleansing smell of rain in the air, that too-sweet odor of illness was strong.

The pale woman stepped out from her safe place among still-friendly trees to meet the several newly arrived members of the group. She was petite, and her dark clothing only served to make her appear smaller. Dark green breeches tightly hugged Mia's legs, long for her height. Her long tunic was black, with long sleeves reaching past her wrists. Those long sleeves concealed forearm sheaths for Mia's thin stiletto knives. Other Hive members had ridiculed her feminine style. "Can't little Mia learn to use a sword? Is the bow too big for her to pull?" Their big mouths snapped shut when a quivering blade buried itself into a tree or a wall directly behind them. She would quip, "Can you slip a sword between a man's neck bones?" Those larger weapons lacked a certain finesse; her knives killed just as quickly, without the mess.

Mia had already met Amelia, the boss lady in the area. She'd never personally met Kieran, but knew his face. She also knew Edan Valacian's face, knew of his fall from power. The elf next to him, she didn't know at all. She was also unacquainted with the red-eyed elf, whose unnatural gaze was rather unsettling. And, of course, Mia knew of the tall elf man, the leader of this group. He was crazy. He killed a lot of people. Part of Mia was outraged, and part of her wanted to get to know him.

Mia had a rudimentary knowledge of elven manners, knew that she was the lowest ranking person here (besides maybe the former general, being led about like a prisoner) and should start the formal greeting. On her approach, however, she heard the red-eyed woman begin the formalities. At a loss for what to do in such a situation, and assuming the group would want to get right to work once fully assembled, Mia said nothing as she joined the others.

{ muse pretty good }
{ notes xD excited time }
{ tags ...well, everyone as of now. she hasn't said anything, but has appeared in the group. }
{ listening to a valentine's playlist, if you'll believe that }
{ words 793 (i closed the window too fast and that number might be a bit off because i forgot xD) }

[nightstalker]

Morwen waited near the thicket she was told to wait near. ’Finally got caught for this, it was only a matter of time before I actually was reigned in for my actions. At least this chance popped up, God save the queen! Yeah right, she can rot on her throne, as long as I am set free. Were they foolish enough to actually trust me to go through with the objective? I could easily cut loose and what could they do about it? NOTHING!’ Morwen looked up at the sky, ’This place used to look so beautiful. Damn, where is he? I’ve been waiting for-’ a man tapped her behind on the shoulder in that instant, ’There he is…’

Morwen turned to see no one there, ”Liran, I know you are there, you really can’t fool me…”
Morwen jumped back as a figure materialized from mid-air. Laughingly sher retorted,” Though I still have to get used to that.”
Morwen stepped forward to embrace Liran as he mumbled, ”You finally got caught, it was a shame that I wasn’t the one to bring you in eh?”
Stepping back and giving him a sideways glance Morwen said proudly, ”CAUGHT! Hah! I turned myself in, after several years of running I felt guilty, so I turned myself in.”
The ranger waited for a second, and then retorted, ”So, now you are using your get out of jail free card, some guilt.”

Blushing, Morwen said to him continued on in silence. Liran listened to the silence enclosing around them, the sky was darkened and lightning began to lap the sky. ’Elesméra is indeed in need of rescue, the tumultuous state of its union was representative of what went on in the halls of its royalty.’ Being loyal to the queen herself, Liran was hard-pressed to help his liege. Not a beast made it’s call, not a bird sang, little stirred save for the trees, all connected to the main trees guarding the throne. ”It will rain soon, we had better go before this weather takes another turn.” Liran said as he examined the signs all around them. The rangers were known for their cunning, and their ability to check the signs of the natural world around them. Liran was very observant of the scene, a fear had swept over the city, whispers resounded about the happenings in the castle. All up until the trees surrounding the capital building sealed the entrance. ’Would other rangers be there? Most had their own problems to deal with, our loyalty is to the queen, and Du Weldenvarden. What happens if she is yet dead?’ The story continued to turn within his mind until Morwen broke the silence, ”So, when are you going to teach me those spells you rangers use, it will surely keep me safe during this venture.”
Liran looked at her and said, ”As a ranger, I am not allowed to tell the secrets of our organization. These powers are not to be known by any commoner or any other person, in the wrong hands it may be too dangerous. We learn to speak such incantations within our minds instead of saying them out loud.”
Morwen gave her sigh of discontent and said, ”Very well, be that way then. Just know that I won’t be teaching you to play the Lute anytime soon.” Although the tradeoff wasn’t fair, she would be stubbornly flirty with the matter. ’Where are we being lead to, shouldn’t this be a job for the military? I could have sworn that there was another person in the prison that had signed on to help with this matter. Why were we being taken to defend a queen that cares little about us. We are just nameless faces to her, she would just as willing send us to war to die for her, as she would sentence us to death, my parents included.’ Morwen obviously was afflicted with mixed emotions. Finally they went around a bend and were met with a gathered group with the freed general leading their platoon. Liran elbowed her and gestured with his head under the hood, ”That’s Anastario D’artagnan, he was freed to lead this effort. Why would they let such a mad man go, I remember leading a platoon along his side, a mad man indeed, let’s join the group before he notices us.” Morwen turned for a second and when she looked to where Liran was he had already disappeared. ’Damn, he left me! Hopefully he doesn’t notice me.’

~~~~~

Kyril stalked along the path, his dark aura surrounding him had become darker, he was blood thirsty and ready to kill. ’The queen is in need of rescue, but is badly wounded. Great thing I am not expected to rescue her. As soon as I find the captain of the guard, he is mine! Anyone that dares to get in my way will be dead as well.’ Kyril was given a contract to have the captain’s head. Kyril was waiting for a planned trip to a neighboring city when the captain would be on leave to visit a friend. However he realized that this would be a great chance to get the contract done.

Kyril, a shade was powerful and preferred using violence to solve all of his problems. ’Tear the trees out, what can they do against us intelligent creatures? Why are we being selected to do this job? Criminals, commoners, civilians, these are no soldiers. They are all people that think that they can contribute to this matter. How many do they actually planning on coming out alive?’ Kyril was reading up on the information given about their leader, ’Our leader seems interesting, butcher of humans, my kind of man. Many criminals are here to atone for their sins against the government, and crimes against peace. Look, there I am. Listed as just a hired hand, not too much information is given for me, it shows my old name and the history of my old life.’

There was an apparent tension that had seeped into the crowd. People were nervous, and Kyril was feeding off of their negative feelings. Giving strength to his power, giving him great happiness; ’Indeed, many will not escape this venture alive.’ Kyril was ready, he was no idiot. He knew that in order to reach the throne room he would have to keep enough of his comrades alive to reach the throne room, the likely place for the captain. ’Perhaps the captain is already dead, then I would have my work cut out for me. Just take his head and put it in the bag, then I would just have to leave; but until then, I will have to keep these pathetic excuses for warriors alive. Looks like the General is about to speak, I had better listen.’

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{njord floros*}
featuring--! senka floros
Another mission, the powers have called me away
Another time to carry the colors again
My motivation, an oath I’ve sworn to defend
To win the honor of coming back home again
No explanation will matter after we begin
Unlock the dark destroyer that’s buried within
My true vocation and now my unfortunate friend
You will discover a war you’re unable to win

Du Weldenvarden had been my home for over a hundred years, though I had been in Ilirea for most of that time, it was still my home and it would always be my home. But, it was in trouble and it was the duty for the Floros Family to come together and help the home. The tattoo on my shoulder blade seemed to tickle with slight pain, but never in my life had a felt it before, though maybe it was the forest causing such a thing. I was not sure, but before I had come, I had made contact with my sister, who for some odd, crazy reason had chosen to remain in Ilirea and live among those hairless rats and their good for nothing traitors. She had agree to come and through hours of arguing, I convinced her to wear normal fighting clothes and not those dresses she begged to wear. This was going to be fight, not a ball where people dressed up to dance. It was rather crazy of her to think she could even do that, but she normally tried to.

I wore through the forest down the road from the outpost city of Kirtan that was in better shape then the castle. Most the fighting had stopped due to the General being gone, which allowed those of the city to build and train. To gain energy and store as much as they could so they would have it for later. I found myself rubbing the gem that was in the pommel of my sword, but I tried to focus on where I was going. I was headed towards another road that would land me right into the city of the Queen, but once I got to that road, my sister would meet me there and we would travel the rest of the way together. I felt the rheumatic motion of the white horse below me as I rode, knowing it would be faster then foot. My dagger in my boot would need to be adjusted again, but that would not be hard to do. As I rode, I could smell the forest around me… It was dying and everything was silent. Not even a mouse moved from it’s hole within’ the earth. My emerald eyes looked ahead, my left right hand held the mane of the white horse loosely as I communicated with it through my own mind.

I wore plain clothes, a brown tunic over my slightly tan body, which was tucked into pair of brown trousers. My boots were made by the best, and they were comfortable. My hair, which was almost always messy was in my eyes slightly and I just looked ahead. ”You know, you need to brighten your attire.”

[/color] I could hear the sweet, yet cold voice of my sister as I rode. I was not far from the intersection of the road and I knew that we would soon be close enough to talk to each other. I grumbled to myself, both outwardly and mentally. She laughed slightly towards me and I rolled my eyes. I told the horse to move faster, which it did and soon, I nearly rammed straight into Senka, my sister. She did not wear brown like myself, but she did wear something slightly flashy, but I would live with it.

She wore a tunic with no sleeve at all, only held up by her chest and it was tight and a green that mimicked the leaves of the once healthy forest. You could see the tattoo that was on her lower back with ease and I scolded at her. Our minds were so easily connected that she laughed outwardly at me for the sold. She did not wear pants and it made me angry after she had told me she would. She instead wore a skirt that had slits of the sides all the way to her butt and it was tight around her waist. ”I told you this was not a ball.” She looked back at me, nearly shooked. ”You think I would wear this to a ball?”[/color] I watched as her hair flew behind her and then I urged the horse on down the road. It was easy, but soon, we had to slow, seeing some people up ahead. For some reason, I could easily make out humans among the group of elves and I felt myself grow sick. What were humans doing anywhere in Du Weldenvarden unless they were going to be dead.

”Be nice brother. They might be used to distract the tree.”[/color] The thought was very amusing and I could not help but smile slightly as we came to a easy trot so we would not run over everyone. First, there were two standing, one I could tell was the new Count of the City, a mad man and murder of elves and those worthless humans alike. I hated humans, but killing innocent people was a crime on both sides and why he was the count here, I did not know. He wore bright stuff and looked rather nice, but it did not matter, he was not worthy of being in this grand, well, once grand, city. His name to me was murder, but his true name was Anastasio D’artagnan, who man claimed to be crazy stood stall and proud, with golden eyes that I had seen before. He wore a coat of ice-white satin, with silver braid and pearls for trimming that also matched his trousers. His boots were oake fawn leather, with silver and gold interlaced within the leather and I could make out several rings on his fingers along with something in silver in his black hair.

I tried to force my mind away from his reputation before looking at who was beside him. It was someone I had seen before, a woman who had a reputation among the elves as non other then Rusalka Venali. She was a skilled fighter, but why she could bare to see the man beside her as count was unreal to me. She was in a military uniform, not anything like my sister and I wore, with a white turtleneck tunic, grey high waisted pants and a kne length coat made for men and held a high collar. She wore very high heeled black leather boots that reached her thighs and short white gloves that were meant for cavalry on her hands. I could see a sword hanging on her hip. I turned my eyes to my sister, not seeing her own weapon, knowing that is was a bow with a gem in the bend, but then I saw it hanging on the otherside of the horse she was riding. ”You think I would forget something so important?”[/color] I grumbled at her for a moment.

I hated having someone within my own head, it was worse having a twin then even considering being a dragon rider, but here I was, with a twin instead. At least with a twin I could get away from them, unlike a dragon. I then looked at the three people on horses that were joining them. They looked a lot like the horses we rode, which meant they were using the horses that belong to the elves. I looked at each as we approached and got closer. I only knew of one and it was Edan Valaician, the General of the Broddring Army. Why was he here? I snarled at myself as I looked at the man. He was being lead by someone else, a woman who must be someone with the riders. I had heard he had been captured by those rats, so I was not completely surprised to see him being watched. He wore chain-mail and leather armor, armed with a long sword. The woman who seemed to be watching him had on some make up to show her eyes off and lips. She had pale skin and raven black hair. The dress she wore was floor length, black velvat, but the skirt part was nothing more then sliced ribbons and I could tell showed a fair bit of cleavage.

I could tell my sister was admiring the dress and so I allowed my mental link with her to share the word, ”Whore.” She stole a glance at me and went back to her admiring of the dress and I did nothing but ignore the thoughts of hers that raced through my own mind. I, however, looked at the last, another tall human, with jet black hair, tan skin, and hard eyes. He wore a black overcoat that was very nice and leather boots, along with formal white gloves. He had silver sheath, which possible held a katana and it was placed in his belt.

My sister and I slowed to a walk as we got closer, since I wanted to exam the entire group before got there. As we set at a walk, though my sister’s own excitement of doing something was bubbling around my mine, I saw another join, but I did not know her at all. She was swinging her arms and I was able to get a good look at her. She had a black leather vest on, which held metal work over her chest area, but it is low cut, allowing the male mind to wonder if they had little control over it. She wore a long, navy sleeved shirt, which had some frills going down to her wrist where she was wearing leather and metal gauntlets that covered her forearms to her knuckles. Her pants were matching in color to her vest and I could tell the knees were padded as well and she also had knee high boots.

I noticed among them another elven woman who wore a dark green, sleeveless tunic, green boots that came just above her kneecap and a black garments that went down her arms and legs. Her hair was short and ruffled, but black and it looked more like a mess then anything. Another woman stood with her, but I could not tell if they were together or not, though, they did seem to be. She was small for a elf and she wore dark clothing, which seemed to make her even smaller. Her pants were green, and they wore her skin tightly. She had a black tunic with long sleeves that went past her wrist, which I was sure was where her weapon was since I did not see any other weapon on her.

I saw three others, but All I cared to notice about the was that two were elves, while one was a shade who was staying slightly back from the group. I looked at my sister and we pulled the horses off the road and dismounted with ease. She removed her bow and arrows from it’s place on the saddle and I checked all my blades before coming to the group. I looked around at each and gave a quick nod to everyone. I did not really care about who was there or not, I wanted to get this job done with.
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

I’ll have you know, that I’ve become
Indestructible
Determination that is incorruptible
From the other side, a terror to behold
Annihilation will be unavoidable

’word count one. eight. five. six.
’tagged Anastasio D'artagnan, Kieran Kolbjorn, Laioni, Medusa, Rusalka Venali, Amelia Vencari, Edan Valaician, Kyril Valomich, Liran Kazama, Morwen Karatas, Mia Ambrylight, Ishiyo Sasaki
’song Indestructible--! Disturbed
’post status done
’template creator nayeli

[/size]

[phrostphyre]

Sean moved through the forest of elves with an urgency that only showed in his step. He moved as silently as a large human carrying a shield, spear, and sword could move, which was fairly silent. The spear was a boar spear. It was relatively short and heavy and had two "lugs" or "wings" on the spearsocket behind the blade, which acted as a barrier to prevent an injured and furious boar from working its way up the shaft of the spear to attack the hunter, or prevent an injured and stupid enemy from trying to drive it through themselves, to get to the warrior on the other end. Sean was confident as he moved through the forest. He was confident in his abilities and his equipment. A small sliver of doubt wormed its way into his train of thought, though. Was he here to die, or did Sean really believe he could stand a chance against a deranged forest and insane elves? In fact, why had the forest not killed him yet? Sean viewed this with distrust as he continued to move, stepping over a high root in his best pair of boots. He was formally dressed, in so far as you could be dressed for meeting a Queen and war. A little kilt in the dress tartan of the MacLarens, and blue woad in patterns entreating to the Goddess and Her Champion, the spirits of war and vengeance, and the spirit of the boar. The patterns were a request for aid in battle, and ran up and down Sean’s entire body. It started at the back of the neck, and then spread to wrap around the body and go down. The blue woad helped seal a wound and the minimum amount of clothing Sean wore would keep said sealed wound from getting infected.

Sean had been about to enter the group, when a voice stopped him. The thinking he had done had taken him the rest of the way, and there among the group was a grim looking General Edan Valacian, and the elf that had stabbed him at the thing he would rather not have gone to. Sean stumbled back a few steps, then swore long and softly. ”Fuck me running backwards. You are shitting in my mouth. Mother-humping cat-fucking bitch!” Sean crouched, spear in one hand and shield in the other. So she was here, was she? Damn. Professionalism aside, Sean vented for several more seconds silently, running through about ten different languages’ worth of swearwords, including more in Common. Now composed, the warrior emerged from the trees. He knew the elves had quite probably heard every word, spoken and silent, he had said. Let them think it over, he snarled silently in Gaelic. Sean would only think in Gaelic. He bowed to everyone in the group, then honored the General with a greeting in Gaelic, something rarely afforded to Alagaësians. ”General Edan Valacian, I honor you and greet you. I am honored by your presence, and am glad to meet you.”

[[-Kay-]]

The motley crew that was gathered in Ellesmera couldn't possibly have seen the tiny, lithe frame of the werecat woman who moved through the trees. She frequented Ellesmera and when she heard that the queen was being detained by the very forest itself she decided she would help. She wore clothing that some would find indecent. A lowcut and midriff displaying top that displayed her extesive tattoo work. Breeches, unlike most women, that were unfortunatly short. She was like a much more ancient version of Laura Croft. But she didn't care what anyone thought of her, she was a werecat afterall. She was able to move about the land with ease, turning into a massive white cat whenever the need arose. Her mismatched eyes glinted as she slipped in among the group, her pointed fangs glinting mischeviously as she surveyed her companions in this mission. Strapped to her upper thigh was a dagger, her feet and legs bare, save for some scrolling vinework and other pretty things that twisted down around her calves and ankles. Her head turned, onyx locks swishing a bit as she waited for the man she had been traveling with to show up...

From between the trees now came a sight all too frightening for some. Cloven hoof prints came from behind him and great shaggy, almost treelike, legs shook with each step. This 'man' was tall, with skin that looked rather like the bark of a tree. He had long hair that was around his shoulders, that resembled moss. He looked as if he was a creature sung from the trees themselves. He had cruelly twisting horns that sprouted from his skull and goats ears beneath that. Seemingly carved into the skin above his pale, nearly blind eyes, were swirls, painful as they looked. Everything about this 'man' seemed like he was ripped straight from the earth. He carried no weapons, only little pixie-like things flitting around the horns that sprouted from his head. His fingers were long and they had nails that were like daggers.

He took his place beside that tiny werecat, his eyes avoiding those of anyone else that stood around him. He was good at ignoring the stares of people who don't know.

[/blockquote]

[Emma]

The rest of the group materialized within the trees like a plague of locusts.

The first was an elven woman that came to stand close to me, although her interest was in Kieran. She was tall and willowy like all her kind, but sported dark blonde hair and golden eyes. Clothed in a vest of black leather worked with metal with matching gauntlets, shin-guards, and boots over a frill-sleeved navy tunic and black trousers, she moved with a relaxed composure, totally unlike the tension building up faster than the rain that was about to pelt down on all of us. Looking at her in an almost familiar way was an ivory-skinned, red-haired human girl, small in figure and trussed in a black tunic and green breeches to blend in with the sickened foliage. I felt energy from her, energy that seemed to be excitement- and annoyance at the pelting drizzle.

Another elf called my attention when she removed a black half-mask, revealing her face, and spoke formally to those gathered in greeting. With close-cropped black hair, red eyes and men’s clothing, styled in black and green as almost everyone else assembled had picked out, she could probably be mistaken for a young man from a distance- but her slim frame and walk, as well as her voice, made her gender quite apparent. She was very tense, a feeling that seemed to increase when none other than a Shade stepped into the area. He said nothing, but the aura of black magic emanating from him could be felt by even the least magically Talented human. His physical features, height, pale skin, and red eyes also attributed to his race. I would have to watch him with care.

Two more elves appeared, apparently knowing each other from how close together they walked. They were both hooded and cloaked, so that only their lips and chin were not shrouded in shadow, but otherwise, they were very different in appearance. The man, who was tall even by elven standards, wore mottled green, brown, grey, and black as camouflage- camouflage that was thrown off by a large gold design on his cloak of an eagle clutching a serpent. I recognized it as the emblem of the Rangers of Du Weldenvarden, a peace-keeping organization. The woman was fairly tall and thin of frame, and clad all in black save for the white trim edging her own cloak. She was armed with a sword at her hip and a bow and quiver of arrows at her back.

Another duet appeared, the only ones besides us who had come on horseback. From their near-identical appearance, they were more than likely brother and sister. The man was entirely in brown, and didn’t seem to care much for his appearance, even as men went. His tousled black hair hung in his green eyes, making me wonder how he could possibly see anything. As they dismounted, I saw he was armed with blades. The woman, meanwhile, had dark chestnut hair and jade-green eyes highlighted by makeup. Armed with a bow, she wore nothing but green cloth on her chest, leaving her midriff and back, which was decorated with a flowing oval tattoo, completely bare. Around her waist, she wore a slitted skirt that showed off her legs, the only one besides me not in trousers.

The last duo to arrive was possibly the strangest-looking of our little group. The girl was petite, with long dark hair and very angular features, and eyes part blue and part golden-brown. She wore men’s clothing like nearly all the females in our group, but cloth that was very revealing and showed off a variety of tattoos. Her slitted pupils and pointed fangs were a clear indicator of what she was- a werecat. This would normally have intrigued me, but her companion was by far the odder sight. Exceptionally tall with cloven goat hooves and curling horns, it took a long moment to convince myself that he was indeed an elf. Eyes so pale blue they suggested blindness and swirling indentations and wrinkles were framed by pale, mossy hair. What an impressive manner of creature.

It occurred to me that I didn’t know a single person here- not one. I was tasked with escorting Edan, who was well-known, I had heard of the mass-murdering Anastasio through fame, I knew of Rusalka through my mother, and I had only met Kieran on the road. The rest were completely alien in name and face. I smiled at Kieran as he eyed his fellow team members warily, only giving the slightest incentive of friendliness to the blonde woman beside him- he bowed very slightly in acknowledgement to her. Despite being in Du Weldenvarden, he continued with his human disguise, which I had pretended not to see through. Kieran Kolbjorn, a human? With his older sister’s capture, I was amazed he hadn’t been called out on his race or his bloodline yet.

However, I was much more interested in the tall, imperious woman standing beside Anastasio, and who kept looking at him as if he were a three-day-old rat corpse. Rusalka hadn’t recognized me at all, which I was disappointed about, but also relived for. I had never once been face-to-face with my aunt, but my mother had complained about her so incessantly I felt like I knew her. Rude, annoying, overbearing- she rather sounded like precisely the sort of person I despised, but despite how badly she vexed my mother, she seemed to care for her, and I pondered what Rusalka would think of me. She was giving me the odd glance, but whether it was out of familiarity- I looked, horribly, horribly, horribly like my mother- or simply for my outfit, I didn’t know.

The sound of very pronounced, vicious swearing from the bushes just behind me caught my ear, and I turned my head, raised an eyebrow- and was unable to stop a huge smile from spreading across my face, which quickly erupted into a cackle. Half-naked, smeared with blue war paint, and armed with a spear, the very tall, very muscular, blonde and blue-eyed form of Sean Sviodson MacLaren was instantly recognizable. I had, after all, nearly killed him mere days ago. I was pleased to see that he still carried the wound I had dealt out to him. He was still swearing, in various different languages, and giving me a death glare that ought to have made me burst into flame on the spot. Tossing my hair, I rounded on him as he approached, muttering in Gaelic.

“I see the stories of Gaels’ endurance are not exaggerated.” I strode up to him, eyeing his wound. “You know, I had written an apology for the unfortunate murder at the Gala, but I must have left it in Ilirea. How forgetful of me.”
“Well, lass,” Sean quipped. “I do believe it’s murder only if the intended victim dies.”
“If we’ve all done our fair share of murdering,” came Anastasio’s silky voice from behind me, “maybe we should get underway. Let’s start with introductions, shall we?” He looked around at his unwilling team-mates when nobody spoke up. “It’s in your best interests, I assure you. Until we locate her, my orders are tantamount to the Queen’s.” He looked at Rusalka last, smirking at her. “Is that clear?”
My aunt stared him down for a very long time. Then she suddenly perked up, grinning at him wolfishly, and spoke rapidly in our Saxon accent, which I so rarely got to hear. “I’m Rusalka Venali. Countess of Ceunon, maybe you’ve heard of me, if not, ah, so much for fame. I was in Saxony’s military for four hundred years, got a scar or six I’d readily share from that time, but…” She sucked in a long breath, and touched her side tentatively. “Some things are best left unseen. Arsenic, indeed.”
D’artagnan looked at Kieran next. The human-guised-elf stared him down in silence.
“Oh, don’t tell me you have some reason to dislike me too?” said D’artagnan regretfully. “Shameful that your sister never got to introduce us.”
The elf’s dark blue eyes went wide, and then he narrowed them. Clearing his throat, he spoke in a voice edged rough from centuries spent among less-than-savoury humans. “Kieran Kolbjorn, Lieutenant of Maléfica Company in the Hive. Yes, I’m actually an elf, and no, I’m not changing my damn appearance just to suit you.”
“And I am Laioni,” I said eloquently, not deigning to give out my last name. “Ward of the Riders by title, but my real profession is witch.” I inhaled deeply and smiled. “I prowl shadows that you never dreamed exist.”

As the rest of the party gave out their names and occupations, I shifted my attention to Anastasio, who looked each person in the eyes as they spoke and nodded and smiled pleasantly. Otherwise, he’d kept his head down, eyes hidden by the rim of his hat. Such gentlemanly demeanour- I truly found it difficult to believe he was as violent and bloodthirsty as reputation claimed, but every person had a well of hidden depths within them. I supposed it was silly of me to assume someone installed as Count of the elven capital city would be a blatantly raving lunatic. Perhaps once we were within the castle, where we would have to fight for our very lives, I would catch a glimpse of his madness. Few things were as fascinating as the minds of the tainted and the insane.

Once everyone had spoken, Anastasio removed his hat and bowed low to all assembled. “A pleasure to meet you all. I’m Anastasio D’artagnan, Count of Ellesméra. Now…”

Straightening and replacing his hat so low that it hid the upper half of his face; Anastasio made a hand signal to the two elves guarding the barrier around the palace without turning to look at them. They backed away and made a pulling motion with their hands, forcing open a hole in the glowing purple mass. If the stink of decay was bad before, it was overwhelming now. I covered my nose as a strange gust of wind rocked the boughs of the trees above us. As it died off, the drizzle abruptly thickened into driving rain that threatened to soak to the bone within seconds. As I cast the appropriate spell for keeping myself dry, Anastasio held on to his hat and leapt with practiced skill down to the indentation the palace was placed on. He then glanced up, smiling charmingly.

“I’m going to scout around the outskirts while you make your way down.”
“Oh, we shall, shall we?” I muttered, eyeing the disgusting half-decayed turf with a critical eye. “Perhaps we should muck about in the animal pens as well.” I rounded on my prisoner, grinning at him. “Come along, Edan.”

---

The tall gates of Osilon’s penitentiary slammed shut behind me with a deafening crash.

Elves were naturally attuned to nature, and so of course one of the many punishments offered by Du Weldenvarden’s justice system was to never, under any circumstances, let a prisoner go outside to view the light of day. For the first time in twenty years, I was bathed in sunshine, and had to shield my eyes against it. After seeing and smelling nothing but darkness and rats and hard bread laced with sedatives, it was sensory overload. Near-forgotten sights and fragrances made me stop and take my bearings as I was faced with the picturesque sight of Osilon’s mountains and wilderness, full of birdsong and freshly blooming flowers. The city itself was nestled in the valley just ahead- now an unsightly stain on the landscape after the humans had broken its spirit.

It was not the first time I’d stood here. I smiled at the memory of my first incarceration and took several minutes to admire the view and readjust to being outside. Even though copious amounts of snow still capped the mountains, it was comfortably warm. However, despite the pleasure I felt, questions that demanded answers buzzed through my head. Who had gotten me released? The sentence had been for life, and I no longer possessed connections important enough to let me slip through the justice system’s fingers. But I supposed it mattered little- I was free, and now I needed to find out what to do next. Once I had seen my fill of the countryside, I hefted my coat further up onto my shoulder and began to walk the long, winding trail that led down to the streets of Osilon.

It was a lengthy walk to the valley floor, and the destination was hardly worth the trip. Osilon’s famed beauty was in barely tangible fragments now, and its people without hope or conviction. I curled up my lip in pity and contempt as I gazed at its silent citizens, going through the motions of life without any sense of worth or purpose. I couldn’t stay here. The penitentiary was a vacation in comparison to this. I was going to have to find myself a horse and make my way to Ellesméra, where I could hopefully get some answers about my exoneration- and maybe something to do with myself. The Blue Divide, as it was called now, had been over for ten years, leaving nothing but Urgal skirmishes to contend with- and those ox-faced philistines weren’t worth my time.

“Anastasio.”

I stopped. The voice had come from a very narrow alleyway, one so dark and foreboding that it would give anyone in their right mind reason to pause. I reached for the pitch-black pool of magic in my mind, curling a hand behind my back as I entered. It was lightless, and any sound was muffled by rushing water, run-off from the melting snow, running down one of the buildings. It formed a paper-thin screen, which I reached out towards with one hand- only to pull back as long, black tendrils appeared, followed by a pair of eyes that glowed bloody red in a shadowy face. Gradually, the tendrils became locks of flowing raven hair, and the face turned ivory and developed features. Within moments, I was looking into the smirking visage of my younger sister, now a woman.

“Congrats on the early release.”
“Your Holiness,” I said with a sweeping bow. “You look divine.”
“You needn’t be so formal, brother,” she tutted, waggling a finger.
“Then would you like me to call you Malandra, or is Lucrezia still acceptable?”
She just barely kept her face schooled, but her eyes flashed with fury. She still had that ferocious temper, then. Another thing the Riders had failed to cure. “Lucrezia Leone died years ago.”
“I see.” We spoke in Gaulish, our shared first language. “I suppose I have you to thank for my release?”
“No. That cow Dellanir ordered it. With Kolbjorn gone, she’s resorting to… drastic measures.”
Myaja. “The General? What happened to her?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“I suppose you don’t get much news, out where they were keeping you. She’s under house arrest in Ilirea. Not allowed to step foot in Du Weldenvarden until ‘further notice’. The country’s without a military, and Dellanir is clinging to a single thread of sanity. Anastasio…” she leaned forward. “She’s going to make you Count of Ellesméra. Keep you close to her. She’s got something planned.”
I laughed. “My first day out of jail and I already have a job.”
“One that you won’t see through to the end, unfortunately. She’s likely to make life difficult for me, so I have plans to put her away.”
“Permanently?”
“No… a delay. One that just might send our beloved Queen over the edge.”
I smiled. “You’re remarkably cruel, sister.”
“So the Riders told me. Now, I have a favour to ask of you.”

Rusalka Venali, Countess of Ceunon and Hive Associate. Kieran Kolbjorn, Hive Lieutenant of The Tears and estranged younger brother of Myaja Kolbjorn. Laioni Venali, black magic-dabbling Ward of the Riders. Edan Valaician, General of all Broddring’s army, prisoner of the Riders, and devotee to Nyx. Amelia Vencari, violence-hating rape victim Hive Lieutenant of Ellesméra. Mia Ambrylight, ex-slave Hive Drone and master of seduction. Ishiyo Sasaki, mercenary of Ilirea and exile of Du Weldenvarden. Kyril Valomich, Shade, former elf, and assassin for hire. Liran Kazama, Ranger and marksman of Du Weldenvarden. Morwen Karatas, nomadic sorceress from Ilirea. Njord and Senka Floros, swordsman and archer, twins only in appearance. Sean Sviodson MacLaren, soldier of the Savage Faithful and personal bodyguard of Princess Leilani Richards. Ivory, lawless knife nut and a werecat. Pan, twisted elf of the forest. A fascinating group. I just had yet to see if any of them would prove useful.

Weaving carefully around the uprooted trees and maimed soldiers’ corpses, I magically formed a smokeless fire in my hands, just enough for light but not so much to alert the trees or others that could be watching. Even though it was morning, the clouds above were so dark grey that the landscape had been plunged into some sort of dull, colourless night. Within the barrier, there was no rain, but I could hear it pelting rhythmically from high above, as well as the occasional roll of thunder. The sound had always struck me as pleasing to the ear, and I found myself humming a musical tune as I bent down over the bodies littering the rear of the palace, curious as to how they had died. All I found, however, were wounds dealt by branches and the poison spewing from the dead trees.

I kept up my search, looking for anything out of place as well as possible entry points, but saw nothing. I also found no evidence whatsoever of the ‘flameless explosions’ that were now so infamous, or anyone that had died quickly enough to be affected by them. My sister had been very secret in the matter, only giggling girlishly when I asked about them. Indeed, there was nothing of any particular interest around the outskirts of the palace. I sighed, cocking my head to gaze into the lifeless eyes of a female soldier, who had been rent in two. Her head and torso were propped up against a tree, and I had passed by her legs a few moments ago. The dead were not an interesting lot, but I wanted to know what these poor unfortunate souls had seen before their lives were cut short.

Voices made me raise my head, and I realized that the team had assembled at the front of the palace. I’d let time slip through my fingers. Bending down, I dipped my fingers in the soldier’s blood and scribbled markings in the dirt. I did this again, and again, and again, all around the outskirts of the castle, a rush job that took only a few minutes. The markings were crude from my lack of practice, but suitable. Once I was satisfied with my work, I wiped my fingers clean and moved to rejoin the group at the front of the castle. Reappearing in their midst, I walked languidly, appearing unaware of the number of eyes on me. I didn’t face anyone in particular or even look at them. Instead, I gazed up at the imposing building that was the Palace of Ellesméra, and spoke aloud.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, does anyone have a method of entry they’d care to test out?”

Characters Used;; Laioni with Kieran Kolbjorn and Rusalka Venali and Anastasio D'artagnan
Words;; 3232... ow...
Muse;; Well, it was great at first, but then the sheer length of this damn thing sucked it dry by Anastasio's bit. D=
Thoughts;; I LOVE describing other people's characters... until I have to describe fifteen all at once. Sorry if I messed up anyone's character description.

[phrostphyre]

Sean listened to the introductions warily, and when an opening presented itself, he broke in. He hadn’t deigned to respond to Laioni, other than glaring at her when she spoke. Sean had put all feelings behind him a moment ago; now was the time to take heads and win honor.
”I am Sean Sviodson MacLaren, son of Sviod who is husband of Medb, daughter of Fearghus, son of James, son of Patrick, son of Michael, son of Sean, son of Ian, son of John, son of William, son of Ruiadh, son of Lugh, son of Conchobhar, son of Ferdiad, son of Dougal, son of Douglas, son of Gordon, son of Murphy, son of Sean, son of Fearhus, son of Lugh, son of Ler, son of Willie, son of William, son of Conchobhar, son of Michael, son of Patrick, son of Lawrence, son of Lawrence, son of Lawrence. I have twenty heads, and fear nothing save dying dishonorably.” The drizzle of rain pattered upon Sean’s bare skin as he listened to the rest introduce themselves. He tuned out the other people and into what he could of the forest around. Sick and dying, but here and there, there were small clusters of life, it seemed to Sean. One such cluster was the one he was in; small and closest to the deadest and most near dead part of the forest.

It sickened Sean to think that this could have been done deliberately, for on the ride into the forest he had seen something that rivaled the crags and glens of the Alban Highlands for sheer heartbreakingly wild beauty. It almost made his heart ache, but Sean would eventually return to Hibernia. Or so he thought. The warrior shifted the spear from his free hand to holding it with the hand his shield was upon, and began moving forward as did the rest of the group. When the elf with the hat asked about entrances, Sean had several ideas.
”Fire. A controlled burn with your elf magicks to create a door, or I could hack my way through. Or one of said elves here could try talking to the trees. You’re more likely to get help from Lugh.”

[mriswith]

Ishiyo stood in place as more poured from the trees by foot or by horse. The Elven mercenary took note of their appearance and gear, but had little to say on the matter. Well, for the most part. Laioni obviously enjoyed her dark, alluring attire and cared nothing for what people thought of it. As she’d thought to herself earlier Ishiyo could relate, though she won’t wear something like that on business unless it were necessary. As a Witch, however, even light armor could interfere so there wasn’t much harm in wearing something ‘like that.’ Senka’s outfit was pretty, but no match for Sean Sviodon MacLaren son of Sviod’s war apparel. From… the highlands, if Ishiyo recalled correctly, allied with the Broddring. She didn’t venture into their Empire often, but when a job demanded it the mercenary’s only other choice was refusing the job all together. The blue looked ‘good’ on him, for a foul mouthed Human that’d just unceremoniously stumbled out of the brush.

Who would show them all up, however? Their yet-introduced “Elven” companion, Pan. Not that you’d catch Ishiyo staring, but even those that simply accepted his presence knew his appearance wasn’t, exactly, typical. Stood out a bit. Not that there was anything wrong with standing out—see the afore mentioned duo—but it begged certain questions. ‘Why?’ was up there. As a curious person, herself, Sasaki really wished she could ask him without offending the man. Perhaps if they could strike up a conversation she could interject it more naturally? She could come out and boldly ask himself, of course, but Ishiyo didn’t feel that’d be proper especially in a large group just before engaging in battle with some vile force corrupting the forest all around them. Timing was everything.

Now, as she’d thought before, appearances weren’t everything. The introductions their resident Count called for would quickly bring about a few matters of import. Before that happened there was just one, small problem…

The dark aura that’d flooded over the forest floor. No, not the young female Elf that wanted them to call her “Witch” instead of “Ward” or “Child.” It was the other red-eyed “Elf” that set foot in their presence. There wasn’t any need for Ishiyo to even advert her eyes to simply know what Kyril was. Consciously she went on guard, which kept her idle left hand from doing more than rising up to the sheath of her katana and slowly tighten her fingers about it. Her heart quickened and her breath heated. It was a Shade. It. Dark and twisted spirits whose sole desire was to crawl their way back into this world and tear open a living soul to feast on it as they used the meat and bone to exact whatever their “communal” wants demanded.

Kill them all, the voice from the darkness hissed as she stood there with her eyes facing forward toward the Palace. All the Shades. Send their damned souls back to whatever underworld they belonged in. Let them suffer in their ascribed place of eternal misery and damnation. Leviathan would treat them kindly.

Ishiyo refocused herself on the moment and the task ahead. Now was not the time for… penance. Slowly her grip on the sheath began to relax. One breath at a time she calmed the sea of emotion that would like nothing else than to swallow her in its tides; far too similar to the way those ‘souls’ must take people, she reflected.

Sean’s excessively long, detailed familial history was actually a welcome diversion from the struggle the mercenary was sealing behind a mental barrier as he spoke. The man had said something about having twenty heads, which out of context was quite perplexing. All the names had touched her ears, but she had to admit not hearing most of it being too wrapped up in the past and its effect on her even today in the presence of one of them.

”Ishiyo,” seemed now was an excellent time for her to say something before the din of waves crashing in her mind drowned her out again. ”Ishiyo Sasaki,” she introduced, not entirely concerned with whether anyone remembered a lone “murder” twenty years ago. A Lieutenant in the Hive had just introduced himself openly; if they weren’t prepared to react to that then they certainly weren’t going to waste time shunning or arresting her. Actually that wasn’t entirely true. They were in the heart of Du Weldenvarden—home of The Game. Just because they over looked one person’s crimes—like those of D’artagnan—didn’t mean they’d over looks her’s however incredibly miniscule it might be in comparison; so long as it would serve their purpose it would be done.

Her more-or-less self-imposed exile hadn’t been all that difficult keeping that in mind. Ishiyo had been practically raised in Ilirea since she was a little girl. An arrangement by her parents before their untimely deaths.

”Mercenary. I come because there is a cause.” Didn’t seem entirely appropriate for her to be tight lipped; she didn’t feel like she had anything to hide. If people had heard of her as a result of some job so be it, but she didn’t have a history of having her name spread throughout the lands. Part of the reason she’d fled the forest was to avoid being found; and the security of being somewhere she’d lived for over seventy-fire years at the time.

From what she could tell by appearance and introduction they appeared to have a decent array of skills present for their endeavor. It would suit them to be prepared for a variety of traps or enemies that may be waiting inside. For Ishiyo’s part she did not reveal up front her magical training, leaving it to her sword to suggest her combat focus. It wasn’t only because she wanted to keep something in reserve in case one of their ‘shady’ allies decided to turn, but because she preferred to use spells concerning her own person rather than the world around her. Surprisingly powerful ones too for her age.

At last the Count introduced himself just prior to having the barrier parted. The stench caused Ishiyo to wince, but she held back any noise from the olfactory assault. A sad state of affairs. How many here could she count on to care, however? Who had agendas they hadn’t made known? Could those from the Hive really be here out of concern for the sake of their people? Though she loathed The Game it seemed like this mission would be plagued by it every moment they tarried among the trees.

The group moved through the opening while it was held open for a short span and would be sealed behind them once more. Keeping a tight reign over her heart, Sasaki could feel the adrenaline beginning to rise in her blood as a cool chill ran over her flesh even in the warm, stale air. Trapped inside a magical field of extraordinary strength with plant life that seemed intent on choking life itself from the forest and the Elves in it—what was to be afraid of?

While Anastasio seemed interested in venturing off on his own to scout—surely with no ulterior motive, being the renown butcher—Ishiyo busied herself with surveying the front half of the palace and the corrupted life within the barrier. Sooner or later they would come across something that would shed light on what was happening and why; they needed to remain alert for any such information or they could quickly find themselves laying on the ground buried beneath the roots.

From a short distance she eyed the seeping poison from the trees. It would be beneficial if they could study it closer to learn its properties, but getting too close might kill them as easily as touching it. Versed in plant life and survival Ishiyo could unearth some information given time, but she was not that well versed in poisons specifically. She knew enough to deal with them if dosed, but as for identifying new or custom made ones in the field she was not.

Several minutes passed before their Count returned and made his grand entrance before the Palace. The man certainly had the extravagant flourish of authority about him; no doubt he enjoyed the attention.

Rising from where she’d crouched surveying a plot of land near their destination, Ishiyo turned her head to look back at the expectant lead. ”Is there another way in?” Her red eyes settled on the Count’s debonair figure waiting on his reply. Despite being an ex-con, she was sure he could pick up on the meaning of her words if he chose. Was there an unmarked way in or out of the Palace that he was aware of? Escape tunnel? A way for illicit goods to reach sticky fingers? It might not be overrun yet if the entrance was far enough away from the Palace proper.

[[-Kay-]]

The werecat listened to the introductions given by those in the party. Mercanary, soldier and a handful of elves...all a group of interesting people. The tattooed 'indecent' werecat smirked, her dagger-like teeth glittering as she spoke. Her voice lilted out, the cadence smiling even as she wasn't. "Ivory. Werecat assassin." She purred almost as she spoke, rolling her shoulders and stretching a bit, resembling a feline even in her human form, as small as it was. If she had a tail in this form, it'd be lashing back and forth, twitching and wriggling in her excitement. She'd been bored for a very long time...

Her mind was closed off as she examined her companions. But she knew what they'd be focused on, even if they wouldn't actively admit it. They all were curious about Pan. Her companion and friend. Her long nails were like claws and they dug into the tree that she leaned against; her pale, smooth skin against the rough bark of the tree. It was solid, like her mind. She had a bit of a demented grin on her face, her fingers twitching towards the long blade strapped to her upper thigh, the cool steel a stark contrast against her flesh. The hilt of it was well worn and still wire-wrapped, perfect for her tiny hands to grip. Her mismatched eyes scanned her companions again, curiosity wrapping itself around her consciousness. After all, why wouldn't she be curious? Weren't all felines?

Her companion however wasn't exactly curious. He was silent; the twisting, curling horns that sprouted from his skull casting shadows across the leaf-littered forest floor. In the half-light, it made him look far stranger than normal. Like he had come straight from the trees themselves; an imp or something.

His eyes scanned the group, his cloven hooves making slight sounds as he shifted his weight a bit. He could feel the eyes boring into him, the begged questions in the minds of several that were heavy with curiosity. He knew that he was strong, that he might look strange but there was a great deal of strength harbored in these limbs. Several centuries of magical influence that had shaped him into what he was now, and that magical influence had enhanced him significantly. He spoke, his voice strange as his appearance. It wasn't.....gravely or anything. But it was rough, like the bark of a tree. It was as if one's interpretation of the forest had been personified to speak, as if it were the trees themselves speaking. "Pan. For centuries I have lived in this forest and had no disturbances, whilst I created my labyrinth....and now the trees have turned against us....I'm here to set these things right...so I can go back to my solitude and go back to avoiding the stares of children." He said; his pale, pale eyes scanning the group before him. For as far as he knew he was the eldest of the group.

He raised her hand to his shoulder, the little flitting creature that had been sitting the being plucked from it's perch. He eyed it for a moment, flicking it deep into the forest as he did so. He had no patience for such things. Whenever it came down to it, he would be an asset to the group. His werecat companion was fast, faster than most elves. She could bound up and around things with her lithe, tiny form. He, however, was not as fast, but he was strong. He was as swift as any elf, but his strength came from the magic that he wielded. Magic had changed him in many ways, appearance and otherwise. He wouldn't exactly speak to this group about what his strong points were, but he knew they would all see in time. He was used to being questioned...however infrequently that was. He was used to the questioning stares....however few and far between they happened to be. He avoided it all until now, with isolation. But he knew after this that his isolationism would be over eventually.....he couldn't avoid the elves and such any longer...it was only a matter of time anyway before they had discovered him deep in Du Weldenvarden anyway.

[/blockquote]

[Kite]

*Edan was uncomfortable with the reactions he got from the other members of the team, except of course for Sean MacLaren which would normally be the odd one out in the greetings but was instead reassuringly familiar, but no matter how uncomfortable he was, he wouldn't let it show. Their prejudices and hate was like rain into a river. The water was already there, and their opinions didn't truly effect it that much. As such, he put all of the people that didn't matter to him out of his mind and focused on four people. Laioni and Kieran, whom he had traveled with, the Count who was leading the mission, and Sean with whom he was passingly familiar. Sean and Laioni had a little bit of a banter going until the Count stepped in and asked all to introduce themselves.

First he heard the introduction of Rusalka, then of Kieran and Laioni before Sean steps forward and declares his heritage and bravary in the face of all foes by professing his only fear of dying dishonorably. Another elf stepped forward and introduced herself as a mercenary, which was of little note to Edan. He then bows his head slightly once then looks directly at the Count, who has been looking at each in turn, before speaking.*

I am Edan Valaician and, by the reactions I have been receiving from many of you, you know my occupation. What you don't know is that General Kolbjorn and myself were cleared of all charges just before Laioni and I departed for this mission. I may look like a prisoner being lead by a Witch, as she described herself, but I am a freeman and volunteered for this mission. I am here to help in anyway I can, and to overall aid the peace process between our two nations after the utter fiasco that was the evening in Carvala. The last thing I want is the Elven nation to be thrown into disarray and chaos through the possible spreading of this sickness and the equally possible loss of the Royal Family.

*He falls quiet then and listens to each of the other introductions politely, then sees a tall elven woman who has just identified herself as a Hive Lieutenant, Amelia, step forward and protest the presence of a shade among the party. The Count reacts by putting his fingers against his mouth in a gesture to quiet her, then he answers her, saying that the Shade's magic is one of the greatest assets to the expedition and that beggars and be choosers. He then asks her if she can understand that and she nods, then he gives orders to the group, saying that the group should head through the opened area now, and that he would catch up momentarily after scouting. Laioni gives a snide comment, then tells him to come along and nods, entering the area designated with Laioni. The smell of rot was horrendous as we made our way to the prize, but Edan had dealt with worse smells in the aftermath of a battle so he pushed through it. They arrived and waited for the Count's return, and once he arrived he asked for suggestions on getting inside. Sean suggested fire and cutting, and the elven mercenary voiced a question about other entrances. Edan shakes his head slightly before speaking once more.*

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think harmful acts upon the trees would cause them to be angry, and that is probably the worst way to proceed.

----

*Amelia listens to the Human General's introduction and prepares herself to speak aloud. Once he finishes declaring his honorable intentions for our nation and forest, she begins to speak, stepping forwards to allow all to see her.*

I am Amelia Vencari, Hive Lieutenant here in Ellesmera and leader of the Malakian Company. So, naturally, I am involved and invested in the outcome.

*She steps back into her spot to allow someone else to step forward or take the spotlight though another manner, and mulls over what she hears, looking over the speakers as they take their turns. Kieran declaring that he was truly elf did not surprise her, really, as they had met briefly before. There is, however, one presence that draws her attention more than the others, and at the sight of it she feels a rage fill her that is totally uncharacteristic of her. A shade is in the forest, and the abomination was an insult to all that was happening. Its true, the thing is only reacting naturally by being drawn to taint similar to itself, but that was not justification for being present in the heart of the Elven forest. As the introductions end, she steps forward in the lull of speaking and clears her throat before speaking, carefully trying to sound serious instead of angry.*

Count, I would like to submit that the Shade should not be present on such a mission as this, much less even present in the Great Forest. Taint begets taint, especially when thrown together with more taint. No good can come of it.

*She sees the Count put his fingers to his mouth, meaning to shush her, but his lips form a smile below the fingers as if he wishes to say something.*

Lieutenant Vencari. Your aversion to a Shade entering the Queen's palace is not without justice, but you must understand...

*Anastasio then leans over towards Amelia and continues speaking.*

This is an exceedingly dangerous situation, and beggars cannot be choosers. A Shade's magic, no matter how vile, is one of our greatest advantages in saving the Queen right now. Can you understand that?

*Amelia takes a breath before nodding, and speaking firmly.*

Aye. I can. I withdraw my objection to his presence.

*The Count then gives the orders to go into the opening, declaring that he will meet us there after his movement. Amelia nods at this and follows the path he points out with the group, meeting at the rendezvous point before he arrives once more. They do not wait long for his reappearance, however, and he puts forth the question of how to enter. The Gaelic man spoke that Fire and his blade could be sufficient, and then suggests that we might merely talk to the trees but seems to discount that idea out of hand, which makes Amelia rub her temples in annoyance that was compounded from the shock of the Shade's presence. Ishiyo's question about other entrances, however, made her laugh softly, and she was about to speak when the Human General spoke up, saying that fire and violence would turn the trees against them, which was wise advice coming from a Human. She smiles and then speaks now that there was a lack of a speaker.*

Ishiyo, I wouldn't expect you to know about this issue, but does it not seem sound logic that if there were such entrances and exits, we would have gathered there instead of here, or perhaps not even been needed to come?

*She then nods to Valaician, nodding slightly.*

Your assumption is sound, General. There is a better way, I think, to move through the ever changing wall.

*She looks to the rest of the group.*

I suggest that one of the prodigious magic users present sing to the tree, contact it through magic, and beg our entrance. At this point, we have little to lose from trying and I don't really think there is too much of a price to pay. If that doesn't work, or if the price is too high, we can then move on to forcing our presence inward.

*She smiles and turns to the strange elf that introduced itself as Pan before speaking.*

I might suggest Pan do the speaking, or another elf that is very knowledgeable and experienced in speaking to the forest.

[Emma]

As we made our way down the slope, I repeatedly reminded myself to keep my head.

The Hive’s insects were everywhere, not just in Alagaësia. It even had a base set up across the Saxon Empire, all the way to my homeland of Coldharbour. And though the organization’s presence was not nearly as strong as here, where it practically ruled Du Weldenvarden, it still posed a major problem worse than a good few of our wars. Setting itself up as an extralegal enterprise for the supposedly noble cause of helping women and girls in need, and then turning them to a life of drug, weapon, and sex trafficking, including the odd political assassination here and there. And they insisted they were making the world a better place for the female sex, when it had already won over equality decades ago. Just more bait for the gullible and the desperate- and it only aggravated me even more to know I was in at least the latter group.

On top of which, I had a Shade, a sadistic mass murderer, and only Nyx knew just how many more psychopaths among this little group. I got the distinct suspicion that most of them belonged in a cage, or at least locked up in a high-security laughing academy. I severely doubted I was the only person here with actual concern about the Queen- though, admittedly, I was much more worried about the state of Du Weldenvarden. If the Queen was dead, her son Evandar was first in line, but he was even younger than she’d been when Vänskä had taken her as his wife- and such an old elf taking such a young woman as his queen had caused severe upheaval in the entire nation. And if Dellanir was alive? I had always feared for her mental state, but after this, she would surely be hungry for retribution. It might well start the next Blue Divide.

I arrived at the bottom of the slope just as D’artagnan returned from whatever he’d been up to behind the palace. I watched his movements carefully, trying to discern just what sort of person he was behind the gentlemanly decorum. He walked proudly, but also casually, not in the least bit intimidated by the entire situation. Was it simply arrogance, or did he have something planned? Paying little to no attention to us, he turned to face the building and asked for our assistance. I raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know how to get inside? However, I wasn’t much better than him. The elves of Saxony had given up their ties to nature long ago in favour of power and industry. Most people here didn’t seem to have a clue, either- there was silence all round, even from the talkative witch girl who wouldn’t stop staring at me like she knew me.

“Fire,” came the painted human’s voice. “A controlled burn with your elf magicks to create a door, or I could hack my way through. Or one of said elves here could try talking to the trees,” he added mockingly. “You’re more likely to get help from Lugh.”
“Correct me if I am wrong,” said General Valaician, “but I think harmful acts upon the trees would cause them to be angry, and that is probably the worst way to proceed.”
“Is there another way in?” ventured the elf mercenary, who gazed at D’artagnan intensely.
“Ishiyo, I wouldn't expect you to know about this issue, but does it not seem sound logic that if there were such entrances and exits, we would have gathered there instead of here, or perhaps not even been needed to come?” The speaker was Amelia Vencari, one of two Hive Lieutenants. I’d seen her speaking privately to D’artagnan minutes earlier, which only heightened my suspicions that the Hive was somehow involved in this. “Your assumption is sound, General. There is a better way, I think, to move through the ever changing wall.” She turned to the others, her voice kind rather than patronizing. “I suggest that one of the prodigious magic users present sing to the tree, contact it through magic, and beg our entrance. At this point, we have little to lose from trying and I don't really think there is too much of a price to pay. If that doesn't work, or if the price is too high, we can then move on to forcing our presence inward. I might suggest Pan do the speaking, or another elf that is very knowledgeable and experienced in speaking to the forest.”

D’artagnan didn’t look at any of the speakers, but from my limited view of his face, he seemed deep in thought. Fire and hacking were certainly out of the picture- we’d all be ripped to shreds within seconds. I wasn’t familiar with this ‘Lugh’ figure, either. As for another entrance, I supposed it was possible- secret passageways most definitely existed for the royal family- but I wasn’t familiar with them, and I doubted D’artagnan was either. He’d been raised in Ellesméra, but had spent the past twenty years in a dank prison cell, and the trees’ structure had certainly changed in that time. It seemed, then, that the painted human’s third option, and Vencari’s, was most likely to work in our favour. I watched the corner of D’artagnan’s mouth turn up into a smirk, and he finally turned to gaze at the assembled team. I heard an exasperated sigh.

“Heh, you just love to piss me off,” sneered the foul-mouthed Kieran Kolbjorn. “Nyx’s sanctioned ass, I’ll do it.”

---

I hesitantly approached the dying trees, doubt making me nauseous. The Kolbjorn line was one of the oldest in Alagaësia- Myaja had always loved to brag about our pure-blooded elven lineage dating back since Alalea’s days- but I had largely given up my pointy-eared heritage in favour of life as a human. I hadn’t been in-tune with nature in centuries, and had hardly even looked at a tree in all my time spent with the Hive. I didn’t know what the reaction would be. And besides that, I reminded myself, even if they did feel my age-old ties with the country, the trees were nuts. They might just rip me apart on contact, or inject me with their foul-smelling pus. I just barely hid a shudder as I rested one hand on a trunk. I heard a few people doing the same with others, including that bitch Laioni, but I only paid attention to mine.

I wasn’t killed on the spot, though the thing did growl threateningly. A branch, full of half-dead leaves and disgusting liquids, dragged across my arm. Reluctantly, I allowed it to share minds with me, and gasped as sensations I hadn’t felt since childhood flooded though me. The solidness of the tree, the connection with the earth, its spirit- all brought back memories I hadn’t touched on in a long time. But there was also the trees’ pain- a self-induced sickness, brought on by the Queen, who was injured and dying. Only the colours red and black, blood and gore, a silent scream that only the dead could hear- it was disturbing and agonizing, and I desperately tried to pull away- and was let go. I stumbled backwards, preparing to defend myself with the katana. Instead, the tree gave a long, rattling sigh, and twisted itself up, revealing an opening.

“Well done,” said D’artagnan, and I looked around to see that others had succeeded.
“Dellanir yet lives,” announced Laioni. I’d expected her to sadistically tear her tree apart, but I was surprised to see her entwined in branches, stroking the trunk lovingly. “These are proud and powerful creatures, forced to endure the suffering of another. I would suggest we find your queen as quickly as possible, if only as an act of mercy.”
“Mercy?” I snorted. “From you?”
“Don’t mean to come off prim and puritanical,” the Countess cut in, “but it’s best if we leg it. The trees seem to be in a fickle mood, ergo we should enter as soon as possible.”
“How commanding of you, Miss Venali,” D’artagnan smirked. “Weapons out. Our first task is to locate the Queen’s attackers.”

I slipped several knives into my fingers, deciding to leave Myaja’s katana until I really needed it. I reached for my magic at the same time, keeping my mind guarded. Venali unsheathed her sabre, holding it at arm’s length and slowing her walk. Neither D’artagnan nor Laioni took out any weapons, but I didn’t doubt they’d use whatever creepy magic they both professed to be masters of. Slowly, we entered through the groaning trees and into the darkness of the palace. Red torches went up- a magical flame from D’artagnan, another from Laioni, appropriately bathing the interior in bloody light and ironically not ruining our night vision. Hallways had broken and twisted together, doorways had sealed, and there were gaping holes instead of floors. The occasional dead body hung from the branches- suffocated, maimed, or poisoned to death.

“How surprising,” came Laioni’s sarcastic voice. “Born of arrogance, these idiot Alagaësian elves touched something beyond their power when they were not prepared.”
“Stifle yourselves and get low,” hissed Venali. “We’ve got company.”

I immediately took shelter behind the unearthed roots of one of the trees when I heard slow, heavy footsteps making their way across the mismatched hallways, knives at the ready. There was a long growl, more akin to the sound of the forest than any animal I’d ever heard, and the smell of rot washed over me in full force. I gawked as a tree loomed out from underneath the hallways- one that walked like a man. Its branches were extended like claws, and the knots in its trunk seemed to create a wide range of faces- all with their mouths open, all moaning in agony. The tree came to an unsteady halt, nearly tripping over its roots, and listened. I didn’t hear or see anyone do something conspicuous, but it nonetheless gave an enraged roar and began to run at us, branches scraping the walls and floor. I smiled, waiting for its inevitable dismemberment.

Characters Used;; Rusalka Venali with Anastasio D'artagnan and Kieran Kolbjorn with Laioni
Words;; 1690
Muse;; Actually pretty good!
Thoughts;; The ending sucks, but otherwise I'm happy with it. Anywho, anyone can kill the Ent. =D And let's have more than four people post this time around, hmm? Otherwise I'll start knocking dudes out.

[mriswith]

Ishiyo, I wouldn't expect you to know about this issue, but does it not seem sound logic that if there were such entrances and exits, we would have gathered there instead of here, or perhaps not even been needed to come?

The Mercenary turned her head to the side as one of the Hive decided to talk about the "logic" of the situation. There were several flaws in her valiant attempt at taking the higher ground, but Ishiyo would not be sucked into wasting time discussing all of them. One she would skip was the lack of logic to the entire situation set before them; battle, itself, was not logical only the strategies used to win. "At the heart of The Game assuming information will be given to you can be lethal," was all she would say to the Hive Lieutenant. The Count, in truth, did not know of one of these secret entrances, but if he had Ishiyo would not expect him to reveal such knowledge unless it were absolutely necessary in his mind or if it were forced out of him--and even then she'd have her doubts.

Forgive a woman for being blunt with her own people, but insofar as she was concerned The Game is what led to the death of her Sister by Ishiyo's own hand. Her tolerance for the games of 'immortals' was somewhat lacking especially when lives were on the line; to say nothing about the very state of the entire Forest. How did the saying go, 'What good does it do a person to gain the world and lose their soul?' Well what good would it do an Elf to rule over all Elves only to lose the Du Weldenvarden? A consequence they seemed to gladly accept all in favor of not becoming 'bored.'

A different Lieutenant of the Hive, Kieran Kolbjorn, was then--in traditional round-about fashion--'asked' to fulfill the other Lieutenant's idea of talking to the trees. The idea itself Ishiyo found no fault with. Excluding the real possibility that the trees might kill the speaker rather than comply, but death was all ready on the table. Despite Ishiyo's dislike for the Hive, as a criminal organization steeped in far too many criminal and immoral acts, she wrapped her left hand about the sheath and gently popped the katana half an inch free as her right lay atop the grip. If she could somehow stomach the very thought of being any where near a Shade for the benefit of this mission, Ishiyo felt willing and able to make sure even a Hive Lieutenant, also a part of this mission, didn't die while aiding them in the endeavor.

Fortunate, for them all, then that those speaking with the trees fared well. The 'Ward,' Laioni, even had some luck in finding the Queen still lived. Good news, even if the state of the forest spoke ill of what state they might find her in.

"Our first task is to locate the Queen’s attackers."

The Count tasked them with their first priority as the group approached the entrance with haste. As the Countess had mentioned the doorway may not exist for long. Trees, like people, had lower tolerance when ill; the body would rather spend the effort healing or not getting worse than contorting to another's whim. As for Ishiyo, the first and only task was to find the Queen and get her out alive. Everything else came as a result of that task. They would find then kill or bind the assailants in the course of locating the Queen or escaping with her in hand. Whoever had the gall to damage the forest so extensively must still be near; it was too much to hope their corpses were festering like those they were responsible for slaughtering.

I didn’t hear or see anyone do something conspicuous, but it nonetheless gave an enraged roar and began to run at us, branches scraping the walls and floor.

Just as soon as they'd begun setting foot inside the palace they were beset with their first opponent. The black haired Elf crouched off to one side as the Countess hissed for them to get low prior to the walking Tree's appearance. Ishiyo set her jaw seeing the savage state of the creature prowling the hallway like a sentry. If there were any gods they cared no more for the hapless Tree than they did any other creature in the realms.

Without any movement or sound to attract its attention, it nonetheless bolted toward them. Perhaps it sensed their presence through the other vegetation crawling about the place; unfortunately that would leave them at a severe disadvantage if there were others of its kin in the palace.

Ishiyo stood in the hallway and calmly drew her katana free. Disarm, where possible; kill, if necessary. "Earth," she whispered, not for any ear around her to hear, but for the mystical energy that bound Creation together.

Rushing out to meet the charging Tree, she held her blade so its tip pointed behind her right side. As she drew near, her legs bent and then shot up, propelling her into the air at the enraging creature. The sword shifted in her hands as her grip firmed about its hilt; the blade brought around for the strike as she twisted her body in the air. With a sharp cry snapped from her lips, Ishiyo brought the katana down on the Tree's left 'arm' or as many 'arms' as she could in one, wide arc.

Dropping back to the floor, she rolled a short distance to avoid a sweeping counter attack before she managed to spin around and prepare for a second strike from behind--or, if it turned for her, she would provide an opportunity to the rest to attack from behind. Assuming the 'faces' didn't encircle its entire circumference. The roots were the most important limb to take down, but Ishiyo was trying to create an opening to get at the roots without several branches rending flesh from whoever dared get close enough. Magic was a means of attack from afar, but there hadn't been time to plan a coordinated assault with this unexpected adversary throwing itself at them.

[phrostphyre]

Ignoring the conversation around him, Sean was still a little surprised when the tree thing came from nowhere, seemingly. He dodged aside as it went past him, and then rolled behind it as the elf with the curved sword thing went flying at it. A face focused upon Sean, but the boar spear going through it, through the wood, and out the other side caused it to bellow in an even greater rage. Sean swore, and then drew his sword. His shield was embossed with little bumps of metal all over it, forming knot work that was meant to catch a sword blade. He decided it would probably work for a branch, and then closed with it, a Gaelic war cry ripping itself from his throat. "Creag an Tuirc! Clann mhic Labhrainn!"[/i]

Sean was right: the embossed shield worked with tree branches just as well with swords, as several of them thudded down, only to be caught on a side of the shield as Sean continued moving, taking roots out here and there with his sword. As the tree fell, Sean was running onto it, and stabbing downwards into where the heart or head would be on a human or elf. Sap spurted onto his bare torso and head as he continued to brutally butcher it, ignoring the ten other tree things surrounding him. The brutality and violence allowed Sean to vent. For a moment, the usually silent and gentle warrior was replaced by a giant beserker from the far north ices, doing his best to ensure that cell memory caused wherever he raided to forever reside in terror of people from the north, tall, and blond. It probably wouldn’t work with the new tree things closing on him.

[nightstalker]

’How many here are trustworthy? How many will follow through with the ultimate goal to ”rescue” the queen, dark thoughts have been stirred amid the few gathered here; amid those that actually would be good hearted, how many have their own intents? I know that my intents are selfish, but I can care less about this forsaken country. These people are weak, and foolish, allowing such an unrelenting and powerful power such as these trees to exist within their bounds, to be as foolish as to allow it to dwell amid their capitol without a thought of something such as this happening. Then again, who would? The thought is quite astounding, who could have foreseen this? What would trees care about the politics of a government that is in shambles, ravaged by a war of ages. What would cause trees to act as such, killing soldiers for the sake of the queen? Was the attack made upon the forest itself? HAH! Burn them down, hack away all you might but there is little that can be done against these creatures. This is perilous indeed, but who can I trust to help me get my goal. Very well, I shall protect the lot to achieve my goal.’
Kyril sighed as in an instant, a thought or a presence stung his conscience. His dark aura and overflowing of spirits were tinged with the thoughts and fears of another being close to his proximity. He sensed the blood lust within this elven female, her veins pulsed with blood as her heightened state of fear and anger pressured her heart to beat faster. Her thoughts were pointedly aimed at him, her resounding aura had turned a mottled red and black as her will focused upon his death. This amused Kyril, it even further excited him, he recognized the girl as Ishiyo and decided to save her for later.

The barrier parted before the group and the stench of death assailed his nostrils. His heightened sense of smell ensured that he was one of the most affected by the stench. 'Here is one thing that I will not be doing again soon, just kill the Captain and get out.' Anastasio seemed to be getting ahead of everyone, 'Good, if he gets killed, that's one less person I have to worry about.' Sean took the time to speak up about his lineage, the fool thought it wise to introduce himself. 'Arrogant, let;s see if you will last this venture.' Poison stung the air, while the lingering stench of death lessened as their senses became used to the virulent odor. Dead bodies littered the floor, lives ended within a seconds notice, some had swords drawn. Others were caught unawares, shown by their hands resting on the hilts of their still sheathed swords. The blood ran dry from each corpse, their eyes once alight with the obvious fear of their impending doom, now dimmed by the hand of death.

"Funny, isn't it? Each of these would have a story to tell, a life that they lived. Family, friends, lovers that they once had now mean nothing to them. Their impotence failed them, and now they are nothing but corpses, scattered amidst a scarred battlefield, no longer showing the vivacity of life they once held. I can only imagine the seconds leading up to their death, the rallatando of events as they look their doom head on, no hope, no other goal than to preserve that which is most dear to them. Have any of you ever killed someone? " Kyril paused for a second, not expecting any to respond and continued, "Yes, we have all had our moment of triumph." Kyril said as he smirked, and looking upon a soldier that had fallen whilst his hand was still fetching his sword, a young elf with jet black hair, blue eyes, garbed in the warrior attire smeared in his blood. "standing above your target, with a knife, or sword to their throat, their eyes drain of life even before you bleed them. A resigning force overcomes them as the inevitable seeps in, yet there are the curious few that cling to life in resounding ways. Those are the ones that truly deserve to be recognized as heros." Looking up from the dead youth, he stared across, at the faces of those who were setting forth on this journey. With sincere curiosity he addressed the crowd with an inquisitive demeanor saying, "I wonder.... When the time comes, how many of you here will resign to your fate, how many of you will cling stubbornly to your courage and fight for your existence?" 'however pathetic that may be.' Kyril gave a heaving sigh and stared back into the eyes of the dead youth.

'Yes Sean, hacking at killer or burning through them would be the answer.' As no one offered a solution on how to get in Kyril decided to speak up. "Elesmera is indeed old, this fortress, even older no?" waiting for a couple of seconds he continued on by saying as he gestured to those he knew to be affiliated with the hive, "I don't suppose that secret passages are known. Ways in and out of the castle? Hacking or burning, or even attacking the trees would do nothing but provoke them... Their anger will be your death. So finding a way in through looking around would be the better way, would it not? Maps do not show what has been forgotten, the passages I am talking about are those that were secrets that were never passed on. Older maps might show a way in, a secret entrance, or any way to get in. I would rather not have the entire root system bearing down upon us, anyone that might know of an entrance, or anything that might lead us into the blocked off castle?"

In the Distance Kyril heard Edan speak to the Count about his presence, then Count responded to him saying that the magic of a shade was his most potent weapon. ’Indeed I am of great use to you, how long will it take the rest of you to see this?’
Though his proposition went without being considered, he didn’t really mind, those here that wanted to die, well it was up to them. ’Choose the path upon which you want to go.’ Kyril followed the crowd as a way was opened into the fortress, the trees parted before their entourage and they entered the series of passages around the castle. Kyril’s fine-tuned ears picked up a slight slithering sound, up ahead there was a commotion of battle as the battle-raged Sean attacked a tree before him and Kyril yelled at him, ”Come now Sean, let’s not go rushing into things like-…. Wait a minute…” From beyond in past corridors a similar slithering sound came, a bellowing roar approached from behind. ”In case you haven’t noticed, our enemy seems to be a little more intelligent than we previously suspected.” His sword already drawn he said aloud,”Our company is surrounded, teamwork would be nice here.” the first tree that came into view was knocked to the floor by a forceful fireball directed from Kyril’s palm. Several more fireballs pelted the tree as it writhed groaning and screaming in a way that could only be suspected by a tree. ”Nema Vatan” and another tree struggled as water peeled away from its flesh and a bubble of water resided in front of Kyril that came splashing to the floor as he released the spell. Kyril repeated this two more times on trees that had gotten too close for comfort. Thinking the words in the ancient language Kyril created a shield in front of Edan as a limb reached out for him from his blind side. ”Brisingr” and fire leapt forth from his hand as the branch was cut off from the rest of the tree.

Finally after the action was over, Kyril strode through the group to Ishiyo and whispered into her ear, ”Commit your blade to this black heart, are you scared?” Kyril waited for no apparent response and then continued, ”You very well should be, there are few who have killed a shade. Even fewer who have escaped their grasp. Little elf, I see your heart’s desire, is it not so simple?” Kyril placed his hand upon his chest, ”Give me a reason to kill you, and it shall be done. Try to place your blade through this heart. I hold your life at this instant, but I choose to save it. Be thankful that my goal is not to kill everyone here, but lies elsewhere, little elf. Your pathetic life means naught to me, and I will save it if you help me, or end it if you cross me. My intentions are my own, mercenary. As your identity is safe with me little elf, yes... I see who you are.” Kyril laughed subtly, chuckling darkly fraying chills up and down even his own spine. ”Yes, yes little elf, I see who you are.” Kyril leaned in closer, and whispered more fervently with subtle pleasure flowing from his lips as said, ”Murderer, vanquisher of my kin. Though you sought to kill this darkness, has it now come back to plague you? Again I tell you, help me and you SHALL survive this encounter. If your blade finds itself closer to me than I would like, you shall cease to exist. Yet another shadeslayer shall not be born from the likes of you, I can tell you that as a fact.” and with that, Kyril faded into the crowd again; keeping a distance from the female while maintaining a watchful eye. He had a feeling that begged to come true that several enemies had just been made from this encounter. All the while his blood peaked and boiled from the sight of death. He was well and ready to kill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morwen and Kyril followed the rest of the group into the labyrinth that was the fortress of Ellesméra, Morwen’s feet padded softly along the ground. Morwen held in the palm of her hand a fire as the other magic users within their group did the same. ”Do you think everyone knows where we are supposed to go? I am pretty sure that I do not know my way around the palace or Fortress.” Liran looked at her and sighed. ”I suppose we will find out, my only question is who are our enemies? Who is it that we are supposed to fight?”

The obvious question is essentially what lie ahead of them, trials existed within this fortress, but what trials? What creatures left this place so deftly deserted? In a rush the group took no care to make sure that they were approaching this situation without being heard. Liran’s footstep could not be heard period, Morwen tried to imitate how he did it but often he would tell her that it was no use, there were several tricks that he used, magic was part of them. The damp halls were paved with dirt, the fortress had indeed come into ruin. The fires held by the other individuals were resounding along the walls, giving the scene more of a ghastly look.

Ahead Liran heard the slight brushing, he had made the mistake to be with Morwen at the head of the group. He stopped and listened, a moaning crescendo echoed from deep within the passages. Morwen whispered and asked Liran, ”What is it?” Liran listened for a second and answered, ”I’m not sure, but something is coming.” They turned the corner, and the identity of the noise was before them. A tree that scuttled over the floor, groaning with faces of different creatures. ”What the-…” Liran had his bow already drawn and an arrow thudded into one of the many faces. ”Don’t just stand there kill it!” the tree roared form the impact, several more people were already on the beast ready to kill it. Several more came from beyond the hall, and Liran heard from behind them the shade saying that they were surrounded. ’Damn, we’re smarter than this, aren’t we? To be ambushed by trees!’ Liran gave up fighting the trees with arrows, Morwen was already in the fray and attacking the beasts.

Morwen viciously hacked at the creatures, ’skölir’ without saying it a shield of light energy appeared and the roots slammed into it. Morwen released the shield and jumped to the side to begin hacking at a root that lunged toward her. Morwen jumped onto a root that had buried itself into the ground. Running long the branch she dodged and shielded herself from branches and roots that tried to attack her. Making contact with the tree she whispered to the tree, ” sitja thornessa treavam” and the point from which her hand had met the tree the tree started to become unanimated.

Kyril drew his sabers and said, ” skölir” as a shield of light met the roots that were about to strike Morwen. Morwen turned and said, ”Thanks.” and a fireball rocketed from her hands as the shield dissipated and devoured the roots that had lunged for her. Liran whispered the winds for wind and a fraying wind attacked a tree and began to violently ravage the creature as it’s leaves were put into disarray and finally the wind built up enough momentum and became focused blades that cut the tree and pierced it. Another tree approached Sean’s back and Liran whispered the words for earth and beneath the stones the earth began to reach up bound its roots and vicious branches. Morwen took the time to whisper, ”Verma” and her tempered sword glowed a bright red orange, she rushed the tree that was bound and pierced it’s flesh. The tree groaned and Liran focused on the side opposite Morwen and it began to topple over. The heated blade cut the tree almost like butter, she slid her sword up the trunk and cut the tree up the middle. A long glowing gash that was starting to catch fire followed her blade. ”That’s the way to do it.” The tree fell apart and collapsed to the ground. The others attacked their own trees as screams were heard, magic was discharged, orders were issued, and finally the onslaught ended.

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{senka floros*}
featuring--! njord floros
How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again you reel me out then you cut the string
How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong?
I won't take my eyes off the ball again first you reel me out and then you cut the string

Now… We stood and I was getting bored. I hated it when I could not do something and this standing around, doing nothing but waiting for people to show up, it was annoying. It looked like we had enough, so why not start now? If the Riders, though I was sure they had fair reason, had not taken the General, we would not be doing this. Stupid Duty… Why did the Floros have to jump to the occasion and save the elven race? The Nation? My brother was okay with the idea, but I had had plans to go shopping with the girl and make some new clothes for some of the dragon riders, or at least, something to sell, but no, he had to find a way to get in touch and that was through a mirror. But since I was here, I needed to make use of the time. I had already found a dress I was planning on making, one just like Laioni was wearing, though I did not know her name at the time, it was BEAUTIFUL! ”Will you please just stop it!”

[/color] I wanted to jump at the sound of my brother’s voice. I looked at him, my own eyes danced with slight amusement now. He was crazy, but I loved him. I saw his eyes rolled and then heard something within the trees.

I could not believe the words I heard, but I would not allow my mind to hear them. The man in the forest was a nasty man, his words were cruel and I wrinkled my nose slightly. After a moment, I saw him come from the forest and I looked at him for a moment. He was a large human and he carried a large shield, spear, and sword, but he walked very silently. He wore a dress like thing, something I had never seen before. ”He is Gaelic, Senka… That is a kilt, something they wear.”[/color] I nodded to my brother. It was still a dress, but he looked rather handsome in such a thing. He wore blue on it, but I did not understand it.

I did not understand why such a handsome man would use such words as he had, but soon, he came towards us, but then he looked to the Human General, who I didn’t really know, but he was handsome as well. He said something in a language I did not know, nor did Njord. We looked at each other for a moment and then looked back at the group. As I looked at the man who had joined us. Now, it seemed everyone was here, which was slightly amazing, but I found myself looking at the painted man who had come out cursing words and saying things I had never heard. One woman spoke to him in words I did not know and he answered back. He seemed to hate the woman, but I did not know why. I just tried to ignore it slightly, but it was useless. He was good looking, even for a human. “If we’ve all done our fair share of murdering,” I looked at the man who had become the Count of this beautiful city, though, I did not understand any he had become count since he was a murderer. "maybe we should get underway. Let’s start with introductions, shall we?” I looked at Njord for a moment, who did not move, just stood there and waited, silently and statue like. "It’s in your best interests, I assure you. Until we locate her, my orders are tantamount to the Queen’s.” I looked at him for a moment and then to the woman standing beside him. "Is that clear?”

She then started to smile at him and began to speak. "I’m Rusalka Venali. Countess of Ceunon, maybe you’ve heard of me, if not, ah, so much for fame. I was in Saxony’s military for four hundred years, got a scar or six I’d readily share from that time, but…” I was interested, but she did not speak of her past. "Some things are best left unseen. Arsenic, indeed.” I watched as the man then looked to another man, one that had been here before us. "Oh, don’t tell me you have some reason to dislike me too?” I glanced at the man and then looked at the man he was speaking to again. "Shameful that your sister never got to introduce us.” I saw the man eyes widen and then narrowed again. He cleared his voice and spoke in the human like voice. "Kieran Kolbjorn, Lieutenant of Maléfica Company in the Hive. Yes, I’m actually an elf, and no, I’m not changing my damn appearance just to suit you.” Elf? He did not look elf... "It is called changing appearance."[/color] I knew that, but I did not understand why someone, as beautiful as a elf, would want to change such a thing.

"And I am Laioni,” I turned my head to another woman, someone I recognized slightly. "Ward of the Riders by title, but my real profession is witch. I prowl shadows that you never dreamed exist.” I wrinkled my nose slightly. I did not like going into the shadows, but soon he started watching the others slightly. He was looking to me, but I did not plan on speaking. "Speak you stupid girl."[/color] I looked to my brother for a moment and then looked back at the murderer. "I am Senka Floros."[/color] If elves did not know the name I would be surprise, since my family has hated elves since the beginning of the bonded dragons, however, I was possible the only one who actually liked the dragons. My brother quickly chimed in. "I am Njord Floros."[/color] I did not like it when he did that, but he made sure to look at me, telling me to be cautious. So many knew of our hatred with the riders and we had a ward among us. Sure, I did like the dragons, but my brother did not like them. "I hate them."[/color] I smiled at my brother for a moment and then looked to the blond man who had come along.

He was a odd man indeed, but soon, I heard his rough yet very handsome voice cut in the air. "I am Sean Sviodson MacLaren, son of Sviod who is husband of Medb, daughter of Fearghus, son of James, son of Patrick, son of Michael, son of Sean, son of Ian, son of John, son of William, son of Ruiadh, son of Lugh, son of Conchobhar, son of Ferdiad, son of Dougal, son of Douglas, son of Gordon, son of Murphy, son of Sean, son of Fearhus, son of Lugh, son of Ler, son of Willie, son of William, son of Conchobhar, son of Michael, son of Patrick, son of Lawrence, son of Lawrence, son of Lawrence. I have twenty heads, and fear nothing save dying dishonorably.” I looked at him for a moment, surprised by such a long line. I knew out line, but I did not care to talk about it. I could not help but look over his body and allowed my eyes to take in his tough look. "Senka, I swear!"[/color] I jumped slightly at my brothers sudden voice that came within my own head.

I looked up slightly at the rain drizzling from above made it seem like the forest was crying. I wanted to sooth it, to make it feel better, but I only felt Njord poking at my mind once again. "It will not help... This is much worse then a simple soothing."[/color] I looked over at him for a moment and then nodded to him quickly. He was right, this was huge and though we were young, we knew something was wrong. My brother's thoughts were then on Edan Valaician, the man who was the human General of the Broddring Kingdom. He did not like the man, but I did not see anything wrong with him. As normal, my mind was on how handsome he was. My brother's mental lash out at me was sharp, but I ignored his anger, as I normally did. "I am Edan Valaician and, by the reactions I have been receiving from many of you, you know my occupation. What you don't know is that General Kolbjorn and myself were cleared of all charges just before Laioni and I departed for this mission. I may look like a prisoner being lead by a Witch, as she described herself, but I am a freeman and volunteered for this mission. I am here to help in anyway I can, and to overall aid the peace process between our two nations after the utter fiasco that was the evening in Carvala. The last thing I want is the Elven nation to be thrown into disarray and chaos through the possible spreading of this sickness and the equally possible loss of the Royal Family." Well, at least he seemed to be willing to help out and make sure there was peace. But if he was free, why in the hell did he have someone witch leading him on his way.

"I am Amelia Vencari, Hive Lieutenant here in Ellesmera and leader of the Malakian Company. So, naturally, I am involved and invested in the outcome." I looked to the woman for a moment and then watched as she stepped back into her place. She seemed to be a bit tense and my brother was quick to tell me why, since he had the same feeling that was starting to seep into my own bones. "The shade sister... He has no place among our forest."[/color] I glanced over at him and nodded quickly. I guess he was right, but I had never really met a shade and thought I had heard about them, I tried not to judge, but it was hard not to judge a shade. The introductions seemed to be done and then she stepped forward again. "Count, I would like to submit that the Shade should not be present on such a mission as this, much less even present in the Great Forest. Taint begets taint, especially when thrown together with more taint. No good can come of it." My brother nodded in agreement, but he kept his mouth shut, which was no surprise to me, he normally did not talk much anyway, unless it was yelling at me for using common sense, which for some odd reason, he did a lot.

"Lieutenant Vencari. Your aversion to a Shade entering the Queen's palace is not without justice, but you must understand... This is an exceedingly dangerous situation, and beggars cannot be choosers. A Shade's magic, no matter how vile, is one of our greatest advantages in saving the Queen right now. Can you understand that?" I looked at the woman for a moment, she seemed to accept the matter quickly. "Aye. I can. I withdraw my objection to his presence." My brother did not calm down so easily, but he still did not speak about it. "A pleasure to meet you all. I’m Anastasio D’artagnan, Count of Ellesméra. Now…” It seemed that things were soon going to start happening, which was good, since I was a bit excited myself. "I’m going to scout around the outskirts while you make your way down.” I looked to my brother. His left hand was on the pommel of his blade, but he did not remove it, he was merely using it as a resting place kind of. The witch spoke to the Human General and soon, we were moving. I watched as Elves removed the vales and soon, we were going inside and I felt the anger from the trees like a slap in the face. The smell was beyond sickening and I was having a hard time keeping myself from allowing horror and such to touch my face. "Calm down sister, you were trained to do things, maybe not this, but you still have training."[/color] I looked at him, my eyes narrowed slightly. "I would rather be shopping then walking around in the muck before us."[/i][/color] He chuckled. Now he was having fun seeing my discomfort.

As we got into the place, we were rejoined by the Count, who spoke loud. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, does anyone have a method of entry they’d care to test out?” Though I had heard the stories of his insanity, it was hard to say he was... He seemed like a gentleman honestly and it was rather... Well, nice... And he was very handsome. The first to speak up was the Gaelic man, someone who was not at all bad looking and my brother's rage was boiling towards me each time I allowed my eyes to trace over his muscles. "Fire. A controlled burn with your elf magicks to create a door, or I could hack my way through. Or one of said elves here could try talking to the trees. You’re more likely to get help from Lugh.” I smiled slightly at his idea, but my brother was far from smiling. "This tree is far more powerful then to allow someone to cut into it and it is smart enough to put out even the largest fire... And right now, I doubt it would listen to anyone's words of soothing, it's anger is far to great."[/color] He said harshly, but I could not help but agree. My brother was right. The tree was very angry and trying to reason with it now would only fuel it. After my brother spoke, Ishiyo spoke as well. "Is there another way in?”

My brother rolled his eyes slightly, he was tired of people asking stupid questions that did nothing more then stall them. If there was another way in, my brother was sure that the Count would have taken us there if he could or at least would have said something about it before we went in. I was just here to help, I had very rarely been in this city, after finishing my schooling, I had stayed in Ilirea, only leaving to fight with my brother as the Master Archer I was. Edan seemed to be thinking about the words that Sean had said. "Correct me if I am wrong, but I think harmful acts upon the trees would cause them to be angry, and that is probably the worst way to proceed." I nodded to the man. "This tree would feel even more threatened and possible do more harm to itself and the people in and around it. There is no point in trying that."[/color] I said, this time, allowing my voice to come out. I knew enough about the trees of this forest, enough to know what could and could not be done.

Amelia spoke next, first to Ishiyo. "Ishiyo, I wouldn't expect you to know about this issue, but does it not seem sound logic that if there were such entrances and exits, we would have gathered there instead of here, or perhaps not even been needed to come?" My brother smiled, he was starting to like this elf, mostly because she had some common sense and he liked that about women. She then turned her attention to the Human General. "Your assumption is sound, General. There is a better way, I think, to move through the ever changing wall." It was not long then that she made sure she looked at everyone. "I suggest that one of the prodigious magic users present sing to the tree, contact it through magic, and beg our entrance. At this point, we have little to lose from trying and I don't really think there is too much of a price to pay. If that doesn't work, or if the price is too high, we can then move on to forcing our presence inward." I did not like the idea of forcing ourselves into the tree, but what had to be done, would be done. My brother felt the same way, and he tried to at least comfort me a little bit.

I looked at Count D’artagnan, who had not looked at a single one of us while we spoke. He just smiled slightly, a grin that I was not sure I would like, but at the same time, he looked kind of nice, but then, someone sighed and I turned to look at Kieran Kolbjorn. "Heh, you just love to piss me off,” His sneer was true. "Nyx’s sanctioned ass, I’ll do it.” He moved towards the tree slowly, but he was not the only ones. Njord and I looked at each other and nodded quickly. We had lines dating back to the war of the dragons and elves and possible further. We had the marking on our body to prove that. He took my hand, our own body flowed with a lot of energy and we walked towards the tree, a bit more confident then the other. At the same time, our hands went on the tree and I felt a vine wrap around my wrist and I felt one do the same with Njord's own wrist. It felt nice to connect with the massive tree, to share our mind with it. It felt the connection that Njord and I had. We were sharing our minds with the tree and we felt the pain, the sickness and how it was all brought on by the injuried and dying Queen of our people. I could see the colors of death, the blood and gore that I hated to see and felt my stomach turning in agony and pain. I wanted out, I let my mind ask to be released and soon, my brother and I were let go and I felt tears running from my eyes. "The pain..."[/color] It was a whisper, but my brother heard it and put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back to the group.

As I looked back at Kieran, I saw an opening... We had done it, we had gained the access we needed into the mighty tree. "Well done,” I let out a sigh, so happy to know we had done something to make a difference. “Dellanir yet lives,” I let out yet another sigh of relief. The tree had not given me such news, but Laioni was stroking the tree lovingly. “These are proud and powerful creatures, forced to endure the suffering of another. I would suggest we find your queen as quickly as possible, if only as an act of mercy.” Someone seemed highly surprised. “Mercy? From you?”

I saw an argument, but soon, the Countess came in. "Don’t mean to come off prim and puritanical, but it’s best if we leg it. The trees seem to be in a fickle mood, ergo we should enter as soon as possible.” I nodded, as did my brother. “How commanding of you, Miss Venali. Weapons out. Our first task is to locate the Queen’s attackers.” I nodded. My brother removed his beautiful sword and I removed my bow and arrow. I was a skilled bowswoman, but as I moved towards the opening, I placed my hand on the tree again, which gave me yet another passage and I apologized in advance for possible hitting it with a arrow. I knew one movement of my target could cause a miss and it did not attack me for the idea, but groaned and seemed to understand. I let out a sigh and looked at the others. Kieran had his own sword out, Venali pulled her own out... The Count or Laioni had no weapins out, but a few others did. As we went into the dark tree, red light engulfed us from the hands of the Count and Laioni, but at least it did not harm are nightvision that elves could produce. I quickly did it, along with my brother. As we walked, I saw death everywhere and the horror on some of the faces of those who had not expected it. "How surprising... Born of arrogance, these idiot Alagaësian elves touched something beyond their power when they were not prepared.” I felt my brother boil with anger. She knew nothing is what he was thinking, but I touched his shoulder before I pulled a arrow from my sheath on my back.

"Stifle yourselves and get low... We’ve got company.” I took the warning and got low, in front of my brother. As we waited, we heard a nasty growl, not of any human, elf, or animal and soon saw it. It was something of the forest, a tree that loomed out from the underneath hallways and it walked like a man. I gulped silently, my brother's hand on my shoulder. I was scared as I looked at it and soon, it roared and started running at us... The first to attack it was Ishiyo, who hit it with her own blade on the left arm, after being propelled by the earth. It was too close for me to use my own arrow, so I set still. My brother was standing to protect me and waited for his open chance. She rolled aside and soon, the Gaelic man was attack with his spear. My brother then joined and I was able to move back and shoot a few arrows. Words were being spoken, but I did not pay attention to any of them, I moved as fast as I could, releasing the arrows and planting them into the tree. If they did not, it would at least allow some pain. Once it was down, I approached and my brother handed me the arrows I had used, which were still in fine condition. I looked around and then back at everyone else.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

You used to be alright, what happened?
Did the cat get your tongue? Did your string come undone?
One by one, One by one. It comes to us all. It's as soft as your pillow
You used to be alright, what happened
Et cetera, et cetera. Facts for whatever. Fifteen steps
Then a sheer drop

’word count three. six. seven. five.
’tagged Anastasio D'artagnan, Kieran Kolbjorn, Laioni, Medusa, Rusalka Venali, Amelia Vencari, Edan Valaician, Kyril Valomich, Liran Kazama, Morwen Karatas, Mia Ambrylight, Ishiyo Sasaki, Sean Sviodson MacLaren
’song 15 Steps--! Radiohead
’post status done or undone
’template creator nayeli

[/size]

[pterodactyl]

As the others introduced themselves, Mia allowed her mind to wander a bit. One ear heard the voices of the group while the other turned off, letting calm flow through her body, in to out and out to in. When her turn came, the listening ear alerted her mouth, and words spilled out. "I'm Mia Ambrylight," she said confidently and without ceremony. She was pretty sure that most of the members of this motley crew weren't going to fall for her because of her race; after all, being a human wasn't exactly the fashion in Du Weldenvarden. The painted, kilted man might be willing to bend to her will, but he seemed like the type that was bent on killing himself with stupid, honorable actions. The general was high-profile. That might stop others in their tracks, but Mia served high-profile men for years and she knew first-hand what few women knew second- or third-hand: they were just men.

Fingering the hilt of one of her stilettos, the red-haired woman watched the proceedings quietly. Everyone was strutting around while standing in place, putting on their best strong faces to show their uneasy companions. The bravado all round was admirable; it meant that everyone was good at deceiving everyone else, except the Gaelic man, who just wanted a good fight. Of course you couldn't hack through the trees--the commoner in Mia just wanted to scream, DUH!

As a watcher, an observer, the pale woman stood back and watched the Hive boss here get shot down by the new city Count. She watched some of the elves loftily toss aside the entrance suggestions of some of the other elves, and she created an inner list of the pecking order here. Some of the elves, the lofty ones, used their magic to open the trees. Mia followed them in, merging her dark clothing with that of the group's. Only her red hair stood out against their blackness. Well, Mia's red hair and Pan's...weirdness.

The roaring of the anguished, furious walking tree broke into Mia's red-lit silence. Senka shot arrow after arrow next to her, and Njord drew his sword with a menacing metal-on-metal sound. Sean cried out, speaking some language Mia didn't understand, and Ishiyo hacked at the tree's thick, wooden branch-arms. As for her part, Mia dropped to one knee and let her arms go slack, her thin stiletto knives slipping hilt-first into her waiting palms. She slipped them down farther, holding each knife by the very tip. Raising her right hand behind her ear, the knife's blade and hilt sticking up diagonally, the Hive operative released her arm like a tightly wound spring. The silver, shimmering blade buried itself in the tree's contorted face, quivering around an expression of agony. One of the branch-arms came down to remove the painful object. The branch-arm flung the knife away, and this time the hilt made a clattering noise against the ground as it landed near where Mia was kneeling, already throwing another knife. She rolled, her red hair swirling around her, and retrieved her first knife to throw again. There were others concealed in her boots, but those were for later, in case she couldn't get these forearm stilettos back.

{ muse pretty good for the first part and awful for the fighting thing. }
{ notes }
{ tags mentioned some people, stuck a knife in the ent's face. }
{ listening to n/a }
{ words 537 }

[Kite]

*Amelia relaxes a little as Kieran steps forward and offers to speak to the trees. He, at least, was competent to do such a thing. Laioni, the Witch, also does the same and does so to a greater extent than Kieran does and, when she starts to speak to us after Kieran reports on the ongoings inside of the structure, Amelia is glad that she did as well. From both of their melds with the trees, the team learned that the queen, Dellanir, is still alive and that we were allowed to enter. There were a couple others who attempted to meld with the trees, but the most helpful thing that they managed was a whimper about pain. The Count tells everyone to pull out their weapons and to prioritize the attackers of the castle. There were also other bits of muttering and a whole lot of speaking out of the Shade, but she sort of let it slide through her as they moved into the castle. After the mercenary tried to lecture Amelia on the Game, she dismisses the most of them as imbeciles and decides to ignore them. Humans, Shades, and Mercenaries were not qualified to lead anyone, much less a leader of the Hive in Ellesmera, the Heart of the Game.

However, despite her annoyance and brooding, she did hear Rusalka say that there are enemies approaching, and Amelia drops back and allows her companions to rush in and fight them. From what she is seeing, there is much melee attacking of the tree-beasts. That being said, the magical attacks from some of our companions is working. The human general also seems a little put out, pressing against a magical barrier and shaking his head, muttering under his breath what Amelia thinks is curses that some… “magical fucktard is keeping [Edan] out of the fight”. She smiles at that a little bit, and then looks back up. There was a momentarily lull as they finish their attacks, but more come out of the hall during the banter that her “comrades” were sharing and Amelia gets fed up with her own lack of contribution. As they start shambling towards the group once more, Amelia pushes through the group and holds her hand out, reaching her senses out to the trees and feeling pain and anger. She sets those feelings aside and gathers power, taking energy from herself and the tree-beasts themselves, draining as much as she can from the trees before speaking with the power of the Ancient Language and directing the energy through the words into the physical world.*

Evarínya!

*The word for start leaves her lips and a bright light erupts in front of them as a firestorm tears its way through the hallway, burning the weakened tree-beasts down and emptying the hall for a moments. She knew what was coming and to close her eyes, but she wasn’t sure how many of them were safe and not momentarily blinded. Her energy level had dropped some, but it was in within manageable levels as she had drained most of the energy from the tree-beasts. She saw that the Human General was fine and figured that the barrier one of the magic users put up was the source of his safe sight, and she smiles back at them before speaking, the fires dimming and extinguishing themselves behind her, and the air still breathable as the only smoke came from the burnt tree-beasts and slightly crisped walls. Magical control had its uses.*

Shall we continue?

--- Note: So, its 2 in the frickin' morning, and that makes it extremely possible that I missed some significant interaction between my characters and yours. Due to severe time constraints that were my fault, I only posted from Amelia's perspective, and she was too pissy to really care about interaction, so if there was anything that I missed directed at Edan specifically, my bad. PM me with a specific problem and I will happily change it. ---