Under the shadow of the ` ℮ с ℓ ι р ѕ ℮

[iKitten]

​

How many years had it beenâ?¦?
Where does the story of old begin, and where does it endâ?¦?​

Oh noble knights, where have thou goneâ?¦?
With the world asunder and the people sufferingâ?¦​

Where is the lightâ?¦?​

â?? Tâ?¦â?¦â?¦...â?¦hâ?¦...â?¦â?¦â?¦eâ?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦......â?¦...â?¦â?¦â?¦ Mâ?¦...â?¦â?¦â?¦yâ?¦â?¦...â?¦â?¦ tâ?¦â?¦â?¦...â?¦ h â??​

In the world of Marosia...​

...the kingdom, Elzier, is said to be at the very center. Beautiful as it was, every kingdom is said to contain a tragedy. For this kingdom, the fell came in the form of the simplest fact of the lust for power, and the betrayal from within. The Elzierian army had the four strongest knights to lead it, branching off into their own elements, but together, they were undefeatable. The Queen had given them each an area to govern, so that they would return to her to with a report of the lands around them.

To the North was the Youngest Knight, said to have reached up into the heavens and brought down judgment upon those who had sinned in the form of destructing light. Stretching towards the South was the Female Knight, igniting the flame of justice that was said to reside within the heart of all in Elzier. To the West resided the Eldest Knight, protecting the Elves with the winds that many believed to carry the voices and spirits of Elzier. Spanning towards the East stood the Cardinal Knight, soothing the world with the healing waters that gave life and health. Together, they were the four pillars of Elzier and, in essence, the world. But just like any platform that was held up by pillars, they were doomed to the greatest weakness, for they would fall if not united.

The King of Darkness had known this, thus he had gone after one that had been predicted to have the weakest of hearts among the four. No one knew how he had lured the Cardinal Knight, a great hero that no one had expected to betray them. They said that the susceptible mind he possessed allowed the King to lure him with the promise of power and leadership. This knight was said to be of the blackest of heart that had been already lurking in the shadows, caving into the Kingâ??s will and immediately joining that side. They say he was so ugly and sickening that no one could gaze upon him without feeling the darkness eat away at their sanity.

On the night that the Queen had been assassinated, the story went as thus. The Cardinal Knight had joined in the usual meeting of the four knights, reporting to the Queen of Light about the situations of the world. A beloved son-like figure and savior of the Queen from a previous war, he had been trusted to near her in any way or form. Something that they had realized been the hardest form of betrayal. Wrapping his arms around someone they thought he saw as a mother, the Cardinal Knight drove the dagger of darkness deep into her body, corroding the light that resided from within. The Amulet of Marosia flared to life and exploded, sending four pieces into the scatters of the world. At the same time, the Queen was said to have fallen with a scream that pieced all that was within range to hear.

Another version was that when the Amulet had scattered, the King of Darkness reached out his hand and caught one of the pieces like a ball thrown at him, a stream of light flaring beyond his hand, even though he had caught the main object that the light had been designated for. The magic flared, and any lower being without as much power would have been destroyed. Four lights that flared outwards to the corners of the world, leading them to where they might be able to find the shard of the Amulet. Even the three knights did not know fully where the shards were; just a general direction that the lightâ??s path showed them. But even if they found it, the question remains on those who still believe them, lips; of which the three knights was pure enough to wield part of the Amulet?

As for the Queen? Her body flared into a glow of light, and they said that as she died, her body clung to the boy that she had raised by her own hands, only to be killed by his. What she had said to him, or had done, was left to be a secret that only the Queen of Light and the Treacherous Knight to know.

But the truthâ?¦well, only those who had been within the room, the Queen, King, and knights, knew what had truly happenedâ?¦ what had trulyâ?¦

destroyed and collapsed the world.​

â?? Tâ?¦â?¦â?¦...â?¦hâ?¦...â?¦â?¦â?¦eâ?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦......â?¦...â?¦â?¦â?¦ Tâ?¦...â?¦â?¦â?¦aâ?¦â?¦...â?¦â?¦ lâ?¦â?¦â?¦...â?¦ e â??
Book One - The First Shard​

â??Youâ??re full of shit, you drunk.â? a sharp voice came through the enchanting tale. The small woman that stood barely over five feet one, reached over the barâ??s counter and pulled the drink away from the manâ??s grasp. She knew she shouldnâ??t have gave him so much to drink, but he had a charming way of getting people to do what he wanted.

A sinful stretch of lips pulled into a lopsided smirk, as dulled blue eyes gaze at the woman. â??Why, Dearâ?¦Iâ??m just telling everyone here the story of what might have happened.â?

â??Yes, might. Stop spouting nonsense though, as no one truly knows what had happened. Itâ??s bad luck to speak of such things in the pastâ?¦â?

â??Pish-posh. If we donâ??t study the past, how will we know the reason for the â??nowâ??? Isnâ??t that right, buddy?â? the drunkard turned to his left, speaking to the air. Naolin was known to speak to himself, drunk or not drunk, so it was always a mystery if he had been talking to a spirit that no one else could see, or if he truly had lost his mind.

In the corner of the tavern was a looming shadow, gazing over the necromancer, before observing who else was there. Travelers of all sorts came to this safe haven, as it had been situated in the further corner of Marosia. This area was known to only a few travelers as a neutral area, where even the King of Darkness avoided, as it was a small blip on the map. The only problem was that the bar owner, Sophia, allowed no one to stay for more than a night or two. No one, except Naolin and itself. But then again, it was part of Nao, so perhaps, the correct statement would be â??but Naolinâ??.

The blonde drunk snickered at the imaginary friend, before grabbing for the cup from Sophiaâ??s hand and took another drink. His dazed blue eyes gazing outwards to nowhere and everywhere, noticing a few groups of scattered people in the tavern this early day. The fact that he was drunk already by high noon, wasnâ??t a surprise.

 

[iKitten]

¤ Chapter One â?? Traveling Companions ¤​

The road to the West was one filled with many beautiful sights and many lovely creatures. Three companions, starting off from the beginning of the road, and now, there were five. Brand sometimes wondered if he was just too observant of things, but if one wasnâ??t going to speak often, then they were going to observe their surroundings. The easiest to notice were those around him, such as Valen, their somewhat leader, or Lynnira. He had been with them for quite some time, but for Arioch or Everanâ?¦well, those two were new additions that they had not expected, but did not deny. The fight for justice had always been a long road, so he did not think it would harm if they had others to share the road with.

On such a vibrant day, strange for days that should be encased in darkness from being under the rule of the King of Darkness, they were heading down towards the small Elvin town, Cam. Of course, like most areas in the West, things were hidden with mazes and traps, all made by the Elves to protect themselves from unexpected dangers; something that was much needed in these times. Through the Orange Fields, they would head to the town and rest there, as their supplies were low already.

Thatâ??s alright. Weâ??ll just ration for now, and things will be fineâ?¦ the blonde cheerfully thought, smiling slightly as he navigated through the area. Sometimes, he was a bundle of energy, searching for a new way to bring justice and peace for all, so often times, like today, he was causing the entire group to lag behind; despite them walking at normal pace.

â??I think weâ??re close~â? he called out, turning around and smiling at the others. Of course, Arioch might have been better to lead them through the Elvin fields, as she was a pure Elf, and had lived in the Elvin world much longer than he had. This was also Valenâ??s territory, as the elder knight had guarded these areas in the days of peace.

 

[Nymphetamine]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Justice​

After such an utter fall of their empire. Of her home and of herself! Them all! How could the runt be so cheerful? It irked her. Oh did it irk her. Usually the vibrant looking knight was not so bitter or angry with the world. No, usually she was quite the entertainment, jokes, riddles and tongue twisters spewing from such pouty pink lips. Naturally so. "You said the same thing moments earlier. We're barely any closer." A soft sigh past her lips, those words spoken under her breath.

The attack hit her where she was weakest, between her breastbones. Lynnira had a connection with their late Queen that wasn't normal between Knight and Monarch. Surely, all Knights felt a connection to their ruler, to the one they obeyed whole heartedly. Though Lynnira was different. It wasn't a mere Knight to Queen connection. No. Much more. She was the Mother she never knew. Like so many times in the days past, she held her tears behind her blue orbs, gazing emotionlessly after their youngest-member, bouncing away in front of them.

"Oh. How I wish I was carefree like you, little one. You carry little negative emotion in your shell. You seem to not care about these terrible days past, yet I know, you grieve as I do. Yet alas, you smile, cheer and skip merrily along as if you have no care in the world. I do not know if I should admire you, or pity you." Lynnira spoke to herself quietly, a hushed whisper as she lagged behind the group. The tiny bouncing figure so far ahead, just a little colorful shape in her vision. The others just a bit before her.

Too emotionally wounded, she hadn't even the heart to bear her armor. A sign of her remorse. Leather armor covered her pale skin, her long cloak whipping behind her petite body, the hood over her saddened face.

 

[iKitten]

â??Beyond the Orange Fields, deep within the Elvin mazes, at the center of the Elderâ??s crystalâ?¦ there, will you find the first shardâ?¦This journey shall be more than just one alone, so you shall travel together.â?

At least, that was what the King of Darkness had told him. The blue-silver haired male narrowed his eyes as the sun began to set, making the fields and leaves glow the beautiful orange that they radiated. Unlike the â??otherâ?? group, ones he didnâ??t know were traveling closer towards the center of the Orange Fields, his own little â??groupâ?? was not as close as they were. Just a few hours ago, they had recently entered the tip of the fields, which meant that they would have to make camp and hunt for food later. It was, of course, every person by themselves, as he would not be hunting for them, nor expected them to hunt for him.

The King had sent him towards the West to retrieve the first known shard, and when he had mentioned about bringing a few men, he hadnâ??t expect to be given someone that wasnâ??t of low ranking. In his opinion, the commanding groupâ??s personalities outweighed their abilitiesâ?¦ in the negative direction. In the new worldâ??s ranking system and in the army of darknessâ??, he was their General, with the Drow being the Colonel, and the werewolf actually making it to Major. There was another person, that had been called a Captain before, but not many people talked about him; the Dragon.

Shaking his head free of the thoughts, he continued to trudge through the fields, wondering if they should rest at the moment or not. Withholding his sigh, Gandrian turned his gaze towards his companion; the single eye exposed staring at the Dragon like a dead gem that no longer glow the vibrant sea-green blue. â??Shall we rest, maâ??am?â? he asked, tilting his head as if he was some gentleman offering a break. The night was nearing and they would have to hunt, eat, rest, and then get on their way again. His voice was sweet and innocentâ??far too innocentâ??like a childâ??s, and firm at the same time, like a teenager turning into a man.

 

[Kanda]

Vampires were notorious for being lazy creatures during the daytime, so their endless trek towards Cam eventually wore him down. He lagged behind the others and panted like a dog in between breaths to keep his energy up, feeling his shoulders slouch as the thick material of his clothes caved in under the sun's merciless rays. He had wrapped an elegant cloak around his neck for this purpose, and according to the sorceress he had grown under the influence of, the material was supposed to keep him from overheating. It was such a simple purpose, yet the cloak only dragged down his heavy soles and fervently made him wish that he could have inherited his father's ability to levitate off the ground rather than trudge on it. Though he was mentally drained, his exceptional physique kept up with him, keeping his graceful feet marching in rhythm with the knights ahead of him.

His cape swished as if he was dancing, and his gait remained proper and almost beautiful as he followed his companions down to the elven town. He thirsted for blood, but the area was strangely void of any live animals. The occasional squirrels he saw scampering across his vision were given a huge advantage what with all the foliage serving as their hideaways, so he promised himself a rich meal at their next destination and swallowed dryly. All this time, his eyes dilated, and his gaze stuck on the backs of the knights' necks, his tongue already rolling against the roof of his mouth to try and taste the metallic sweetness of their iron-rich blood. Just a drop would satisfy him for another ten miles ...

Everan charismatically ran a gloved hand through his hair and brushed the longer strands behind his cheek, pouting and huffing louder than usual to possibly catch a knight's attention. All this walk and no talk irritated him. He was quite the social "bat", so he needed some sort of conversation to keep his mind off of the delicious pulses he had surrounding him so tormentingly. " Where do you get all that energy, hm ~ ? " he asked in a thick tone with a deep purr resounding in it. He shook off his exhaustion with a lion-like yawn, stretching his arms vertically above his head with a soft grunt of satisfaction. " I wish I was as young as you. All these centuries are getting to my bones, " he complained with a frisky laugh, massaging his elbows and attempting to keep his own blood circulating while they were under the sun's stroking heat.

The sooner they would get to a remotely shady place- the better. The air was dense here, and not quite like the frigid temperatures he had grown to love in his hometown. His clothes were preventing him from being sunburned or getting nasty rashes, but vampires were naturally weak to the light, which was ... oddly ironic for someone like Everan.

 

[Raiden]

There was a reason why nobody spoke alot about the so-called "captain", and that was because he usually ate anyone that did and picked his teeth with their ribs half the time. He was in this little "merry" band of likeminded and somewhat sinister folks out of respect for the dark king, but was unbelievably irritated at how slow they were going. Ordinarily, he'd just get up in his enormous dragon form and fly to where they had to go, dive down and grab the item and get away before the other side could get to it. But he'd been instructed to behave and at least try to cooperate but that didn't seem to be going so well really.

He'd just start coming out of his own reverie when he spotted the Knight, that bastardly... irritating lump of a humanoid staring at him for a moment. "What the hell are you staring at kid." he growled at him, he had full right to call them kids too because of his superior age. "Stop and rest? That's your perogitive, I can keep going after all we don't know when those other idiots are going arrive." He pointed out. "I'd rather get there before they did." Xion grumbled but had to accede to the suggestion of the leader of their little band. Xion's voice was smooth and somewhat deep but manly sounding despite his youthful appearance, his irritation at the situation showing as he raked a hand through his red-streaked hair and sighed.

"If we're going to stop, we should do so now and be able to set up a campsite before the sun goes completely down." Xion shrugged some. But in the end it would be everyone for themselves; the only possible person he'd share with was the drow, simply due to the fact he considered her to be rather lovely in a dark way and didn't quite want someone that used ice so easily to be pissed at him due to his elemental weakness.

 

[iKitten]

Gandrian tilted his head and continued to gaze at the Dragon for the longest moment. The others were not with them yet, but the King had mentioned the other two joining them along the journey. That was an annoying factor to add into the hunt, but he took it in stride. Traveling in groups had become something he didnâ??t enjoy, and if he could, he would have rushed off without this tag-along. â??You know, you donâ??t have to stop on my account. Iâ??m such a weak creature compared to you, oh mighty Captain Xion. Please, go on ahead without meâ?¦I shall catch up.â? the former knight sweetly offered, voice almost sugared, but facial expressions were lacking.

The one-eye exposed narrowed, before he began to trudge off to the side. It wasnâ??t dark yet, but in a few shifts, it would be. While he had no qualms about hunting at night, the meatier preys were out in the day. Without even telling Xion that he was leaving, he dashed off into the far distance and followed his instincts to find something alive. Elvin senses heightened, as he quickly climbed the trunks and branches, before leaping from tree to tree.

The orange leaves brushed against his nude arms, soothing him as if half of him needed nature. Narrowing his eyes at that, he didnâ??t even focus his magic to release the hatred he had for this feeling. Every tree that he touched wilted, as the water and moisture within was drawn out and dried. Killing the plants didnâ??t even faze him, as he spotted a deer out in the distance. With a leap off of the dying tree branch like he was diving backwards into water, the sea-green eye glowed and before he landed on the ground, his sword had sliced off the deerâ??s head.

He speared his sword into the ground and picked up the deerâ??s carcass, humming like a happy child that had found candy. With blood dripping down his back from the deerâ??s headless neck, he made his way back to the â??campâ??, and hoped that the Dragon had decided to leave like he had â??offeredâ??. Heâ??d have to set up fire to cook this thing, and then perhaps create a small bathing hole to wash up before skipping a rest and continuing with the journey. Having Xion around, trailing and tagging along to observe him wasâ?¦ annoying.

 

[DudeGuy]

• • • How in the hell did I get myself involved with this lot of fools?[/list:u]
      
      Arioch Ta'Thlen walked ahead of the rest of the group visibly annoyed. The entire time they had been traversing the Orange Fields, they had been chattering away about this and that. None of it was important conversation, and after the first three hours or so, it was just annoying. Painfully so.
      
      After throwing away her position as a general in the army of the High Elves, Arioch left the tree-top kingdom and returned to the bottom, the place where she lived most of her life. There were no such things as sight's to be seen, nor was she moving back there. She was leaving. Why? Because of the Eclipse. The world was covered in a pseudo darkness allowing every evil abomination in existence to walk the face of the earth as they so chose at any time they chose to do so. And she couldn't stand it. The armies were tired, and no one was doing a thing, not even the three remaining heroes. Of course, being betrayed by one of their own and losing some important had to be hard - but the three had just vanished off the face of the earth. So there was a bounty on their heads? And so most of the world wanted them dead? This wasn't that much different from any other war when you were fighting on the losing team. Then again, they had never been on a losing team. That was something that she needed to remember.
      
      The three cowardly bastards, as she called them, had just happened to be traversing the same stretch of the wood that she was wandering through. She bumped into them after realizing how stupid leaving her kingdom was, and how foolish it was of her to think that she could do anything against this force all on her own. Their initial meeting was none too pleasant. Not one to censure herself, she let each of them have it. They failed to protect the Queen, they ran and hid, and now the entire world was seemingly spiraling downhill because of them. Without giving them a chance to even speak, she turned and went on her way. She had gotten into trouble, as she had run into one of the raiding parties in the lowlands. They had come to help her, and offered her the chance to come with them to help and correct their mistakes. She accepted their offer, not to help them correct their mistakes, but to put an end to this darkness and return the previous peace to the world.
      
      • And like a fool, here you are. You are just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?[/list:u]
        
        "I do pray to the Gods that we are," she sighed. Z's optimism was beginning to really annoy her. She actually shared the same sentiments that Lynnira did on the matter. Well, similar ones. She pitied him for being able to be so bubbly right now, but could not help but wonder if there were something that happened in his past that made this look like a cakewalk. And then there was that. . .other thing. The Vampire. Everan his name was. Something about him being around made her uncomfortable, and not just because he was a creature of darkness. There was a lewd glimmer in his eye that made her shudder. The thought alone made her subconsciously clench her fists. Thankfully, he had yet to say or try anything, but she was waiting for the moment she did so that she had a good reason to hit him in the face.
        
        To take her mind off of things, her violet optics scanned her surroundings. She was silent for just a moment, before speaking once more. "If we keep up this pace, we should reach the town within the hour." Thankfully.[/list:u][/list:u]

 

[DudeGuy]

• • "You would never make it as an assassin Lord Volwrath," a low, seductive purr called from the camp. Seated before the fire was a Dark Elf, who looked up at him as he drew nearer with a slight smile on her face. He had been so loud moving through this forest the entire time that she was more than certain any elf that had been in the vicinity of the area would have fled in sheer terror of him and the darkness that he carried around with him. Not to mention the way he destroyed those trees. That was surely going to catch someone's attention. Not to mention how slow he had been moving. Had she been trying, she could have caught up with him and killed him several times over already. It was a good thing she was on his side. "Even from here, I could hear you jumping about. That thing you've slain must have been touched in the head."
    
    To be exact, she served directly under him. He was, one of the few living beings that she had respect for. Of course, because he was so distant - and she wasn't much better about getting closer to people - they didn't know each other very well. But he was someone who was serving under the King of Darkness, who had earned their lord's trust to the point where he served as the King's right hand. How could she not at least have respect for him? There were other's who were wary of him, fearing the traitor would betray them as well, but she wanted to believe in him like the King did. Especially after he eliminated the biggest obstacle in their way - the person that he had served under before, the Queen of Light. No one knew how hard it had to have been for him to do such a thing, or if it were hard at all. They knew that he drove a dagger through her heart and took her life without showing the slightest hint of remorse. He served the King of Darkness faithfully, and hadn't shown any signs of turning against him.
    
    "Your presence is required elsewhere after you've finished retrieving the shard. I'll be taking it back to His Majesty in your place," she explained, answering the obvious question he would have asked her had she not said that much. She sat at the side of the fire that had been left there, absentmindedly flipping one of her daggers up into the air and catching it. "I have no further information on the matter. You will, most likely, be contacted in the usual manner with further instructions." she mused, not knowing or really caring how it happened. Her mission was done for now. Until they succeeded in doing what they were told to do, she was free to do pretty much anything she wished to do. But what exactly she would do was the question. Maybe enjoy torturing some animals? Or finding some elves to kill? Or maybe she would stick with the other two who were here. There really was little point in doing so though. [/list:u][/list:u]

 

[Raiden]

"Don't give me that crap." Xion snarled at the other knight and stretched himself out and started to walk away, not wanting to deal with that stupid elf's attitude. He'd wait for a few minutes after the guy left, Xion was wary of anyone seeing his real self and wanted to be absolutely sure that he was out of sight before he dropped his concealing spell. But as luck would have it, his still keen nose detected the scent of the dark elf long before she showed up at the makeshift campsite. And Xion would hustle some, sprinting out into the clearing nearby and changed forms midway, for a dragon the size of a large town he was quite silent due to a bit of specialized magic he'd applied to himself centuries ago.

With two beats of his massive wings, he was off into the air, catching a thermal and soaring up high into the darkening sky. He was intent on seeing just what was ahead for them; perhaps even locate the shard from the air so he'd know just where to go. However, his stomach was pleading for something else and he took off and headed north, clearing a dozen miles within thirty minutes. He was after the musk oxen the idiot farmers kept around there to move their stocks around from town to town. With the effortless grace of a diving raptor, the colossal dragon dropped out of the sky and blatantly smashed a farming community with his claws and sweeps of his tail, snapping up a few humans along the way as an appetizer.

But in the end he'd grab the three biggest oxen he could find and took off again to return to the campsite, deciding that they wouldn't be well served by scattering to find their own meals, that just left them vulnerable and open to attack. The key to their little mission afterall was stealth to a certain degree.

By the time he got back it seemed like the other two had just arrived and were starting to settle in when he dropped the remaining ox to land nearby with a sickening "thud" and fell out of the sky after transforming back into his human form and landed on his feet and produced a hot knife from his belt. "It's nice to see you again my dear." he purred to the dark elf in a sinister sort of way, before taking to cleaning the thing.

 

[iKitten]

Once he reached back to the â??camp siteâ??, Gandrian almost gave out a sigh, as he realized that instead of Xion leaving, they gained yet another person for the night; the Drow. Really, it was a wonder why the woman followed them around sometimes, and he had bite back his words about how he didnâ??t need to be quiet. Heâ??d only exercise his stealth during combat, and killing for food was hardly a task. But instead of spewing something rude towards his â??peerâ??, he slowly began to walk towards her form, a cute pout upon his lips. It was too innocent on his face though, making him look too young, and if one was to saw him like this, they would probably take a double glance and ask if he was truly the rumored cold-blooded killer that many talk about.

â??You know, Iâ??d be much better at it, if I had someone to teach me.â? he spoke, stepping closer and close, as if he was a predator, stalking his prey. â??Personallyâ?¦one on oneâ?¦bodyâ?¦teachingâ?¦body.â? each word was drawn out like he was humming it, the smooth words accented by something foreign. Once the last word was hushed out, it was like he was sharing a secret with Nekar. Warm breath ghosted over her sensitive ear, almost close enough that she might have felt his lips upon the tip. His suggestion was anything but innocent, yet before she could respond to his â??advanceâ??, the former knight turned and moved towards the fire.

He gazed over to the kill that Xion had brought back and raised an eyebrow. â??That much? Eating in your true form, Captain?â? he inquired, thinking that the Dragon truly was gluttonous at times. The silver-blue dropped his own kill, something that was plenty, if not too much, for himself, and grabbed a few sticks. He had planned to cut up some meat and spear it to cook over the fire, but as he reached back to grab for his sword, he paused halfway. The blade that was usually sheathed on his back was missing, and he seemed to pause in thought, waiting for it to either come back to his grasp, or wondering where he had last placed it. He could have sworn it was just right there a moment agoâ?¦

 

[Nymphetamine]

A guttural growl sounded from the back of the group. A traitor, whom was more of a coward in his own eyes, attempting to bad mouth a dragon. Primitive instinct told Gerrit that was a dumb idea. Though, the bare-chested man casually leaned back, and enjoyed the background noise as he cleaned his teeth with a tiny twig. A rumble sounded from his belly, "Hmm... food." Gerrit chose his words wisely, looking around at the make-shift campsite. This orange forest gave him the weirdest feeling. An odd shiver in his spine.

"Hah! Traitor, even a dumb woman wouldn't sleep with a coward. At least. Not for free." He snorted at his pitiful advanced. "No wonder you're still a virgin. At least.. you look and act like one." His purple-blue eyes narrowed as his smile grew into a thin grin. Though soon enough he rolled himself off the tree, his large hands taking hold of the ties of his leather pants. His back was to the group, though either way, he didn't care. His hunger was now unsettling. So, pulling the draw string, his pants fell to his ankles, and he stepped from them, leaving them at the base of the tree he had so casually lent against. Without even a good-bye or an explanation, he lurched into the bushes.

When he emerged, he was no longer a man. A huge wolf, with white pointed fangs on a long muzzle, accented with a black, wet nose. Saliva dripped from his maw, excited for the hunt, and for his next meal. With a growl at the group, he dived into the other bushed across the path.

And so he hunted.

Not very long after, he re-emerged, a half eaten deer carcass hanging from his bloodied maw. His ears were lain flat down against his head as he tossed it to the ground, in a sign of content and protectiveness over his food. He dropped to his belly and began to gnaw on it's ripped open torso loudly. Knowing the noises would soon annoy someone.

 

[Midnight]

Besides the other knights, the vampire and the elf walked a taller man, Valen was an impressive sight in the daytime, and here where the power of the wind was at it's greatest he was in top shape.

The male walked alongside his comrades at a brisk pace. Physically he felt fine, but his emotions were still biting on him, seeing his comrades, the people he had grown to love hurt was something that hurt him even worse, the smooth shaft of his spear felt cold and his armor felt awfully heavy even though he was wearing less of it than he normally did. Valen moved silently and swiftly, the edges of his cloak brushing the grass, hiding the light armor that covered his torso. Valen's eyes were downcast, lost in thought as he continued, his allies occasionally

The Elves here called him the Windwalker, it was their name for the Wind Paladin, a man who easily wiped out groups of enemies using his ornate spear or the slim curved blade he carried upon his person at all times. Valen looked up, the other knights were with him, the elf looking as irritated as ever and in the lead, and behind her followed Z, bouncing along in his usual bubbly carefree mood, even though the loss they had just gone through was great. Valen admired Z's control, the surprise of their ally turning against them and stabbing the queen was great, for Valen almost too much to bare. Valen had been quiet since the incident, the betrayal, and the subsequent failure to protect the queen, a woman he cherished more than any other was great, weighing heavily on his heart, a deeper wound than the traitor had inflicted on him. For the longest of time since the loss of their kingdom, Valen was unable to speak, the smiles he once found so easy to produce failing to appear, his walk slowed, as if he was carrying a great weight on his shoulders.

Valen's head turned to the female as she muttered something under her breath. Valen didn't quite need to hear the full thing to understand what she meant, she was commenting on their youngest Comrade's level of energy, which was somewhat unnatural. Valen sighed loudly, speaking, mostly to himself, but loud enough for the others to hear him.

"We all have different ways of expressing our grief, I am glad his does not affect his morale, if he has hope, he might as well have hope for all of us." The male's voice, normally cool and calm, even sweet, the phrase was harsher, a little biting. Valen, quite possibly had been hit the hardest by the queen's sudden demise, like the other knights they were closer than any knight and monarch should be, but he was her champion, the one designated to protect her, to defend her from one who would do her harm as her shield, and her lance, and he was powerless to protect her. The day after was the first time Valen had truly wept for someone, a man was expected to be strong, but Valen couldn't control his emotions that night, all of them going haywire on him, he had avoided the others, unable to allow himself to let them see him wracked with tears. Since then Valen became unnaturally determined, they had a mission to do, and Valen could not allow himself to fail in it, first he would gather the shards with his allies, they they would destroy the king and restore peace, Valen could not fail in this mission, even if success costs him his life.

Valen continued on his path, following the elf shortly, his eyes watching her, focusing on her back. Valen was focused on moving, thinking of each step, using those thoughts to distract him from the emotions that battled in his mind and in his heart, and to get away from the dull throb that was ever present in his chest, the pain had lessoned since the last time, but it was still there, it was distracting, though
Valen didn't mind the distraction, one kind of pain took another pain.

Valen was glad that they were here, a place he could relate to at least. Valen deliberately ignored the vampire, though his comments at the time while inappropriate could break up the silence. "We should hurry at least, I have no doubt our foes themselves are moving as I speak.

 

[Raiden]

Xion just glanced over at Volwrath and shrugged a bit as he returned to slicing apart the ox and setting steaks of it to roast over the fire; taking a moment to wipe a bit of blood from his lip. "Actually I already ate, those humans were rather stringy and tough so I decided to take a few of their livestock. When I left I had three." He smirked, rubbing it in the knight's face that he knew that the man viewed him as gluttonous and he didn't give a shit. Even in the human form he still had to eat enough to maintain his real form which often seemedl ike a lot but some humans and two oxen were a light snack for a dragon his size. While he really couldn't stand the irritating traitor, he didn't really think the other two were that bad; they kept to themselves and didn't try really get on his nerves. The dark elf was intriguing, acid-tongued and clever; he knew that she was probably the most skilled out of the whole group at assassination style tactics, the werewolf was the bestial "tank" of the group and could be counted on to get the job done: usually not without some collateral damage though. "For your information dumbass, I'm preserving some of this for later on you never know when it might be a good idea to have a bit of meat on hand. At the very least we can feed the wolf to keep him from mauling too many people." he pointed out in a dry sort of humor.

"And he's right you know. Any smart woman isn't going to bed with a traitor, particularly not one of her skill." Xion agreed fully with the wolf, just to tweak the knight about his inept advance. Once he was done carving up the ox, he backed of, shifted forms, ate the rest of it then shifted back and settled down. He slipped off into his own little world for a few moments, the fire shining in his red eyes as he walked through the fabric of time/space in his mind's eye. Back to the one time when he was actually happy in his life, he'd been content for centuries but to be actually happy was rare. "Lyra.. Corona...." He muttered a bit and produced a couple small handmade dolls resembling the two little girls, complete with wings and tails. They were both approaching their teens by now and he hadn't seen them since this whole thing started thanks to that little elven slut that was with the other party. It may seem odd to the others that he'd carry such piddily things with him but they held more value to him than his entire mountain of gold and platinum coins he had stored in a private vault under a mountain with no visible entrance because they made these for him when the were 5 because he was gone so much.

 

[iKitten]

Hearing the others speak about his attitude as if he wasnâ??t there made Brand raise an eyebrow. He was a bit confused as to why they were so concerned about why he was smiling. Of course they were in hard times, of course they had lost the Queen. Everyone found her lost hard, and while everyone thought that it was the hardest to lose her for themselves, he was sure that was, in a way, true. She had been a figurehead for different things in everyoneâ??s lives. For Lynnira, somewhat of a mother, for Valen, a companion and overall, the Queen that carried light within herself.

The blonde male had to wonder what the woman had been for himself. Her death had sent him into the corner of the palace, wrecking tears and thunder that shook the foundations for a good while, before he was forced to leave the area, or be caught by the King of Darkness. She wasnâ??t his mother, as he had known his own and loved her, nor was she someone he loved romantically. But she was a well companion that he had learned to care for, and as a knight, it was a said duty to be her protector.

Well, I canâ??t change that nowâ?¦ he firmly told himself, steadying his mind for what his goals were. Things were not finished, and while he hated the darkness so much, he knew that letting that hate would only turn him towards darkness. The lightning wielder was determined to bring justice, and he would do so with a smile on his face, and thunder in his fist. In fact, he would be happy to send some thunder right down the Vampireâ??s legs and give him some energy, as that guy was seriously lagging. He had to wonder how old Everan truly was, as the Vampire looked young.

â??Thatâ??s silly~ We all should have hope, for Kali wouldnâ??t have wanted us to grieve before we have saved the world.â? he reminded Valen, smiling gently at their leader. He had paused to wait for the elder knight to catch up, before walking along side the other male. The other blonde had become very reclusive, which was worrying. Darkness had taken over the land, the Eclipse had shadowed the spirits of manyâ?¦ but what worried Brand the most, was the lost of the pillarsâ?? hopes. Of all the Knightsâ?? hopes.

 

[Midnight]

As the travelers talked and gathered their meals they would likely notice a strange and sudden quiet in the air. Nearly twenty feet from the location that they stopped, a small green flame flickered to life, hovering about a foot from the ground, flickering and glowing in the present darkness and the low light of the moon. The flame rested for a moment, then grew quite suddenly, growing in size and shape until a pillar of green flames stood from the ground, it would only be another moment before a dark figure began to appear from the flames, separating them as they flowed around it, a robed form, emerging from the fire.

As the robed figure stepped from the flames, they diminished, The Warlock had arrived through his chosen method of transportation, his transportation spell. The Warlock stepped away from the charred ground that had marked his entry, stepping towards the followers of the king just out of their line of sight, though he had made his method of entry obvious to the ones more stealthily inclined on purpose, in case they thought he was an enemy and attacked him.

The Warlock was dressed in flowing robes, ragged and seemingly tattered wrapped around his form in a nearly provocative, but strangely intimidating fashion, he gave his all to appear as a warlock of great power, throwing all subtlety away in this form, here, in this clothing, this presence, he was Malak, the Warlock. After watching them for a little while he decided to make his presence truly known, though some of them may have noticed him lingering around by then, though the wolf was already eating as he stepped into the camp.

"Good Evening Gentlemen... Madam... Please excuse my sudden, and unexplained entrance"

Malak smirked under his hood, his lips and chin one of the only thing clearly visible from the outside. Malak decided he would be best off introducing himself "I am Lord Malak, I am here to join you, on the King's orders..." Malak had introduced himself as himself on purpose, he did not have anything to hide from these people, people he could likely count on as allies at some time.

The warlock grinned from under his hood, looking over each one of them as he came into the area where they all stood. Malak grinned from inside his hood, looking from under the brim at the four, the Drow, the Knight, the Wolf, and the Dragon, taking in their features and projecting his prediction of their personalities and abilities, taking in their stances, and gauging them, learning all he could learn from sight in that first moment. The Warlock's eyes could be seen from under the hood for a moment, faintly glowing viridian crystals hidden in the darkness of his hood. Malak's smile turned to a smirk, two elves, and two beasts, grace mixed with bestial nature, upon viewing the area previously he had noticed several things, namely how they interacted with each other, how they hunted their respective prey, how they insulted each other,, and how they drooled over the Drow... it brought a merry little grin to his lips, such a shame they were on his side.

Malak smiled, facing the people that he had been oh so politely ordered to travel with for the time being, his hands hanging nearly limply at his sides, the sleeves covering the digits, concealed inside the tattered robe. The male gestured, his gaze focusing on the Knight and the Drow, "Though one or two of you may already know who I am... The King knows there is a chance that you... we might run into Elvin mystics, so he sent me to aid you" Lord Malak, the King's court Magician did have a reputation amongst the King's troops, a master of magic with a bloodthirsty nature and a strangely whimsical personality, though the rest was shrouded in mystery. Malak sauntered into the makeshift camp "It took me a little while to find you all, save for some negligent use of powers..." the Warlock rolled his eyes a little, directing his attention to the fallen knight. "When you are prepared we can move on, now that we are acquainted."

Malak paused, waiting for the rest of the group to make their comments on the newcomer, whether it was relief, apathy, or irritation. Malak smirked as he waited, he didn't of course expect to be welcomed with open arms, though appreciation for having a magic expert arrive in case they ran into one of the Elfland's famous barriers. Malak's eyes scanned over each of the people, before finally resting on the Knight.

"So.. general, what is your current plan to obtain the shard? I do so look forward to the slaughter we will be engaging in"

 

[DudeGuy]

• • Gandrian was a tease, as usual, coming right up to the point of doing something before turning away. He hadn't quite been able to take her breath away, but he had been able to make her heart rate spike. They were soon, however, joined by Xion, Gerrit, and Malak, all of whom had something to say about what they saw before them. Xion and Gerrit were both quick to hurl insults at the traitorous night, their own suspicions and dislikes more than apparent in the way that they spoke to him and looked at him. Xion seemed to have his own interest in her, but Gerrit? Gerrit didn't really seem to like anyone nor anything. That was all find though, she wasn't particularly fond of him herself. Then there was the court mage, Malak. He was a man of many mysterious, shrouded in darkness and relishing in it's glory not unlike the others here. He was suave, smooth, and above all, interesting.
    
    With a sigh, Nekar caught her dagger and rose to her feet. What started off as a small, intimate meeting had turned into a rather annoying gathering of all of the heads of the Army of Darkness, minus, of course, their king. Needless to say, she was uncomfortable with them all being here, knowing how all of their personalities would clash with each other's, but she couldn't just leave without saying anything. That would be most rude. "Now now, I'm sure that Lord Volwrath is just as capable in the bedroom as he is out in the field. I don't believe I need either of you making assumptions as to what or who I would do," she started, "such matters aren't important though. What is important is claiming this shard. Lord Volwrath, Lord Malak, I'll leave these matters in your capable hands."
    
    Nekar knelt down and bowed slightly, to everyone, then jumped up into the tree above and seemingly disappeared. Above, they would hear not even the slightest rustling of the leaves of the trees save for that which was caused by the wind. Where was she right now? A great distance away from the group. The only people who would be able to find her with ease would be Gerrit, because of his sense of smell, and perhaps Malak, able to zero in on her magical power. It didn't matter to her if they knew she were there or not, what mattered was that she could not see them and they could not see her. That was all that she needed to be satisfied right now. If she really wanted to, she would be able to cover up her presence completely, and hide without anyone knowing where she was.
    
    Being here in the land of the High Elves was something that most of her kind would have loved. Causing chaos, confusion, destruction, pointless slaughter of those who were favored by the Gods to bask within the light while they were punished to creep about within the darkness. Keeping herself under control was taking all of her might. There were villages all throughout the province that she could have raided on her own, lives she could have put out like the fires of a candle. But such was not yet the will of her King, so she contained herself. When that day did come, she would relish in all of the blood that would be let and enjoy taking the lives of these privileged, unworthy beings.[/list:u][/list:u]

 

[iKitten]

For a brief moment, for a very brief momentâ?¦Gandrian contemplated on how bad it would be if he moved to behead one of the companions. Of course, a sting to his right ear was a good reminder that even treacherous thoughts were not permitted from the King. The earring worked its magic and like training a pet, stung him slightly for such thoughts. His right eye narrowed, but before he was able to speak, a flaming blaze of green appeared just a few feet away from them, and formed to be Malakâ?¦ the other companion. The other male was someone he always seemed to forget for some reason, but it wasnâ??t as if he wasnâ??t important. Rather, the silver-blue had a selective memory and sometimes, he chose to zone out people that wasnâ??t exactly comforting to the thoughtâ??but going by that logic, he wondered why he even remembered all of the others.

Giving up and just tearing off a limb to place over the fire, he just ignored everyone for the time being. Whatever the warlock was speaking about was kept into account, but didnâ??t seem to deteriorate him from working on his meal. The pup had been bitching about something, and he wondered if it was important, but if he didnâ??t fully pay attention, the perhaps he might not have needed the information. It was the same with the Dragon, but then he heard something about â??someone of her skillâ??, and it made him mentally chuckle.

Someone of her skill was something he didnâ??t care for much, and while he played with her, he didnâ??t think either of them was even interested in one another. Just bantering that was returned from her doing similar things; perhaps to by time of the boring moments between assassination. A woman of skillâ?¦a woman of true skillâ?¦ he had known a few in his lifetime. While he no longer contacted them, unless the very few for the deaths he had dealt them, he knew that there were, or there had been woman that he saw of â??skillâ??. Whether or not Nekar was one of them mattered not in her ability to assassinate, as he already knew she had to have been skillful in that area to have become the Colonel.

He didnâ??t speak for awhile, just waiting for the meat to cook, before hearing the question of his currant plan, followed by Nekar speaking up. Gazing up at her for a moment from his crouched position, he watched her go and as she jumped into the trees above, he tilted his head and got a glimpse between her legs from below. Acting like he hadnâ??t just peeked at her private bits though, he turned his head back to face Malak and shrugged. â??Whatever this tells me, I suppose.â? he motioned with a gloved finger at the earring that appeared to be melded to his right ear. It was another way of saying that he didnâ??t care to share his plans with anyone. â??Now, if this little meeting is adjourned, perhaps my lords and ladies could depart such as the Colonel has? Or is there something more that we all must merrily join hands for?â? the General asked â??politelyâ??, placing his hand on the ground to feel for where water was through the waves of any close by river. A bath was definitely needed, as he had blood dripping down his back still.

 

[Raiden]

Xion for the moment wasn't interested in what was going on, he was too busy doing what he'd been doing. Getting the ox meat preserved to serve up later as something to snack on or the like; afterall it would seem like they were going to be going at this for a while if they were coming into the realms of the damnable elves. "It would seem a good idea to get moving. I'd agree with that." he said and continued waht he was doing for a bit and soon finished, putting it all away and stood up. "First of all, we kind of need to figure out just which way this bloody shard is." Xion pointed out as he stretched his somewhat cramped left shoulder out. He didn't react openly to Malak's arrival and just perked a brow but said nothing.

"I don't like floundering around without a sense of direction." he muttered and waited for them to get up and decide which way they more than likely had to go, but he was about to follow Nekar's lead and head toward the elven settlements to cause a little pandemonium himself. Maybe if he could set a few of their precious villages aflame it'd mean less interference later on. But right now it was important to find out just where precisely they had to head. "Well if you've been getting instructions through that little earring of yours Gandrian..." He said , tailing the traitor for a little bit. "Did the king mention any specific direction we need to head to find that first one I kinda wasn't there for the briefing. He only called me in after you left." he pointed out with a sigh.

"These trees such such a pain to navigation though. Mind if I burn the lot of them down?" Xion smirked some with a very sinister appearance to it like he relished the thought of causing others harm and pain, specially elves. He bore a deep hatred of them afterall, all except one and he didn't know where the hell that woman was, but he wagered Antioch, that stupid mystical elf knew.

It'll be so much fun torturing her for the information. But perhaps it would've been better to just get up and fly above the trees to see if I can see the destination from the air. Gandrian seems to have the navigational skills and sense of direction to that of a common garden rock. Until I can find an opportunity to fling him off a cliff though, I'll just have to listen to the idiot. Xion though as he waited for the response from their so-called "leader".

And what was up with that warlock. I can practically smell the magical energy he's carrying around. Almost like he's trying to contain some kind of massive explosion behind that calm demeanor of his. He might actually prove to be useful to these endeavors though, I'll have to keep an eye on that one; he's the only one here that might actually rival me in magic.

 

[Nymphetamine]

The group felt awkward and strained, to Lynnira. Her eyes gazed over each figure in her sight. For her own amusement and maybe to add life to the depressed party, Lynnira decided it was time for a little spark of energy. As her slow walk changed to a brisk walk she snatched a leaf from one of the over-hanging orange trees. While twirling it in her long spider-like fingers she stood to the other side of the youngest knight, whom stood beside Valen. As the stem of the leaf rolled between her fingers, she glewed her eyes to it, her legs just moving automatically, no thought involved.

With her cloak whisking behind her legs, tickling at her ankles, she imagined fire. The tips of her fingers turned into the white hot coals of her imagination, that twirling stem squealing as the heat touched it. The heat -- without burning the little green leaf-- moved through the veins as Lynnira told it to do. And out of no where the very tip burst into a blue-white flame. Though the leaf was not dying. Even as it was being scorched by the red-head whom held it. She watched it burn, her eyes looking down to the youngest Knight and offering him a smile.

Bringing the flame covered leaf to her lips, Lynnira blew on it. The fire that had slowly encased it over those long moments then moved to the air, like a bubble of fire. Swirling inside itself, red, orange, yellow, to the blue-white core. The young woman reached out and popped the bubble of fire before herself. Sparks of light glittered like tiny stars fell around to the ground, where they extinguished themselves. A soft sigh left her.

That tiny bubble had been her anger, her feelings of betrayal and hate. At least, the immediate ones.

"Hope is still inside of us, little one," Lynnira spoke, softly. Though the statement had no been directed to her. "Death of a loved one is just.. difficult to cope with. Time will burn the wound shut. Only way to speed this up, is to get our revenge. To destroy the physical being that destroyed the symbol of peace for many.. and to lift this darkness. Yes?" A shrug left the woman, as a small devil-ish smile touched her pink lips, "Personally.. I just want to squish him like the bug he is.. to be vague."

The 'he' she spoke of was quite obvious. And by the malicious look she had had on her face.. she was being quite vague.

 

[DudeGuy]

• • Hearing the conversation that the Knights were having in the background actually made Arioch feel a little bad. Upon first meeting them all, the High Elf had gone off on them. After branding them all cowards, she cursed their names and cast upon them each ill wishes. She, like most of her people, had lost faith in the knights after they all seemingly disappeared that fateful night the Queen of Light was taken from this world. The King of Darkness was free to bestow upon the world his own twisted fantasies, and he warped the very nature of the planet itself so that his legion of darkness could creep out and cover everything. The High Elves were a people who basked in light, and in a way, depended upon it's radiance for a number of reasons. That was a loss that was hard for herself and her people to deal with, partially because the darkness was starting to make it difficult for them to communicate with the planet.
    
    However, the loss of the Queen of Light was a greater blow. Not just to the Elves, not just to the people of the world, but to the Knights that were closest to her. To them, she seemed to be so much more than just a mere Queen. What exactly she was to them there was no way of Arioch of knowing, but she knew that the loss was something that effected them all in more deep and profound ways than she could know. Each seemed to be handling the loss differently - Valen seemed to be taking things the hardest of them all, noticeably down and seemingly depressed; Lynnira seemed to be more angry than anything, more focused on striking down the traitor than mourning at this point; Z seemed to be the one handling things the best, as he seemed to be nothing more than smiles and a sickening optimism since the moment she first laid eyes on him.
    
    Though they proved to be annoying, the knights were now her companions. She would have to learn how to get along with them and trust them at the very least. Such things were going to take time though, and they had only just met one another recently. As things stood now, she didn't trust any of these people, and would have rather left her back to a rabbit than them. There was a good chance things would remain that way until they proved themselves to be worthy of her trust otherwise. Valen had been right about one thing - if Z was going to be so optimistic he could be that way for all of them since it was clear that none of the others were. Well. . .it was hard to get a read on Everan as the man had been doing nothing but complaining about being in the sunlight all this time.
    
    They were now losing light though, and every footstep they took brought them closer and closer to the their destination. At the rate they were now moving, they would be there soon enough. Unless there were some reason that they needed to be moving any faster than they already were moving, she didn't see any point in rushing anymore than they already were. The town would be there in the next five minutes just as it would in the next twenty or thirty minutes. Unless some unforeseen catastrophe befell the town before they got there. "It's not much further now, we shall be there soon," Arioch said, more to Valen than anyone else.[/list:u][/list:u]

 

[Midnight]

"No, I believe that will be all, if you run into magic users feel free to call me... the Elves are not to be underestimated." Malak smirked, his gentle voice belying a bit of irritation "Now if you will excuse me gentlemen, I have a slaughter to attend to, I will leave you to your meals" Malak gestured to the numerous carcasses that the individuals had gathered over such a short time, the Warlock himself preferred food of a lighter texture, and he would be quite full soon. Malak turned on his heel, facing the direction where the remnants of the light felt the strongest and began in that direction, his dark robes sweeping over the grass as he walked away. "Burning down the forest would not be a good idea, besides, wouldn't you much rather rip apart those you find with your claws, hm? So much more fun." Mallak turned, walking away from the fields and into the deep, vast forest, moving towards that little glimmer of light. The assassin was likely nearby, unless she had some other motive for coming and then departing from the group. In such a magical place, Malak's senses were dimmed, magic was everywhere, it was difficult to tell what was where, almost difficult to concentrate, as if a veil was over the forest. Malak moved with grace, though his form teemed with excitement, a slight drop in his polite facade as he walked, his pace growing more brisk though always staying around a quick walk. Malak slowed slightly as he distanced himself from his companions.

The forest was quiet, untouched even in the darkness, as Malak drew further in Malak had an issue with feeling the direction of the pulsing light that lie deep within elvish lands, it was coming from somewhere in front of him, but that was all he could feel.

"Ugh... so pure" The Warlock groaned as he walked, his steps seeming to burn into the fresh grass that lay tall at his feet. The purity of the land disgusted him, being a being of corruption he could barely stand being in the forest, surrounded by such an untouched ecosystem... Malak allowed a small smile to slip onto his features, perhaps a little corruption was in order?

Of course this gave Malak some wonderful ideas, here he was, entering a forest full of nubile young high elves, their elven blood running untouched through their veins, their souls untainted and mouthwatering... The warlock stopped for a moment, his expressions changing rapidly in an almost humorous manor for any nearby, from a small smile, to a smirk, then to an evil toothy grin as the thoughts dawned on him that indeed there was fresh nubile elves in the forest. Malak continued, that evil grin fresh on his lips as he went on, basking in the darkness that the king had been so kind as to bring forth.

Malak took a couple of steps forward from where he was standing and lifted his hands , meeting them away from his body and chanting a couple of words

The flames grew and took form, almost exactly in a similar manner as he had appeared, two smaller forms and a large one, taking the shapes of monstrous creatures, their forms hulking and large. Two canine creatures, their bodies looking similar to wolves, though seemingly half decayed, glistening bones showing from under the dark fur along their backs, their ribs showing through their bodies, and flames ushering from their maws. Hellhounds, Malak's favorite minions, the other was a tall humanoid, encased in black armor that resembled the fetishists of the south, the only part of it's body showing through it's wrapings and bindings a maw of sharp teeth, a hulking figure bound in black armor, it's shape not quite human, another of Malak's demon servants, on it's back was a huge metal basket, hinting the insidious purpose Malak had summoned them for.

Malak smiled as his minions appeared when called, his smile turning softer upon the sight of his precious creations "Hello my beauties" The Warlock's voice was almost a purr, silently bending over to place a hand on one of the flaming hound's bare skull, running his gloved hand down it's bare vertebrae in an almost loving fashion. "Listen to to me my dear pets, In this forest lies a village of elves, and the object we are looking for, when my... companions cause their ruckus looking for this object, I want you to grab as many elves as you can, maidens and youths especially, and take them to the lab" Malak relayed the orders to his minions, and as soon as he did they vanished, separating, the hounds vanishing into the trees, unleashing a hair-raising howl as they went, the huge armored beast itself bounding off into the woods and vanishing into shadows only moments later. "Be quick in your gathering, I will view the specimens later for approval." The words left Malak's lips in a mumble

" mmh " The warlock smiled briefly to himself and continued on his way, fairly aware that he was being watched. He didn't quite know what or who was watching him, but he could feel eyes on his form. Malak straightened from his kneeling state slowly, arching his back and stretching his arms out, hands showing themselves from under the robe and out of the elongated tattered sleeves for a moment before disappearing again inside, his left clad in a simple black glove, his right in a much more exotic looking gauntlet.

Malak adjusted his hood, looking off in the direction that his minions had taken off in and began walking again, He could stave off boredom unless someone joined him, preferably one of the elves that made his company, or until he was able to use his magic to destroy or kill something.

 

[iKitten]

With his fingers still rubbing against the soil below him, Gandrian half paid attention to those leaving and those who werenâ??t, before realizing that not everyone was going and he was still left with one. It appeared like Xion was definitely going to stay, which was irritating, but he supposed that the Dragon had nothing else to do but to stalk him. Raising his head, he tilted it to the left and gazed over towards Malak, whom spoke about clawing someone, before leaving. The residue that the Warlock left made him blink, as the magic he could feel off of it was resoundingly painful. Elves were sensitive to changes in the atmosphere, and with the amount of disturbance a dark force was, it was traceable.

Almost as if it took him time to respond, the knight slowly turned to face his gaze towards Xion and raised an eyebrow. â??He doesnâ??t tell me where it is, he just randomly talks to me. This isnâ??t a two way conversation.â? he informed, gloved fingers tugging on the earring a few times. It proved to not come loose, and there didnâ??t appear to be any holes or breaks in the earring, nor was there a hole in the ear. The earring appeared to be melded to the flesh, making it hard to take it off or get rid of it without taking a good chunk of his ear with it.

Standing up, he poked at the limb that was cooking over the fire with his toe, before turning around and moving towards a random direction. A river was nearby, and he desired to wash himself before dinnerâ??it was necessary and hygienic, after all. â??And it would do well for you not to torch all of the trees. If you destroy them, then whoâ??s going to lead me to the shard?â? the silver-blue gazed back once, before leaving the camp site. Water trickled from rocks to rocks, soothing any wanderer around the area, luring them to take a nice dip to relax and cleanse.

~ â??You know, Annieâ?¦ the water is your territory. You donâ??t have to be shy in it. Come, take off your clothes! Let me help you!â? a soft laughter, coupled with prying fingers ~

He slowly blinked once, as he shed the gloves and threw them against a rock that was half submerged in the water. Next came his pants, as soft fingers that should have been calloused from sword usage, pealed off the ties, before kicking them off onto the same rock. Water gently swayed against the clothes, washing away the blood that stained them. His shoes were toed off, before he dipped into the water and felt the cooling sensation take over his flesh.

~ â??Are you all words and no actionsâ?¦Lord Volwrath?â? icy fingers that rubbed against his chest and sides, sliding like the trickle of water freezing fast than it could melt ~

Gandrian blinked again, this time, with his entire body submerged in the water. Sometimes, he found himself receiving visions, and often times, he finds that he canâ??t differentiate if they were from the past or if they were possible futures. But some of them were situated so that it could have only been the past, despite his failing memory. Closing his eyes again, he listened hard to the flowing water, amplified by the pressure that soaked against his ears. The trees were talking, some complaining, some pleading. He zoned those out until the informational ones were heard.

The Elderâ??s Crystalâ?¦ deep in the Orange Fields, at the heart of Cam, there was another maze. In which, a vague description of a castle laid.

The Elderâ??s Crystal was not an object.

Suddenly, a ripple disturbed his vision, and the trees were distracted from their aid. Sea-green eyes snapped open, flashing a glow of Elvin magic, before he emerged from the water with a sigh. â??Shitâ?¦he better not have burned any treesâ?¦â? the knight growled, thinking that perhaps the disturbance might have came from Xion disobeying his orders of not touching the trees around them. While Gandrian had killed a few, disturbing them while he was trying to soak information easily led them to a dead end as he was at now. Instead of bothering though, he decided to just leave Xion dwelling back at the camp and rested against a rock in the river. Sitting there nude, he just allowed the water to wash over him, as if waiting for something. Perhaps later, he wouldnâ??t return to the camp and just leave without the Dragon.

 

[Raiden]

" ' Lead me to the shard' my ass..." Xion muttered, hearing the tail end of waht Gandrian was saying about him burning the forest down as he took to the wing again and soared up high enough not to be spotted from the trees or the ground and began to make loftily, lazy circles around the forest peering down to see where things were. He didn't see much though with the trees all in the damn way, Xion could make out pathways and various tangles of plants that seemed to be blocking the convenient way to the center of the so-called "maze" But he couldn't see into it even with his superior vision like there was some kind of magical field over the entire place that partially blocked out sensing anything on the ground from overhead. That must really piss off the eagles and other raptors... "Dammit, I can't find any clue of where to go other than to continue along straight ahead and follow the winding pathways." He said irritably and continued orbiting the forest they were getting into, growing increasingly more frustrated and annoyed with the area's ability to fool his eyes and magical senses. He culd feel the pulsations of the magic under him but couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from, just an irritating buzz of energy. It was like having someone ringing a gong in your ears every 5 minutes or so, you couldn't hear anything else for a while other than that blasted "ringing" sound.

"Damn this all to hell I'm going to burn down a good clearing in this forest just because it's annoying me now." He growled and took a sharp inhalation and found a ripe place full of saplings and young trees and circled down and prepared to 'bring the rain' in the form of a torrent of metal melting fire. With that, a square mile of forest would ignite in boulder-meltingly hot fire coming from the sky as Xion had his fun. Maybe he could get lucky and 'accidentally' catch that damn Gandrian in it 'unknowingly'. Yeah that'd be a hoot and it'd get him some peace and less irritation for a while at least. But it wasn't really that likely to happen, the dragon had marked where the human was and was avoiding torching that area to avoid pissing off their mutual contractor. But maybe he'd roast a good community of elves along the way? That would be helpful in the end: no bloody arrows pecking down at you from the trees whenever you stopped to take a piss.

Once he was done with his fun, he'd blur backto a human form and slip down through the trees to find Gandrian as the Dark King had told him to stay with the annoying moron. "You know, nobody wants to see that." he said , alighting and sitting on the branch above the knight's head. "And yes I did burn a square mile of trees, I think I even got a few elves in it." He chuckled, sensing Gandrian's irritation. Why shouldn't he irritate him? Gandrian was just as much of a pain in the ass as Xion was half the time so fair's fair in the end. But It also meant that they probably wouldn't get along when a situation required it with the dragon's impulsive nature of destruction conflicting with the elf's nature of "taking it carefully".

 

[Midnight]

Valen moved silently alongside his comrades, not speaking much save for his expression earlier. The male walked straight, though his eyes were cast at the ground, his memory replaying the events in his head, the Queen's death, the king's victory, he wished, truly wished that he had been expecting Gandrian to turn on them, but instead he allowed the traitor to stab him in the back and then kill the queen. What he wished more was that Gandrian would have killed him instead of the queen, he would have been promptly defeated and the queen would have survived. Valen cought up with Brand as he stopped to wait for him, and patted the male on the head "Yes, we will Avenge the queen and return peace to our lands once again, I have no doubt about this, we will be victorious. " Valen allowed his hand to rest on the youngest's head for a moment, a brotherly glint in his eyes as he smiled, the first since the queen had died, nodding in reply to the Elf's statement "Yes it is... Thank you for your kindness, you have my gratitude for accompanying us. " Valen had protected the elven people for some time, holding the northwest as his territory.

Valen took a couple steps away before a violent feeling in his chest caught his attention. Valen paused, covering his mouth as a small fit overtook him, starting with a simple ragged cough that grew worse over the couple seconds it lasted. Valen quickly turned around, turning away from his fellows. The coughing fit only lasted for a couple violent ones, and as Valen took his hand from his lips he noticed specks of blood on his hands, it was black. "I am Fine" Valen spoke before anybody could ask, speaking to nobody in particular and wiping his hand covertly on his red scarf.

The pain that had been growing in Valen's chest since the disaster worried him, he could feel something gnawing away at his soul. Valen subconsciously took a hand from his spear, feeling the throb from under his ribs right next to his heart, which beat a tad faster. The male swallowed loudly, looking down and taking his hand from his chest, rummaging through the sack he had on his shoulder and drawing out his pipe and a flint. Valen coughed once before bringing the pipe to his lips and inhaling the smoke from the smoldering tobacco, letting the smoke fill his lungs, easing that burning pain as he walked, the rush of sensation adding some lightness to his step as he closed his eyes. Valen exhaled the smoke forming a stream of dark smoke from his lips.