A Girl Of Two Realms (Vergil1989 and NightRose)

Rose gave a small nod as she understood. "I just know what jason was told and in truth I know that Jason was never told the truth of the world. Not even the facts of how his father was put in power in the first place." she said to Giselle though as they started to walk again she wondered how it would feel to be back in her own kingdom. "Well a few times when I was in trouble and blacked out I always thought it strange when I woke up to find it all gone and finished with" she said with a laugh. Only trying to keep her mood light as they moved through the forest was one thing but truly it was strange to her as they kept moving. "So you were really just watching over me for nine years?" she asked her. "I mean that must have been lonely" she said to her as she wanted to understand Giselle a little more than she did at the moment.

Giselle's cheeks seemed to darken a little as she blushed, and laughed a little embarrassed. She didn't stop moving through the forest, each step graceful and perfectly put down to maximize her balance should she need to take off at a run at a moment's notice. "Aye, that was probably me. I stuck by your side for nine years, but it wasn't all that bad. For a human ruled world, I was usually unnoticed even when I did things that would have drawn a lot of attention. That world was a good choice to send you to because no one would ever look there, but they are a far more violent lot than anything I've ever seen before, and I've seen much in my three hundred years of life." When the comment about it being lonely came up, Giselle turned her head and looked at Rose, nodding solemnly again as a stray breeze made her hair fly out to the right. "It was....and some days I wondered if it was worth it, but all I had to do was look at you and I'd be able to carry on."

Never losing step as she turned to the road they were creating essentially, Giselle held up her hand, silently ordering Rose to stop. The usual noises a forest like this had suddenly stopped. "Hide." Was all she would say on the matter as she slipped away, becoming a shadow among the shadows. If Rose didn't immediately drop into a bush or some other hiding place, whatever was out there would surely find her before Giselle got an angle on it. Depending on what it was and how many there were would determine how she'd handle it.

As Rose heard that from her she was a little shocked. "Your really amazing from what I'm hearing" she said to her with a soft smile only as she heard how old the woman before her was she was sure that she would treasure what she knew of the world and her kingdom. Just as she was to ask another question when Giselle's hand went up. She stilled right away only when she heard the order to hide she moved quickly to a tree it was low as she jumped up into the tree branches climbing a little ways as she knew that being high up would keep her safe though the dress made it hard to keep her balance she stayed still as she had moved just as quickly as Giselle had. One good thing about growing up on Earth was you learned to move quicker there than most knew how to in this world. She kept her body close tot he tree trunk itself as she was a good few feet off the ground yet not high enough that she would break something should she fall.

Giselle heard the shuffling of many feet as she had climbed a tree as well, preferring the high ground than anything else. It gave many tactical advantage as she drew her bow from her back, an enchanted arrow appearing out of thin air as she pulled the string taut, waiting for whatever was coming. It was at least an even dozen, but a dozen of what didn't become apparent until the beasts came into sight. Orcs, green skinned brutes, a little less intelligent than your average tax collector, as the joke went, but in reality they were just as intelligent as humans, and while their natures prevented them from uniting as a cohesive whole that could potentially wipe out anything in their path since they were mostly scavengers and raiders, they stuck to small tribes, always fighting for food and space. These orcs were a sight bigger than the average brutes, but their size didn't matter to Giselle as she took aim and let fly her first arrow, managing to punch a hole through the thing's neck that nearly took it's head clean off as it wandered by her hiding spot. The other eleven hadn't even heard the zip of the arrow, or their companion's grunt of pain, too involved on the road ahead of them.

The half Drow took advantage of this fact and fired off two more shots, burning holes the size of her fist in each of them before the rest finally caught on that they were being picked off by an unseen assailant. The rest of the group of orcs turned about frantically, and lost two more before they finally spotted Giselle right before she slipped from the tree, putting her longbow away on her way down, landing on the ground in a roll backward before, pulling her twin blades free. Wielding clumsy and poorly made weapons, the orcs used them just as effectively, meaning despite their strength they didn't have much battle experience and so their attacks were too wide and their swings too slow. Easily getting around their clumsy attacks, Giselle countered them, ending their lives about as fast as they approached her sword arms, dancing about the brutes as if they were in slow motion, and to Giselle's fighting prowess, they might as well have been as they fell with deep, single gashes burned into their flesh that bled profusely, their lives ended long before they hit the ground. "It's safe to come down Rose." Giselle said, cleaning her swords on the grass as she calmly moved on, although she had a funny feeling that she wouldn't be ready after witnessing so many deaths firsthand.

Rose was first caught off when she saw what was coming their way only it was strange the moment she saw the arrow let loose her eyes went wide as she saw the damage hit right on. Turning her head quickly as she tried to ignore the rest of the sounds as each one was killed in a way she wished she hadn't seen. Only to jump when she heard Giselle call out to her. She was lucky that she was still holding onto the trunk of the tree as she almost fell out, though her footing did go she was still holding on. "Alright" she said as she tried her best to get down without falling. Only as she got down she had to look away. "Can we please leave . . . like now?" she asked her face sheet white as she moved towards Giselle truly killing wasn't something rose handled very well and already so many had died she just didn't like the way it was working for them to get back.

Giselle nodded, helping Rose along as far away from the battlefield as she could before slowing down again to a more easy pace. It had been a while since she had taken on true enemies of this realm, and orcs were no friends to anyone save their own race, and even then it was touchy at best since their tempers were not the greatest even at the best of times. Hostile by nature, orcs were also able to breed like rats, or so the saying went. Giselle explained all this to Rose as they walked. "They don't take prisoners often, and when they do it's to serve as slaves more often than not, having no brain capacity for more than that usually or so many would have you believe. In reality, it's their tempers that make them weak and easy to manage since they raid and slay each other, because if they ever unified, we'd all be in trouble due to their great numbers."

Walking until nightfall, stopping at a slow moving river to refill her water bottle, Giselle chose a secluded spot in the woods they had been walking through and nodded her approval of the place. It was deep in the forest, and well off the beaten paths that were clear as day for your average travelers. She knew where they were though, and even if they did get lost, the stars were easy enough to reorient themselves should that occur. "We'll rest here for the night. How are you feeling....Rose? Considering we've covered a good twenty miles just in our first day of travel, I'm sure you must be exhausted by now."

Rose listened as she understood how it might be yet she still didn't want to believe it was okay to just kill them. "Please I rather not kill anyone" she said as she gave a sigh her head hung down as she walked. She didn't speak much for the rest of the day though she was grateful the moment they stopped she leaned against a tree as her legs grew weak. Her dress was so dirty and her body felt the worst it had felt in a long time. "Just so way beyond exhausted" she stated as she stayed leaned against the tree her head leaned back as she stretched her neck. Her legs really were aching and her feet gone to the point of numbness. She wasn't sure what to think yet she knew this was just the beginning. She knew by the time they got there she would be dying for a good rest which she was sure wouldn't come.

Giselle wished she hadn't pushed as hard as she had now as she took a good long look at her charge. Kneeling beside the Princess, remembering her feelings on the matter of slaying the orcs, Giselle wished there had been another way, but she knew from personal experience there was not. It was a good thing when orcs died since they wouldn't think twice about killing innocent bystanders if given a chance. Even so, Giselle wasn't going to press the matter. "Tell me where you hurt the most, Rose. I have a few techniques and healing spells to ease some if not all of the pain. Next time though, say something before it gets this bad." She told the woman before her, gently taking Rose's right foot in her dark skinned hands, taking the shoe off and casting it aside. "I'd advise not wearing high heels on a hiking trip anytime soon." She chuckled, hoping she wasn't about to find what she did. Blisters the size of her knuckles from the distance they had crossed were very clear on Rose's feet. Thank the gods that her feet had gone numb. "I'm surprised these don't hurt. Hold still Rose, this'll feel a little weird." She cautioned, closing her brown eyes before opening them again, focusing her magical energy into her hands that were around Rose's foot.

A white ball of healing energy appeared around Rose's foot, warming the flesh and knitting the skin back together quickly as well as reducing the size of the blisters right before both women's eyes. "My father taught me wood craft, how to travel by the stars and the moon, as well as how to survive in the wilds with nothing but my wits and basic survival gear. I learned magic from a light elf that had lost her entire family to orc raiders. A hundred dead in a single night, so forgive me if I don't take your wish for not killing the green skinned bastards to heart, Rose. On the other hand though, I wish that people like me weren't needed at all, and that we could live in peace, but....that won't happen anytime soon." Finishing up her work on the right, Giselle slowly let it down to the dirt floor and removed the other shoe, tossing it aside before doing the same to her left.

Once it was done, Giselle gently set it down and sat next to Rose, needing a small break herself after all the fighting that had occurred already as well as the walking they had both endured. She needed to get a fire going, preferably smokeless, but hopefully she'd be able to find dry wood at all since it had rained the night before. "I'll be back shortly, we should get a fire going but...I am loath to do so because it can be seen for quite a ways. The cold however will make it a necessity." Standing a moment later, Giselle went to collect firewood, hoping that nothing else decided to drop in on them.

As Rose felt her moving to pull off her shoes she winced her leg throbbing from over use only as she saw her own blistered feet she was shocked at just how big they were yet she was thankful that her foot had gone numb. Only as she saw the magic working on her feet she was shocked. She hadn't even thought about the type of shoes she had when she had started off with her. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about her shoes in the morning. Only as she laid there against the tree there wasn't a single chance she was going to move. As she listened to what Giselle said as she gave a sigh. "Yes well . . . please lets not leave a trail of bodies behind us already over a dozen were killed one friendly just for us to head back to Celestial" she stated as she ran her hand through her hair her arm shaking as she barely had the energy to do that. Her entire body was weak yet as she heard Giselle saying she was going to get some firewood she was soon out.

Only as she left the vines that was about the clearing slowly started to creep towards rose. Soon it was wrapping itself around her body as she started to wake she felt them tighten and lift her off the ground she gave out a scream only to feel something prick the back of her neck as the plants poison entered her blood stream she was out cold her body going limp but she was still living only for at most an hour more if not treated.

Before she left, Giselle did turn her brown eyes to Rose's face and gave her something to think about. "When it comes to your safety, I will do all that I must to protect you Rose. Now, I will try to keep the body count to a minimum, but I won't hesitate to remove anything that threatens your life, or my own." Moving away a moment later, Giselle would return to the camp with an armful of firewood only to find that Rose was gone. Dropping the wood to the ground without a thought, her eyes changing color, glowing bright brown as she switched to the infrared spectrum, able to see the world in shades of reds, pinks, and blues, signifying heat levels. The blues were all but cold areas, telling Giselle that nothing had passed by the area of the camp. Looking up as she heard a noise, Giselle's heat sensing eyes saw all the evidence she needed as her father's swords popped out of their sheaths a moment later.

Her eyes flashed and dulled as she blinked, changing back to the normal visual spectrum, the darkness her ally since she was a creature of the dark, in a way. While she valued the light far more, her eyes were sensitive to it, causing her pain if she looked into a bright light for too long. Running up the tree fluidly, Giselle growled in the back of her throat as she caught up with Rose being dragged up into the tree by the vines that ensnared her. "Let...." Her right hand blade sliced up and to the right, severing two reaching vines a moment later. "her...." Her other hand and the sword it held cleaved through three more, one of which had a hold of her left leg. "GO!" Jumping away from the tree, Giselle backflipped away, but she didn't go far as she made a cushion of air beneath her feet once she was pointed at the tree again, head first. Springing off of her invisible wall of magical energy, the half Drow soared forward fast, her blades positioned just so that she'd do the most damage after she had gotten above Rose's prone body, slicing through the rest of the vines and finding the heart of the creature in the mass, burying both blades up to their hilts in the 'flower' creature the vines had came from.

The plant immediately started to wilt and die, and the vines went limp. Running down the tree after freeing her swords, Giselle got to the ground first and caught Rose in her arms, knowing the antidote to what this thing had drugged her with but she'd have to find the ingredients herself. Building a fire in a bit of a hurry, Giselle didn't care at that point if the whole forest was set ablaze as she lit up the tree branches with a wave of her hand. Going to her pack, the half Drow pulled out a pot and went to the river, filling it before putting it over the fire in a hastily but sturdy stand, hanging it up so it would heat up before she returned. "Hold on Rose. Gods, don't you die on me now!" She said, hunting for the necessary plants to make an antidote to the plant's poison, but not before turning Rose on her side so in case she vomited, she wouldn't choke on it.

Rose's body would first start to shake as the fever started to set in. As she heard Giselle tell her not to die she struggled to wake up only each time she opened her eyes she couldn't see a single thing she gave a whimper at the pain in the back of her eyes as she kept trying only as she felt cold even with the fire being right there. Her eyes tearing up as she tried to keep herself calm. "Giselle" she whimpered out only to feel her stomach lurching soon enough she was vomiting and hard as she felt her stomach empty she was thankful. She had nothing left to throw up as she laid back only she felt her body slowly starting to black out again. "Giselle" she whimpered out her eyes were glazed over as if they were only white now not even the pupils were there now. She struggled with all her might as her eyes soon closed her breathing could barely be heard after twenty minutes too much longer and there would be nothing there.

The smell hit her first as Giselle returned a moment after Rose had passed out again after vomiting whatever had been left in her stomach up on the forest floor. Carefully preparing the plants by straining the juice from one, cutting the rest up and tossing in specific parts of each into the pot until they had all but disappeared in the heat from the fire and the water. Once it was ready, Giselle helped Rose to a sitting position, having prepared a cup of the antidote and brought it to her lips. "Drink this Rose, all of it. Gods how could I have been so fucking stupid?!" She cursed herself, brushing her hand across Rose's forehead, feeling the fever and the chilly sweat that had formed on her skin, knowing she had almost been too late. Once the cup was empty, Giselle knew it was up to her now since the ranger had done all she could for Rose. Praying fervently to Mielikki, the patron Goddess to rangers like herself, Giselle spoke in elvish, barely above a whisper as she held Rose close, hoping she had been in time. If not, those nine years would have been for nothing.

Mielikki wiki page.

As Rose felt the cup to her mouth she took it all in. her stomach lurching again yet she managed to force it to stay down. "Giselle" she whimpered after a few minutes. While she was still having trouble breathing when she opened her eyes the glaze was still there yet now you could see the outline of her pupils. "I can't see" she whimpered out only her body was still shivering and the fever was there. It would be a few hours before the fever and shivers left her body as it would take the antidote longer to work fully even her eyes wouldn't come back for almost an entire day. "Giselle" she whimpered again as her eyes closed once more her body trying to go back to sleep only she was so scared of dying if she did.

"Oh gods, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you, Rose." Giselle replied as tears of relief fell down her face, glad that she had been back in time. The fact that Rose couldn't see didn't scare the ranger because she had had dealings with that type of poison before that the plant wielded to immobilize and cripple their victims before they fed. A few of her friends had been captured and almost devoured by such evil plants in the past, and she had learned the antidote then. She knew the symptoms, and temporary blindness was one of them, among fever, shakes, vomiting, and chills. "I don't know if you can hear me, it'll pass. I promise, it will all pass in time, I promise." She whispered, slowly letting Rose fall back to the ground so she could sleep for the rest of the night. Giselle slept close at hand, falling asleep despite her efforts not to. Thankfully, elves only needed four hours of sleep, and so she was up and about the camp, preparing to leave the area before anyone caught up to them, but she'd wait until Rose was ready to move on her own, even if she was still unable to see. Kneeling beside her charge, Giselle put the woman's head in her lap and gently let her fingers glide through her hair, whispering another lullaby while she waited for her to awaken.

As the morning came she could feel Giselle running her hands through her hair. She gave a soft whimper but in truth she was feeling much better. Body heavy as her eyes opened, she could feel the sun flitering down through the tree branches only she still couldn't see it though as she moved her head as if she was looking towards Giselle. "morning?" she half asked as she went to move her body shook as she forced herself. She didn't care she wasn't going to allow this to set them back. The longer they took to get to her mother the higher the risk it was for the both of them and any villages or people the both of them might come in contact with. "So whats for breakfast" she said to her with a half laugh. "I don't think i've ever been so empty" she stated talking about the fact she threw up everything.

Giselle chuckled weakly as she helped Rose to a more comfortable sitting position. She wasn't about to take a chance and have Rose fall on the road from exhaustion after coming so close to losing her the night before. "I was able to gather some apples and berries, but beyond that I haven't had a chance to hunt for anything. The blindness you're still under will pass, but it'll be a whole day before that happens so expect to see nothing until about the same time you were drugged originally. Beyond that, the rest of your symptoms should fade before too long." Giselle explained, handing Rose an apple and another cup of water, this one cold although it had been heated moments ago to clean it of any lingering bacteria and such things that might have caused her to fall ill again. "We'll leave soon, but you need to eat something first. I'll not leave you again after last night's close call, so we'll just have to make a meal of what we have."

Rose gave a nod of her head as she remembered barely hearing that before she blacked out. "Alright then thats fine with me" she said to her with a soft smile. "right about now though i would love to eat get a change of clothes and wash up a little" she said as she tried to just keep things simple. "A nice cape would be great" she said with a smile. "That and a pair of shoes that won't blister my feet like yesterday" she said as she drank from the cup before taking a bite of the apple. "Wow never knew how good one apple would taste after throwing up so much" she kid with Giselle. Only when she heard what she said about not wanting to push her she shook her head. "No don't worry so much I just need to get stronger" she said to her as she took another bite of the apple.

Giselle wondered if Rose had heard her praying last night, but was too embarrassed to ask as she chuckled at some of what Rose asked of her. She did have a few changes of clothes, but shoes were going to be a problem. It was time to make a stop at a village that wasn't too far from here, if she hadn't gotten lost already. "There should be a village not too far once we are out of this forest, Rose. While here in the Four Thunders realm however, we'll need to be careful so any agents of King Leon's won't send word back of our arrival. Disguises might be in order, but a skilled mage could easily see through any such illusion spells I can weave to hide our true identities. Even so, where I plan to take us, we shouldn't meet too much resistance if we don't tarry too long. As for your request for changes of clothes and shoes, the clothes I can easily manage, but shoes might be a problem. I was sadly unprepared, having been in too much of a hurry to worry about such things." Giselle answered with an embarrassed laugh, feeling good now that things had calmed down and they weren't being eaten by wild plants.

Once she had taken her fill and had bathed in a nearby river that Giselle guided her too and stood silent guard, her back turned but her ears wide open, the half Drow opened her pack and pulled out a change of clothes. "It's not silk or satin by any means, but they shall do the job. I don't have a cape, but a traveling cloak will have to suffice. You could just wear it without the hood and it would be close to a cape I guess." She shrugged, pulling out a black cloak that would go over the brown leather pants and a simple but comfortable wool shirt, also brown although it hinted at once being green, once upon a time. Once she was dressed and ready to go, Giselle tied a rope around Rose's waist, not too tight to constrict her breathing, but while her blindness lasted, she didn't wish for them to become separate. "Just let me know if that gets to be a bother. It's the best idea I can come up with at the moment." The other end, Giselle tied about her own waist, using a specific knot that could be undone in an instant if the right cord was pulled. Once everything was ready, the dress that Rose had worn was dumped into the fire which flared up momentarily before dying down again, slowly consuming the dress in the process before moving on.

Similar to this only black, as I said.

As she was helped in getting dressed and bathed she was grateful. "Well then maybe going bare feet would be better" she said as she figured maybe taking the shoes off from time to time would be best. Though as she needed some much help with getting around she didn't like that. Only as they actually started to get moving it became like the roots and branches were moving out of her path as she walked yet she didn't notice it. Slowly her powers were awakening as to keep her safe. Only she was more than shocked at how easy it was for her to walk, just she didn't say anything as she wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth so to speak. The longer they went though the more drained she felt due to the power that was just barely working about her making the forest move around her instead of her moving through the forest.

The village that Giselle led the way to once they had cleared the forest at last, sensing magic in the air but where it was coming from was a mystery to her, they stopped as she untied the rope she had put around Rose's waist before gently taking her left hand in her own. "Keep hold Rose, we'll almost to the village I mentioned earlier." Crossing the fields as the sun had just started to set, continuing to move south and east, away from the Four Thunders Kingdom, the noise and bustle of a small village was apparent to them both as people moved about their day, tending to their crops and their animals, among other things of the same. It was a simple place with small, rustic looking wooden houses and thatched roofs, the smell of fresh baked bread and other fresh produce thick in the air, giving the place a pleasant feel to it. Heading to the inn, a small two story place called the Travelers Rest, an apt name since many such people usually stopped here on their way to other places in the world. Pushing the door open with one hand, Giselle gently led Rose along by the other and immediately went for the counter.

She had changed the color of her skin from a dark black to that of a light elf's own, with a slight tan to her skin perhaps, giving her a bit of an exotic look but nothing that would stand out. "I'd like a room for myself and my blind companion. We ran into some trouble in the forest on our way here and require a safe place to rest until she recovers fully from the poison that was given to her." The locals knew of what she spoke of and the innkeeper nodded solemnly, handing a key to Giselle who put a few gold coins on the table.

"Do yourself or your friend need anything? We have some of the finest produce we've had in a long time, this year's harvest having been quite plentiful. We also carry some good wine and other drinks of the same. Ask, and you shall receive." The man's voice and stance was friendly enough, but Giselle shook her head at the offer of wine. Food on the other hand would be welcome, and she said as much.

"Food would be most welcome, but I do not partake of alcohol very often out of personal choice more than anything. We also need fresh supplies and clothes for the road ahead. Maybe horses if you have any to spare." She'd have preferred a giant eagle or some other flying creature so they wouldn't leave any trace of where they went for others to follow, but it was highly unlikely they'd find that here of all places. The man nodded and gave Giselle the information she wished, wishing them a good day. Giselle bowed respectfully at the waist, thanking the man for his help before leading Rose to their room for the night.

Once they were safely tucked away, she noticed a problem almost immediately. "I should have asked for two separate beds. Oh well, nothing for it now." They had a queen sized bed instead of two smaller ones. It would have to do. "I can sleep on the floor if you wish Rose when night comes. We'll probably end up leaving before first light so no one can easily tell where it is we went from here should we be under watch already. It wouldn't surprise me to find out we are. Even so..." She put her pack down for now, tucking it away in a corner, making sure that if someone did come they'd have to put it back exactly the way she had set it down or she'd know that someone had been in it since the opening was facing towards the wall, making it nigh impossible to rifle through without being noticed when they returned. "if you're ok to move we can go shopping for clothes and such if you wish, or you can stay here and I can tend to all that. You look tired though."

As they entered the village Rose found herself really not wanting to be there. Only as she held onto the hand of Giselle she held on trying her best just to follow each step it was hard yet as she came to a stop with her she heard what was said between the inn keeper and Giselle she didn't mind all that much at the thought of wine only she was sure it wasn't something they needed while they were making such a trip. Giving a soft smile though as they got into the room she heard that they only had one large bed she shook her head. "no its okay we can both fit I'm sure" she stated to her with a firm nod. "I think I'll stay here and rest I'm not much use without my eye sight" she said as she rubbed the back of her neck. She was grateful for the true rest now as she went to the bed laying down, while it wasn't as soft as the bed she had grown use too at the palace she was soon out like a light as it had been much softer than the forest floor.

Smiling softly as she brushed Rose's raven hair out of her face, Giselle shrugged mentally to herself at the possible arrangements that had been made between them about sleeping in the same bed. "Very well. Rest and I'll return shortly, sooner if problems arise." She replied in turn, watching Rose struggle with her temporary blindness, and making the half Drow feel bad for being sloppy in her care shortly after they had gotten away from the Four Thunders Castle. If not for her leaving to gather firewood, necessary or not, Rose would be able to see right now and she wouldn't have had to go through that plant trying to eat her. Well, she wasn't going to make the same mistakes twice.

Going to the window, Giselle closed her brown eyes as she chanted in elvish, sealing the window shut with an invisible barrier that would prevent an intruder or an attack from afar from slipping through the window. She'd do the same thing to the door from the outside, but for now she concentrated on the task at hand, completely sealing the window with her power before slipping out of the door and gently shutting it behind her. Sealing the door shut as well, but leaving it so that Rose could leave the room if she needed to for any reason, Giselle left the inn but not before stopping the innkeeper, leaving him very clear instructions as well as a few gold coins to make sure they were followed should any trouble arise while she was gone.

Rose felt her hand through her hair as she closed her eyes letting herself relax against the touch before taking off the cape and laying down. "I'll be fine" she said as she got under the covers once she had her shoes off. She was grateful for the rest as her legs were growing sore from the walking that they had done through the forest. Only as she heard the door close she wondered what it would be like when she met her mother. She felt horrible at the fact that she couldn't remember what her mother looked liked. Giving a sigh she let her eyes close once more as she fell asleep thinking on that.

~in Dream~

A young crystal played about the garden kicking a ball about as her mother looked on her father high above them on a balcony talking with the half drow. He seemed so far away as Crystal looked up calling for her friend Giselle by name only to see a sudden appearance of a man in front of her. She gave a scream as she looked up seeing this form of what to her looked to be pure darkness and shadows as it reached out for her. Crystal suddenly felt strong arms holding her close as her father and the Half drow arrived the half drow was attacking the being. It was strange as it moved dodging the attacks to slip around the protector and came at the king as his back was turned, as he was handing his precious daughter to his wife and queen. Only as crystal looked up she saw the cut the form made right through her father's neck as he was beheaded with a clean stroke the moment the king's body hit the ground the half Drow was back on the form. The queen crying over her love's head as the only daughter of the man stood there small and so young tears flowing down her face. Within seconds the half drow was out as the being turned its form on the child quickly moving only as the child screamed out a light and power erupted from her body the shadowed form eaten by the light within seconds gone only the child fell down hard with the only injury the form had landed on her was the cut across her right arm. Only as the child looked next to her to find her father's head next to her form she screamed.

~outside the dream~

Rose started to toss slowly as the dream turned dark at first thinking it nice while she was playing only the moment that the images of the shadowed form appeared her face showed that of pain as the nightmare progressed she couldn't wake a cold sweat appearing as she called out for her father tears streaming down her face as she remembered her parents only to remember her last moments with her father.

The king (She takes after her mother)

It took a half hour max for Giselle to stock up on food, supplies, and other things that they'd need for the road ahead. The horses were proving to be a problem though since no one had any to spare, King Leon having taken more than his share for his armies. The ones that were available wouldn't survive the trip since they were more for working on the farm than actual sturdy warhorses. Still, she'd look again, having found at least two that MIGHT serve to get them to Celestial, at least most of the way if nothing else. Returning to the inn with two heavy packs, one on each arm, Giselle went back to the room they had for the night, undid the seal, and slipped inside to find Rose having a bad dream. Dropping the bags unceremoniously to the ground, she immediately went to Rose's side, sitting on the bed and running her fingers through her black hair again as she tried to calm the Princess down.

Considering she had seen some sort of shadow creature kill her father right in front of her, Giselle couldn't blame Rose for having bad dreams about it. Even so, it pained her to see her charge so upset, even if it was in her sleep. "It's ok Rose. It can't hurt you anymore. Whatever you're seeing, it's long dead and won't ever return." She whispered, telling the truth since Rose herself had destroyed the assassin with power that resided only in the Celestial Royal Family. Giselle had tried to fight it off, but it had been too damned fast, that and when she actually HAD managed to land a hit, it had merely reformed itself right before her eyes and struck back hard, and Giselle had just avoided having her neck snapped in two. She had been sore for a month afterward, but her heart had taken a hit as well for failing to protect the King and his family from whatever that thing had been.

As Rose felt Giselle there brushing her fingers through her hair it started to allow her to wake up as tears still streamed down her face she curled into her protector. Crying like she had just relived it all as she clung to Giselle. "I remember" she whimpered out as she was starting to remember what it was like just a little but as she cried she wondered just why she had remembered that first? of all thing why remember his death? If only she knew it was because she needed to remember her power. The power that only came to the royals of Celestials. Yet still even if she knew that it wouldn't take away of reliving the loss of a father. It had been only a few days later that she and Giselle had been sent away in hopes that the creatures wouldn't be able to follow them. Lucky for them they hadn't been able too, only now it wouldn't be long before they came again for Rose's life.