Fantasy Zephyr (Accepting)

[GreatGavino]

The Rider, by now on his feet, lurched slowly to his blade plunged in the ground. His movements were stiff, and the air of arrogance that usually surrounded him was now replaced with a cold, dead hatred that seemed to permanently grip his soul. Ripping the sword from the ground with little effort, he turned back to his horse as the assassin left. Lumbering over, he remounted as thoughts of the royal one who would soon be meeting a.. premature end. With no leads, he would simply have to remain in Dominion until either the Prince comes, or he finds out where he went off to.


The Prince, yes he would leave him alive, but by the time he reached the followers of darkness.. He will be begging for death. He will be broken.


With that the figure and his steed crept back into the darkness of the tree-line, still attempting to adapt to his new 'life'.

 

[Beaurmont]

~Random narrator man~


As the last sounds of swords striking died out, quiet once again took hold of Dominion. A forgotten silence. The hours of bloodshed encompassing the streets with bodies, both from man and the hellish attackers. Pillars of smoke rise from the city into the sky, as raging fires below consume buildings hungrily. The two large skyscraper like buildings that once were thought to pierce even the heavens, now lie on in the city streets. Crumbled remnants, a vision of art that will now act as the sign of the Hellish armies victory. What they set out to accomplish was completed, and with that, they retreated from the city, laughing into the smoky night, roaring in unison. Dominion was left alone again, crippled, destroyed and in ruins. The guards who were left searched the city for survivors, finding nothing but corpses and flames. Eventually, they themselves believed all to be gone, and retreated into the outpost far off from the cities outskirts. Where they await help to arrive, if any at all. Refugees lay in small tents, injured, weak and growing sickly. Only 200 civilians survived the onslaught, with about 67 city guards, heavily worn out and resting.





With morning, the dark thought that they might come back, was whisked away. Bringing a temporary respite to the men and women left. Light touched the ground, and with it, the city that came into view was almost unrecognizable. The scouts send to look in the city quickly returned to the camp, explaining that nothing at all was left. Rubble, corpses, and ash made up the city now. Beautiful architecture and stunning art amassed from decades gone in a single siege, layed to waste from an unknown and terrifying enemy. A heavy depression could be felt through the campgrounds, strong enough that you felt like choking. Sir Charles had disappeared, the royal adviser dead, and their prince missing. What would happened to the people now?


A cold wind blew through Premia, as one country had been demolished, news spread quickly. The pillars of smoke could be seen from miles, alerting everyone in the vicinity of the war. The largest empire on the continent destroyed in a single night, just what did this mean? A dark force stirred, and a chilling voice chuckled in the wind. Those around Dominion's ruins could hear it, making there skin crawl. Something was coming.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

His armor glistened with fresh droplets of warm, flowing blood. It dripped down his royal armor, ruining all of its golden glory with small red streaks marking destruction. He choked out with a waterfall of terror bubbling from his mouth. The life began to drain slowly from his eyes, leaving a hollowed body and a blank mind behind. A mind that could have been used for the greater good, and a body that was made for protection. But he was useless now. Dangling in front of his monster like a rag doll about to be torn to shreds. He prayed to the gods for mercy. That somehow, this demon would have a change of heart. If he had one.


The look this monstrosity gave him ripped away all faith he had left. He now realized, the gods had abandoned him and many others. It took a moment before death to realize this, as he felt the tips of the devil's fingers drag down his body. Bloody ribbons of flesh slithered to the ground in a sickening heap. He let out a single gasp, letting out the smallest amount of courage he had left. The demon watched this with purging crimson eyes and cat-like pupils. The body slipped out of his claws like spaghetti, joining the rest of the flesh sprawled out around the cobblestone road. With his mouth wide open and skin painted with blood, the guard stared up at the grey sky with glassy eyes.


Not a single soul wandered through these streets now. Fires ate away at wood, destroying the once beautiful homes that littered the city. Clouds swirled in the sky as if sensing the destruction below. The Archdemon's tail waved back and forth like a predator awaiting its prey. He stared down at the chaos before him, perched comfortably on top of one of the only standing walls surrounding Dominion. The last of the orcs had retreated into the deep depths of the green forest, along with most of his hellish minions. He was alone. Sithis basked in this spilled blood like a sunny day. How good it felt to see such terror play out before him. Taking one final glance around, he embedded every tiny detail into that horrific mind of his, as if wanting to remember this moment until the end of his days. As quickly as he had arrived, the huge demon dove off the wall and disappeared with a cloak of invisibility hiding him.


Behind him, a bloody message lay splattered against the broken wall. Bodies sat below it. Thousands and thousands of bodies... A man dangled next to the handwriting, nailed tightly into the cement wall with a demonic sword. He hung by his neck, blood dripping down his armor.

Eintras

Was the single word marking the stone.

​

 

[Ixacise]

In passing it would seem that being directed to another village was ultimately the wisest choice. For although a battle might carry glory; taking on a siege borders on the insane. Due to the proximity of the village to the city the news traveled relatively fast. He wondered what he would do next especially since almost all the nearby settlements would no doubt be filled with various refugees from Dominion.


However such thoughts and that lingering regret of not seeing Dominion before being utterly razed have no place right now! For now it was time for practice and with the rising sun as his audience he gave it quite the concierto. Standing atop a rooftop he played his guitar vigorously as a cool breeze brushed past him as if carrying his music for all to hear.

 

[MechaGhoul]

And so Dominion was destroyed. Lionel really could care less. However he did care about one thing, the dead. There were a lot of them, and some refugees brought their carcasses along hoping for a proper burial. Lionel, was not one to turn down business, and was dealing with all manner of folks in some village outskirts.


"Yeah I'll bury the stiff." He said as he pocketed some change from a crying mother who had two small daughters one who eyed Lionel curiously, and the other sobbing and clinging to the mother's leg.


Delving his shovel into the ground, he began on the newest grave. "Tell the brat to shut it."


The mother looked on with a mixture of confusion and loathing. Lionel quickly barked out, "Disrupts the art of the dig."


Another refugee child, a young boy dressed in some stained rags pointed at Lionel. "Are you an angel mister? Helping the spirits?" Lionel grumbled out as he continued digging, glancing back as people brought more bodies to bury. "Go away. Bodies ain't gonna put themselves in the ground. Unless you pay for a funeral dirge or a professional mourning, not interested. And if you are gonna cry, "I lost my parents to this, 'waah', 'waah', I could not care less about your plight. Go pester someone else, busy working."

 

[Beaurmont]

Zelin shifted a bit, his back a bit stiff from the uncomfortable sleep. Perhaps it was the medicine. He thought to himself, slowly rising into a upward position. Light shone from the window, causing the prince to block the light with his hand. It was quite the bright morning, not too many clouds lined the sky. The pains and aches he had before had finally left his body, leaving him with a strange tingle and clear head. It improved his mood, being able to actually move around with ease. He turned to move his legs of the side of the bed, and sat there for a moment, lost in thought. I need to start moving...

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

There was a series of light footsteps speeding past Zelin's door, disappearing down the hallway and fading into silence. Seconds later, they returned, with two boys laughing loudly behind the wooden door. A voice suddenly called out from downstairs.


"Rylan! Marco! If you're going to wake him up, do it quietly!" Idna hissed, shaking her head and proceeding into the large kitchen. The twins giggled together quietly. Slowly, the door began to creak open, revealing the two boys standing next to each other with grins on their faces. When they saw Zelin was already awake, they burst into a run towards him.


"UNCLE ZELIN!" They both yelled in unison. They pounced onto the bed on both sides of him and hugged his arms tightly. They flicked their gazes up to his eagerly, jumping up and down on the white bed.


"Me and Rylan fed you medicine this morning!"


"All by ourselves!"


"But you were still asleep, so you never would have known!" The two boys spoke at the same time, laughing wildly and letting go of his arms. They plopped down onto the floor in front of him, staring with excited gazes.


"Aunt Eva tells us you're the prince of Dominion! Is that true?"


"Are you and aunt Eva married? Does that mean you'll both be king and queen soon?!" The twins opened their mouths to ask another question, but shut them quickly when Evangelina appeared at the entrance way. Her soft lips were curled into a delicate smile. Rylan and Marco leaped to their feet and hugged the elf, making her take a few steps back and begin to laugh.


"Alright... That's enough boys... You're sister caught a nymph downstairs. Why don't you go and see it?" She asked them softly, watching as their small faces lit up instantly. Rylan and Marco sped down the stairs and to the main floor in seconds. Evangelina's eyes followed them until they were out of sight. Chuckling quietly, the elf flicked her pale gaze in the direction of the prince and made her way towards him. She settled herself carefully next to him, outstretching an arm and running it down his back reassuringly.


"Are you feeling better?"

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

The Cloaked Man had escaped into the forest with other soldiers, cutting down many orcs in his way. Sir Charles was no where to be found, and Dominion was in ruin. Most of the people trapped within the Castle had escaped, but many were lost when the main doors of the throne room broke down.


He bit his lip as he swung his blade, slicing the neck of an orc captain. The man would continue his blade's arc to swiftly impale it into the neck of an orc who had made his way behind the warrior. A few surrounding orcs recoiled in fear, while newcomers rushed the man head on.


After a few seconds of dodging, the man had managed to kill all of the orcs. Child's play, but the beasts were overwhelming when it came to numbers, just through their sheer ruthlessness.


He couldn't deny the number of excellent tacticians that the orcs' brash personalities hid, as they were truly a clever and cunning race, even deadlier when armed by an outside force. Their only problem was that they were gullible, and were passed from evil master to evil master throughout the centuries with little thought.


Pathetic.


With a sigh, the Cloaked Man continued his way through the forests. By the time he had reached the evacuation point, all of the survivors had already made it within the refugee camp in the Venesian Mountains. The abandoned Guards and Militia, now under the command of the man, were left to simply ambush orc patrols and feral demons. Their job was to weaken the enemy, and protect whatever civilization remained of the Empire.


The man doubted that Charles had died, as he was known for surprises, along with his extreme skill. His body was not found in the wreckage during the battle, and many thought he was captured.


"May the Goddess watch over you, demonic son..", the man would simply mutter, pulling the hood over his head as it began to rain in his region of the forest.


Venesia had a long road ahead of it, one only the Prince could steer.

 

[Beaurmont]

Zelin watched as the noisy children ran out the room quickly as they came, he couldn't even get a word out before they had disappeared. He glanced at Evangelina, smirking slightly. "Uncle Zelin?" He muttered, a bit entertained. "I'm fine. I feel much better now." The prince thought about what the two children had said, in a slowed down pace. "So...they know I'm...the prince?" He asked, lifted himself off the bed, stretching his muscles. It doesn't matter at this point, I've been away from Dominion for far too long. He walked toward his love, bringing her into a quick hug before backing up again. "So...did a little birdy give it away?" He asked still grinning as he walked out the door.


As he walked down the stair, Hector turned to greet him, grinning as per usual. "I take 'et you had a good rest then? Tha boys were up nursing ya like ye were a injured birdy. Touched ma heart it did." The large mans voice boomed throughout the inn, leaning on the wall by the stairs. He watched as Evangelina appeared from Zelin's room as well, his grin grew. "Now you two seem to be quite well eh?" He asked, proudly. "Hector...don't keep it from them. It's not right." A man said from across the room, slowly walking up with his head down. His face was sullen. Hector's usual grin slowly disappeared, a frown now on his face. He sighed and started scratching his head.


The prince eyed his friend, questioningly, a bit worried about his expression. "It's about Dominion lad. We've heard some bad news about it."

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

"T-They-" The elf stuttered in an embarrassed tone, looking to the side and down at the floor. Her pale skin turned a shade of red.


"They think we're married..." She murmured, referring to his confusion about the boys calling him 'uncle Zelin'. Evangelina glanced back up at him with a nervous smile. He pulled her into a warm embrace that lasted a short amount of time. Her muscles softened and she let out a relaxed sigh.


"So... did a little birdy give it away?"


He asked her, making a small laugh escape her lips. She kissed the top of his nose and hovered her face near his.


"The boys wanted to know... How could I resist not telling them." Evangelina pulled away and watched him walk downstairs. She shook her head and chuckled before following from behind.


Her feet tapped noisily against the staircase as she descended, a single hand sliding across the railing. Hector greeted Zelin boisterously as he appeared onto the main floor. Idna was somewhere in the back, arranging pots and pans. The elf joined Zelin and Hector, standing quietly between them. She smiled here and there as they spoke. The other man behind Hector suddenly grunted out a few words, making Evangelina's face turn into a frown. Hector looked a bit upset, turning to Zelin and her with a worried expression.


His next words caused Evangelina's to skip a beat.





"What happened?" She demanded, panic creeping into her voice. She took a single step towards Hector, her eyes swirling with worry.

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

The man had one goal set in mind: find the prince. With his tracking, he was getting very close, but many orcs would get in his way over the long period of trial and error. In one case, he found himself going in a circle at least four times, while in another case, he found himself looking at what seemed like civilization.


That didn't last long, though, considering orcs rushed him from the nearby shrubs. The berserk beasts were upon him in a few seconds, and had managed to get a good slash on his chest.


The man backed up, clenching his teeth as he halted himself from falling backwards. He'd draw his sword and swing it out in one motion, slicing the first orc in half. He then reared his sword from the way it came, decapitating the next.


After that, it was a game of parry and quick jabs. The orc's cries were very loud, loud enough to hear. Whether or not they were to investigate would depend on the sanity of the listener.


(Fiiiiine)

 

[MrMopp]

Trina came into town that morning. Having cast off her wolves coat for the form of a fair young lady with wavy brown hair and green eyes. She walked on bare feet, unbothered by the gravel, with a swagger in her step and a smirk on her face. Over her shoulder she carried a huge, black as night, what-the-hell-do-call-it monster pelt, and a big one at that. Caught it trying to get into the barn as she came home from her moon light walk and figured, hey, since her hunt went so badly, maybe this guy could help pay the bills. She bet she was gonna get goooood money off of his hide.


She headed over to the furriers shop. The the bell rang as she opened the door. "Hey, Harv!" Trina called as she entered. "Got a big one fer ya today!"


A gray haired man with large glasses poked his head around the corner. "Ah, Trina." Harvey gave Trina an awkward smile. "Good morning."


Trina probably should have noticed. how uncomfortable Harvey looked, but she on her high horse at the moment, about to get a good deal on a catch she was quite proud of, so The man's discomfort didn't even faze her. "Yeah, y' too Harv. Okay, so, little thing about this 'un-" she laid the monsters skin across the counter. "-Ya see it's got a bunch'a holes down the middle, right? That's cause this fella had spikes sticking outta his back."


"Yes, I see." Harvy was biting his lip, he had something else on his mind he wasn't looking forward to. "Look, Trina about-"


"Anyway," Trina continued obliviously. "Ah dunno whatcha plannin' on doin' with it, but ah pried the spikes off the spine 'n all," she held up a small bag, "so I betcha could stick em back in or su'm. Or y' could pob'ly get creative and-"


"Trina." Harvey had to stop her right there. The longer this went on the worse it was going to hurt. "Look, I'm sorry dear, but I cannot take these pelts anymore."


Trina's proud face lingered for a moment before dropping dropped. She look between him and her prize and sputtered. "Wha- are you- why would-" One side of her face twisted into an incredulous snarl, and Harvey braced himself for the hurricane. "ARE YOU %#<&*@$ KIDDIN' ME!?"


(There's more coming, but it's been a while so I figured I should put my foot in the door. It wouldn't be disruptive if another character walked in on this, but I'm not requesting it either)


 
"Harv, I work mah butt off fer these things!" Trina yelled. "What the HEY!?"


Harvey rubbed his temples. This was going about as well as he expected. "I know, Trina." He sighed. "And they're beautiful, but I can't sell them any more. People complain that they don't keep."


Trina scowled at him funny. "Whadda mean "they don't keep"? A properly treated hide doesn't rot."


Harvey shook his head "No, no that the thing. They don't rot. They turn into soot."


"...Soot."


"About two weeks after they buy them."


"... Are you kid'n?"


"Trina," said Harvey with slight reproach, "Did these creature ever strike you as being natural? Any way, they leave quite the mess."


Trina looked down at the charcoal black fur. "...Well that explains why it tasted like farts."


"Pardon?"


Oops! "Um, that's why it smelled like farts." Trina covered up.


Harvey lifted an eyebrow. "Ah. Well, I was going to say it smelled like eggs, but yes, that would be why. Anyway I'm sorry, but business is business"


Trina leaned against the counter and let out a frustrated sigh. This sucked. The hunting business had been pretty lousy since these monsters rolled in and started killing everything. Hunting THEM seemed like such a good way to compensate. What was she gonna do now? She had a aging grandfather to look after, for crying out loud. And besides, This guy on the counter was NOT an easy kill. Her normal approach was to grab them from behind and squeeze the jelly out of them so as not to damage the the skin but this one had big ol' spikes all along it's spine (which she didn't notice until she pounced on its back. Ouch), so she had to face it head on from the toothy end. Didn't she deserve a little something for her trouble?


Suddenly her eyes lit up with inspiration. Something occurred to her. She didn't have to go empty-handed. That bird in the forest, those feathers had to be twice the size of a person. Heck, you could probably go parachuting with one of downs (woah! Imagine the size of the pillow you could make!). All she needed was one of the big feathers and that would be worth FIVE times what this pelt would've been!


"Hey, y'know what," said Trina. "Forget the pelt. Ah got sumthin better, hang on. I'll be back." And forgetting to pick up the pelt, she ran out the door.

 

[Beaurmont]

"What about Dominion!?" Zelin demanded suddenly, his face emotionless. Hector stood silently, still scratching his head. The prince walked up to the large man, starring into his eyes. "What happened!" He asked. The large burly man closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly gathering his thought. The room grew silent, those who were eating all stopped together, starring down at their plates solemnly. He opened his eyes once again, looking the young prince in the eyes, his expression serious. "We don't know much lad, 've only heard a bit o' info from random on-lookers. It's a buncha rumors, but unfortunately, this one maght be real." He begins rubbing his beard, still starring into the princes determined eyes. "Dominion has been under siege supposedly. Refugees 'ave been showing up from outside teh city, asking fer help and payin' fer burials." Hector looked toward the man behind him, gesturing toward them.





"This man 'as heard more than I. Ye might wanna ask 'im about it." Hector shook his head and turned to walk away. "I was hoping to keep it from ya a bit longer lad. But...Dominion might be gone."

 

[MechaGhoul]

"O-oh.." The boy said looking down with a frown, "Pop said that fellow diggers were the best of angels, giving the spirits a pla-" Lionel quickly eyed the boy as he continued digging a grave as the bodies continued to enter the pile. "Work load is high. If your dad was a digger, I expect the same from you." Lionel glanced at a random civilian refugee, "Give the boy a shovel. Now, graves won't dig themselves." He returned his glance towards the boy, "Once you get the shovel, dig. Quickly. Got work to do kid, you're helping. If you don't suck horribly, I may, EMPHASIS on may, get you like a piece candy or something. Damn village oughta have a piece or something kids like... I guess."


A refuge handed over a small gardening shovel to the boy. Lionel glanced at him, "Get going boy." He said as he dug, and the boy, began digging as well. Lionel kept his eyes on his work, glancing up at the many mixed expressions of the refugees gathered around watching as graves were being constructed for their loved ones.

 

[Ian Temero]

Medea awoke to the sound of birds, the gentle rumbling of the wagon on a dirt road, the prickling of hay on her back, and a soft ball of black fur curled up on her stomach. That's odd, she thought to herself, eyes still closed, this is the same scene I fell asleep to. So why did I wake up? Then she heard it. The crying. Slowly, she propped herself up and lifted up the brim of her hat so that she could look around. "What is going on here?" She asked, lazily plucking bits of hay out of her raven hair.


Shor, whose awakening had not been as gentle as his master's, yawned and stretched before peeking over the edge of the wagon. "These are the people of Dominion," the cat explained in a deep voice, "seeking refuge after fleeing the destruction of their home."


The man driving the wagon turned to look at him. It had freaked him out the first time he had heard Shor speak, but after several days of traveling together the man had grown accustomed to it. "Dominion's destroyed? How'd ya figure that?"


Medea's familiar paused his grooming. "It's simple really." Shor answered, before looking around for someone to use as an example. "See that man over there? Standing besides those people digging? He smells of sweat and fear. He's been running from something. See the bandages across his chest? They could be covering claw marks from a wild animal, however his blood smells stronger of iron than is normal. That is a sword wound. Finally, notice his singed clothes and the stone dust on his arm? Buildings were being destroyed around him. And it is all quite fresh." Shor finished and sniffed the air a few more times, before turning to Medea. "It is no longer safe to continue to Dominion. However there is something strange about this town. Not only am I detecting the scent of a Skin-Changer, but I am also sensing the presence of a Guardian. I do believe that this is where we are meant to get off..."

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

(Update: Charles is just lurking around, stalking things)

 

[Life.]

Embers danced the sky. Black smoke corrupted the air. Screeches and cries of hunger vibrated in the air. Vile creatures of hell rampaged what was now rubble and debris. Unsatisfactory eyes flitted over the landscape in search of more lives to steal yet all they could find was broken or torn corpses.


"Why is it that we have torn an enormous city down yet not reach our satisfactory levels..." Kyro whispered to himself. His lifeless icy blue eyes examined all before him. Blood streaked down his face, dirt powdered his clothing, and discontent masked expression. His mask hung by his side as he took it out to examine the paradise fully. His ears picked up the unhappy grunts and whines from the hellian creatures. Emptiness filled him once more as his eyes continued to take in all that has occurred. The thrill that once filled him now was numbed. Nothing fed his hunger. Annoyance was what he felt at the moment as the wicked creatures began to crowd around him. He roared at the creatures, "Stand back! I realize that this was not enough! Do not worry I shall bring you to more playgrounds!" A spark of madness flashed within his eyes at this moment that reflected the greediness at which all felt at the moment.


Cries and roars answered his proposal as he felt power surging within him. Driving him. Driving his madness. He felt invincible. Nothing could touch him. But then he felt a hand on his shoulder. His head whipped around to see it was C.


Power flared up in his eyes. "C. How nice to see you. Do tell me, what is the closest city here? No matter if village, town, or metropolitan city. I just desire destruction, fear, and power," his voice lowered with madness each word he spoke. C took a step back and wrote in the air, Think this through Kyro. You will kill us all if you continue this march. We must stick to our objective of eliminating the prince. First let us find the prince then may you wreak havoc as you please.


It seemed as though Kyro didn't listen to C but then he straightened himself up and frowned knowing that C was right. He sighed and looked at the Dullahan. "Well did the Rider happen to find him?" Kyro asked.


It seemed as though he was not in Dominion in the first place. We must know search beyond these grounds to find him. But he could be anywhere. Perhaps we should ask the Rider if he picked up on anything leading to the Prince?


Kyro nodded. He pointed up a finger at this point and shoot his own firework of power. It blasted an ugly, filthy color. One that could reflect his whole being. It was an icky green. Like poison. Yet it held some beauty to it as it does when it is planted with other drinks as disguise. "That should summon him," Kyro muttered as he crossed his arms behind him and began kicking the rubble around him.

 

[GreatGavino]

A shadowy figure stood crouched by a Light Hawk, which lay dead in the forest. The gears within his mind worked rapidly, despite the fact the machine that they belonged to was long broken. Normally, he could track a man anywhere using an article of clothing, knowledge of the person and some spells.. Though this time, he did not know much about the Prince nor his whereabouts.


Rising away from the Light Hawk, he knew they were used to bring people away from Dominion during the siege and the distinct lack of a multitude of bodies meant there would have been some place for survivors to go to. The Prince, who he had learned from a wounded (now deceased) guard had been taken away from the city by a demon, could not have been taken extremely far away as demons cannot travel well in the day. Demons were working with his 'employer', the dark dream being, so the royal brat would have had to escape. The Rider climbed back atop his silent horse, heading back towards the path which he had been on earlier.


The Prince would be on foot or else he would have arrived at the city by now, and given the circumstances in which he was taken, himself or whatever companions he might have could have taken injuries. Adding the fact that someone so un-used to the outside world would likely not be quick in traveling, his best assumption was they would have to be in a town, quite possibly a very little one to avoid recognition. Bursting onto the path, The Rider planned on working his way from town to town until he crossed paths with the Prince. Turning his head back, he faintly could see a burst of energy rise into the air above Dominion and figured it to be his 'allies', and offhandedly flicked a finger into the air to showcase he was not close. The black burst of energy rising into the sky seemed somewhere between grey and charcoal, the fiery ball was dark yet it carried a distinct lack of life that other energy usually had. As the dull, dead yet chaotically fierce burst tore through the sky, the shadowy figure turned away and set off in search of the first town.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

His ears were constantly surrounded by the sounds of a hammer pounding against metal. He gripped the silver hilt tightly while bringing the heavy tool down onto the newly made sword. The weapon's blade straightened into place finally, after working on it for so many hours. Julian placed the sword aside on his workbench, and wove around towards the back of the forge where he kept his materials. The hammer settled back onto its normal place on the stone wall, swaying back and forth slightly. The blacksmith wiped a clean cloth across his face and cleared the black soot away. A man dressed in heavy armor and some sort of monster pelt that hung around his muscular shoulders walked in, glancing around slowly. He had one crystal clear blue eye, and the other was clouded with blindness.


"Julian! Ya have me sword?! I've 'een waitin' for it all day!" The man called out in an intimidating voice, stepping further into the hot room. Julian poked around the corner, throwing the ash covered cloth to the side. A grin appeared across his face.


"Just got it finished." The blacksmith lifted the beautiful sword off from the workbench, and presented it to the man. With huge scarred hands, the man grabbed it roughly and examined the blade's shiny metal in the light. He grunted out and smirked, impressed.


"Ye've got a gift, boy. You're father raised ye right." The man dropped a large brown bag in Julian's grasp that was secured with a rope at the top. It jingled noisily with the sweet sound of gold coins. After the man had left, Julian stepped away from his workshop and jogged over to the inn up the street a ways. Smoke billowed from the chimney, and every window was lit from top to bottom. It seems Idna was having good business today.


Julian pushed opened the door to find the room full of people, but was strangely silent. All eyes turned to him for a moment, including Evangelina's and Zelin's. The blacksmith slowly and cautiously made his way towards the two. He had a guess at why everything was tense. He stopped by the white haired elf just as Hector had began to leave. Both of their eyes followed the burly man until he had disappeared from sight. Julian glanced towards Evangelina, and than to Zelin.


"I suppose you heard the news then." The blacksmith let out a small sigh. His dirty blonde hair fell in front of his closed eyes. He looked up to the man in front of them.


"How much have you told them, Darren?" Julian asked the man, an emotionless expression on his face. Evangelina stared towards Zelin, his reaction to Hector's words repeated over and over again in her mind. She grew lost in her thoughts, glancing down at the wooden floor.


If what Hector says is true... that Dominion really is gone. That could only mean...


The elf couldn't even bring herself to think it. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Her delicate hands clenched into fists at her side, shaking slightly. Julian saw this and his expression softened. He rose a single hand, run down from years of work, and slid it across her back reassuringly.

 

[Ian Temero]

"A Gaurdian? In this dinky little town?" Medea asked, still watching the refugees. The wagon came to a stop and Medea hopped off, thanking the man driving it. She held out her arm so that Shor could walk across to her shoulder. Shor sat there thinking as the wagon drove off. Of course a Guardian would be excepted into the town rather then being left outside. But these refugees are from Dominion. If this Guardian is with them then...





"Medea," the cat said, "I do believe that it would be prudent of us to locate this Guardian. They could very well be a member of the-" He paused, noticing that his partner had been watching the refugees ever since they had arived. He didn't need to be able to read her mind to tell that she was going through every healing spell she knew, matching them to each injury she saw. Shor chuckled and hopped down to the ground. "Oh, alright. Go ahead and do your thing. I can locate the Guardian without you."


Medea's eyes lit up and she grinned at her familiar. "Thank you, Shor!" She said, before walking quickly towards the people of Dominion.

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

An expressionless face rested on the shadowy figure, pushing his way through refugees. Some people's eyes widened when they saw him, aghast, searching for words to express how they felt, yet they could find none. However, one little girl looked up from the stream of walkers, and her eyes widened, tugging on her mother's arm as she pointed up at the towering man behind her.


"The Guard Captain, Mama!", she would say rather loudly, "His hair's red, his eyes are red, and he looks pale, mother! We should help him!"


"There's nothing you can do to help this old soul, child, but I thank you for the offer...", Charles would mutter solemnly, smiling his devilish smile as the mother looked rather stunned to see him alive.


He was seen cut down at the gates after all, and taken away by one of the beasts of Darkness. To see him alive would either deem you insane, or deem the Guard Captain lucky as usual.


"If an army of Orcs cannot kill me, a Shadow Hawk can't either..", Charles would mutter sadly as he pictured Dominion in ruins. He wondered what had happened to Ayah, Aura, and Erin, his three daughter-like relatives.


"And if an army of Orcs cannot kill Venesia, another wont do it..", Charles would then speak out rather loudly, raising a few of the sad spirits briefly. What he said was true, if they survived such a devastating force, two entire armies at once, Venesia had hope.


"You just need a Prince.", Charles would finish as he separated from the crowd, making his way off of the newly-made path and towards a few dead trees where he gazed at recently buried bodies. The men shared looks, and began talking about the subject of the location of the Prince themselves, others wondering what was going on at the Mountain Refuge.


"Where are you, Zelin?"

 

[Beaurmont]

The world seemingly began to shake in Zelin's eyes, his perception blurring even. He lost his balance slightly, and wobbly leaned against the wall next to him. His face still emotionless, his mind trying to cope. The room grew silent, watching him intently. He couldn't tell if they were worried for him, or just felt pity. He didn't care, none of that mattered. Hector left the room, as the man from before entered. His presence barely recognized, he walked his way toward the two. "I suppose you heard the news then." The man spoke, sighing, now looking up at the villager Hector spoke to. "How much have you told them Darren?" He asked plainly.


The man named Darren nervously fidgeted where he stood, obviously he didn't delight in having this much attention. Zelin struggled to focus, but eventually he turned to listen as well. Darren shrugged and looked at the floor. "Not too much yet. Just what I saw." He walked up to a chair and sat down, still sitting across from the three. "I'm almost certain of Dominion being gone...the smoke that rises into the sky. The injured people said to be fleeing the city. The roars of...creatures I've heard the past few nights. It all points to one possibility." The thought made Darren shiver a bit, he began rubbing his neck. Darren was a short and skinny man, but he had muscles to make up for what he lacked. He...must be a farmer. Zelin thought to himself. The prince brought a palm to his face, a strong migraine starting to form.


"So it's true then...my people...my city..." He began to whisper to himself. Darren looked at the prince, sorrow in his eyes. "I'm...just a man from a small village...but...I speak the truth when I say I'm deeply sorry. I don't know what I'd do if...Halkreath was destroyed." He nervously tried to explain. Some others in the room coughed quickly trying to stop Darren from saying more. The short man jumped a bit and looked away toward the wall, still rubbing his neck. I have to go back. To see if it's true. It can't be right? Charles was there. All those mercenaries were there right? No way. No way they lost. It's a lie. The thoughts began to circulate in the princes mind. He opened his eyes slowly and pushed himself from the wall violently. "I'm going." He muttered, before quickly walking out the door into the streets.

 

[MrMopp]

Not wanting to keep Harvey waiting, Trina hurried down the street to the get to the north gate and down to the bird. The carcass was a ways away but, if you had four wheel drive. Once Trina got out the town gate, she knew of a cave where she could stash her clothes and then run quadruped for the rest of the trip. She would need the extra muscle to yank the feathers out, anyway.


Still she knew this was only a short-term solution. A bird that big wasn't going to go unnoticed, and pretty soon, everyone was going to be grabbing souvenirs. What was she going to do from that point on?


Maybe ah should take one'a the monster carcasses t' Zeke n' Alden, Trina thought as she ran. Ah mean, ah hate Zekes guts an' all (the douche), but he knows a lot 'bout magic and if these critters ain't natural, then maybe he could help me find a way to-





Her thoughts were interrupted when a man stepped out of the local tavern into the street and Trina ran right into him, knocking him over and sending her flat on her butt. She sat up and rubbed her head. "Watch it, ya idiot!" She sapped as if it weren't her fault. "Geez, Louise! Looks around before ya...! Um...".


She stopped and studied the man she had just ran into. Judging by his clothes, he was fairly posh. Normally she had disdainful feelings towards rich boys, but truth to tell, he was kinda cute. But... Where had she seen him before? He clearly wasn't from around here so why did she get the feeling that-


Ohhhh, that's right. The prince she met out in the forest.


Whom she tried to chase.


And just now called an idiot.


Her face fell with dread. Ohhhh crud. That's a li'l more than awkward. Okay, stay cool. He don't recognize you none. Just apologize for being a butt juss now, an' maybe he won't put'cha in irons fer being a belligerent peasant.


Trina got onto her feet. "Oh geez, ah'm sorry. Ah juss... Here!" She held out her hand. "Lemme help ya up."


(Alden is her oldest brother, and Zeke, his boss, is the local witch-doctor.)

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The sound of Zelin slamming the door echoed throughout the inn, breaking all silence. Everyone began to talk quietly amongst themselves, a worried look on each of their faces. Julian's eyes were plastered on the door Zelin had left from, refusing to look away until Evangelina let out a small sigh. He glanced down at her and watched as she turned to meet his gaze. She didn't say anything for a moment. Her expression was full of emotion. Panic even.


Before she got any words out, Idna burst out from the kitchen. She had overheard their conversation. The innkeeper slowed her pace as she approached Evangelina. The elf outstretched her arms and the two friends embraced each other tightly. The twins ran down from the stairs above, skidding to a halt at the last step. Idna stepped away from the elf, holding both of her hands.


"You will always be in my heart... It makes me sad to see you leave so soon. But it's for the best." The elderly woman murmured to Evangelina, smiling sadly. The elf watched the innkeeper pick up a bag from her side, and set it gently in her palm. She hadn't seen the bag until now.


"It's for your travels. Take it." Idna squeezed Evangelina's hands tightly. The two boys sniffled quietly, beginning to cry but refusing to let anyone see.


"Thank you for all you've done, Idna. You've shown me great kindness ever since I have arrived here. I am grateful for everything..." Evangelina said quietly. Idna smiled and released both of her hands, backing away. The twins stepped down in front of Evangelina now. The elf leaned down into a crouch and was practically tackled to the ground by the two boys. They cried into her shoulders softly. They pulled away after a few moments, tears running down their small faces.


"We'll miss you aunt Eva..."


"We don't want you to leave yet!" Marco cried out, surprising his twin slightly. Evangelina smiled and kissed both of their foreheads.





"I'll come back soon. I promise...."





Evangelina stopped at the door with the bag in hand, watching as everyone in the inn yelled out their goodbyes. The elf caught a glimpse of Hector peeking his head out around the corner. She smiled at him and waved.


"Have safe travels, dear!" Idna called out with the two boys hiding behind her legs. The elf flashed everyone one last smile, before opening the door and leaving.


She shut the door quietly, stepping into the street. A bewildered look appeared on her face as she saw Zelin on the ground, and a strange girl helping him up. Evangelina didn't know what to say in this situation, so she kept her mouth shut.

 

[Beaurmont]

Caught up in his thoughts Zelin hadn't noticed a person walking in front of him, it ended him up with a collision and heavy thud to the ground. Whomever he hit was quite unhappy, as they began spitting out insults almost immediately. He rubbed his butt a bit, a few sharp stones stabbed his backside. One thing after another... He thought to himself, unconcerned with the strangers anger. Suddenly they stopped, going silent for a few moments. Zelin glanced up with his exposed eye, trying to identify whom he rudely knocked into. He'd have to apologize. He felt suddenly surprised, the girl before him was..slightly enchanting. An unnerving chill ran down his spine. Where have I...? Before he could open his mouth the stranger changed moods in an instant, offering him help up.





"O-oh. I-uh...thanks." Zelin blurted out, a bit dazed. He reached out and grabbed her hand, using her to help hoist him upward. He dusted himself off a bit, removing a few stones still embedded in his butt regions. What's with everything stabbing me around here...? He asked himself, half jokingly. Surprising to him, the people around the streets seem to care very little about the little incident. Moving on there way like nothing happened. Perhaps not everyone knows I'm a prince yet. The farmers and towns people moved quickly through the streets, going on about their business. After a moment of looking around, he just realized how many people were actually in Halkreath, it was quite the busy town. A sound also caught his attention. Is...someone playing music..? The prince realized he had zoned out, starring directly at the girl with a blank expression the whole time. Ah jeez! She'll think I'm odd or something. He quickly regained him composure and set out his hand to shake. "Hi, my name's Zelin. I'm sorry for bumping into you. What's yours?"