Fantasy Zephyr (Accepting)

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

"You're a fool for thinking you can escape me. You hear me, prince? A FOOL. As soon as I sink my claws into you, I'm taking what's mine. Evangelina... She's my brand new toy. And you're taking her away. FROM ME. I'LL KILL YOU!"


Sithis's insanity screamed from behind the escaping prince, cackling loudly in the distance. His dark claws scrapped against the hard cobblestone with every step. He was growing closer and closer. Black drool overflowed in his mouth as he smelled the sweet bloody scent of the elf just ahead. The demon gasped out desperately. He was so close now. Sithis outstretched his black claws in an attempt to snatch Evangelina. But something stopped him.


Suddenly, an Orc stepped out in front of the demon, yelling out in surprise as Sithis tackled him to the ground. The Orc must have been trying to pass by. It seemed he walked in at the wrong time.


The Archdemon sat on top of him, spilling dark ooze all over the Orc's face. Sithis dug his black claws into the Orc's shoulders, and pinned him down roughly. The Orc shivered in fear, and spat in disgust as the black fluid seeped into his mouth. The demon stooped down, and breathed in his scent. Sithis let out a deadly snarl. He didn't even say a word before sinking his teeth into the Orc's thick neck. The beastly man yelled out in pain, blood flowing into the cracks on the floor. Sithis held still for a moment, enjoying the screams of the Orc's pain. Then, the demon suddenly pulled upwards, tearing his spinal cord clean out with a swift crack.


The Orc fell dead in seconds.


Spitting out the long bone onto the floor, the demon watched as Zelin was even farther now. Still crouched on top of the Orc's dead body, Sithis swayed his tail around like a cat before bursting into a sprint. He began to pick up speed, a deep growl erupting in his throat.

 

[Beaurmont]

The sounds of ripping and bones snapping behind him only sharpened his resolve. Zelin hastened his pace, happy that an unfortunate orc got in between him and the demon. He jumped over obstacles and slid across corners, hoping to get farther and farther away from the deadly predator. As he thought he was finally out of reach from the creature the sounds of claws echoed from behind him, obviously it still had a lot of fight left in it. "Shit." The prince exclaimed, still trying to gain some distance from the demons grip.


But suddenly without warning he coughed up blood, causing him to run into a wall. Zelin took the brunt of the collision, trying not to cause any more pain to Evangelina. He quickly jumped back up and began running again, coughing violently every few steps. It seems...I overestimated my body. He kept running down what seemed like eternal loops of hallways and prison cells, trying to find a safe passage out.

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

Aura and Erin had made more and more progress tracking the archdemon's steps, but more and more monsters got in their way. Another pack of shadow creatures, this one much larger. Around twelve shadow creatures surrounded them, including a pack leader, called a shadow beast.

Spoiler

A Shadow Beast confronting a group of guards. Many different kinds of Shadow Beasts exist, and some even travel alone, but most reside within Shadow Creature packs of 6 and up.


Erin would lead the two's charge, stunning the pack with blunt strikes, slashes, and a few steam-missiles from her hilt. The shadow creatures bit and clawed at her, but none hurt her worse then the shadow beast, who had managed to send a long claw mark down her left leg.


In pain, Erin flew back, leaving the opening to Aura. Aura would quickly jab the creatures with her rapier, blood spraying from the vital points she had punctured. By the time the two had returned back to their normal positions, only five shadow creatures remained, including the shadow beast, who was ready to charge and crush his opponents.


Fantastic.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The demon chased after the prince at a fast pace, skidding around corners and bumping into walls with his muscular shoulders. Sithis found it hard to slow down once he had begun running. But he pushed himself forward anyway. Bursting into an insanely fast sprint, the demon let out a snarl as he neared the prince once more. Until he turned sharply down another hallway.


Sithis screeched in anger, slamming into a wall and digging his claws into the cobblestone to slow himself. The demon slipped onto his side from the impact of the brick wall. With burning red eyes, he caught a glimpse of the prince turning around another corner. He vanished from view.


"YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME PRINCE!" Sithis screamed down the hallway, his booming voice echoing off the walls. His blood pumped fiercely in hot whips of panic. The prince was gone. Sithis could no longer sense his aura near. He snarled in anger and leaped to his feet. Sithis began poking his head around every corner in search of the prince.





"Come out, prince. You're still here somewhere. I can smell your blood." The demon hissed loudly. Sithis breathed in the lingering scents of the salty smell. The prince had ran by here. The demon followed the stench of the blood. He turned down a long dark hallway, only to lose the scent of the prince once more. Sithis bared his blackened fangs.

 

[logastellus]

lol I have not been to this thing in a while xD )


Yamina wraps her arms around Charles waist and burrows her head in his chest. She felt so ashamed right now she shouldn't be hugging Charles right now. "Im so sorry that you had to me break apart like that...it was out of line and I didn't know what was happening. Can you please forgive me?" She asked him removing her head from his chest and looking into his pink eyes. She just wanted to forget this whole day happened, her head hurt and her body was aching from what that ArchDemon did. She snuggles more deeper into Charles just wanting his reassuring touch, she didn't want anything romantic cause this wasn't the time to get all lovey dovey. She started feeling tired and just wanted to sleep the rest of the day. Her vision started to get darker as her eyes were slowly becoming heavy. The soft melody of the sandman was beckoning her towards him and she wasn't resisting. In a matter of minutes she fell asleep in Charles arms finally feeling relaxed.

 

[Beaurmont]

Roars still echoed from behind, seemingly getting farther and farther as he stumbled through the dark halls. The pain was beginning to subside, a burning in his chest flared with every movement. "...*cough*...I'm...feeling better?" He whispered, reaching out with his hand to feel around him. It seems the farther he got from the creature, the better he felt. "...It must be the same for Evangelina. I...need to move faster..." The prince tried to quicken his pace, only to felt a sharp pain in his back. I...guess my body still has it's limits. He returned to his walk, just before reaching what looked like some sort of chamber. The long hallway finally ended and two torches illuminated the room, each on one side of a rather large door. Nervously, he glanced behind, squinting into the darkness. Hoping that no one was following. It seems he made it far enough away from the beast to get a little rest.


Zelin sighed in relief and took a few deep breaths, he hadn't run like that in a long time. He glanced back at the large door, inspecting it suspiciously. Sure enough, a large key-hole sat in the middle, meaning it was locked from his entry. Shit. He looked behind him again warily and knelt down to place Evangelina on the floor. "Rest here for a moment...I'm getting us out of here." The prince layed her head gently onto the cold floor, silently praying she would be okay. For a moment, though a faint one, he thought Evangelina held a smile. It relaxed him considerably. "...Wait here a moment."


He walked up to the large door once again, inspecting the lock further, trying to understand whether he can crack it or not. "...One of the orcs must have the key...But I can't look for it now. Not enough time." Zelin placed his hand on the cold metal, causing him to shiver a bit. "...I'll have to try it again." He brought his hands together and closed his eyes, for a lock like this, it would take more force. "...Eintras..." He whispered but with a bit more force, and with his hand glowing with green aura, he punched the lock. A loud crack emanated along with a yelp of pain. The doors opened slowly creaking noisily as they opened. The prince stood on one knee, holding his fist with a pained expression. I...think I just broke my hand... A roar was heard from where he came, it seems the arch demon heard the sound. He'd have to move quickly.


Zelin rushed to Evangelina's side and picked her up once again, gently raising her on his back. "Time to go." With her anchored safely he made his way through the large doors, kicking them fully open with his foot. To his surprise it was even darker in the room than before...as if done by dark magic. He squinted in the darkness, not seeing any hint of light. It was like a hallow void, encompassing all before it. If I don't have any light...I could get lost in it forever... He thought, a stern expression on his face. He looked to his side, noticing one of the torches. "...Ah." Realization struck, and he quickly reach up with his left hand, removing the torch from the wall. "This'll do." Another roar erupted, slightly closer than before. It was time to run for it.


The prince turned toward the darkness, starring into it one last time. "...I'll get you out." Talking to himself out loud once again. He ran into the darkness, using the torch to illuminated the way. Corpses and skeletons lined the walls, some chained, some just sitting on the ground as if they gave up. I was right...it was dark magic. The torch flicked with every move, embers falling to the ground. The only sound the prince heard was the flames and his heavy breaths, trying to escape the horror. A small light could be seen from afar, almost like it was a beacon. The only light found in this darkness, it called to him. "...That...must be it." He ran harder than before, ignoring the pain in his back. Growing ever closer to the light.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The light grew closer and closer to both the prince and Evangelina. As they stepped into the golden beams, it engulfed them in warmth as the sun met their skin. The wind blew steadily, carrying a scent of pine and mountain flowers. Birds sang their songs repeatedly somewhere in the treeline. It was as if they had stepped into another world. The fresh air swept through the elf's long white hair, rustling it slightly. She began to awake from her unconsciousness and blinked sleepily. Evangelina groaned a bit, shifting her head and resting it on Zelin's shoulder.


"Where are we..." She murmured in a small voice. Her pale eyes darted around the vast forest in front of them. It took her a minute to realize they were out of the dungeon. The elf lifted her head away from his shoulder in realization.


"We're.... we're out of the dungeon..." Evangelina whispered. It was a miracle. She couldn't believe it. She took in a deep breath of the pine scented air around them. The elf sighed, smiling a bit. She lowered her head back to his shoulder and glanced towards the side of his face.


"I can try and walk if I'm hurting you." Evangelina said to him, sliding off his back and landing gently onto the tips of her toes. The elf didn't seem to give him a choice one way or another. She groaned a bit, pain pulsing through each part of her body. Dried blood was caked all over her pale arms and legs, even a bit on her face. Evangelina relaxed more as she felt the cold blades of grass brush against her skin. The elf tried to ignore the pain, for now. They needed to focus on how to get back to Dominion.


Even though she was standing normally, her pale eyes showed weakness and fragility. Her wounds were bright red with infection. Evangelina glanced around the forested area, taking a few steps down the hill they were on. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, giving the sky an eerie orange glow across the clouds. The elf looked back to Zelin.


"What do you think we should do? It's not safe to travel at night... and I feel we won't make it back to Dominion in time." Her expression was worried.

 

[Beaurmont]

Zelin looked at the orange tinted sunset, starring off into space in thought. He tried to move his right hand, only to experience a sharp pain. "...We...can't stay here." Sudden drowsiness washed over him, but he shook it away, trying to hold on longer. "Perhaps we can find a village nearby...are you okay to walk?" He asked, still rather concerned for her safety. The breeze made against his face felt pleasant, but he knew that when night came it would only get colder.


(Really short, yes. Killing a bit of time before I start forwarding the plot.)

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

Erin and Aura would dodge and weave claw strikes coming from all directions, preparing to strike the Shadow Beast once again. Aura's enchanted strikes, Erin's steam-missiles, and the many claws of the Shadow Creatures tore the surrounding forest apart. In a few seconds, Aura and Erin reached the Beast, and Erin led the charge with a missile shot.


The sudden explosion knocked the Beast back, and it's ready claw swung in terror, violently missing a possible fatal shot on Aura. To simply return the favor, Aura would pierce the Shadow Beast's heart, killing it with a deeper shove. Because their pack leader died, the other Shadows (generalization of all kinds of Shadow Creature) collapsed.


The cousins ran off to once again track the demon down, only to spot two figures. Their weapons became lifted, and ready.


Plop.. Heheh.. Plop.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Evangelina shifted from foot to foot, each movement shooting a shock of pain up her bloody legs. She avoided his gaze and forced a small smirk across her petal pink lips.


"Yeah. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me for now. We need to find a village by sundown. I used to study dark creatures in school. Most demons can not travel during the day because the warmth of the sun hurts them." She paused for a moment. Her eyes followed a lone ladybug that had perched itself on top of a wand of grass. It waved slightly, but the ladybug managed to secure a firm grip on the plant.


"They travel at night... We need to move.. And fast." She murmured, snapping out of her trance. She began making her way down the grassy hillside and further into the dense forest. The more she was away from that dreadful dungeon, the better she felt. Evangelina was soon surrounded by tall oak trees that towered over the two. Larks and bluebirds chirped in the branches above. Her muscles began to relax, and for a moment, she forgot about the pain. Nature had that effect on her.


The elf passed a tree covered with bright orange beetles that had a gentle glow to them. They burst into flight when she walked past, whirling around her before disappearing into the sky in a cyclone-like formation. The elf watched with curiosity, smiling a bit. She continued on, hearing the snapping sounds of feet against twigs as Zelin followed. Evangelina finally noticed how silent it was, especially without Mazumi here. She had told the hybrid to escape the castle just before Sithis snatched them. He was in her uncle's house, like she had told him. Safe and sound. It reassured her he was okay, but not having the companion along for the trip was strange. She's never traveled without Mazumi before.


Evangelina's thoughts came to a stop as the lingering scent of burning firewood flooded into her nose. She froze in her place, and glanced over at Zelin.


"Do you smell that?" The elf asked, beginning to wander further and further forward. But with every step, her body began to withdrawal. The pain intensified, making any slight movement a pulsation through her body. Evangelina was too stubborn to give up yet. She continued. The burning smell grew stronger. She stopped at a huge cliff overlooking a small village beneath. Evangelina blinked rapidly, trying to clear the blurriness that now enveloped her vision.


"Looks like we're in luck." She murmured in a quiet and faint voice. The elf began to make her way towards the edge of the treeline. Her vision was speckled with black dots, but she ignored them. She was almost near the road. She could make it. Her eyes were almost completely covered with blackness as she stepped onto the cobblestone street.


"... Ze.." Her voice cut short as she reached a hand out, trying to grab a hold of Zelin. But he was somewhere behind her. Her hand gripped nothing and the blackness swept in like a wave. The elf began to topple over backwards.

 

[Beaurmont]

Zelin continued to watch quietly from behind, following the elf through her travel. She seemed...unstable, rather feeble even. He couldn't tell if she was trying to be strong...for his sake or for hers. Suddenly Evangelina livened up, smelling the air like she was an animal herself. She mentioned firewood and moved ahead of him, slowly getting out of his sight. "H-hey wait up for ah-" A pain on his back prevented him from catching up, he knelt over a bit, trying to get a few breaths in. "How can she...have so much energy...?" Zelin took a moment to look around him, getting a feel for the nature. It didn't take long to dawn on him, he was outside of Dominion's walls. Thrills and excitement replaced the fear and fatigue he felt before, a smile appeared across his face.


It's...beautiful out here. Zelin thought to himself, slowly walking after Evangelina. A smell waved through the area, a first surprising him. Firewood? That what Evangelina must have been talking about. He sighed, impressed at her skills. She smelt it long before him, elves must have a better sense of smell. He caught up to the elf, standing on the edge of a large cliff, starring at the village below. Heh. This girl. She's amazing. The prince walked up behind her, chuckling a bit at her success. "You're amazing Evangelina. How'd you manage to...Hey...Evangelina? Evan-" He cut himself off as he watched the elf slowly fall backwards, her body going limp as her legs gave out. "He-hey, Evange-" He leapt forward, arms out to catch her, unfortunately for him the pain in his back was rather intense. He caught her successfully, but at the cost of more pain. "ARGH. Sh-" He yelped, trying to keep Evangelina from hitting the ground. Both his hand and back were flaring with pain, uncomfortable and nearly unbearable. "...My my. You're troublesome you know that?" He smiled through it and sat down on the ground, resting Evangelina's head on his chest. "...It wouldn't hurt to rest a bit...no?" Zelin whispered before falling asleep in minutes.

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

---


Charles smiled as Yamina fell asleep in his hold, and simply shifted so that she was on his lap, and he was resting on his chair. The magnificent piece of furniture raised high, and Charles tweaked for the next round of exciting events.


Ayah would be tending to the wounded guards, bandaging wounds and using her half-breedness to use by casting healing magic to mend bone, organs, and limbs. Living guards worked hard to contain the frightened civilians, as swarms were attempting to make a run for it due to the sudden breach. Security tightened, and violence and chaos took hold of Dominion's streets. The Eastern Guard Tower was besieged by a riot, and five civilians were killed in the rampage.


It was soon approaching the time Charles would have to step in.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Hooves clapped noisily against the uneven cobblestone road, startling a few nearby crows perched in a tall pine tree. A massive horse with a sleek black coat trotted along contently with a man sitting on top of the worn out leather saddle. He hummed to himself and held the reigns with one hand. The man wore a blue shirt with brown trousers, and had short brown messy hair. He seemed to be in his late 50's. The horse let out a soft whinny, shaking its head as flies landed around its mouth. The flies burst into flight, only for a second before landing back down on the horse's muzzle. His dark eyes began to linger around, taking in the beautiful forest around him. After admiring the trees for quite a long time, his gaze settled on a pair of dark figures back in the forest a ways. He pulled the reigns to his hips, and squinted. The horse pawed at the ground and snorted loudly.


"Oh... oh my god!" The man exclaimed in panic. The black horse immediately became skittish as the man slid off the saddle, and rushed towards the two unconscious people. One an elf, and the other a man. The two were both seriously injured. His dark eyes were flooded with worry. He trudged out of the forest and waved his arms at two men beginning to leave the village.


"HEY! We got two injured people over here! Help me, will ya!" The man yelled, watching as the two men quickly rushed over. They seemed to know him. In seconds, they had the elf and the man carried into the small village. The two were taken to an inn, where an old women and her grandchildren lived. The three children, two boys and one girl, gasped in shock as the two unconscious strangers were brought in.


"WOW! Are they dead?" The two twin boys asked in unison. Their grandmother hissed at them to retreat back to their rooms. The older girl led her two brothers away and up the stairs. It wasn't long before the elf and the man were in their own beds, settled carefully underneath the warm blankets...


________________________________________________________________________


A day or two later...





The sun shone gently through the glass window, lighting up the room with golden beams. The elf lay in the white bed, a wet cloth draped across her forehead. All blood that had recently been caked onto her pale skin, was gone. A bowl of water sat on a nightstand, a tint of crimson wavering in the liquid. An old women opened the door and quietly walked in. A small girl around the age of 6 followed her like a puppy. She leaned down a bit and lifted the wet cloth away. Placing a gentle hand on the elf's forehead, the old woman cringed and placed the damp cloth back.


"Oh my... She's got a nasty fever." She murmured, straightening up. The little girl fiddled her thumbs nervously, looking up at her grandmother with an innocent expression.


"Will she be alright?" The girl asked, smiling a bit as the old woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She pulled her close.


"Give her more time. She will be fine in a few more days."





The two left the room and shut the door behind them.


The old woman walked into the man's room with the little girl no longer following her. His hands were wrapped up in bandages, and some sort of disinfectant was spread over the skin of his wounds. She walked up to him and gently prodded him awake.


"Hey... it's time to wake up now... You've been asleep for quite a long time." The old women let out a hoarse but kind cackle as he began to awake.


 
(..... Oh...... Should I delete my post?......)

 

[Beaurmont]

(...err..I dunno.)

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

(.... I SPENT SO LONG ON IT Dx Gah)

 

[Beaurmont]

(Yall two decide on that. Zelin's still in sleepy land. xD )


 
Zelin awakes groggily, unsure of his whereabouts. He quickly raises himself upward, finding himself in someone's bedroom. Where...? He glances down at his tattered body, to find it bandaged heavily and cleaned of all blood. Many of the gashes have healed considerably, and all bruises seem as if small injuries. After a moment he realized he couldn't see out of his right eye and instinctively reached up with his broken hand, to find both his hand and eye had also been bandaged. "...Who...where..." He whispered quietly, rather dumbfounded. The prince studied the room in which he was in, looking for anything as which could give him a clue. Directly across from the bed stood a large brown cabinet, draped with a colorful rainbow cloth. Two vases sat upon the top, filled with fresh flowers that filled the room with a delightful aura.


For some reason this brought the prince to ease, and he smiled, if only a bit. The entirety of his body hurt, but it was considerably less than it had been before. Just...what had happened? He placed his left hand upon his bandaged eye, trying to search through the torn remnants of his memories. The events played through quick and in painful flashes, causing him to wince slightly. "...It...hurts to much to remember." He stopped trying and looked to his left, another small cabinet stood, this time with a glace of water and a small plate of fruit on it. The prince was surprised, and hesitantly reached for the apple, unsure of what to do. I must look silly, afraid to take food. He shook his head with a smile and reached for the water instead, casually bringing it to his lips to take huge gulps. His thirst brought him to drink the entire glass and still want more. I'll...have to apologize and thank whom ever saved me. That elf girl nearly got us- His very thoughts halted at the mention of an elf. "Evangelina..." He whispered, searching the room for her presence. "Evangelina!" He now yelled, throwing the covers off, trying to get out of bed. A sharp pain, YET AGAIN, struck, immobilizing him in motion. "Agh...when will this go away!?" He shouted, grimacing unhappily.


Suddenly the prince heard sounds from outside his door, as if something was waiting for him outside. He listened carefully, holding his side. The whispers spoke quickly and almost with a bit of fear. ...Just where am I?

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The old woman heard the frantic yelling of the man inside the room. Her kind blue eyes grew worried and she turned to an older man standing next to her.


"I was fearful this would happen. Go. He will be upset if there are more strangers in his room." The old woman said to him. He nodded slowly, but was a bit hesitant. He flashed her one last look before making his way to the ground level of the house. She let out a deep sigh, and pushed open the door. She stood there, flashing him a small smile. The man had kicked off the covers. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding his side in pain. Her gaze softened.


"You're alright... Don't worry... You're friend is in the room next to yours. She is resting." The woman murmured reassuringly, stepping in and closing the door behind her. The old woman sat in a chair close to his white bed. She observed him curiously before speaking again.


"You tore a muscle along you're spinal cord. I'm not sure how, but you did. The only thing I can suggest is a few days of rest, dear." She paused and rocked back and forth in the wooden chair. It squeaked lightly.


"But... I feel you are curious on where you are. A man living in this village found you off the side of the road, and brought you here. My name is Idna, and I am the owner of this inn." The old woman curved her lips into a warm smile. He looked very familiar, but she couldn't seem to figure it out. There was a faint sound of children laughing and making strange noises downstairs. Then, a pounding of heavy feet as they ran up the stairs and past the door.


"Kai! Wait for me!" A little boy's voice could be heard, stomping by the door. Idna chuckled and shook her head a bit.


"My grandchildren live here with me as well. I hope they won't bother you too much."

 

[Beaurmont]

Zelin eased his shoulders, looking the elderly woman in her eyes. They sparkled beautifully, betraying her age, giving her this grace as if she was still young. The prince smiled and shook his head, bowing a bit. "No...no, I am not bothered. I am grateful for your hospitality. Please...forgive my outburst. I was..." He looked at the wall, a blank expression on his face, as if he could see through it. A huge grin was painted on his face, trying to relax. "She's...very important to me." He looked back at the owner, still a bit confused. "How long have we been out? How is Evangelina feeling?" He asked in rapid succession, generally worried about her response.


(I don't control the old lady so it's a rather short post. xD )

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

The elderly woman smiled a bit, standing up from the rocking chair and opening the glass window on the opposite wall. A rush of fresh air blew in, and she let out a small sigh.


"You two have been out for a few days or so. About 4. You're friend has not woken up since. It worries me. She has a very bad fever. Her body's immune system is low, meaning it will prevent the healing of her wounds until she is better. For now, I am doing everything I can. But, if her fever worsens, there isn't much else I can do." She murmured quietly, staring out the window as if in deep thought. The woman's pale blue eyes followed two boys who had run out of the inn, and were speeding off in the direction of the bakery. Idna chuckled a bit, shaking her head.


"You do seem quite worried about her. Would you like to come with me into her room? I have to see if she will wake up. I can't give her medicine when she's asleep." The old woman laughed again. She held out her arm to him and smiled.

 

[Beaurmont]

The prince closed his eyes, hearing of Evangelina's fever made him uneasy. He reopened them and reached out the the old woman's hand, using her to hoist himself upward. His body was wobbly and weak, but at least he could move on his own. Zelin stretched a bit and watched as the old woman walked out, smiling all the while. He quickly tried to follow, staying close so not to get lost. Evangelina's room was right next to his, and it was only a few steps away. The old woman opened the door slowly with a creak and walked in, moving with even more vigor that he could muster. Just how old is this woman? The prince stepped in, immediately expecting a elf in extreme stress. But, to his surprise, Evangelina sat quietly asleep in bed. A cloth covered her face, keeping half of her face hidden. The blankets were removed from her, exposing her body to the cool air. Just like Zelin, but on a much worse scale, the entirety of her body was covered in bloodied bandages.


He stood completely surprised, his mouth hanging open, it must have been apparent on his face, the old woman herself frowned. "You both were gravely wounded child, but this one...she was so much worse. Bruises and cuts that would have killed a normal woman. She looks like such a frail thing...yet she must have a strong will." The innkeeper spoke very respectfully of Evangelina, both impressed an filled with pity. Zelin walked up near the bed and leaned over, grief in his mind. I should have been stronger. I should have been better than this, I'm a prince damnit! He closed his exposed eye, putting his left hand on Evangelina's cheek. It was still soft, but rather warm. The old woman stepped behind Zelin and placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. "I've had to replace her bandages twice now, but the bleeding finally subsided. She's in better condition than before. Now we have to wait for the fever to go down."

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Idna watched quietly as the man slid a hand over the elf's face, and held it there. She assumed the two were together. The elf began to wake, her closed eyes trembling before opening. She blinked to clear the blurriness. The colors in her vision began to focus, and Evangelina's gaze softened when she saw who was in front of her. The elderly woman smiled slightly, removing her gentle hand from the man's shoulder.


"I'll leave you two alone for a moment." She said quietly. Idna began to make her way out of the bedroom, closing the door. Evangelina gazed at Zelin. She reached up a hand and gently brushed it underneath his chin. She seemed to be just a bit delirious.


"Are you okay... Zelin?" The elf asked, flicking her eyes towards his patched eye. Their gazes locked, and she smiled. Sitting up a bit in her place, Evangelina removed the wet cloth from her face and set it down on the nightstand. A grogginess invaded her blue eyes, along with a hot blush on her face. Her body felt weak, vulnerable.

 

[Beaurmont]

(I'm slightly disappointed in myself. After reading the last sentence the first thing to enter my mind immediately was: FINISH HER.)


Zelin grinned a bit, never removing his gaze from hers, not even realizing he still held her cheek. "Never mind me, how do you fare?" He asked, looking her up and down. He retracted himself from her, so as not to be annoying. The prince pulled up a chair from the nearby desk, bringing close to the bed. He leaned back into it, quite exasperated. He began rubbing the bandage over his eye, thinking intently. "...Darkness fills my mind. My memories are in shambles, I...can't quite remember all that happened." Not that it matters much. Zelin turned to look at Evangelina, still looking into her eyes. "Are you...are you really okay?"

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

(Holy cow Monty xD You are vicious)


The white haired elf leaned forward a bit, draping a strand in front of her blue eye. She looked down at her feet. Evangelina seemed to be in some sort of daze. She smiled slightly, a hesitant look on her face.


"I'm.. I'm not sure. I'm feeling better then I was before. But..." Evangelina murmured quietly, letting out a small chuckle. The elf shook her head. She darted her eyes back to his and began to slowly slid her legs over the edge of the bed. She sat in front of him now. The tops of her knees brushed gently against his.


"I don't really know what will happen." Evangelina finally whispered, avoiding his gaze and staring out the window next to her bed. She caught a glimpse of a bluebird pass by, chirping noisily. Her eyes grew sad for a sliver of a moment. Evangelina turned towards the prince and her reddened blush began to brighten.


"You should get some rest, Zelin. You're hurt too." Her hand gently entwined with his bandaged one. Her fingers ran across his palm, spreading his hand flat. She paused suddenly and began to lift her hand away. Something seemed to be bothering her.

 

[Beaurmont]

(It runs in the family blood I'm sure. ;3)


Zelin quickly reached out with his hand, gently grasping the elf's in his own. He stared at her with a serious expression, trying to use all the strength he could muster. "No...this time I'm staying right here." He entwined his fingers with hers, resting his other hand on his lap. "I...want to stay with you." He stated, a blush of his own becoming easily visible. A breeze entered the room from the opened window, gently sweeping through, many flora fragrances entered. He himself looked outside, starring at the trees that swayed in the wind. "...It's really beautiful out here you know. I...will never forget what happened down there...the memories will haunt me forever." He whispered, pain caused him to wince and grimace. "But...I do not regret it."


I probably sound like a fool to her. The prince thought to himself, closing his exposed eye. He let out another sigh, and relaxed his muscles in the chair. Maybe she hates me. I would...I almost hate myself.

 

[SirFlabberghaspy]

"Charles Mein, answer me, damn it, answer me!", Garthorian Markus would scream, backed by a small army of angry civilians and armed mercenaries. The Captain of the Guard approached the secured door to the castle, and would hop into his chair, floating over the gate and above the mob. With a laugh, he pushed himself from the chair, and landed gracefully behind the angry crowd.


"Answer!"


"There was a breach in security, indeed, but it has been taken care of.", Charles said with a sigh, gazing over the crowd to see his beaten and bruised nieces, along with Ayah, who had joined the fight mid-way. He then re-focused unto the crowd.


"How can you be so calm about this?"


"How can I put it... It's... exciting.", Charles would proclaim, containing a giggle by shoving his left, gloved, fist against his smiling mouth. This seemed to anger the crowd.


"You...you damn lunatic, kill him!", Garthorian Markus would scream. If Charles wasn't the most known person within Dominion, along with Zelin, it was Garthorian, Nobleman of House Markus, one of the leading producers in magi-tech, and steam technology in general.


The citizens stood back as the mercenaries charged Charles, the guards simply yelling and banging against the gates. "Charles, be careful! They're armed and trained!"


"Got you!", the lead mercenary would yell, swinging a steel war-hammer straight for the statue-like Charles.


...

"We're all mad here."


Charles quickly leaned backwards, the quick hammer missing his nose by a millimeter. The surprised mercenary looked back at his opponent, only to see a fist enter his face. The man would quickly fly across the yard, smashing into three others, and into one of the Castle's outer walls. Two more mercenaries charged, and shared the same fate. Charles smiled, his hair covering his eyes, giving him a devilish look. When he took a step forwards, the crowd took a step back.


"Run."


And the crowd did just that. The sprawling people trampled over each other, slamming into the ground only to pick themselves up again. Mercenaries ran alongside civilians alike, throwing their weapons down, and ripping their armor off, as it only meant extra weight. There was only one person left, Garthorian.


"You wouldn't d-"


Charles grabbed the man by the throat, and lifted him with ease. "I said run.", the Captain would say in a monotone voice. Garthorian's face was full of fear, until it was slammed into the ground ten feet behind Charles, as he tossed the noble man. With a broken wrist and a bloody nose, Garthorian leaped away, screaming back at Charles.


"You'll pay for this, you'll pa-"


Charles took a step backwards, towards the man, who suddenly bolted. "And so the pride of Garthorian Markus is", Charles muttered, as he looked up with a smile, gazing as the clusters of people ran away in terror behind him. "Nevermore."


The Guards opened the gate, and were quick to approach Charles.