Dragon War [o/a]

[Azure 007FFF]

▌❝αʟтнαʟos❞ ▌

Void to feel,
Broken the wheel.
I am the reason you feel,
the reason you feel,
the reason you feel no more.

◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻

Instantly he noted the dragon's eyes search around for her most trusted: her rider. Athalos already knew where the demon was so he didn't bother following her gaze, knowing she wouldn't find what she was looking for. Being a hunter, Althalos was in tuned to a lot of things and could normally predict a prey's movement before it happened. Like stated before, he was no mind reader, but perhaps he was damn close to it. When the she-dragon's gaze finally stopped on him, her eyes instantly portrayed curiosity, as they should. After the mentioning of his name, it dawned on her, clicking into place who he was and what role he played in the life they knew of. Her hand was held out to him as if she expected a kiss to be planted there. Normally, he would have outright refused. He paid no such respect to anyone. Not even the prince unless it was called for, but instead he allowed his upper body to bend, his hand softly clasping her's as his lips brushed the top of her knuckles. Instantly after, her maid was dismissed into the party and Althalos watched her go. She was beautiful, but so were most fairies and the hunter had no interest in common prey unless he was being paid. Faes were normally easily captured or kill so the provided no interesting sport.

Taking up the she-dragon's offer, Althalos seated himself in the maid's seat across from the dragon, settling his cup on the table before them. "Correct. I don't have the time normally to stop and visit the prince's balls. My work depends greatly on timing, you see. As for your rider, you are correct. I brought something for the Prince and, since he's not here to see to it, Arceus is looking after it. I'm sure he'll return shortly, however, so do not fret." Taking a small sip of his wine, he gazed over the cup to the dragon, his eyes never leaving the alluring woman. He had to admit, she was as attractive, if not more so than the rumors stated, but Althalos had little interest in love or relationships at the moments. There were too many things to be done. Setting his glass back on the table, he followed Allirea's gaze to the dance floor where a song had ended and another picked up to take it's place.

Obviously the dragon envied the dancers because a moment later, she was on her feet. Again, she demanded respect by asking a commanding question. By her tone, he knew she was not use to being denied anything and he was half tempted to simply remain seated, but he was here on a break, not to stir up trouble. Standing, he followed the woman out onto the floor and into the crowd of dancers. Her movements should have been a tease to any man's eyes, but Althalos wasn't your normal man. Her snake like sways and succubus like movements were just about ignored as he face showed nothing but indifference. Even as the crowd stared and parted, Althalos merely watched in a curious fashion more than anything. As soon as the moment allowed, he stepped into her movements, following her step for step as if he had done this millions of times before. Reaching out, his palm clasped her hip to pull her closer as they swayed to the beat. For a moment, he had to wonder if the she-dragon was testing him. Unlike his other hunts, dragons were most intelligent and often toyed with those they deemed unworthy unless other wise proven. Perhaps that was what Lady Allirea was attempting to do. If that were the case, her tactics would surely prove fruitless.

◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻

Touch the taste,
the empty embrace.
I am the reason you run,
the reason you run,
the reason you run from here.

[KeatonIshTak05]

Colt Fernal
"No more nights of blood and fire."

Colt nodded, his back still to his siblings. "He's had that around his neck since he took it and found a sufficiently attractive container. Supposedly, our eyes are the source of any powers we have. It's untrue, but a Pale Shadow's eyes are still extremely valuable. Probably because we're extinct, for all intents and purposes." As far as he knew, only males of the subspecies remained.

He listened as she prepared her inquiry. He was a little confused when it first came out, but his mind quickly put pieces together. "They do not. My elder brother, the one with my eye, almost had a rider, but they had a falling out before the mark could be made, and he killed the little whatever it was. Something tiny and incredibly vicious." Colt had never given any thought to having a rider. It wasn't as if it would mean being tamed or degraded. Dragon riders were actually very respected. It certainly would be something to hold over the heads of the others. The potential for limited freedom was there as well. His brothers couldn't restrict his movements nearly so much. He did not know Barbatos enough, though, to consider her now. "It's an intriguing idea. I have to ask you, though. Would you be willing to give up Tenebris? Because I will not work for the prince, and there is no way you will change my mind on that."

"Take these eyes.
I would rather be blind."

[Z3Z3]

Barbatos Merlin
The Cambion who Loves Deals

I like a good deal, especially the ones that don't involve a lot labor.

The cambion pondered at the thought about their source of power being their eyes. 'Gotta keep at tab on that...' She listened to Colt's tale about his elder brother almost getting a rider, but it failed miserably. This made her smile. It just showed how much they didn't think through. They weren't cautious and deceiving as the cambion. Well, they probably were and just didn't show it. However, she wasn't going to underestimate them entirely. This was only giving Barbatos bits and pieces of how they functioned.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Colt's question of leaving Tenebris. The idea sounded charming, but it was impossible right now. "It's understandable of why you don't wish to work for the prince. Keep in mind that it's not easy to escape from his clutches." She winked at the rogue dragon, a grin on her face. "If I could leave this place willy-nilly, I would have done so ages ago. But right now, this is my best bet. As soon as things get dangerous on this end, I'll high tail out of here." It was the truth, Barbatos was only staying since it benefited her more than living in the streets and trying to become part of her succubus side.

Besides, having a roof over your head isn't so bad. The only issue was that she had a higher risk of getting killed if she betrayed the kingdom. That is why she only decided to run if this place gave her nothing of worth and dangerous, she'll run. Doesn't matter where or how, she'll run. For now, that idea is on hold until she gets more allies. "Here's another question for you: How long can you tolerate it?" She knew he wasn't good at hiding his hate for this place, but it was better than nowhere. Sure, his brothers threatened him most of the time, but without them where would he live. "Adding to that, where will you go and how will you hide?"

Where is the rabbit hole? At the Ball
Havoc Happening: Plottin'
Who's Dragged In? Colt

As long as I don't get the short end of the stick, I'm all yours!

[.Sour .Skittles.]

ᾎllirea 𝕰lvárion

∝╬══→❄" Sit back, matter of fact, teasing, toying, turning, chatting, charming hissing, playing the crowd."

Oh darling, you're a million ways to be cruel.

∝╬══→❄"Oh such grace, oh such beauty. So precious, suspicious, and charming, and vicious. "

Allirea looked a tad surprised at first when she felt a hand on her hip. She had almost forgotten of her invitation of dance as she had been preoccupied by the sound of the music vibrating through the room. She had been enjoying herself thoroughly but she smiled at the indifferent face looking back to her. Athalos was well practiced, which did not surprise her greatly. His job would require him to be nimble- to allow him to jump move and predict movements easily and so it were no wonder that he were also a well versed partner.

“Ah, so you do dance.” She commented with a knowing smile. She seemed to hold no intentions of ill will towards the man with her musings, but she were observing him in her own way. She were not obvious about it as he were when watching her. Rather she moved with his strides, feeling the raw energy and power behind them. His movements were bold, and simple like she imagined his character was, unlike her own flourish

The hunter was not unattractive either, he did not seem to bare many unattractive traits or scars, but Allirea was still unsure of his purpose. Why was he staying around the prince’s domain and why so loyal to one man if he were simply a man for hire? It did not quite add up unless Athalos had a plan up his own sleeve. Whatever that plan might have been Allirea would have to make sure he could be trusted, or eliminate the problem before it came to interfere with her own plans. Perhaps their goals might even be one in the same and if that were the case then he would be just another person she could count on when the rebellion would come into play. Though, the prince was the last of her worries for this moment. First they would have to win the war, then he could be destroyed. It were all in a matter of time.

As they turned so her back was briefly to his chest for a few steps she began to speak. “What would you think if I said I had a proposition for you, Sir Hunter?” She asked as she turned to face the taller male once again, “I find myself lucky. I am surprisingly in need of someone with your talents. Someone who is trustworthy- and since you serve our prince dutifully I do believe we can come to an agreement of some sort. You would ,of course, be paid whatever price you deem fit and I do believe you would find some enjoyment in it.” She stated, “It may prove to be somewhat challenging, but I doubt it will be terribly so.” She commented, eyes meeting the man’s whos were many shades lighter than her own. Her gaze flashed brief vengeance. She would have liked to strangle her target herself, but this would prove to be faster and much simpler she assumed and what dragon didn’t want to hit two birds with one stone?

Allirea had been speaking quietly enough so Athalos could hear her but not so loud that anyone else could intrude without purpose. After all, if anyone over heard they would not question her judgement unless of course they were her rider or the prince himself- perhaps even Luinel. Most would simply assume she were talking about a dragon of the resistance. It were obviously the most logical choice. Finally the song came to an end and Allirea spun away from him, slowly dipping into a curtsey as was customary at the end of a partnered dance. It showed respect and thanks, not to mention not many could do so with the grace of the dragoness.
"Your skills of movement are impressive." She complimented as clapping commenced after the end of that song before another began to start, "Thirsty?" Al asked, slowly leading the two of them from the dance floor.

[Grimalkenkid]

⋙ Ilessys Isan ⋘
>~<~>~<~>~ The Bamboo Witch ~<~>~<~>~<

The Ball was grand, just like she expected it to be. It was also crowded and full of people who secretly threw knives at each other's backs to see if they could make something hit. Ilessys slowly meandered through the ballroom, trying not to catch anyone's icy stare or fiery glare. Schemes and plots, schemes and plots... can't we just enjoy the night? The swamp dragon knew that it was pointless to think about it, but she thought it anyway. She had come to the Ball and paid her respects to the Prince. He had no more tasks for her that day, so Ilessys was "invited" to stay for the rest of the evening. She would've stayed anyway; the retainers hadn't needed to threaten her.

She sighed as she passed by the refreshment table, picking up a glass without so much as stopping. Ilessys was no expert on wines, but she could tell that it was a fine wine indeed. No one would make a half-effort at the Prince's own party. It was one of the benefits of working there; she got the best of everything as long as she did what was asked of her. Earlier, Ilessys had been called upon to animate a few enemy soldiers they had felled in battle. The ritual had left her tired, so she didn't stop to dance.

Instead, Ilessys dodged all potential partners with a wave of her drink and a curt "goodbye" and made her way out onto the balcony. It was a cloudy night, but that didn't diminish the enjoyment she got from simply being under the sky. Compared to all the other dragons there, she was more of a country dragon, unused to all the luxuries that they had at the Tenebris Castle. Taking another deep sigh, Ilessys leaned on the railing and finally sipped at her drink. There was another dragon there - she could tell that much at least - and she looked over her company surreptitiously. It was a very flat-chested woman if the dress was anything to go by, one with pale violet-colored hair wrapped up in a bun.

Ilessys didn't give much thought to who it was; she couldn't tell anyway. "Lovely night we're having," she said, merely to make small talk. "If I weren't so exhausted, I might be able to enjoy it more. Dancing would be a nice break in pace from studying all day."

Where: The Ball, balcony
With: a flat-chested lady

[KeatonIshTak05]

Colt Fernal
"No more nights of blood and fire."

He leaned on the wall and looked out the window as Barbatos spoke. "I am aware. I never said it had to be right away. I just needed to know that you weren't mindlessly loyal to this place like so many others seem to be." He glanced at her, his expression neutral as she grinned at him. He knew from previous mentions of the Cambion that she was a creature of opportunity. While she could benefit, she'd stick around, and as soon as the cons outweighed the pros, she was gone. He rather liked that trait in others. He was too stubborn to be that way.

As for tolerating this place... "Well, I've put up with it this long. If things stay as they have been, I could put up with it indefinitely. I wouldn't like it, but I could." He liked to think he was pretty adaptable and patient. "Truth be told, I don't like the idea of this place changing. As much as I dislike the prince and everything he has been responsible for, I fear what would replace him." He was not saying there was a plot. He'd have no way of knowing something like that. It was just that in a kingdom as unscrupulous as this, betrayal was inevitable. Colt only hoped he wasn't around to see it. "I don't know where I'd go. Anywhere would be fine." His brothers might have to be dead first, though. They were uncannily good at finding him. They always had been.

"Take these eyes.
I would rather be blind."

[Azure 007FFF]

▌❝αʟтнαʟos❞ ▌

Void to feel,
Broken the wheel.
I am the reason you feel,
the reason you feel,
the reason you feel no more.

◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻◅▻

"Indeed I do, although it has been awhile." He wasn't sure if she was surprised by the fact that he knew how or was simply delighted that he was able to keep up with her. From what he knew, dragons didn't like weakness, even with the simplest things. Especially Tenebris dragons. It was good that he appealed to her good nature and appeased her for the moment. However, his focus didn't remain on her. More of the prince's guard dragons were currently filing into the ball and too many dragons in one place spelled trouble. Much like felines, dragons were lone creatures unless family as involved, and then even family didn't get along sometimes. This ball was going to come to a crashing end if someone didn't step in soon.

His thoughts were distracted when Allirea began speaking to him again. If he were a normal human, he would have barely heard her voice over the music so he knew she was speaking so that no one else would hear. "A proposition, hm? I would think, what would a dragon as powerful as yourself want with a hunter like me to take care of your problems? Unless it was something dirty and underhanded." A small smirk played over his face even as she ignored his comment and continued on with what she had to say. Of course, a bit of flattery was thrown in there. She barely knew him but called him talent and trustworthy. Didn't this woman know flattery got you no where? At least, in Althalos' case. Now, at the mention of getting paid any price he deemed and for her to say he would not only get enjoyment but somewhat of a challenge, his interest perked. "You have my attention. What is it you're asking of me?" Althalos didn't like game unless he was in control so he brought her's to an end, speaking rather bluntly about what he wanted.

When the song ended, she provided no more further information just yet, the room far too hushed now for anything sneaky. They would have to slip off into a more private location and wait for the music to begin again. Until that moment, Althalos allowed himself to be led off the floor and to the table where the drinks were. He held up a hand in a silent refusal, indicating he was no long thirsty nor was he tired in the least bit. "I would hope so, Lady Allirea. If my movements weren't impressive, I'd never catch what I was chasing." His words were not sarcastic or rude, but instead just truthfully said. Lifting a hand, he released his silver and blue locks from their ponytail, the pull on his scalp starting to give him a small headache. Instantly they tumbled down to his shoulders and down to his mid back, but he made sure to tuck some strands behind his ear so they would remain out of his face. "Perhaps we should find ourselves a more quiet place to talk, hm?"

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Touch the taste,
the empty embrace.
I am the reason you run,
the reason you run,
the reason you run from here.

[Z3Z3]

Belphegor Shyamal
Rogue Dragon of Darkness

Please understand that I have no ill feelings toward you...

Belphegor turned to see a woman. She was dressed in robes of red and pink. His crimson eyes glanced at her before returning to the horizon, wandering who she was. Her scent wasn't familiar either. "For the most part," he huffed. If she didn't figure it out before, she should have figured it out by now that he was male. His voiced pretty much gave it away. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to say something about the situation he's in. However, he crossed his arms, recalling something. 'I probably shouldn't give a damn just like a certain incubus...'

The poison dragon turned to her, deciding to start a conversation since he had nothing better to do. It's that he was interested, he was just bored. "I haven't see you around, a new dragon to join the prince's army?" He was a straight to the point kind of guy-well, girl for now. He merely gazed at her for a couple of seconds before looking away. "If you are new to this castle, welcome. I am Belphegor." He closed his eyes thinking for a moment, "What is your name?"

Location: Tenebris Ball, veranda
Current Objective: Meeting and Greeting.
Companions: Ilessys

...I a mystical beast that is bitter and tired.

[Z3Z3]

Barbatos Merlin
The Cambion who Loves Deals

I like a good deal, especially the ones that don't involve a lot labor.

At Colt's words, the cambion swatted her hand at an invisible, scoffing. "No, I'm probably the most dangerous character in here. You probably heard rumors about me and most of them are true," she joked. Half of it could have been true. The cambion was one of those characters who would change her mind easily and would run away with no guilt or dignity hurt. She followed the notion of every man for himself, well every woman for herself. However, that doesn't mean she will not be loyal. Heck, if she had a best friend here then yeah she'll stay to the end, but that was impossible. Barbatos had learned to not get attached thanks to her father.

The cambion nodded her head at Colt's words about someone betraying the prince and taking his place. Barbatos wasn't aware of anything, but the idea of taking the prince's throne from under his nose is quite frightening. Who will take his? How and why is the more important question. Her mercury purple eyes gazed up into Colt's single icy blue one. "So it's settled then. You're willing to get a rider. Have you decided on who yet? I heard riders and dragons are supposed to be best friends, even if their personalities clash. Take the second-in-commands as example." Barbatos had nothing against them, she found them quite interesting and entertaining. They were alluring, Allirea with her beauty and divinity as a noble dragon, and Arceus with his charm and power, yet they were dangerous. The cambion does not want to interact with them in any way. They were clever, too clever, that it frightened her.

As a coward she will stay away from that. She gazed at Allirea speaking to the hunter. She didn't like this: dangerous people around dangerous people. That did not sound good. The cambion was well aware of who Althalos is and she wouldn't want to cross paths with him. Let alone get chased by him. She feared he is one of the very few people who will be able to catch her right away. 'Note to self: Get rid of the hunter. If I ever do decide to run away, he will be my biggest problem...'

Where is the rabbit hole? At the Ball
Havoc Happening: Plottin'
Who's Dragged In? Colt

As long as I don't get the short end of the stick, I'm all yours!

[Grimalkenkid]

⋙ Ilessys Isan ⋘
>~<~>~<~>~ The Bamboo Witch ~<~>~<~>~<

Ilessys' eyebrows shot up when the woman spoke. Oh... he's a man. I suppose there are all types here, she thought as her surprise abated and her face adopted its normal, neutral expression. However, she couldn't help but smile a bit, like she was enjoying a little inside joke. Well, he certainly looks good in a dress. I wonder if he would take it as a compliment or insult if I were to say that he looks more stunning than some of the other women I've seen tonight. She let out a tiny giggle that barely left her lips at all. Probably an insult.

Turning back to the sky, she sipped her wine. "I suppose I am new," she said, letting the cool, night air blow away the worst of her exhaustion. "I've come here a few times before, but only briefly. I used to do my work... elsewhere. But nowhere can I find such a magnificent library as here in the Castle." Ilessys felt like talking about her work - she was definitely proud of it - but decided against it. Discussing necromancy wasn't exactly the best dinner conversation for such a high-class party, and she didn't want to risk offending. Perhaps at another time, but not now.

Ilessys tilted her head back to the dragon - Belphegor - as he asked her name. "Ilessys. It's a pleasure to meet you, Belphegor. I must admit, your welcome is by far the warmest I've received so far."

Where: The Ball, balcony
With: Belphegor

[Z3Z3]

Belphegor Shyamal
Rogue Dragon of Darkness

Please understand that I have no ill feelings toward you...

He noticed the shocked expression on her face, letting it slide. He was more interested about her work and why she only came here briefly, judging how she lightly touched the topic it was obvious that she wanted to avoid it for now. He nodded his head at her words about the castle's library. It has been one of the best he has seen. He would often go there to touch up on his runes since he had nothing better to do. His red eyes took notice of Ilessys turning back to him. He chuckled lightly at her words about his warm welcome. "I'm very indifferent and I do things at my own pace, so don't be offended on another day if I choose to ignore you." The dragon will never sugar coat anything. He will bluntly say it, except the conversation earlier today with Arceus. That did not go well and it left a bitter taste in Belphegor's mouth, which wasn't the poison.

Belphegor removed his gaze off of Ilessys, wondering what he should talk about next. He's the type of person who wouldn't talk about looks, family, or past. Those kinds of things he will only ask if he decided to tell someone about himself, which was unlikely. "Pleasure to meet you too, I suppose..." he mumbled, standing there, wandering what to do. What could he say? What should he do? He pondered for a moment, thinking. His mind wandered to Arceus, the conversation still haunting him, but he shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside. That could wait for later in the night, right? Right? The poison dragon turned to Ilessys, "I'm quite curious. What kind of work does a dragon with no rider, like yourself, do?"

Location: Tenebris Ball, veranda
Current Objective: Meeting and Greeting.
Companions: Ilessys

...I a mystical beast that is bitter and tired.

[KeatonIshTak05]

Colt Fernal
"No more nights of blood and fire."

Colt chuckled softly. "Mostly, I only hear about you when Belphegor is complaining. If you are going to confirm the rumors, though, I'll allow them to hold a little more weight when I finally form an opinion about you." He tried very hard to not make a decision on what he thought of people at least until the first encounter was over. He could appreciate her lack of concrete loyalty.

When she mentioned his willingness to have a rider, along with the questions about possible partners, he gave her an odd look. "I was assuming you were talking about yourself as the candidate, since you brought it up. If I have to think about multiple possibilities, though, I don't know who I'd have for a rider. I don't know many people anymore that I actually like enough to be stuck with." He smirked. The seconds-in-command were a fairly good example of an odd pair. There had to be something there that had made them work out. He watched Allirea dance with the hunter, then watched them move to the drink table. "Those two don't look suspicious at all." He turned his attention outside, not wanting to be caught staring. He had enough trouble here.

"Take these eyes.
I would rather be blind."

[amore_mia_bella]

ℓυιиєℓ мιrєℓ иємιrєtн

Luinel smiled mischievously at Luinel. "Oh, you shouldn't worry. I have a few tricks up my sleeve." They talked for a few more minutes until a man came up to greet Allirea. Luinel nodded sweetly when Allirea sent her away, and took off without even a backwards glance. She wandered through the large masses of people, unsure of where to go. Usually people only knew her as Allirea's right-hand maid, though she supposed that was partly her fault for not trying to socialize more with other people. Luinel spotted Belphegor and Colt again, their group had expanded to include Barbatos and another woman whom Luinel did not know.

Well, she couldn't really go over there, after how she had just tempted him into sharing his execution-worthy thoughts. Really, the man had no sense of self-preservation at all, it was rather pathetic. She had no patience for whining, and he was a package all rolled up into one of whining and complaining. As the fae worked through the room, she was not entirely oblivious to the male attention she was receiving, but she ignored most of them. Occasionally she would offer a man a smile, to see if he would do anything other than stare, but to no such avail. Either they possessed irrational cowardice, or they had no real intentions, which meant they had a wandering eye from their partners. Neither were qualities she would tolerate.

With a small sigh, Luinel began to make her way back around to where she had been originally. She watched her mistress for a few moments, dancing almost dangerously with the hunter. She looked beautiful, almost serpentine. No one could mistake the dragoness for a mere human. A dashing young man, quite young, he was only eighteen, came up to her, offering her a drink which she accepted. She had no desire to take up with a human that was over a thousand years younger than her, and she could sense almost immediately that his intentions were not honorable in the slightest. After a few minutes, Luinel was able to send him off, and she sighed again as she turned back to the party. Large social functions were not really her thing...It wasn't so bad when she was with Allirea, but on her own...well...Luinel had almost forgotten how to interact with people at these sorts of things, it had been so long.

OOC;;

[Grimalkenkid]

⋙ Ilessys Isan ⋘
>~<~>~<~>~ The Bamboo Witch ~<~>~<~>~<

Ilessys nodded at Belphegor's honesty. It was nice, having that heads-up. "It would take far more than that to offend me," the swamp dragon said, gazing out over the land that surrounded the Castle. "I'd much prefer honesty over kindness anyway. The latter seems easy to find here, but the former... it's a rare trait indeed. Kind of makes all the kind words ring hollow and they just lose all their charm."

She heard him mutter something about the meeting being a pleasure, but she doubted that. He had just told her that he did things by himself, so it only followed that he liked being by himself. That wouldn't stop her from making conversation, though; that's what the party was for. She could respect his desire for solitude later. "Oh, I don't do much, really. Just send reinforcements to bolster the Prince's army." Ilessys paused to take another sip of wine before continuing. "This war has left so many bodies just lying there, useless to all but the worms. I reanimate those that have died so that they may continue to serve the Prince. But it was taking too long where I was staying originally, so I moved here."

Ilessys glanced at him sideways, curiosity in her eyes with no trace of malice. "How did you know I have no Rider, anyway? It's certainly no secret, but I can't recall ever telling someone those exact words."

Where: The Ball, balcony
With: Belphegor

[amore_mia_bella]

ιѕσℓ∂є мσяαиα єιℓιtнιуα ѕναинιℓ∂я

tнє иумρн σf tнє gσℓ∂єи ℓιgнt

fillerfillerfill...¢υяѕє∂xxtσxxвєαя
fillerfillerfillerfillerfillerfillertнєxxѕσяяσωѕxxσf
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Isolde listened carefully as Kale spoke. When he finished, she put her hand over his and smiled softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for telling me. I can understand how hard it has been for you," she said quietly. "Immortal life...it's something most Mortals always dream of having, because they don't realize what a curse it can be. Even Immortals have to watch loved ones die, and then you exist for eternities with that pain, with nothing to ease it. Everything else around you ages and dies, in the natural order, but you don't. You continue existing, seeing things that were once beautiful turn into charred wastelands, watching a peaceful world break out in turmoil and war, experiencing every inhumane cruelty and pain that could happen to a person and realizing how corrupt Life has become..."

Isolde's voice had hardened, and realizing this she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, shaking her head softly. After a few moments, she opened her eyes again, the violet irises filled with regret. "But it is not all a curse," she said, her voice soft again. "It can be a blessing too. Seeing new growth, new birth. Watching what you once thought was hopeless struggle to rebuild itself and flourish under new Life. Seeing the natural order of Nature take its course, the beauty of a newborn animal growing alongside you from birth to death in its old age, painful but beautiful in its own way. Experiencing a tragic fire that destroyed many old trees, only to find a year later that new growth was sprouting, and to see the new trees growing from tiny sprouts to the huge trees that they are now, hundreds of years later. Having love, no matter how briefly of a time, nothing compares to that..."

Isolde trailed off and smiled. "Life is what you make it to be. It's easy to think of immortality as a curse, but don't forget how beautiful it can be too." Isolde stood up and leaned over the fire, stirring the stew and checking the tea, which were both ready. Picking up one of the wooden bowls stacked near the fire, she ladled a hearty serving up into it and handed it to Kale before pouring two cups of tea, one of which she handed to him, the other she held in her delicate hands. It was too hot to drink still, but rather than cooling it off with her magic she just let it warm up her hands, soaking up the energy that came from the heat. When it eventually cooled off enough she took a few sips. The warm liquid was sustaining and woke her up a more. She could feel her drowsiness slipping away with the sweet tea that had a slightly bitter aftertaste. Isolde wasn't sure how the newcomers would react to it, but it was a very common drink in the Forest.

After a few minutes, Isolde's head snapped up as she heard her name being spoken. To anyone else, it would have sound like the rustling of the leaves on a maple tree, the gurgling of a merry stream, and the echoing whisper of wind as it blew through a cave. But what Isolde heard was four separate voices, all calling out, "Lady Isolde! My Queen, we need to speak with you!" Isolde stood up and watched as four Nymphs entered the small clearing around her home. A Maple Tree Nymph, with hair as auburn as the autumn leaves and leaf-like vein patterns all over her skin; a Stream Nymph, his iridescent silver hair billowing about him, giving you glimpses of blue that matched his blue-tinged skin and icy silver eyes; and two Cave Nymphs, a male and female who walked hand-in-hand, their coal black hair falling straight to their backs and their eyes glittering like diamonds, skin pale as if it had never seen the light of day; the four Nymphs were glorious as they rushed to Isolde.

Isolde spoke back to them in her own language, which caused the faint golden glow that always surrounded her body to brighten. It was not a language that had a significant sound, though if one listened carefully they'd probably hear something sounded like a crackling fire or the sound of a meadow on a day when the sun shone bright and hot. No, the language was more of a feeling. You could feel the warmth, feel the energy; that was what the Language of Light was. After a few minutes of speaking with the other Nymphs, Isolde gasped. "No!" she exclaimed. Then remembering herself, she tried to reign her emotions back in. Isolde turned to the others and looked at Malchior.

In a choked voice she began to tell him what she had learned. "These Nymphs are from the furthest edge of the Forest, near the dwelling place of Hadrian, the Elder. Today the Tenebris invaded our lands and slaughtered him," her voice broke on the last two words, but she swallowed hard to regain her composure. "We cannot let this go unanswered, Malchior." Isolde's heart broke as she thought about the ancient Dragon, who always told strange but amusing stories, who was always so kind to every Living Creature. This was a tragedy, one that the Tenebris would pay for.

OOC;;

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