Tales of the Betrothed (closed)

[Musical Stereo]

xxdαlєиα ѕиoωxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRιte oƒ Faιtн ☼

He stumbled INTO faith and thought,
❝God, this is all there is?❞
The PICTURES in his mind arose,
And began to B R E A T H E.

─»Dalena blinked quietly when she heard Aleksi also mutter "Sh'amu." The word was simply used in their home to pray for others, much like an "Amen." She offered the other a warm smile as she spoke in a calm, assertive tone. "I would say a prayer for both but... I don't know if you would count those two corpses, or... whatever they are, as actual beings. So, one prayer shall do. And we do not have enough time for a burial, unfortunately." She replied as she dusted off her hands by clapping them together softly.

As she wrapped her arm around Anna's the two followed the crowd through the fog and finally come across Laelie. First of all, it was extremely large, and Dalena was almost overwhelmed. She glanced around, amazed that this here was Anna's homeland. It was certainly something, much different than Dradecus and Salorite, that was for sure. Although, the one thing that terrified her were the loud and sudden screams- they sounded awful. Dalena's expression fell a bit as she shifted her stance quietly. This was... terrifying. It sounded as if war would break out this very second. Something was obviously, very wrong.

Then she noticed that Christopher and Alek would be going with... one of the Princess's to find a baby? Dalena immediately decided she would rather go with those two than anyone else, especially not Jean. Immediately, when they started walking away, Dalena ran up to the them along with Anna. She headed for the bridge and tapped the young woman with white hair on the shoulder. "Mind if I join? I can be of assistance, I can assure you." She offered Kora a warm smile as she adjusted her grip on Anna's arm.


[ ooc: dragging anna to everything i do because this is what i like to do. this was a stupid short post to show i am alive. goodnight! ]

[SheIsCursedTea]

Elya || Meister
|| Royal Guard to the Princes of Dradecυѕ ||

__________________________________

Elya with-drew her hand. She had not expected him to accept, naturally, for she was not fool. She was only trying to make conversation with the man, to try and learn his true character. She had seen him with Adele that first night, but over the past five days, he seemed to be someone else, and she wanted to know him, know everyone, so that she knew who she could rely on in later battles that were sure to come along on this quest. "Well, I cannot trust a coward," she muttered to herself. "And a rude coward at that. He's not fun at all ..." She pouted slightly to herself, then moved back towards the group.

---------------------------

They moved through the rest of the maze without any other incident, which pleased Elya. The maze was difficult to navigate and keep an eye on the Princes as it was, without Faerie bugs attacking them again. When the left the maze, she stilled, her eyes shifting over the scene quickly and taking it all in. The city was beautiful. It didn't compare to home, in her opinion, but she could appreciate it's beauty as it was. Then, her eyes trained on the fighting. Everywhere she looked, those bug things were there, fighting one another, killing one another. It was a sad sight to watch and see. The baby's cry, she noted, was much louder now, which probably meant that it was somewhere in the city. Why the baby had not become a ... whatever they were, was a mystery to her, for surely the baby was unchanged.

Kora brought up wanting to find the baby, and Jean announced that he was going to look for somewhere to make camp. Her curiosity to find the baby made her want to go with Kora, but at the same time, she didn't want to wander over mindlessly towards what could quite possibly be a trick of some sort. She decided, instead, that she would wait to see what Reriic and Cin did. If they went with Jean, she would remain there, if they went to look for the baby, she would go. She also decided that if they split up, she would stay with Cin. He needed her more than Reriic did, she felt. Reriic had adjusted to the sunlight, whereas Cin was still trying to get over not drinking. She just stood and listened to the others.

She watched as Bashirah navigated Kunal. Elya frowned softly, listening as Bashirah talked about what had happened visually. It was a nice thought, to describe what he was yet to see. Elya stretched her arms and legs, clicking her neck and back, to ease the discomfort that was rising, brought on from sitting on a horse for five days, then suddenly walking for ... she didn't know how long they'd been in the maze for. She sighed gently, and ran a hand through her hair.

__________________________________

"To serve the Princes of Dradecus
Is the highest of honours
I shall do my bed to serve them well
Or die trying."

[Lord_Lazlow]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx---- »» prince of dradecusтнє ℓα∂ιєѕ

☽xxx ❶ xxx❷xxx ❸xxx ❹xxx ❺xxx ❻ xxx❼xxx ❽xxx ❾xxx ❿xxx ☾

It had always seemed that no matter the person, which let's be honest is usually a woman, Cin could find the beauty in them, and that no matter the circumstance he could find the beauty in it as well. This particular paragraph in the story of his life was no exception.

As he stood with the rest of the group at the metaphorical welcome mat of Laelie Cin couldn't help but notice the beauty in the kingdom. This particular form came purely in the landscape around them, haunting as it may be in its current state. The way the sun peeked gently through the trees and reflected off the palace in the distance was truly a sight to behold.

"But enough about the landscape," Cin thought just as people began to divide in search of the baby crying in the distance. It was then he noticed off in the distance his wife-to-be speaking to her brother.

"Elya darling," he said off to his right without taking his eyes off Bashirah, "eyes on me. This could get interesting..."

Slipping his hands into his pockets Cin casually walked over toward the Gradian twins. He slowed his pace as he heard her speaking to her brother, bursting into the middle of a conversation was apparently frowned upon while sober.

"Hello there Princess Bashirah, and to you as well Prince Kunal," Cin added as to not be rude, "I've realized we haven't spoken since our initial introduction and decided to fix that. Despite what anyone in my position may have said last time, I am Cin Igalios, eldest prince of Dradecus." This was part of Cin's usual introduction to whichever woman he decided to spend that evening with. "I am Cin Igalios, eldest prince of Dradecus" he would say with a small bow and sly smile which reflected in his voice, usually while taking the woman's hand and offering a soft kiss after speaking.

This time, however, he skipped all but the small bow, figuring touching Bashirah's hand out of turn, let alone being bold enough to kiss it, would probably result in unimaginable pain... and probably severe burns.

"I was wondering if I could steal a few moments of your time."

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[Sierra The Captor]

_________________________________________________
take a ℓeap of fαith. I ĸnow wє'ℓℓ makє it.

The question regarding the wail of the baby was completely forgotten for Anna. The attack of an insect had caught her off-guard, and when a quizzical expression was formed on Annabel’s face at the sight of the group’s stunned faces, she turned around a second too late to notice the creature crawling from behind her. Just when she was about to withdraw her blade Dalena had already dragged her arm from behind her, attempting to protect one of the only faeries who would be willing to lead them to the forest. Her services weren’t needed; the Shazgard princess had already impaled the creature, before releasing a spit upon the Gradian prince and a scene following such. A triumphant song brewed in the faerie's head in what assumed for Annabel to be the greatest montage of all time. While she wasn’t entirely callous about the temporary loss of sight for Kunal, there were greater issues to be dealt with.

Half-expecting for them to move on from the forest, Anna stopped and stared at the insect that was mutilating slowly into a body with lifeless wings...the guard shook her head, leaning forward to make sure that what she saw was real while Dalena still held on to her. If the others had already panicked at the sight of this, they would probably have never imagined how the faeries have felt. But even then Jean’s comment made the tips of her wings prickle with nerves.

“Don’t be daft,” Annabel rebuffed immediately, but looked at her own fingers to confirm her rebuttal. Her fingers were normal, but they were shaking at the thought, the idea. No...they couldn’t be. With another hand still coiled around the young Salorite advisor Anna dragged her towards the exit, her heart growing anxious of the calamity that awaits them.

Once they entered, the only thing Anna could do was stop and stare. She paid no heed to the group’s fascination of the forest; she had lived here, and so she was used to the great trees from above them. That wasn’t Anna’s focus. She watched, her trembling fingers on her gaping mouth as insects were battling amongst another from afar, fortunately too preoccupied with each other as compared to the group. Anna couldn’t help but felt a pang for fear for her beloved kingdom. The people surrounding her were passing like haze, trying to make plans of their own; shelter, a search group. Anna suddenly felt disoriented. She hadn’t even noticed Dalena dragging her arm towards the others.

“Mind if I join? I can be of assistance, I can assure you,” the guard gave Dalena passive glance. The sound of the baby’s wail had become louder.

Clearer.

Anna cocked her head in alarm, finally snapping herself out of her state. Her senses were becoming sharper now that Anna found herself a renewed strength. Her silver wings were flapping excitedly in fast rhythmic movements, and she realized that others were heading the wrong way “Lady Kora,” she called out to the Shazgard princess before she could walk any further “I believe it’s this way,” Annabel writhed free of Dalena’s grasp, smiling at her as she turned and ran towards the passage to the resting place. As her running slowly turned to a stride and a slight hover above the ground, she looked over the others to see if they are following as well, completely unaware of the mutated insect that was flailing its thin arms in front of her. Her shocked face met the beady eyes of the insect, and Anna was just about to withdraw her blade, but paused midway, remembering the faeries’ gruesome transformation. She couldn't.

The insect penetrated unto the shallow surface of her arm before Anna could have any chance to decide. Flinching, Anna pushed her left feet back to prevent herself from falling backwards, holding her blade flimsily in her hand. Its arm rose in the air for a second attack. Anna collided the side of her blade against its skeletal arm, and hastily stomped her boots on top of the creature's head as it rashly met the ground with a loud bang, temporarily disarming it. While struggling to maintain a firm hold, Anna kicked the creature into an upward flip, sending the creature flying and landed on its back, its little legs writhing, trying to balance itself again.

While the creature was out of the way, Anna turned to the others "Let's go," and hovered towards the resting ground, all the while wincing at the fresh wound on her arm.
__________________________________________________

ℓocation |- passage to resting ground -| 00C |- lazy poast is lazy. Thanks Dalena for dragging Anna along ^^. -|

[Ariiadne]

▐░ℬasℎiraℎ░▌
『 ℘rincess oƒ GRADIUS 』

Bashirah casually glanced over her shoulder to Cin, eventually turning her whole body – and, in turn, Kunal’s as well – towards her fiancé. While it was true that neither of them really spoke, this was partially intentional on the Gradian princess’ part. It was no secret that Cin Igalios was, perhaps, the most womanizing creature ever to inhabit Yardis. Constantly drunk and seeking out his next walking womb… Bashirah gazed back at him dimly. And for him to wait this long to approach her… he clearly had little interest in her. And besides the fact that he was such an immature elf, she failed to develop any semblance of interest in him as a result. There was nothing remotely remarkable about him in order to do so. His epitomizing of the stereotypical man pretty much eliminated any chance of nearing the very high Gradian standard she possessed. But then again, who could?

“Greetings to you as well,” she replied, staring unwaveringly into his face. “I can’t say I approve of your timing. With… all due respect,” she quipped, deadpan, “my brother hangs blindly to my arm and we currently find ourselves inches tall, surrounded by homicidal insects.” There was a pause.

“Might I… humbly suggest that we postpone this introduction? Perhaps when time is a little less dire, and more apt to be, as you put it, stolen?” For the first time since they had started conversing, Bashirah looked elsewhere, setting eyes upon Chandar a ways away.

“Chandar Hari,” she called. “You want to be our new guard, yes? I have a task for you. Watch over my brother. Do not leave his side under any circumstances. I will be accompanying Jean-Baptiste to scout for supplies.”

[Rada Han]

ImPeRfEcTiOn is в є α υ т у,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxⓂⒶⒹⓃⒺⓈⓈ is gєníus,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxand it is better to be absolutely ɾïḋïсυløυṡ than absolutely ๒◊ЯⅰиG.
.........




"...Really?" Was the reply that came from Jean-Baptiste when Bashirah expressed her interest in coming with him. Without her brother. Perhaps without her Gradian brethren, he had the chance of seeing her crack a smile just once more in his lifetime. You see, Bashirah was the type of girl that simple men would become nervous around; a real beauty. Jean didn't feel that way. He wasn't simple.

"I'll be glad to have you, Lavagirl! Let's get away from all these downers." With a wide grin, Jean-Baptiste set off, but not before shooting Adele a look that urged her to come along as if he were afraid that she would wander off again. For a moment, his jovial grin disappeared, but always found its way back to his face whenever anyone other than Adele was in the picture.

The small group heading to Laelie's marketplace was lucky. Anna had provoked one of the faerie bugs to follow her, instead of them. The Zuleidan heaved a sigh of relief, and quickly took off running through the crossroads while they had the chance. For someone unskilled in almost everything, Jean-Baptiste had a surprisingly light step. They didn't attract any attention.

The travel to the marketplace was short, but unique, as far as cities go. It appeared that that particular section of the city was on a higher log, so they had to climb an ascending branch, which was much more massive than it sounds, due to their size.

Still, the baby's cries echoed through the air. Jean snorted. He wondered if the baby was a bug too, and pictured a tiny beetle in a cradle crying its eyes out, while a giant beetle mother rocked it to sleep.





The marketplace, Ninnikujip, was substantially brighter and more colorful than the crossroads. At first, when they passed through the decorated entranceway, the place looked empty. There were stands and shops everywhere. Multiple floors, with red banners and colored paper lanterns wherever one looked. There was the smell of baked goods and grilled meats, although it had all been left there for several days. Some of the stands had been broken and looted for food by the faerie bugs, but there were no corpses in the marketplace. Whoever had entered and killed the faeries of Shizuka had not been there.

Jean-Baptiste was wary of the danger. He could hear the hissing, the chirping, and the buzzing of the faerie bugs. The Marketplace was infested. They would have to be quick, and quiet. For some reason, although they had traveled a bit far from the rest of the group, the baby's cries could still be heard as clear as day.

"We need food, fresh water, and--"

Squish.

"Ugh," Jean had stepped into a gooey pile of yellowy-green slime. It sucked his foot in, and he had to yank off his boot to get it out. He tried to pull the boot out of the goop once he was free, but failed. "...And some shoes, probably." He muttered.





xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx《The Trickster Prince》
.........

[Rada Han]

Travelling to the resting grounds of Huayuan was a bit more difficult than the path taken to the Marketplace. They had already been attacked once by a smaller insect, possibly a young faerie, and the group was finding that the infestation was even more serious than they once thought.

Miraculously, they reached Huayuan undamaged, and were greeted with a more glorious sight. The sun from the mirrored palace shined upon the garden of eternal life, like a beacon of strength after an otherwise dim journey. The sun's warmth spilled over them, and the flowers of the dead, which bloomed mightily, and would do so until the end of time.

The cries were even louder now, and certainly in the area. All they needed to do was trek a little further into the garden and they would find her.





The culprit. The little one who was making all the noise. A tiny faerie, possibly newborn, with an orange monarch's tiny wings. laying in a bed of pink calla lilies.

Pink calla lilies.

Now, where had they seen those before? The pink calla lilies belonged to the Yvane family line, the very same Yvanes that served the Queen and their Princess throughout history. A line that nearly ended with a girl named Suri. A girl who died tragically in Bhegin, so how did her flowers end up in Laelie?

Nestled within the lilies was a shining blade, wedged into the wood where the flowers grew from so beautifully. It was the sharp head of a spear, which had been snapped off of its staff. From it, hung a half-burnt piece of red cloth.

The group had finally found where the noisy baby lay, but they had bigger problems. A furious buzzing began to litter their ears. The breeze of their wings caught the group first, but soon, a dozen giant mosquito-like insects came soaring toward them, brandishing their proboscis like sharp lances.

[Rada Han]

Those who chose to search for shelter, in any case the group needed to rest for the night, were not met with such damnable fates. They were the last group to witness the migration of the flying insects to the north, and did not suspect a thing. At most, they were relieved that they were not followed.

Instead, they were greeted with quaint, charming little homes, some still lit on the inside, although their inhabitants were not there. They were carved into mushrooms and stones, pinecones, and hollowed fruit pits. From here, one could see the Queen's shining palace, glowing in the sun, and reflecting its warm light down on the faerie homes. It was peaceful here.

[0o0gizmo0o0]

x x x x x x x x x ✗ K o r a x Z h a d d a g h

Jean’s plea to them all not to harm any of the faeries that had been transformed into insects struck her as unusual, but still struck home with Kora. She nodded firmly, and replied, “I won’t do anything unless I absolutely have to. I can promise that.” The thought of the faerie she’d killed in the forest was traumatizing enough. The last thing she wanted was to harm an innocent. Kiya, one of the dancers from her homeland in Shazgard, and Dalena, the third Salorite in their party, both said that they too would accompany them in their search for the child. Dalena put her hand on Kora’s shoulder, and surprised her with a rather warm smile when she said that she was coming along. “Thank you, all of you. They do say that there’s safety in numbers,” she said, letting herself give a half smile as well. While it was true that they were simply searching for a child, doing so would very possibly be dangerous. After all the mysterious, and even mystical, things that had happened to them recently, it was also very possible that this would be a trap. But she couldn’t ignore the possibility of the child’s distress being genuine, and she would just have to deal with the consequences if this turned out to be a mistake.

Kora was about to continue across the bridge, when Anna, who had come along with Dalena, addressed her, and said that they were all going the incorrect direction. When she offered to lead them the right way, Kora followed after her. She figured that, as this was Laelie and the homeland of the faeries, it would probably be for the best to let a faery lead the group, rather than a Shasta such as herself. Another insect, this time a much smaller one, made a move to attack Anna. She made quick work of the creature, and thankfully, had not killed it. Once it was out of the way, she continued on, and Kora didn’t hesitate to follow after. “Are you alright?” Kora asked, referencing the injury she’d received to her arm. The levels of infestation were worse in every direction that Kora looked. Giant insects where everywhere, and there were several points along the way to their destination, that she was absolutely sure that they would be spotted and attacked.

Miraculously however, they eventually made it to the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. The warmth of the sun that reflected off of the palace was a welcome change after the fog of the maze, and the dense shade in the lower levels of Laelie. While she did not personally know a great deal about the homeland of the faeries, she knew that they were born from flowers, and that those same flowers grew when they died. The vast sea of blossoms, all of varied colors, species, and scents, some of which she did not even recognize, was one of the most amazing things she’d ever seen. For as long as she lived, she would never forget this place. Hearing the cries of the infant, Kora moved a bit further into the garden, where she found the child nestled in a bed of pink calla lilies. She crouched down close to the tiny newborn, whom she allowed to play with her finger for a moment, as she wondered why the little one had not been transformed into some kind insect. “Do you think this little one hasn’t been transformed because the spell was cast before they were born?” she asked, directing the question towards Anna. If that was the case, it would explain why the faeries in their group hadn’t been transformed. They simply had not been there when the spell was cast.

Near the child, the broken off head of a spear was spear wedged into some wood. Kora was silent as she reached out with her free hand to lightly touch the burned piece of red cloth that hung from the blade. It seemed so out of place in this garden, and yet it seemed to be distinctly familiar. A suspicion rose to her mind, “Could it be....”. But before she could voice it, a loud buzzing noise began to fill the air. Shooting up into a standing position, she looked around until she saw many giant insects, reminiscent of mosquitoes, flying straight at them. “Oh great....” she said just under her breath, as she assumed a protective stance in front of the newborn faerie. Raising her arms on either side of her, some of the medium sized stones in the garden rose into the air under her control. She didn’t want to kill any of the faeries if she didn’t have to, but she couldn’t let any of them harm their group either. Just as she let the stones fall back to the ground, one of the giant mosquitoes made a dive at her.

Kora rolled out of the way just in time, and the creature looped back up into the air, and started to come to attack again, the spear like projection at its forefront coming right at her. She raised her arms again, but this time instead of the stones, a large clump of the soft moist earth of the garden rose into the air. Thrusting her arms out in front of her, the mud clung thick to the creatures spindly legs and wings. Closing her hand into a fist, the earth quickly dried and hardened, causing the creature to fall to the ground. It squirmed and writhed, trapped in the hardened earth, but was otherwise unharmed. It had worked, but the Shastan princess knew that she couldn’t count on the mosquitoes attacking her one at a time for that same method to work every time. “Get the baby! We need to get out of here!” she called out to the Salorites, as she downed another giant mosquito in a similar fashion.
Out of Character:

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“Why do you think the old stories tell of men who set out on great journeys to impress the gods?
Because trying to impress people just isn't worth the time and effort.”

[Jinxie_Unlucky]

~*Kiya Vaati*~

Kiya followed Annabel with the rest of the group. She trusted that the faery knew where she was going; it was her home, after all. As a bug blocked their path and Annabel quickly dealt with it--not without suffering a nasty jab on the arm, though--Kiya became increasingly furious at how useless she was being. She wished she at least had some sort of weapon other than a knife, at least she'd be able to somewhat defend herself, then.

The swarm seemed to be everywhere they went, and yet, as they pressed forward, they managed to get through unharmed. Kiya felt her instinct telling her to turn back before things got any worse, but she focused on the thought of a child in danger and it reminded her why she'd come along in the first place. When the group came out into what was easily the hugest collection of flowers she'd ever seen, Kiya paused and looked around. There were so many different kinds, different colours, different scents, that it was quite a bit to take in at once. This place, illuminated by sunlight and so peacefully beautiful, it almost made the dancer forget why she was here. Almost.

When she spotted the child, Kiya almost ran over to her, but she stopped herself. Something wasn't right. She stepped forward cautiously as Kora crouched by the baby.

"How is it that this place isn't crawling with those bugs like everywhere else?" Kiya wondered aloud to herself.

Apparently she spoke too soon. As several insects flew into the area, Kiya froze in place and panicked for a few seconds. She neded a flame, but where the hell was she going to get one? She knelt down and opened her bag, looking for something she could use. There was her flint--great, now what could she actually light? Her lamp, a tiny thing that gave less light than the average candle. (1/2)

[Jinxie_Unlucky]

~*Kiya Vaati*~

No, that wouldn't work. A bottle of oil--okay, that might be useful. Now what to use it on? Kiya looked at the sash around her waist. Perfect.

The dancer quickly untied the sash and grabbed the bottle of oil, opening it and pouring it on the fabric. She grabbed her flint and knife, striking them together. The spark caught on the oil and the sash was on fire in seconds. Just in time, too, as Kiya saw one of the mosquitos headed her way. Brandishing a whip of flame, she lashed out at the creature's wings, causing it to fall to the ground a few feet away from her. She burned its legs next so it would stay down. She grabbed her bag, shoving her flint and knife inside it and moving back to gain some distance between her and the creature she'd attacked.

"Get the baby! We need to get out of here!"

Kiya looked over at Kora, who'd taken down two of the bugs already. "Your Highness, behind you!" she called as another mosquito made a bee-line for the princess. Kiya would've rushed over to help her, but another bug headed in her direction and she had to take care of it first. She followed the same method she had with the first one, wings then legs.

Even if they did manage to get out of here, these things could fly. There was a good chance they'd be followed, and with the density of the infestation they'd faced earlier, they'd be surrounded in minutes. They had to take care of these things first, and Kiya was determined to make sure she took down as many as she posdibly could.

[Angst Werewolf]

xxxxxx ♨ Chαndαr Hαrí
{{ The Gradian Smith Mercenary }}
"I am a superstar and I don't care who you are!"

►xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◄

Location: Laelie

►xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◄

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The bugs were everywhere.

Chandar bit his lip as he followed Kunal and Bashirah through the rest of the maze and into the streets of the kingdom. At least here the mutated faeries seemed more interested in attacking each other and not the royals. The group began to split up, much to the smith's relief. It seemed that the more of them there were clustered together, the worse things got. Maybe now there'd be some peace and quiet.

Cin approached Bashirah, and Chandar settled for glowering at a rock off to the side. He supposed of all the men Bashirah could have been paired up with, the eldest elf prince wasn't all that bad. Gods forbid, she could have ended up being betrothed to Jean. But then this whole inter-marriage stunt between the kingdoms was absolute madness; whoever had come up with this bright idea deserved a solid kick in the-

"Chandar Hari." Chandar snapped out of his musing at the voice, which, surprisingly, had come from Bashirah herself. His surprise only increased as she explained that she was going to leave to look for supplies with Jean (Jean! Why in the world?!) and that he needed him to watch Kunal.

It took every ounce of self-control and Gradian training to not fling himself at the princess and hug her.

Instead, he forced himself to give the princess a brief bow. "Of course, your highness," he replied, closing the distance between himself and the twins. As he reached the pair, he paused for a moment. Was he supposed to wait for them to make the first move? Or did he just do it himself? Oh, grow a backbone. Well that sounded like sounded like good advice. He reached over and grasped Kunal's wrist with his right hand. As he did so, his fingers brushed Bashriah's arm and it was all it could do not lose it right then and there.

"No harm will come to you, Prince Kunal," he stated, inclining his head to both the royals as he did so. He doubted that there would be much of an incident, since the faeries were occupied with eating each other, but being caught off-guard was not something he wanted to do. "We should go look for shelter, yes?" This question was directed at Kunal. That seemed to be the safest route at this point.

[Laser Rain]

Christopher Metus

You know I am all you need.

A blue-grey eye blinked at the sight of the little baby, and blinked a bit more at the sight of the bug. He could keep working towards his forgiveness with this. He could save a life and try harder to forget the one he took... His breath got heavy, his chest started to heave in and out. His fingers grasped to his hip and pulled a Bagh Nakh from a little pouch. Just about his only protection though were his pauldrons. His body started to shake a bit, he had one chance to move the two beasts to get to the child and do his job as a Rite. To forgive himself and the creatures. "Please, forgive these forsaken ones..." He mumbled a prayer through gasping breaths and full to his knees.

When he was shaking on the ground, the world seemed to almost blink as he drew light away, taking them in to his special lungs. A staggering push back up, his eyes filled to the top with a rite-ous anger, hehe. A giant exhale and grunt of enraged power shot from his small lips. Hit hit the first beast, knocking it to the ground and it disoriented the second. A mad dash for the baby started, and he lifted it as carefully as he could. When he turned back though, his escape route was cut off. He had spent so much of his energy on that one blast. A sweat drenched palm grasped on his weapon, he would have to be uncomfortably close to do a thing with it.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING!" He shouted through clenched teeth. The Salorite had made a rash decision.

I wear my scars like the rings on a pimp,
I live my life like the captain of a sinking ship.

[K33LA]

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Blindness was painful. Kunal was utterly useless, barely able to make out the environment around him. Kunal did not enjoy being helped; this much was obvious. As Bashirah painted the scene in his mind, the Gradian prince was drenched in envy. Laelie sounded so beautiful, so fantastic. Why couldn't he see it?

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Whenever he began to feel overwhelmed, Kunal tried to center his mind. It was difficult, but he managed. He found himself with a deep desire to practice his yoga, to use the strength and flexibility of his own body to calm his restless thoughts. Yoga had always helped him in times of need. But not today, not now. There was no time.

Kunal concentrated and focused on the sound of his own breathing. He tried to syncopate his lungs with his sister's, his chest expanding in unison with hers as Bashirah inhaled. Kunal found a fragile form of comfort in this unity.

It was quickly lost.

Bashirah wanted to leave him

What?

Kunal's head cocked in response, sightless eyes trying to locate Bashirah.

Being led through the woods like a helpless lamb was mortifying enough, and having anyone else but his sister play guide was preposterous. Chandar none-the-less. Kunal didn't like Chandar. He viewed him as an outsider... On the other hand, Chandar was little more than a crutch to Kunal. He didn't exactly count as a Gradian, much less a person, in the prince's mind. Kunal nodded silently to the air, and he was transplanted to a new host. When Chandar spoke to him, Kunal scoffed.

"We'll see about that. If your earlier actions are any indication of your ability to protect me, I might as well puncture my own heart to save time. Rohan will accompany us as well. I have more faith in him than you. Bashirah can handle herself," he said sharply. His voice was bitter, even as he addressed his sister. Kunal continued, his voice gaining a serious quality. "However, if anything is to happen to my sister because of idiocy on your parts," he started, head turning toward where he believed Jean-Baptiste and Cin to be, "I will tear the spines from your bodies myself. If you even have them. Let's go, Chandar, Rohan. I suppose we'll follow those blasted elv-- Reriic and Sonya..."

xxx

[XSenkoX]

"No, no, blasted elves works for us." Reriic, who had been rather silent post Sonya and his confrontation with the Gradians, was having a hell of a time trying to keep himself and Sonya on their respective feet. They were both exhausted and his darling whore's fever refused to drop no matter how much of her weight he actually carried. Still he managed an unusually chipper reply and waved farewell to his brother and guard. "Cin, Elya, have fun with... that lot. And please refrain from being eaten."

While the half of the group headed to the marketplace left the smattering of royals and guards behind, Reriic led Sonya past Chandar, Rohan and Kunal and towards the other bridge and what they hoped was a place with houses for them to inhabit. Despite the elf's exhaustion, he was appreciative of Laelie's beauty and cautious of the insect infestation, making sure to keep an eye out in case a creepy-crawlie faerie were to stumble upon them. The swarm of mosquitoes put the elf on alert and all he could do was hope that if they were spotted the Gradians would do something. Daylight and Kunal had more than sapped his magic and now he was toast in combat. Why were they leading again? He suddenly remembered when the quaint little houses crept into view and their small group hadn't been set upon by wing-ed things.

"You are seeing this right? They live in mushrooms... I though that was the stuff of stories." Reriic gaped at the scenery, then for the sake of both blind members of his party explained just what they were standing in front of.

"So, you lot can have fun doing whatever it is that you want to do. I am taking this woman and going to sleep a few hours before nightfall and my subsequent being awake another night while the rest of you take your shift. You insufferable heathens and your day-walking."