Welcome to Gaia! ::

Valerie nodded. She could sense that Valik knew something was wrong. She would tell him when they were alone. "Let's go the a clearing. I don't want to be distracted." She said, still using the men as a support. Her stomach kicked again and she winced.

Selia smirked. "He is a very caring man. Very attractive, too." She looked down at her drink, laughing lightly at Marcus's reaction. He stopped having contact with her. "Let's go to Lilyann's. We need to talk." He said stiffly. He had never met this Sebastian, and he already did not like him.

Valerie lit a fire and placed a small handful of herbs in it. Heavy smoke rose, filling the air with a thick scent of mint and burning leaves. "Step into the fire and say you want to be with your brother. Say it loudly and clearly. I'll be right behind you." Valerie was calm, focused. Magic worked with her, not for her, so she had to be careful with it. She looked up and began to chant in Elven, her tongue flowing the words through her teeth since she was still in pain.


Selia nodded, understanding. She passed him some coins. "Drink some for me." Walking outside was difficult since it seemed that everyone was inside the pub. The cold always brought people together, but that didn't mean it was good. There was a brawl in the corner. Marcus sighed, and pulled Selia outside. He knew she would try to stop it.

Valerie followed, saying she wished to be with Valik and appearing next to him as he hugged Selia. She looked at Marcus, whose face was a calm before the storm. He envied Valik for being able to hug Selia. It was funny to Valerie. She smiled lightly, biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Selia stood upright, surprised. She soon realized it was Valik and hugged him back. "He's just inside, Valik." She eased out of the hug, looking at him and Valerie. "How are you here? It should take days to get even close!" Selia pulled the group over, letting a cart pass by on the street.
Valerie smiled. "Magic, of course. We were worried." She said, looking at Marcus again. "Who is this?"
Selia and Marcus exchanged a look. "This is Marcus, an old friend of mine from when I was younger. He is going to help us." Marcus nodded, keeping silent. He extended a scarred hand to Valik. "Nice to meet you both." He muttered, loud enough to hear but soft enough for the neighboring group to ignore them.

Marcus stepped back a little at Valik's smile. Boothe wasn't kidding about his brother being a wolf. "Selia plans on me being the next ruler of the kingdom." He explained, shaking his head to clear it of the image of a wolf Valik. Selia nodded. "Let's go somewhere a little more private. Valik, if you'd like, we can get Boothe to join us." She started walking towards Lilyann's, only a short distance away. "We'll be at the third house up."

Everyone sat at the table. Valerie had on new clothes, dark green in color with beige ties. She looked like a porcelain doll in it. Marcus sat next to Lilyann, talking in quiet tones. Selia played with her hair, braiding it in an odd fashion down the back of her head. They all looked up with Valik and Boothe arrived. "Valerie here has offered to use her powers to place the people of the kingdom in a frozen state so they listen. With Lilyann's help, it is possible. They would be forced to listen to Marcus and me while we explain the Neko attacks." Selia caught the boys up quickly, finishing her braid with a strip of her old shirt. She was dressed in a warrior princess fashion, a sword on her waist. Leather boots went up her legs, and a battle corset covered her torso. She was breathtakingly beautiful, even when prepared for battle.

Selia shook her head. "No, they haven't reached this far yet." She was looking at a map that lay on the table. "From what we've gathered, they stopped at your village and turned back." She looked up at Valik, her eyes full of a passion that no one had seen before. "We do this tomorrow in the morning. We gather everyone at the castle, then cast the spell and talk to them."
Marcus stood. "In that case, I'll go prepare the castle. It's a wreck." He was hiding something from them, and Selia could tell. She didn't say anything, just nodded.
Valerie looked at Valik. "I won't, don't worry." She said easily, smiling lightly. She was tired, and still in pain. Lilyann had noticed, and she knew immediately that Valerie was expecting.
"Valerie, why don't you come upstairs and lie down? You'll need your strength for tomorrow." She took her hand and led her upstairs. "I know what is wrong." Lilyann said to Valerie, quietly in case someone had followed. "I will help in anyway I can."

Valerie's eyes widened. "You can not tell anyone." She was gripping just above Lilyann's elbows. "Please." Tears began to flow. Lilyann wound her arms around Valerie. "Of course, child. No one will know. I promise." She murmured, smoothing Valerie's hair. "Go lie down, I'll bring you some tea." Valerie obeyed, lying on the bed in the corner.

Selia looked at Marcus as he left, glaring. She looked at Valik. "Will you help me with something, Valik? I have a bad feeling about the castle, and I'd like to check it out." She stood, hoping he would agree.

Selia smirked, still glaring in the direction that Marcus had gone. "Let's go then." She walked out of the shop, leading Valik to the castle. They got there before Marcus did. He had taken a different way.

Marcus was no where near the castle. He was at his home, standing in the kitchen. There was a mirror there. He was smiling demonically. "At last..." Marcus slid his fingers down the mirror. "They've arrived." His eyes darted up from his fingers to his own reflection. They were black.