Garden

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Rowan had finished his conversation with the demon king and was heading back to Wren's side when he heard her scream out his name. He was running for her, drawing up his sword.

The god found her on the ground curled up and crying. He cast a look around but saw no one. He was on his knees and trying to talk to her as a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Wren. Wren my love what has happened?"

He sensed a faint dark signature but he would have to follow up on that lead later. For now, he had to take care of Wren.

He rolled her onto her back and could see how she clutched her stomach. He magicked his sword away and placed a hand on her belly and felt......

nothing.

He blinked as he tried to sense something. Tried to sense their children, but there was nothing.

It was empty.

"Wren...I need you to tell me what happened. Who did this? what did they look like?"

As his hand was on her, he felt a bit of darkness within her. Calmly, even though he was seething with anger, he used his magic to pull the dark essence out of her and conjured a bottle to trap the black mist into. Once all the dark energy was removed from her and the bottle sealed and tied to his belt, he was sweeping the woman up and teleporting her back into the guest room where he could have her rest as he looked for the king for help and demand answers.  

[Haeo]

Ost landed softly, for his enormous size, at the edge of the garden. He could sense the corruption in the ground now. Too late... once more. He took two steps and looked at the patch of corrupted ground. Someone had been attacked but they were gone already. He sensed uncorrupted traces of a transportation spell. Good, the victim was at least being cared for already and was likely still alive at least. But, for the matter at hand.

He turned his attention away from people and focused on the cursed ground. It was no longer gaining additional power from the caster but it was slowly growing, creeping as it drained energy from the plants of the garden. No, you don't. The blue eye in the middle of his forhead began to glow. Primal ice stops everything. A bolt of blue lanced from his blue eye to the center of the patch and exploded into lashing blue flames that spread swiftly then died. Everything they had touched, the corrupted patch and a small area around it, was frozen with dense black ice. Ost could not cleanse what had been corrupted but he could keep the corruption from spreading any further. The king or some of his other servants would be able to cleanse it at their leasure now.

But, he had been too late again. His titanic form glowed azure and dissolved into sparks of blue that drifted away on the breeze, leaving his human form standing there alone in the ragged remains of his clothes, still shedding the crystalline dust that had been his blood like glitter on the ground. His face betrayed nothing now. His eyes were blue again and his metallic copper hair stirred as the wind gained a little strength. He stood alone in that near silence as the last echoes of his cry faded from the stones.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Lareth and Rowan both appeared behind Ost, and before the god could do anything and think that Ost was behind it all, he stepped up behind Ost and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Warmth surrounded him as flames that did not burn wrapped around his human form. In a flash his clothes were no longer ragged remains, but a comfortable tunic and soft breeches with colors that matched the royal house colors. An emblem on the front of the tunic marked him as a special guardian. When Ost was clothed, the flames vanished and Lareth looked to the dense black ice.

"Tell me Ost....what did you find here before you stopped the leeching and destructive energy? Was there anything here?"

Rowan came up and pulled the bottle which held more of the black stuff off his belt.

"This should be the same as what is on the ground. I pulled this out of Wren's body."

Lareth took the bottle and looked at it. He hadn't seen something like this in.....almost forever, but he wanted to hear first, if Ost had seen anything before Lareth could confirm who or what did this.  

[Haeo]

Ost was now fully restored in his link to the castle. He was not surprised or startled by the teleportation of his monarch and deity guest. Being touched by his King's own flame and restored to his uniform was an honor, though he comprehended the present necessity that called for it. He turned and knelt as he always did to address his king.

"Your Majesty. The corruption was spreading, but slowly, only under its own residual power and the energy of the plants it could consume on its own. The source had already fled. I sense the remains of a teleportation spell. It's residue felt like a corrupted form of rift magic. It reeked of malice and my instincts tell me that the caster was some form of male, though I cannot be certain. Most of the rift magic has already faded." He paused for a moment before continuing. "The magic here also resembles the residue I felt at the site where the traitors were killed."  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Lareth looked at the spot then back down at Ost. Even though Ost was not at fault for returning late and for not receiving his missives to return home, he was still going to be punished.

Just not right now and not in front of a guest.

Lareth was about to move but then Rowan handed him a bottle of swirling black ink. Almost like mist. As he looked it over he spoke.

"Arise Ost.....Tell me about the traitors. You say you found them dead but with this corrupted residue....how long ago did you find the traitors? Had they been dead long and how was the state of their bodies?"

Rowan was about to interrupt but Lareth raised a hand to him and oddly enough, the god was silent.

The pieces were falling slowly into place....but this last bit of information would either solidify or destroy Lareth's conclusion. It just all rested with what Ost had to say.  

[Haeo]

Ost rose as he was commanded and began.

"I found them four days ago in one of the caves in the Eireth Hills." These hills were more than two weeks away by horse, giving some testiment to Ost's effort to return. "The traitors were minor courtiers, as suspected. They had been turned inside-out, posed and mounted on the cave wall and partially chewed. Their skeletons were absent. Their expressions indicated that it was not done quickly. Even with the corruption they had barely begun to decompose. I believe they were killed less than a day before I arrived, likely as soon as they stopped running and tried to hide." He spoke smoothly as always, being as precise as possible without adding too much supposition. His suspicions had not been requested by his king, only his report.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Lareth frowned as this information not only destroyed his suspicions but also made him wonder if it was possible that this was an entirely new creature he was unaware of.

It was rare now days to see new creatures...but it was possible.

"Alright Ost....thank you. Go rest and eat. We will be talking again later."

Lareth looked to Rowan as he held the bottle firmly.
"Tell me....did Wren say anything about who attacked her? Exactly how were your children taken? I need details."

Lareth raised the bottle of energy as Rowan drew his sword.

"This energy you pulled from Wren is similar to a rare creature that is near extinction here, but at the same time it is not. Then there is the case where the same residue here was found in a cave....if it were the creature I am thinking of, it would not have killed those forsaken traitors in such a manner. It's either you tell me what Wren told you if she had any info or I go talk to her."

Rowan lowered his sword and explained everything to him that Wren had told him when he had gotten her up to the guest room. When he was done he wished he could burn holes through the demon.

"What do you plan to do?"

Lareth looked at the bottle.

"I plan to hunt a rare demon.....with what you have told me about it reaching into her without leaving a trace....there is only one such creature as the one you described. A harvester of Souls. Very rare...nearly extinct, but it seems it has been corrupted by some other beast as it it killed the traitors and left its disgusting parasitic foul substance at that cave and now here.

I suggest you take lady Wren back home....her energy will recoup faster there and when I have news, I will contact you. Do be advised that your children are not completly gone. Their bodies will continue to grow within her womb....the bodies will remain in slumber until I am able to regain their souls....hopefully I may retrieve them before they are born.....if the children come out before that time.....I think you know that the bodies will not survive."

Rowan made a fist and slugged Lareth with his free hand.
"That's for not keeping your guests safe. I suggest you hunt fast and hard demon....because if you do not get those souls back to me, I will kill you. I promise."

Rowan turned and left to go get Wren. (Rowan exit)

Lareth sighed.
"Looking for a needle in a haystack....."

Lareth was about to go inside when he was stopped by a messenger he took the letter and inwardly groaned.

"And now this..."

He sent the messenger away before he went inside. The barons were due in a day. (exit)  

[Haeo]

Ost rose and began softly walking away as he had been ordered, well aware that he would be punished for his failure as his king willed in due time. However, while he was leaving he had no reason to hurry and so was still within hearing when king Lareth spoke of the theft of souls and the belly of a woman. Children... His pace did not change. Nor did his expression. I failed again... More children... and I embarrassed my liege.

A part of him longed to hunt this creature, freeze it, and then shatter it to pieces. But, he brutally smashed that urge into the black dust of the deepest recesses of his being. He would not be leaving the castle again. Only if specifically ordered to go would he do so, and then, only for the shortest possible time. He had been dedicated before. Now, he was burning with a cold, determined zeal.

He had been ordered to eat and rest. He headed to the kitchen.
((Exit to kitchen))  

[Darsto_23]

Rebecca soon found the garden trying her best to ignore the wards that were bothering her and just focus on what was around her. She did relax through as she looked around, Lareth's garden was just as lovely as Sebastet's garden. She looked up at the sky as it was different to what she was use to seeing but it was still very lovely. She sighs softly and continues to walk around wishing she could of enjoyed this with Ash, but she worked on finding a good spot for them to have there wedding and let Ash rest as much as he can without her there as a distraction.  

[Darsto_23]

Rebecca continued to move through the garden at a comfortable pace, she felt Ash soon fall into a nice sleep, glad he was getting rest and softly sent her warm love to him knowing it would send him into more of a comfortable sleep.

She enjoyed the garden more then she thought she would, but she did have a soft spot for gardens ever since her and her Sire Valick first started to bond together in one and he gave her, her mothers locket. She let her mind wonder as she has been on the earth for over 300 years now and was still quite young to the others around her, but she has come so far in life since she was changed into a vampire, becoming the first Vampire/Angel hybrid.

She sighs as her power shifted a bit as the wards were a bit stronger in some place's of the garden, so she decided to let her lovely black and red feather angel wings come out of hiding as she walked around more. It seemed to help her stay calm better freeing her power just a little. She saw many lovely spots in the garden to have her and Ash's wedding but she was looking for just the right spot that felt just right for her and Ash.

Rebecca soon found a nice bench to sit on next to a lovely fountain that was surrounded by red roses, filling the air with there sweet lovely scents. She sat done and went more into her thoughts sighing a little as she still thought on how to approach Lareth and find the right words to pledge her loyalty to him, she was nervous a little to have a leader, but something about her power liking the idea of Lareth becoming her leader made her wonder if that was such a good or bad thing. She sighs and sets her chin in her hands as her elbows leaned on her knees as she thinks and tries to keep herself from just going back to Ash already, knowing it wouldn't be the best idea just yet.  

[Mistress_Saphrina]

And I remember all those crazy things you said,You left them running through my head.
You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here.
All those crazy things we did didn't think about it, just went with it.
You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here...

Ⓛuna's mind would not stop wondering to the memory of her beloved mother. The shop had been doing ok, but it just wasn't the same without her mother there. Her father was gone, her siblings she lost contact with, she was alone. Other than Old Nan of course, but she was getting old, who knows how long she would even be around. Luna didn't have many friends, she mostly kept to herself. She would help out the villagers around her, but none of them stood around very long.
just wish you were here mom.. Luna said to a flower that was blooming in the garden. She would come here to think, and run. Running cleared her head. Today there were a bit too many people in the garden to be running around. So instead she delved in the beauty of it all. The green grass, the beautiful flowers. Nature was her home, she loved being surrounded by it. The shop that she owned was surrounded by more buildings, nothing but cobblestone, and buildings. She tried to brighten her shop up with some flowers, but it still wasn't the same.
 

[Mistress_Saphrina]

And I remember all those crazy things you said,You left them running through my head.
You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here.
All those crazy things we did didn't think about it, just went with it.
You're always there, you're everywhere but right now I wish you were here...

Ⓛuna was just strolling through the garden when she heard barking. She knew that sound, it was the hounds. She started to panic a little bit, but next thing she knew she was being blown over by some hounds, and a woman in the middle of them. They soon toppled over onto the ground, and were giving her hell hound kisses. Luna didn't know how she felt about that. Then one of the hounds nudged her leg, Luna looked at it curious at first. But her animal nature soon kicked in, and she bent down and started to rub the pups ears. The hounds tail wagged, as did Luna's. She wondered if Old Nan would allow such a beast to roam her quite village. She would have someone to keep her company, and too run wild with in the forest. Luna had totally forgotten about the woman who had been running and jumping with the hounds. She was quite beautiful, Luna looked at her and gave her a small smile. Quite the friends you have here. My name is Luna, and yours? she asked politely. There were many people in the garden but none had bothered to make conversation, or even give a polite smile. She figured most of them were high born, and older then she. They never had time for commoners like Luna.

Devossy