Welcome to Gaia! ::

Blaise's sobs became more violent as Rosette shouted. She couldn't take it, she felt such guilt already and Rosette's cursing only made it worse. Wrenching herself to her feet she tore off into the woods in a dead run, how weary she was seemingly not fazing her.

"Blaise!" Loque made a move to go after her but Booker was already up and holding him back.

"No, you stay here." Booker urged him, "I'll go. You stay here and take care of them, I can get her."

"Are you sure? You're still not well."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll get her."

Booker began running off after her surprised at how far she'd gotten ahead. Blaise just didn't want to stop. She keprt running, and running, trees flying past her tearing at her. Her body cried for her to stop, it had suffered so much abuse already. But she just didn't want to, it was all her fault, she had let them all down.

Blaise had run a very long distance now, past a few clearings, she didn't even know where she was. Completely lost, but she didn't slow. She didn't even realize there was something in front of her before she'd run right into it. Falling flat on her back she looked up to see the body of an animal . . . a horse? No, human hands lifted her, roughly pulling her off the ground and face to face with someone that appeared human, but the horse she'd seen was also a part of him. A Cenataur?!

Blaise screamed in surprise. This obviously unnerved the cenataur for he flipped her around, holding her up by putting an arm around her middle and placing a hand over her mouth to stifle her shouts. She tried to get herself away but was too weak to do anything but squirm and trie and tug his hand away. It wasn't long before she'd broken down into sobs again.

Booker lost sight of Blaise but could see her heavy footprints and torn plants as her pathway. He heard a scream and panicked, running faster to find her.

"Oh, leave her alone, can't you see she's not well!" Blaise heard a voice say, though it was considerateably more small and feminine to be a cenetaur. She could feel herself being lowered to her feet but her legs werent strong enough to hold her so she immediately collapsed to her knees. A small, delicately winged being hovered down in front of her tear-stained face looking at her worriedly. "Oh dear, are you alright?"

Booker kept running untill he came upon where Blaise had stopped. He saw her on her knees looking at something.

"Blaise?! I-- Gah!" Booker caught sight of the large Cenataur and nearly fell onto his back in surprise. "What the hell?!"

Blaise was too distraught to fully comprehend the company she was in. A cenataur and a fairy, not two beings you could meet every day. When Booker arrived she was back to crying, her face in her hands. The cenataur looked to Booker and put his hands up, shaking his head. The fairy did the same.

"Please, do not shout." the little creature said quickly, "There are others near by. Others of our race, and not all of them are very fond of humans."

Booker looked widly from the fairy to the cenataur, then to Blaise, appearing affraid to approach her with them so near. They both backed away a bit and Booker knelt next to Blaise, puting and arm around her.

"Who are you? What happened?" He demanded.

"Calm down," the fairy replied, "We mean you no harm. I am Eida and my friend here is Cleadies. This girl ran into him and they seemed to have startled eachother. When she screamed he only wished to quiet her so as not to alert any of the others. Who are you, elf?"

"Booker." he said, feeling that there was no danger in this situation, "And this is Blaise. You'll have to excuse us, something terrible has just happened. It's a long story really. My comrades and I are not doing so well. Well be out of your way in just a moment."

Booker looked to Blaise who sobbed in his arms. "Blaise? Please stop . . . we need to get back . . . you need to rest."

Blaise let out a loud cry, not wishing to return. Cleadies winced at the sound worrying that someone might hear. Eida fluttered down to Blaise's level and pressed a tiny hand against her forehead, the only part of her face visible through her hands. The spot glowed white for a moment and Blaise's sobs grew suddenly quiet and she became still. Her body wavered a little then she slumped over onto her side.

"What did you do?!" Booker exclaimed in worry.

"Calm down, calm down, I've only made her sleep." Eida explained. "It's best . . . and she looked like she needed it too."

Booker frowned a bit in uncertainty and picked Blaise up, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry to have run into you, but really I should go. The others will start to worry if I stay much longer."

"You need help . . . I can see it. Neither of you are well and if there are more of you I'm sure they are in the same state." Eida said softly. "Please, just let me and Cleadies help you. We can leave our clan for a little while to help you."

"Well . . . I'm not so--"

"Please . . . we wish to help." Cleadies said, the only words he'd spoken the entire time.

Booker didn't look too sure about it. They really did need the help, their group was weak and basically defenseless. The fairy and the cenataur seemed sincere enough. It was a chance he would have to take.

"Alright . . . follow me. The others are a distance away."

----

Loque watched quietly, feeling as if it weren't his place to interrupt. He was relieved when Chrono came back, he wasn't sure how much more Rosette could take. Remaining silent for another long time he looked up finally.

"I should go find Blaise and Booker. I shouldn't be long." he said, turning to leave. Hearing a rustle in the leaves he stopped and looked to where it came from. Booker was stumbling out from behind a bush, but he was alone.

"Booker? Where's Blaise, is she alright?" Loque asked.

Booker came closer and put a hand on his shoulder, "Yes, she's fine. It's just that . . ."

"Booker . . ." Loque said firmly.

Booker gringed a bit, not knowing where to start. "Well . . . you know how you always say I can get myself into some of the strangest situations . . . well, this one has to be the strangest yet. Umm, Cleadies? Eida?"

Loque looked to where Booker was calling and saw nothing for a short moment. Then a rather large cenataur stepped from his hiding place in the bushes, carrying a sleeping Blaise, and being followed by what appeared to be some sort of bug . . . no, fairy?

"BOOKER?!"

Cleadies backed away shyly and lowered his head. He wasn't much of a talker, he could only appear imposing when he wanted to, but truthfuly he was not like many others in his clan who were brutish and always in competition. Eida's small face was devoid of emotion as she looked to Booker who might say something.

"Rosette, please, you cannot deny we need help." Booker spoke firmly, "We can't continue in our condition, we all need rest. Even if it's just one nights worth it will do more good than harm. Eida and Cleadies only want to help, and I would have come back without them had they not insisted. We need their help."

Loque was almost afraid to add in should Rosette be angry. But Booker was right, they were all tired, most of them could barely keep on their feet, and any help they could get was needed. Sure, it was a bit strange to have run into such creatures and a cenataur and a fairy, but it wasn't like they were both forgotten races; the prevailed under their own protections so they could thrive amongst humans in what most claimed to be their world.

"I'm afraid he's right." Loque said. "We all need rest."

Below, far below in the city, thousands of lanterns burned a somber blue. Countless mourners came to the temples when the word of the Emperor's ascension reached the streets. Only a select few knew the truth now and none would tell, yet. To days of constant and uninterrupted parades and silent meditations had essentially shut the city down. Now, Algren stood wrapped in a robe, watching all this take place and he knew that soon, he would be sitting himself in the emperor's old throne.

The moon shone full and splendid above him, a true Empress surrounded by her countless loyal followers, the stars. Algren sighed, looking upon the smooth face of the glowing, celestial body and whispered quietly to himself. "Will I command my subjects as we'll as you do your’s?" The moon was silent and no response was given, but Algren sighed all the same. Five days until his time, five steady and slowly arriving days.
---

Von raced faster and harder, his destination close at hand. He smelt his blood strong and pungent. He was close now. The dark wolf leapt and bounded faster than before his eyes looked on a ridge of mountains far ahead. There, that's were the smell and his pray both lurked!
---

Blood ran in the streets, corpses still and unmoving as the black cloaked figures swirled and danced through the cobblestones, their blades reaping and cutting down the harvest. The corpses were plenty and as soon as each fell, a dull blue glow sparkled in their chalky eyes and they rose to join their fallen others. The corpses marched, they marched leagues and miles up to the north, processions often miles long as they did, the wyrstones active and alive, their power throbbing and allowing Therto control. The dead arrived and were stripped of their human garments and given armor and swords of a dark black. The hordes, once outfitted from the forges beneath Melecus' palace, marched to the fields and stood there, waiting fro their puppeteer’s commands. Some had been standing their for weeks snow high to there knees, others still moving into position. Melecus smiled as he looked over the scene before him from high atop his mountain perch and a thin smile crept over his lips. The plane was full and black with the army of dead that was his to command.

"I take it this pleases you master?" Came a voice like dead leaves to Melecus' right. The Demon Lord turned and looked at the man to his right. The man was tall, and thin, his skin pale and dead, the eyes were a dead, dull blue. The hair on the left half of the head was long and black, while on the right it was short. The one visible eye stared at Melecus' borrowed face.

"Therto, it pleases me indeed." Melecus looked back at the hordes. "But I need more." The dead man who had become the favored puppet of Therto nodded.

"Oh it shall be. Most of the North Lands have fallen to the cult and the wrystones are now active here."

"Excellent." Snickered Melecus, flexing his hands. "I do believe its finally time for my agents to move into the Empire."

"I don't think we should follow them." Rosette said aloud to the group,"After all that happens, they appear out of nowhere and come to help us? This seems too good to be true. I don't trust them."

She stopped where she was and held Chrono back from following.

"Give me a good reason why we should follow you two. I've never even met any of your kind before, I can't trust you."

"And you just decide to prance ove rhere and help people you meet at random? You have ny idea where we just were? We were there, at what you call the "forbidden place'! I used to live there dammit! My friends have died in that place because of me! I'm a murderer you idiots!"

"Rosette-"

"And he's a demon!" Rosette said, jabbing her thumb at Chrono, "How about now, what to help us now? People like s are the reason your kind is dying off!"

"Wait!" Chrono said, shouldering past Rosette, "Why could use your help. We are numbers are few and tired in spirit, we'd appreciate the help."

"Chrono, no!" Rosette hissed, "I don't want anyone else getting involved in this! They could be killed."

"As easily as any of us. we need time to fully recover... and come up with a plan to rescue the others." Chrono replied.

"I don't want their deaths on my conscience. I can't take it anymore."

"I know... but we could use all the allies we can get." Chrono replied. "I don't want their blood on my hands either, but they hid for a reason, and they've come to help us and endangered their well-being for many more."