The Thrones of Roses

“As a matter of fact I do!” Tak responded with harshness in his tone.

Lance felt Aka take hold of him yet again, but wasn’t sure if she had done it out of fear or just absentmindedly. Never the less he leaned pulled on his arm, allowing her to lean against him as their order was placed and the waitress strolled off. He shot Tak a cold look. “Behave yourself.”

“Excuse me?” Tak asked with a befuddled expression. “Did you just make a demand to me?”

“Tak, I am commanding you to quit your bitching and enjoy this night. What is with you? You’ve been bitching since we left freak’n grounds.” Vivian shot at him in a low hiss.

“Dammit woman you will not make commands of me!” Tak hissed back, his face becoming red with anger.

“Or you’ll what?”

“Behave yourselves, the both of you.” Ryan’s voice calmly floated to the two and they fell silent, beaming one another with glares of doom. It was amazing to Lance that Vivian hadn’t stabbed Tak with her spoon, which she twirled between her fingers. Now that Lance thought about it, but Vivian hadn’t tried to kill Ryan. If anything, she seemed passive about her little sister’s relationship. She was love making with Ryan and the two pledged their childish behaviors to marriage. Vivian might have found it honorable on Ryan’s part.

Lance found himself smiling as Ryan turned his attention to him. “You know Ryan, at some point you and I have some things to talk about,” he said, not verbally addressing a particular topic, but his eyes cut over to Tak as his sentence ended.

“You must be talking about the thing…” Lance wasn’t sure how to reply, he ended up leaning his head on Aka’s, catching a death glare from Tak. Now that his face was so close to Aka’s he had to resist defiling her mouth with his own. But even as he sat there, the look of guilt she wore when Adrienne had insulted him. He wondered about his tail then, having tossed it’s fate around in his mind earlier in the day, deciding it will remain apart of him for his own sake. However, he had plainly saw how it bothered her. What if she were highly interested in him? What if he were to ask of her hand in marriage? Since his tail bothered her, would he really rid himself of it, for her sanity? He made a note that after they’ve finish supper, he’ll take her to someplace secluded and ask her of her interest, assuming he wasn’t just a bodyguard for her.

Adrienne had already successfully slipped one of the vials of liquid into her pocket from Tak's coat pocket. She was being sneaky tonight since she was just beginning to realize how cruel Tak really was. She would get him though, get him for lying to her about gaining power, oh that vile boy will die.

Aka had noticed this but took no heed since she considered warning her cousin of anything to be a mortal sin at this point. She didn't care about him in the least bit, actually taking interest in seeing him die. It would be a while though, maybe not until they had left this place to go to safe haven for the royalty. It wasn't safe though, more of a danger zone for her because she'd constantly be near Tak and not close enough to Lance.

Aka hated the tension that was surrounding the table at the moment and her expression went from relaxed to a more fearful sort. She was stiff from anxiety and glanced at Mita for reassurance. When she'd gotten a reassuring glance back she loosened her death grip on Lance's arm.

"Lance," she said innocently, with a hint of fear on her voice that fueled Tak's rising excitement at her actions. "I think I might go there again, that scary place with all the burned things and I don't know how to get out of it."

"You haven't figured out how to get out yet," Tak said with a grin. "With the amount of times you've been there I must admit you're quite foolish. Don't you remember the time when you were ten, then twelve, then fifteen, and then at least three other times that I don't recall as well."

"You wiped my memory with those stupid toxins of yours, do you think I'll be able to remember something I'm not supposed to remember?" she hissed.

It was a rare moment that she was rude and she turned back to the table that was in front of her and glared at it. When she was angry she was usually really angry and it took a lot to make her angry. It was at this point that Tak really wanted to stretch her a bit and started repeating the language and string of words that was used to send Aka into the mentality of the Void. There was a very soft and almost inaudible murmur that came from around that that only Tak, Adrienne, Aka, and anyone else who had been to the void could hear.

Aka's vision faltered slightly and she whimpered before burying her face into Lance's arm. It was beginning to work but she did not want it to work. To attempt to evade the attack she tried to imagine herself doing something she truly enjoyed, the only thing she could think of was the flower that Lance made her and what he had done to her to 'save her.'

As she thought she recalled something special about the flower, the colors seemed to intermingle with each other and she was straining to recall it. As she thought more about it there seemed to be a breach in the barrier of her memory and a thousand memories came rushing at her, all having to do with the void.

The waitress had come to the table then, sitting plates down amongst the customers, but she stopped as gaze slowly swept the table, unable to comprehend the loud uneasiness that occupied the silent expressions of those around. The waitress looked at first curious, which had quickly become worrisome. She watched as the stuck up boy began to say or explain something to the group as everyone else at the table, with the exception of the young velvet haired girl, go rigid, fear and anxiety in their eyes.

Within a flash, Vivian had her spoon painfully lodged into Tak’s throat, the metal digging into his skin till blood trickled onto her hand. She leaned into him as the waitress just stared at her. “You are a very stupid and bold little boy aren’t you? As if we don’t know the language.” She said this forced the spoon deeper into his neck.

Tak had arm in hand, trying to prevent her from decapitating him. “Get off!” he demanded. Vivian removed herself from his person and now sat starring at her hand.

“What’s going on? Valerie asked, looking just as worried and complex as the waitress. She, like the waitress, had never been exposed to the void, nor has she been taught the language. Since Tak’s incantations were not directed at her or summoned toward the room, she wasn’t affected by the conditions of the paradox.

Vivian had all but studied the blood on her hand when she noticed that Lance had moved Aka so that the two stood next to each other. The waitress also starred at the blood on her hand as Tak applied pressure to his wounds. Vivian moved from the table then. “I’m going to the rest rooms, I need to clean up. Where can I find it?” She directed her question to the waitress who volunteered to deliver the deranged customer to her destination, mostly out of fear of being spooned to death. Tak had also removed himself from the table and followed suite. Adrienne had attempted to move, but Mita put a hand on her lap, silently telling the girl not to move.

Lance had an arm around Aka in an attempt to calm her, it felt as thought it were working. He turned his attention to Valerie. “Excuse me, Princess Valerie?” Lance, for some reason, always greeted or addressed the girl in the up most respect. “Can I trust you to be in charge? Princess Aka and I will step outside for a few minutes.” Lance figured that sitting her outside in the moonlit night would do her nerves some good, as well as his own.

“Why is she in charge?” Adrienne asked with loathing in her tone.

Lance just beamed at her for voicing such a dumb question. “I don’t want Mita killing anyone while I’m out.”

“Who voted you the leader of this little party anyway.” She continued, now sounding irritated.

Lance’s eyes narrowed at her as he contemplated a reply. Deciding to ignore her question, he reverted his eyes to meet Aka’s. “May I escort you outside? I am hoping to get a seat with you atop the roof.”

When the incantations had stop Aka relaxed a bit and then looked up at Lance because she did not want to see the blood. She didn't care that it was her cousin, in fact she would have done it himself if she'd known that the strange language had been coming from him. Lance's idea was so pleasant that she could barely stand to sit there. She could feel Adrienne's cold stare though it wasn't directed toward her nor Lance but rather Tak now.

Before the waitress left Tak had requested a water to help clean out the wound. It would be easy for Adrienne to slip something into it now because she had Ryan to distract Tak. She already knew that Tak had a hatred for people staring at him so she would use this weakness.

When Aka and Lance had finally gotten out of their seats and headed towards the door Aka began to feel a bit of relief. The further away she was from Tak the more advantageous it was for her since he could not control her because he could not see her. The visualization of Aka helped him concentrate on his incantations more which is the reason they hadn't worked during the meeting. he had been looking at her but discovered that not seeing her was a major flaw in his plan.

"Lance," Aka said as they reached the door. "I have a problem. I think Tak is going to have to be around me a lot from now on, I sense it because he's been talking to my parents more lately, swooning them into believing that no one has a single interest in me and he would keep me safe."

It had been thirteen months since the last time Tak had spoken to her in a fairly decent manner. Since then he’d joined a powerful resistance that went against many of the kingdoms, targeting hers the most. With the target being the most peaceful and most controlled place it would be easy to create chaos. An assassination of the king or queen seemed reasonable but then again, they did nothing but sit on their thrones while some scribes wrote down laws. It would be essentially pointless. The real person that they would have to kill would be the advisor, the sole person that was responsible for the treachery that went on within the kingdom.

Assassinations occurred daily without any public knowledge and it was mostly of people that rebelled or were in a section of the resistance that was involved in informing the people about the dangers of following this leader. Dangers was a bit harsh though as it demeaned the people and created an image of the commoners living in extreme poverty. It was not so, many of them lived richly due to lower taxes than other places but there was still a lower class. The society could not function without a lower class due to the fact that there is always someone needed to do the menial work that the middle class, or upper class, would despise doing.

Aka had no knowledge of this due to how she was kept away from the public view. She’d only made three public appearances in her life. The first one was at age thirteen when they introduced her as their only child, the second at age sixteen as her eligibility for marriage came around, and the last, most recently, before she went to the gardens. Many of the citizens were hoping that she’d met someone that was kind and gentle while others wanted a better king that the one they had now. If she knew this then there would be a lot more pressure in finding a suitable husband. That would not be including the tests that he would have to pass first. They would test him first to see how he fared through all of the deadly sins.

The first: Lust. A beautiful woman, beyond one’s imagination, the ultimate siren that could easily trick anyone would be placed before him. If he took her than he would most certainly fail, if he did not than he passed. The Second: gluttony. A large selection of food placed before him from all corners of the known territory. This of course was ruled the same way as the first. If he took the food and ate far too much he failed and would not be able to go near her again. Then it would move on to the third: Greed, the fourth: sloth, the fifth: Wrath, the sixth: envy, and the Last: Pride. Each little character flaw being disrupted, dissected and studied until there was nothing left to look at. There was an appointed panel of commoners from each of the economic levels (lower, medium, and upper) that were elders and were selected when they were born to determine the eligibility of the suitor.

There was some unreasonable things that went along with this culture but the main focus was the happiness of Aka. They had passed Tak already with simplistic ways and found no character flaws in him. This was before the resistance of course and his vile nature began to show up later. His plan now was to kill these elders one by one until there was no one left to judge the possible suitors.

The two had stopped just outside the doors of the restaurant. He looked down at her then, noting the worry in her eyes. “You do not have to worry about that,” he assured, his mind traveling to the memory of her stiff body and her alienated skin, all ailments caused by the tonic Tak had given her. Before Princess Aka had fainted away, her mother, Queen Victoria had debated with her King Ayal about Tak. At the time, King Ayal had been trying to convince his wife that Tak was unsuitable for their only daughter, knowing full well of Tak’s recent up bringing of misconduct. He knew that his nephew had poisoned his daughter and wanted nothing to do with the lad, thought King Ayal had noted the interest his daughter took onto the prince of a mad woman, as he calls her. King Ayal would have preferred for his daughter to suffer a marriage with a freak, than his own nephew. To Lance, maybe he won a much greater favor when he rushed over to their booth, eyes full of concern and completely alert, he had preformed healing methods of basic herbal mixtures to save her from a life of disgrace and abomination, if not death itself.

“The tonic he had given you had greatly defaced the notions your father held over that boy. However, you mother still holds some favor to him. However, maybe if I have a word with them, I may be able to win a full favor from the both of them.” Lance was confident that he could get this favor from them. Tak is becoming a menace to his own kingdom and presumably a few others, and for some reason, his misconduct somehow involved Aka. This bothered Lance since this scandal is already affecting her health and safety, plus the ongoing war and resistances which became predators to their kingdoms, but Lance knew and felt that wasn’t nearly the reason or excuse as to why he felt so protective of Aka.

He felt embarrassed, but somehow, his mind willed his body to move, closing the gap between them, using a hand to gently and ever so slowly to bring her chin up to meet her gaze. “Aka… In the short time that I’ve… that... that I’ve known you…” He was starting this wrong and he broke his gaze with her, not knowing how he should word his confession, the feelings and emotions which welded within him. Every time his eyes met hers made his worries and burdens evaporate, her beautiful blue eyes so captivating, her voice so innocent to her person, her stature so serene and elegant. Lance found himself so totally effectuated with the young princess, wanting to run his fingers though her golden hair, longing to touch her lips with his own, wanting… to confess his love… “I have sort of grown kinda protective of you…” He literally had to save himself from making a total lustful fool of himself, but what better way to recover from his idiocy than to tell her the truth… well, at least half of it anyway. He continued. “For some reason, I fell I may have become responsible for you in a way, and considering all that you’ve been through today, maybe its for the better that I am. Princess Aka, I’m not asking that you repay me or anything like that, and I’m not asking for favors either. I just… Just want to hear it from you, that its okay that I feel this way about. I have taken such a liking to you in such a short time, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable about me. I noticed that you seem bothered by my tail and… If it bothers you so… I’ll have it removed…” He could not believe he had just said that, the stupid words rolled from his tongue and passed the point of no return. Aka was no idiot, she would know that even though he hadn’t said the words, even though he mentioned nothing of them, but he knew she realized he had confessed his love to her. How could she have not realized it, with him offering to remove a portion of his being simply because it made her uncomfortable? How could she see through his embarrassment? He stood before her nervous and unable to speak clearly, behaving like a little boy with a crush.

Aka had been staring up at him while he was speaking. For the most part she was confused and perplexed about how he knew such details. She could barely remember her father speaking but then recalled that she hadn't actually been awake. She'd been in a dream like state that seemed to have lasted only a few seconds.

His offer to chop off his tail was almost ridiculous. She'd considered asking him if it was actually useful but due to her polite nature she didn't. She looked at his wings though and studied them for a moment, liking the appearance. She wanted him to be happy and she would sacrifice her own comfort to do so.

"If you're happy with your tail you can keep it," she said gently. "Just don't strangle me with it since that would be quite frightening. I'd prefer to die peacefully while I'm asleep and not murdered like Tak has proposed to happen. That would just be horrific and I don't want to remembered for how I died, I want to be remembered for how I lived."

At that point she reached out her hand and touched one of Lance’s wings gently, trying to remember the texture of it and finding it quite fascinating. She was facing him now and studied his expression. It was an overwhelmingly intimate moment for her. She never was close to people growing up because her parents protected her so much. She pulled away after a moment in fear that he would change his mind. He had just confessed to her and now she was being foolish and touching is wings. She was blushing now, bowing her head to hide it.

“Please forgive me,” she said, not daring to look up in fear of having to looked into an enraged expression.

Meanwhile back in the tavern area Tak had gotten his beverage. He had taken one sip and that was all. Adrienne was looking normal but after a moment she’d slipped the cover of the vial off of the container and then tried to figure out how to distract everyone. She paused slightly and look around her for a moment. She made a hushing sound to Valerie who seemed to immediately become distracted and looked away.

“Mita, stop glaring at Tak like that. Tak Ryan is staring at you,” she said with no more emotion than if she had been an executioner.

It was at that moment that Tak moved becoming distracted at this point and attempted to attack Ryan. He was stopped by instinct though when he felt Mita glaring at him. During this time Adrienne had taken the glass of water and drank some out of it before slipping the liquid from the vile into it. Tak look back at her and then snatched the water glass away.

“You were trying to trick me so that you could have my water were you,” he asked sharply. “Well you can’t have it.”

He immediately began to drink it after that, not realizing the danger that accompanied turning your back on a beverage. Adrienne was smug for the most part, not caring if Mita had noticed her go through with those actions. It would be a while before the toxins actually took effect on his own body, possibly a day or two and that would be enough time for her to plea her innocence and discover a new path to freedom.

Adrienne was failing at hiding her smile. The idiot had downed the entire cup, so selfish and egotistical, thinking he’s so damn invincible, and to think I had the audacity to think he would be the life I want! She thought this as she pretended to sound angry when she spoke. “Would it kill you to share? I have no drink to accommodate my supper, you know.”

“And that is my problem~ how?” Tak asked with mild irritation in his tone.

“Hmph! To think I wanted to be your wife some day!” She boated angrily, realizing the more she did this, the more serious her attitude would become to him. At least her deceitful show to him would appear more real than it was. She continued, making verbal reactions that everyone would assume she would make. “Some fool I am.”

“As if I’d settle for a whench like you,” Tak shot back at her. The comment could have stun her if she hadn’t just shortened his life.

“You will not speak to her in such a fashion,” Mita drew the words from her slowly, not looking at him as she forked a meat ball into her mouth. “Adrienne belongs to me now and I will not have my properties insulted.”

Everyone just stared at her as Adrienne smiled, not looking at her though. “I am not your property,” she said, her response way to thankful to be of a mere appropriate response.

Tak eyed the two suspiciously, an epiphany suddenly occurring in his mind. “Oh I see, you’ve been in line with them this whole time haven’t you?” His face began to burn with fury. “After all I have told you? After all I have planned for you, you†˜ve been feeding information off me to these… SIMPLETONS?” He stood as Vivian approached the table from cleansing herself of Taks, contaminations. “And now you’re another woman’s slave?! You filthy hoer!”

Valerie covered her mouth with shock, Ryan beamed angrily at him, and Mita looked as if she’d leap across the table aiming for his little pencil neck. Vivian hadn’t stabbed him when she took her seat, but starred at her tea cup, then eyed him, wondering how much force it would take to drive the cup into his throat and completely sever it off. A young woman approached the table, one they all recognized to be princess, had stopped before their table, beaming at Tak. She stood like a leader, her head high with determination, her posture trained and unmovable. She hadn’t spoken a word, just stared at him with soulless eyes, piercing even Tak’s composer and ego. “I must be going,” he said following the princess around the table. He hadn’t given any of them any notice that he wasn’t returning.





Lance gave Aka his warmest smile as she stepped from him. “Its okay,” he replied, his voice just as soft and loving as his expression. He wrapped his wings around her, pushing her back into him. He could see the surprise in her expression as she realized how incredibly gentle the wings have been when they nudged her toward to him. Lance put a hand to her cheek, his touch was light against her. Her skin was so smooth and delicate, warm under his fingers. The first time Lance had touched her skin, she had been under the influence of a poisonous tonic which caused her skin to dry horribly and its color became distorted. Touching her now made his mind race, thoughts of running his hands over her body made his eyes avert her. “Aka, I want you to be happy with me… and… I want to be happy with you too, but I cant be happy with you if I make you uncomfortable. If my tail bothers you so much, I’ll have it removed immediately.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead as he brought his tail slowly around her, moving it so it slid around her back and came to rest at her sides. He wanted to know then and now exactly how much it bothered her, wanted to know if she would ever become used to it, if he’d be forced to remove it. Parting with that portion of his body would make not only life slightly more uneasy, but it would make it much more difficult to protect the one he claimed to be his own, the person he held in his arms.

The tavern doors swung open and a princess who Lance had seen countless times before, dressed in royal attire, had exited the eating place, followed closely by Tak. When Tak had spotted them just outside, standing in each others arms at the base of the landing, Tak shot the two a scowl with such fury his face radiated and almost appeared to glow with hatred. Lance took Aka into his arms and nuzzled her with passion, burying his face into her hair and neck as he spoke in mere whispers. “I have come to love you in such a short time, and I refuse to allow any harm to befall you.” Some how, seeing Tak standing there gave him the push he needed to express his feeling for her, and he was so glad of it. “I will give any thing for you… Including my tail, if you wish it.”

Tak couldn’t believe what he had just heard that wretched boy say. Even though it had only been a whisper, he caught every word of the freak’s confession. Tak had stepped forward to them, Aka nor that Lance fellow paying him any mind, when the princess took hold of shoulders with a firm grip. She hadn’t uttered a single word, but Tak knew he was to follow. With a final look back at the two, still locked together, Tak stormed off with her.

They had been walking for at lead ten minutes now. She had been leading him to the direction of the nearest royal quarters, where Aka, that psycho Vivian, and the cat beast Mita, resided. Instead, she detoured him into the mist of the market lane, rows and rows of shops and outdoor produce huts lined the street for nearly half a mile. Venders and merchants tended and persuaded customers and viewers to buy merchandise of various sorts, whether foreign or not.

“Madeline, what’s going on?” Tak asked, some of his frustration gone but still in his tone. He had been looking at fairly young princess, about the same age and height as Vivian’s little sister.

Madeline, a fifteen year old prodigy, was a beautiful girl with her brilliant pink hair as unwavering and unyielding to the wind as her body and posture, and although she didn’t look it with her constant scowl present upon her expression, Madeline was a war lord… and, she is insane. She hadn’t responded to Tak’s question, but she had taken him into an alley somewhere not to far from the tavern they exited. She stopped and turned to him, her posture and attitude as stiff as her title of Admiral. “Considering that you have been given a simple order and is too much of a self centered little b***h to follow it through, I have been sent to carry out the order.”

Tak wouldn’t dare address her insults, she was as ******** crazy as her twin. Tak could do nothing but let her batter him verbally. “Lady... Admiral Madeline, I just need twenty minutes to-“

Her strike was too fast for him to catch with his eyes. She had him lifted off the ground, the fingers of her left hand digging into his chest as she held him high with that same hand, leaving her right to rest stiffly at her side. “I have better things to do than to carry out the simple orders of a pathetic little warm like you.” She hissed in an small voice that didn’t sound nor match the innocent appearance as its host. “The only value you hold to our legion is the simple fact that you can enter the void a lot easier than we and I expect for you to beg your superior for sparring your life!” She dropped him then, watching him crumble to the ground as he grasped for breath, her hold had been crushing her crushing his lungs.

Tak rolled over to come to his knees with both hands flat to the ground. “I thank you for sparring me…” he said with a voice so weak it sounded nothing of his own.

“What are they’e names?” She asked Madeline walked pass him, stopped and clapped her hands together while muttering incantations. Tak watched as they rose from the ground like ghosts, all of them tall and identical… reapers. They were all cloak in a clouded aura, each of them faceless, they bore no weapons but the long metal claws on their hands and their breathing were like the hisses of snakes. They all turned to her. Madeline hadn’t spoken, hadn’t issued no command, she merely made a simple motion with her hand and the reapers all wisped away, on their way to the task at hand.

"It would be nice to have the tail gone," she admitted. "But if it is too much of a hassle do not remove it." She was stubborn when it came to these kinds of things since she always wanted the other person to be happy and she knew she had to sometimes sacrifice her own happiness to please other, it was something her parents had taught her a while ago.

She hadn't actually noticed Tak come out and she was barely aware of anything else because of the warmth she felt when she was engulfed his his wings and arms. She wanted to stay there for as long as she could and just rest there, knowing that she was safe. If she needed to she would demand that he be in the room next to hers since she was scared of going into the strange place again. It would become worse if she went in there, be exactly the same as when Lance would go, only the next time she would most certainly be killed if she was not helped in some way or another.

"Please don't leave me," she said softly. "Please don't leave me like all those other people. I don't want to be alone again."

When she mentioned this she was referring to a few of the suitors that had courted her but had left her because of how she followed her country's rules so closely. She felt the blame was to be placed on her for that and she had blindly fallen in love with them.


Adrienne was pleased with herself for the most part but seeing him go off with that other princes sent anger through her veins. She was almost convinced at this point that she would be better off with this crowd than with him. She looked around at them for a brief moment before staring down at her plate, feeling her stomach growl from hunger.

It wasn't possible to change like that, was it? She was gripping the edge of the seat now, digging her nails into the hard wood. It pained her but she ignored it since she wanted to concentrate on what she was thinking.

"I would like to ask, is it possible to become alliances with anyone at this table or will I be stuck with that brat Tak until he dies?" she asked bluntly.

She was unaware of some of the rules of society mainly due to the fact that she was used to getting whatever she wanted. She shook her head slightly and scowled before crossing her arms.

It would be possible for Mita, but more likely Aka, to teach her some manners though it would take a while. A transformation like that would take a while since it would take learning that was usually given during the early years of a person's life. The best it would be about a year and at the worst it would be about six years. It all depended on her willingness too cooperate. If she was determined to get along with them. She would be when she learned the plans of the others that were in the resistance.

“We could be friends!” Valerie said aloud, who was beyond happy now. “We can have tea parties!”

“Yeah, you can be our friends,” Vivian said, but her tone was mildly pissed at best. Vivian didn’t like Adrienne at all, and having her apart of they’re group was a thorn in the back. However, Vivian had contemplated the possibility of Adrienne becoming a lot like Mita was an appealing thought, though wondered how long it would take for such a conversion. “Mita here will have to train you though.”

“That is true,” Mita agreed as she forked the last remains of macaroni and cheese into her mouth. “I’ll have to train you to be like us here.”

Adrienne looked beside herself. “There’s training required to join a friendship with you guys?”

“You cant communicate with us unless you know how we think and act towards everything. You gotta learn to cope with the people and feel them as well.” Mita answered. “You must learn to love others, especially your friends.”

“You and psycho girl here are always choking each other.” Adrienne said then, looking over at Vivian, who in turn looked un-phased at the insult. “Now how does that work out?”

Mita looked to be in thought. “It’s complicated.” It was quite obvious Mita held a secret, but only Ryan suspected such a thing. However, among both Lance and Ryan, the two couldn’t figure out why the two princesses hated each other so.

Ryan’s ear twitched as Valerie spoke. “Do I get to dress her? She does wear such horrid clothing.”

“My clothing-!” Adrienne shouted at first, but caught sight of Vivian’s death glare. Adrienne’s voice softened immensely. “My clothing is not horrid, it just… plain-looking.”

Ryan abruptly rose from his seat when the waitress came over, who looked quite satisfied to see the stuck up young man gone from the table. “We need to go… NOW!” He took his innocent young lover by the hand and pulled her after him.

“What do you think you are doing? You can’t leave without paying the tab first!” The waitress shouted as Mita, Vivian, and Adrienne rose and followed suite. The waitress ran before Ryan in an attempt to stop him from leaving.

“Listen lady, you have about ten seconds to clear this place out or people are going to die!” Ryan bellowed as several other customers gazed at them with either questionable expressions or mild disapproval.

“People will die?! But why?” Valerie cried as Ryan pulled her along.

“We need to get back to home now.” Mita said as she ushered Adrienne and Vivian out side, followed by Ryan and his young lover.




“I… I won’t ever leave you,” Lance whispered to her as he held her ever so closely, not wanting to let her go. “I promise.” Using a finger, he tilted her chin up to him as he gazed first into her eyes and then at her lips, his body under its own control as he leaned forward to her, and brushed his lips to hers so lightly, wanting to burry his tongue onto hers, his finger tips resting at her cheeks as his mouth moved about her own. Pressing his wings softly into her back, he inched her up to him, his lips closing around hers, and Lance became completely lost in the moment, tasting her so feverishly. Until...

The tavern doors came crashing open causing the two of them to jump back, startling them as they watched people pore from the building with their voices screeching. Adrienne and Vivian approached them first with Valerie and Mita in toe.

“What the hell is going on?” Adrienne shouted in confusion, watching more people fight their way out through the small entrance.

“Lance, I can hear them, they are coming!” Mita informed, looking about them in a worried expression. “We have to go now!”

“Lance!” Ryan came running to them, a wild look in his eyes. “I want you to take the girls and go!”

Despite that everything was happening so fast, Lance felt defensive towards his orders. “I’m not leaving you to fight on your own! You take the girls and I’ll stay!”

Vivian gave Lance a hard shove that caused him to stumble backward for several paces. “Take the girls and go!” She bellowed, spinning on her heals and pulling two long blade from the vicinity of her dress robes.

Ryan had gone into the tavern with his lightning blazing all around him, followed by Vivian. “Okay then-” Lance started at first until he looked upward toward the tavern roof where a hooded, faceless figure stood cloaked in darkness, a scythe in hand. The creature gave a loud screech, like the death wail of a woman, but eerie and distorted. It leaped from the roof, bearing down upon its victims with its eerie wail trailing it. It had been aiming for Valerie, but Lance somehow swapped places with her and it collided with him, sending him to the floor. All women back away in horror as the creature screamed again, it scythe raised. Lance’s tail shot upward, wrapping around the neck and flinging the summon away like it were a stick. The summoned creature tumbled in mid air before landing on its feet and it lunged forward as another creature appeared from the tavern doors. “RUN!!!” Lance shouted as he bolted after the four women, just then lightning erupted form from the tavern inside, eviscerating both creatures as the party darted into the shopping district. Even as the ran further down the road lined with shops and mobile market carts, people were darting every which way, screaming and trying to hide from the creatures who rained death to all that moved. Though, the road hadn’t become complete pandemonium until officers, knights, and soldiers of all sorts erupted from nowhere, countering the cloaked figures as Lance lead the princesses back to the safe house. Lance’s eyes had been darting every which way keeping watch for anyone who might pose a threat to his ladies, but then, everyone had been wielding a weapon, and everyone was sleighing something.

It had taken a while to maneuver through the crowds of death and destruction and Lance had lead the women to the open field once more, refusing to let anyone slow their paste until they were just yards from the front entrance. He had Valerie in hand at the time, being that she was the youngest and most innocent in the group, he let her go after turning, his eyes surveying the field for anyone or thing that may have followed. “Are you all okay? Where’s Mita?”

Adrienne had been studying everyone as well, realizing that the feline wasn’t among them. “Probably left to go be a hero.”

Lance hadn’t found the remark appeasing at all. King Ayal and Queen Victoria had been awaiting their daughter’s arrival at the front gates. Victoria rushed to her daughter as Ayal approached Lance. “WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DUAGHTER?!” He bellowed loudly, anger ringing against the gate’s walls.

“Why are you screaming sir? I don’t have the time to explain, but a member of my party had gotten misplaced and I need to find her quickly. And besides, that idiot Tak had taken her out tonight, I saw him leave her when the shopping district was attacked, he’s probably crawling into bed now and pretending he been in bed during the whole scandal. You can check his closet and drawers for dirt since there’s no one to clean them now.” Lance’s lie had been so cunning and smooth that not even his composure had been broken. He was turning toward the gate as Ryan’s mother and father had appeared. They looked to question Lance but he held a hand up. “I’ll answer your questions later, Right now I have a certain someone I need to find.” Lance turned once more, and was gone.




Mita had crawled up the stairs, trying desperately to escape her predator. She reached the top of the landing and tried to head for the window when a boot connected hard against her side, sending her spiraling toward the wall. Madeline walked over to her, starring down at her with dislike. “You all are annoying me,” she said, passing a married couple who coward by the wall, their daughter in their arms. Madeline looked at the cowering family as two of her summons came up the stairs, she out her arm out to stop them from proceeding to their target. “All we want to do is to kill the little blonde girl and take her kingdom. But you and the boy just have to ******** things up don’t you? I don’t like being displeased and I don’t like for my master to be displeased. I don’t know what I’m going to do about Lance, which is his name, right?” When no reply came from her victim, she took hold of Mita and slammed her into the stone wall, leaving a large cracked area of Mita’s figure. Mita whelped before the little girl’s fist slammed into her stomach, causing Mita to double over and fall to her knees. Mita began to cry, the terror that ripple through her was like one she had ever experienced. This was her first conflict, her first contact with real danger and pain. She wasn’t at all prepared for this and her mind was running over time trying to figure out what to do.

“Being silent is not in your best interest now,” Madeline continued. “What is the name of that wolf character? I know he hairs from your region, but which kingdom is it? What is his name?!”

“Please… stop…” Mita was sobbing now, even after she had taken another boot to her mid section, she could only curl up and sob.

Madeline looked to the family then, walking over to them and pried the little girl from her mother’s hold. Both parents protested until Madeline gave them a quick glace, one that did not express mercy and the both fell silent, fear and worry in both their eyes. Madeline dragged the little girl over to Mita, kicking and screaming for her mother and father. “Since you don’t want to talk Mita, I’ll be paying a visit to his fiancé then.” Mita looked up from her sobs, realization kicking into her mind as a sick and dark smile crept onto Madeline’s face. “Yes… that’s right. I’ll be paying Valerie a visit, and would you like to know what I will do to her?” Madeline held the little girl nearly two feet into the air, the crying child screaming as Madeline held her by the face. An eerie smile crept onto her face as she applied pressure-

Mita heard the sound of bone being crushed and the child’s body went limp. The parents leaped forward but were slain before they even left the spot which they sat. The room dimed in Mita’s eyes as black dots began to dance before her vision, bile rising within her and exploding from her mouth. She lay in the pool when Madeline delivered another kick to her mid area and began chocking.

Madeline knelt beside Mita, lifting her head by the feline’s hair. “Pathetic you are, and to think you are one of the few like me, a potential… how sad… Too bad you’re gonna die now, my sister really fancies you.”

A sound caused Madeline to turn then, only to see her summons dissolve like smoke, revealing Vivian scowling at her. Her gaze flew to Mita only for an instant. “I see you like attacking my property.”

“Your property, huh?” Madeline eyed Vivian down. “Looks like I have to take you out too.”

Vivian wasted no time for an invitation to move, she charged with stealth, her blade swinging with precision as Madeline dodged them with little effort. Madeline was only toying with Vivian as she side stepped the blade in a spinning motion, catching Vivian in her stomach with her boot. Vivian staggered back, not looking as if she had even been hurt but knew her skin would bruise later. Vivian braced herself to charge again as she rethought her tactics. She had been watching the way the little girl moved, the way she turned her body, the way her feet were placed when evading. “You must be member of a royal family?” She said then, more of a statement than a question.

“Yes I am, and what does that matter to you?”

Vivian didn’t respond as she dropped her weapons, both of her long blades clanking against the ground, but only rushed forward charging once again, but this time, Madeline couldn’t read her opponent’s movements, even Vivian’s foot work had completely changed. Madeline couldn’t evade even the first blow and Vivian’s fists rained over the girl’s body. Madeline dropped to the floor after taking several hits and Vivian, without so much as breaking her stride, picked her up and tossed her through the window, sending the young princess falling onto a large food cart. Vivian watched as the girl landed spread eagle as debree fell atop her. Vivian smirked before turning her attention to Mita. Mita was quivering in fear, her gaze unfocused as blood and bile leaked from her lips. Vivian became pissed, outraged even, wishing she’d have broken that b***h’s neck instead of tossing her through a window. Vivian was worried, actually worried about someone, looking down at her friend realizing that losing Mita from her life would really make her the psycho everyone claims her to be. How much did Vivian care about Mita? She didn’t know, but it angered her that she actually gave a damn about someone other than herself. Someone came through the window then and Vivian, without hesitation, caught the person before he landed and slammed him to the floor, retrieving a knife from her person and put it to Ryan’s neck.

“s**t Ryan, don’t come flying the ******** window like that!” she barked at him, moving to kneel beside Mita.

Ryan had spotted Mita unconscious and crawled to her. “What happened to her?”

“Some psycho b***h nearly beat her to death.” Vivian spat, raising Mita from her own bile. “I tossed her out the window like a minute ago.

Ryan was startled by this bit of news. “You mean the little girl Lance caught?”

“What?! He caught her? Why?”

“Well, he was coming toward me and saw her go flying through the window. He didn’t know.”

Vivian sighed loudly, her mind racing as she plotted out what to do. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll carry Mita and know what to do.”

The kiss was strange for Aka but interesting at the same time. It had so much pure emotion in it that at first she thought she would cry. When they were interrupted half of her welcomed it while the other half just wanted the moment to freeze and not have the petty interruption, but when she heard of the danger though she froze in fear. Why had she listened to him? Why had she agreed to come out into the wretched world for the night just so they could enjoy freedom? Seeing the creatures had put her in more fear than she had imagined. Repeatedly she told herself to be brave and that she would wake up and this would all be a nightmare.

She was muttering something to herself when she heard Lance yell something. Run? Oh run… and so she did. As they reached the half-way mark between the place where she staying and the restaurant she felt her lungs burning. Her legs ached too but he kept pushing them forwards. What were these nasty creatures doing here? Why couldn’t they just leave people be so they could all be safe? The castle grew larger as she ran and when she saw her mother she almost ran to her but was too exhausted. She was gasping for breath now and when her mother came to her she began to sob. Aka would go along with Lance’s story, she was sure she loved him at that point but it still seemed as if she’d only met him.

“Please mother believe him,” she said after she’d gotten her breath back. “He’d taken me out and then these frightening creatures started showing up and he just left me. It was so terrible.”

Her fear was more than genuine and it was growing by the second since she did not want to visit that awful place again, the void is what he’d called it but it was more like hell to her. She loved color for the most part but the void didn’t seem to contain any colors. Aka gave a pitiful glance to Adrienne who seemed to take the clue. She’d had experience in the realm of the void and knew that if Aka died that she would probably spend some time with that little b*****d Tak. She hadn’t protested the story only because she couldn’t wait until he was dead.

“Calm down Aka,” Adrienne said. “Tak isn’t here and he’s definitely not going to hurt you, especially if you have parents and friends with you. Now try to think of the most beautiful place on the planet and I assure you the feeling will pass.”

“What feeling? What are you talking about a feeling passing?” King Ayal questioned. “What did my nephew do to my daughter and I thought it was Lance.”

“It couldn’t have been him I’m sure it was Lance, he must be lying,” Queen Victoria said in protest. “Nothing good could come out of that monster.”

“He’s not a monster mom,” Aka immediately protested. “He’s the closest thing to a friend that I can imagine and that is exactly what he is. He’s never tried to harm me and he protected me from those vile creatures. He’s not the one sending me to that vile place to see that frightening mage. I don’t want to see Allestar…”

Her parents both froze when the name was spoken and Victoria nearly backed away from her child. It was the one person they had executed themselves but they thought they’d covered up the evidence. What they forgot was the void, the ability for the dead to tell the living the most frightening things that could be either false or true, it was their choice in how to manipulate the living.

“H… how do you know about Allestar dear?” the Queen asked, attempting to keep her cool as she took hold of her daughter’s shoulders and held her at arm’s length, studying her expression. “And what do you mean by †˜that vile place?’”

Aka froze for a moment before looking into her mother’s place. She would be considered insane if she told this story and she wouldn’t get any back up on it. She shook her head slightly as if to say drop the subject but her mother shook her by the shoulders and Aka seemed to understand that if she didn’t speak she would be in trouble. If that meant that there was a chance that she wouldn’t be able to see any of her new acquaintances again she would have to speak.

“Please mother it was just a nightmare…” Aka said in a shaky voice. “I’m sure you didn’t do what he said you did and I’m sure the void doesn’t exist. Please just let me go you’re scaring me.”

“You mean to tell me that you’ve been to the void and you haven’t told us before?” King Ayal asked in a sharp tone though he was completely ignoring the stander bys at the moment. “Tell me what else have you been up to? Have you done anything dishonest lately, stole a bit of time with that friend of yours or are you following our rules still?”

“I always follow your rules,” Aka said with a bowed head. “You’ve told me about them since I was five and I know that it is important.”

Were they as important as they told her they were besides she was old enough to make her own decisions and she wasn’t even in their own country. Her expression didn’t change though as she tried to focus once more, imaging Lance standing next to her as they stared out at the vastness of the ocean, studying it as the tide came in and he waves rocked back and forth. The gentle sea breeze caressed her cheek as she smelled the strong scent of salt water and fish. It was nice to smell it, calming almost and a relief to be somewhere she felt she belonged. When she opened her eyes though she was in the same place as before and Lance was not there. She swallowed hard before she looked to the other companions and just nodded. She was calm now and wanted to know where Lance was.

“Well…” King Ayal said. “I guess we should get you back to your chamber. You need to rest. I’ll have Queen Victoria stay with you so that if that dreadful nightmare comes back she can comfort you. It would be best if you rested for a while.”

It had been a while since leaving the market district, Lance was now in his new room, since having his previous contaminated with manifestations, and was now sitting on his bed as he gazed down at the pretty little princess, her pink long hair spilling about his pillows. His expression was if anything sincere, running a finger down her cheek, hoping she would recover. He felt nothing for the girl but concern, having seeing the youngling being thrown from a window, he wished he could have taken the time to kill the b*****d who dared to harm sweet innocent children such as this. The little girls sighed as Lance smoothed a thread of hair from her brow.

There was a knock at the door. “Lance, may I talk to you?” His mother’s voice called softly as the door was pushed slightly ajar.

Over the past few hours, his mother began to worry him. She never had asked his permission to gain access to his room, nor had she ever asked his permission to speak to him. But lately just these pass few hours, she has been doing just that. “Sure, okay.”

“Out here, if you please.” Aquarius said in a soft demanding tone.

Lance stood, idling his way to the door and closed it tightly behind him. Queen Aquarius was gazing at him, then turned her attention to the many servants who worked the halls. They all looked in their direction, understanding her silent orders and the hall was cleared of all staff and persons immediately.

Aquarius stood a few feet from him, turning her attention to her son’s worried expression. “Lance, I want you to tell me how you summoned the void.” She spoke in a voice so soft and low that her words were almost inaudible.

Lance looked at his mother with uncertainty, knowing that he’d have to tell her sooner or later. He had managed to dodge the question repeatedly in the coach, but now, he wasn’t sure if he could maneuver around it this time. “I don’t know,” he lied, though Aquarius beamed at him as if she knew he were lying.

“Listen Lance, the void isn’t something that just happens out of the blue, and it’s not something just anyone can walk into, but somehow, you are able to summon it. Do you even understand what it is? Let alone what it’s for?” She tilted her head at him. “You’ll be debriefed about that when we get to Haven Isle before the board, but I want you to explain to me now, how you are able to summon it.”

Lance let a long moment go by as he thought, sighing before he spoke. “I have seen it on the battle field, it was summoned by another then, and I don’t know who, but I saw how the environment appeared once it was in its full form. That was a few years ago, since then I’ve been trying to find my own way of how to open it… and I succeeded.” Aquarius hadn’t interrupted him and looked as if she didn’t mind this part of the explanation. “At some point I realized that I need to visualize how to bring the void forward, but I wasn’t sure how to do that until I had drawn several pictures of my room in a gruesome detail and setting. It was then that when I dropped the images to the floor…. It…. It just happened… I don’t know how to explain it really, I just drew what I thought it would look like if it were opened inside my bed chamber, and it just happened.”

Aquarius thought for a moment before she spoke. “You know Lance, I wish you’d take my concern a bit more seriously,” she took a step forward, but the motion wasn’t threatening, neither was her tone. “I am your mother after all.” She took another step toward him. “And as your mother I do love you. So please be more careful...” She was standing before him now, her body nearly against his own. “When you summon the void for me.” Kissing him lightly on the cheek, Aquarius ushered him into his room for the night.

Lance shut the door behind him with his heart racing, his mother, touched him, with her lips, and licked his cheek… He wasn’t sure what to do then, having his mother talk to him using words that any descent mother would say, yet using such a seductive tone to him left Lance completely rattled. Even the way she looked at him left his brain empty and deprived of most thoughts. When Lance’s wits returned to him, he decided then that his mother, by her natural person and being, was not one made for emotions, she was treating him all wrong.

Lance turned his attention to the little girl who slept silently in his bed. She was wearing his night robes since Lance had stripped her down and cleaned her. He had only done it to avoid questions being raised as to why she was battered up so badly, and he did not want people to assume he beat her, and her parents would most likely swear that their little girl was an angel and would never venture outside of safety. If that were the case, then someone must have taken her out and tried to assassinate her-

Wait a minute… Lance thought, his expression displaying mild curiosity. This is the girl who left with Tak. But why would she be with him?Lance sat at the head of the bed, starring at the girl. A long time went by before Lance was asleep with his legs spilling off the side of the bed. The lights had been killed some time ago, when Aquarius had come in to check on him, finding him asleep, far from the princess beneath his sheets. Lance needed the sleep after all that had transpired throughout the day, but tomorrow, they’ll be taking a private airship to Haven Isle.

Aka had tossed and turned for a while in bed as her mother slept soundlessly next to her. She was worried about Lance and what he was doing, but then again she was just a petty princess and no one really cared about her. She doubted what he’d said earlier and now she doubted that the kiss had been real, maybe she’d just imagined it. She was shaking slightly but she wasn’t scared anymore. One of the doctors that her father knew had put together a beverage to calm her down and it had worked like magic. The only issue had hand now was the fact that she needed to sleep. She was afraid to sleep but not so afraid so that it crippled her.

Her mother’s soft breathing eventually coaxed her into a deep sleep. She did have the nightmare but it seemed more escapable now. The strange place was even more terrifying than usual. She was woken what seemed like moments later to a room that was filled with sunshine and she became perplexed.

“Mother I had the most horrid dream last night,” she said. “When I came back from that meeting I went out and there were all these beasts. I don’t want to leave the room.”

“Darling you have to, we’re going to a safer place and you won’t have any of those dreadful nightmares there,” her mother said in a coaxing tone.

“Where is Mita?”

“Who’s Mita?”

“Where’s Lance?”

“Who’s Lance?”

“Oh never mind I probably made them up in my dream also… wait what about Ryan and Valerie and that scary girl that always likes to put people down. Maybe they really exist and I just don’t know it or maybe I’m dreaming when I think I’m awake…. Oh why is this so confusing.”

Her mother hadn’t responded to that one since it wouldn’t make sense for her to respond. Responding to a philosophical train of thought coming from Aka was bound to make her more confused than she already was.

Her eyes came open at once, sitting up slowly to find the creature laying on the opposite end of the bed. The bed chamber is dark now, but gazing at the window, Madeline calculated that morning was just two hours from the present. Pulling back the sheets from her person, she slid off the bed without giving even the smallest sign that she was awake as she silently strolled bare foot over to the demon who laid at her feet, watching him breath slowly and soundly.

Madeline muttered something, her hand glowing a soft blue as she put it to Lance’s face. He stirred slightly but for just a moment before coming still again. She hadn’t removed her hand, but let it slide around him, feeling his features, studying him with her hand. He felt a lot like her sister, only harder and much more male. She frowned then, pulling the sheet from him, then proceeded to unlace his robe, baring just his stomach and chest. She strolled over to the night stand, retrieving a knife from its contents and repositioned herself to stand over Lance. She poked at a particular spot on his chest, raised her knife –




Lance opened his eyes to the morning sun streaming through the windows. He rolled over then came to alarm when he noticed that the little pink haired princess hadn’t occupied her bed, but instead, his mother was there beside him, her arms around her and she had been breathing into his neck. He had also found that he had been under the covers with him. Lance, for a moment, thought something might have happened last night, but maybe he was just too tired, maybe he might have called for his mother to comfort him in the night. Lance knew that was a load of crap, but then, even as he slid soundlessly from the bed without waking her, he knew his mother had good intentions for being there with him. He wasn’t at all used to this kind of care from anyone but Mita or Ryan, but something has his mother fixed to him now and he soon began to wonder if it had anything to do with his relationship with Princess Aka.

There was a soft knock at the door and Lances answered to a servant. “Your majesty, I have come to inform you that your private airship will be ready for departure in one hour’s time. May I send for your grooming, my prince?”

Lance looked back to his mother, who had shifted in her sleep. “Yes please,” he answered with a nod. “Umm… Last night, I shared a room with a young petite prince, who sports pink long hair. Do you know where she is now?”

“Princess Madeline had been retrieved into her King and Queen’s company and are awaiting departure right now. Her family’s airship is scheduled to leave in twenty minutes.”

Lance nodded at the servant woman and she bowed her leave. Lance then proceeded to allow the grooming party to dress him and pamper his appearance to fit a public stature. It wasn’t till after his wings had been brushed and culmed that he noticed the maids bowing, then felt a pair of soft warm arms slip around his neck. His mother’s lips met his cheek before her own touched his.

“Lance, I want you to go to the airship and wait there at the docks. If you feel more comfortable traveling with another person other than myself, then you have my full blessings to do so,” Aquarius told him, a loving smile upon her face. “You seem to be fully groomed now, so you go on ahead.”

Lance turned to his mother then and for the first time as far as he could remember, he bowed his leave, to her. Lance had taken a guarded coach to the south east district safe house, where Aka, Mita, and Vivian had resided the past night. He had gone there to seek their company, wanting to make sure they were all okay. At the entrance gates, a messenger had been sent into the bowels of the mansion to Princess Aka, Vivian and Mita, announcing his arrival and requesting their audience.

Aka had woken up earlier than she had intended and spent a good hour pacing in her room, trying to decipher the dream that she'd just had. She seemed impatient and her mother was still fast asleep, completely unaware of anything that could or could not be happening around her. As the clock rounded the time to get up a few maids came in and roused her mother. They were to get ready to leave now, there items would be shipped off later.

The outfit of the day was a light brown color with accents of a mossy green color. It was fitted with a low cut that showed off a bit of the her chest though it was modest enough to be comfortable for Aka. She turned slightly before taking a seat where the people began to fuss with her hair. These maids seemed to take particular interest in her because her hair always seemed to cooperate when they styled it. Today they managed to curl in slightly with some heated items it laid down. The curls would be gone later in the day but at least it would look decent for the important part of the trip.

"Mother," Princess Aka said now that they had placed a pair of shoes on her feet, green flatts. "May I go to find some people that I met at the garden yesterday. They will take very good care of me. You probably spoke to a few of them yesterday and it includes Mita."

She knew her mother thought highly of Mita because of her independence but she was worried about having Vivian along with because she was frequently frightened by her. She was cut off abruptly when she heard news from another maid that Lance requested her audience. She swallowed hard since the dream had contained a few choice things about him that she had not wanted to see. She shivered lightly and stared at the ground as she was escorted to where he was.



The line of site from the window was dark but the figure sitting there could see two distinct forms on the bed. It was a young girl, her hair delicately spread across the pillow and what looked like to be the form of Lance. It was the works of Allestar and he was letting Aka see through his eyes, embody him in her dream. As he moved slightly thoguh it became quite obvious how close the two had become, Lance arms were wrapped securely around the girl's waist and she looked as if she belonged there.


Aka came out of the trance just as she stumbled slightly. She gasped and brought herself together as she met up with a few of the others that had been summoned by Lance also, though she was completely unaware of this. Tak had also come in this direction but he wasn't looking like he felt all that could. He had a sickly color to him and as he approached Aka she became suspicious. She studied him as he walked towards her with a slight limp.

"I'm sorry Aka," Tak said as he laid his hands on her shoulders. "I shouldn't have done that. Will you please forgive me for all the mistakes I had made?"

"Why should I?" Aka asked trying to sound confident in herself though she wasn't. "After all you.. you were the one that poisoned me and treated me like a piece of garbage."

"Please let me apologize, I was not myself. I was not being me. It was that wretched group that presented an idea to me, that I could gain power over you land if I took your hand in marriage."

He slumped forward slightly having to lean against Aka for the support. His eyes were glazed over at the moment, a milky white color up close that could not have been seen from the distance they had been at before. There were red lines going in that marked the veins that now spread through the eyes. He blinked before letting out a shaky and unsteady breath. She was holding him and she wasn't sure why.

"Forgive me," Tak said before sinking out of her arms and onto the ground.

Aka had let out a gasp and scooted back to the wall. She white as a sheet at the moment and unsure what was going on around her. For a moment she felt the world spin but a presence in her mind calmed her and convinced her that she should steady herself. This was a normal thing, part of life... yet it had been so unexpected.

NOTE
From this point on, i shall be completing this roleplay myself.

He was amazed of how well the area had been purged of all signs of battle, gazing about the grounds as he awaited a response. He hadn't seen any splotches of blood from the wounded, no signs of residue from spells and incantations from defensive actions, no sign that battle had actually reached this area. Then again, how could he have expected such a small invasion to escalate this far? There weren't many of the summoned reapers to begin with but then again there had been more able bodies locked in combat than was necessary. It was on that realization that Lance then had a thought. How had anyone known where he and his companions would be?

Of course… Takian… that scumbag, of course he had us followed, or at the very least, he had an ambush waiting in town. This triggered many thoughts in Lance’s mind as he took a seat on the left side of the entrance hall, settling onto a large dark red sofa. He began to wonder why prince Tak would have had an ambush waiting in town for them, to how he had even known they would head to town, and more specifically, that particular establishment. Why were there so many soldiers present immediately after the attack began? Did his mother send them? That had to be the reason.

A commotion stirred his pondering, a cry for aid bellowed, ringing throughout the hall. He stood abruptly, and all but half jogged down the entrance hall, heading up the large staircase and spotted a small crowd gathered half way down the hall. Several people, including those he had come to see, some guards, a handful of maids and servants alike, and several other royal residences, stood over what looked to Lance like a body. As he approached, two of the maids turned their attention to him.

“Sir, you are not to be here,” came the maid, she had stepped forward to block his path but had immediate back stepped upon seeing his tail sway anxiously.

“Sir,” the male servant spoke now, stepping forward and putting a hand up as to ward Lance from proceeding. The gesture seemed almost defiant to Lance and despite his royal status, there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“I've sent a summon several minutes ago,” Lance started.

“Sir,” started the servant once more. “As you can see there is a situation here, if you have sent for an audience your request will be answered, but for now I must insist that you return to the entrance hall.”

Lance had only now just realized that both servant s had regarded him as †˜sir’ instead of majesty, he also noticed that they both were frowning at him. Lance had further noticed that several of the maids, servants, guards, and of course other royals were occasionally scowling at him. He was starting to feel genuinely offended. “Princess Aka!?” he called out into the crowd. This he regretted doing almost immediately because every pair of eyes locked to him, all of them accusingly. The only three persons present who hadn’t marked him the subject of judgment was Aka and Vivian.

“Prince Lance,” Aka cried, her voice sounding a bit shrill. “Tak has fallen ill.” She said this as threw herself into his now open arms. Lance merely shut his eyes and his face bury into her neck and hair.

Vivian stood just to the right of them, arms crossed and a look of unease. Lance looked over to her direction as two doctors arrived behind him, begging his pardon. They were allowed into the crowd as Lance whispered to Vivian. “Do we actually care what’s happened to him?”

Several of the closest servants and maids immediately turned their attention to him. “You poisoned him, hadn't you?” Lance just stared at the servant who made the accusation.

“You poisoned my son’s fiancé, and now you've poisoned him?!” came a woman’s voice. A quite large woman rounded the crowd, coming to stand some feet before Lance and Aka. She wore a aqua shaded gown laced with gold and silver trim, her jet black hair styled in a bun. Her small round face was pinch in a display of pure hate, her scowl to him caused her face to fill a red color, but deepened when she noticed who he held in his arms.

“You know the Ienothians have no respect or regard for the rest of us!” came a deep male voice. A large man also rounded the crowd to stand aside his wife. Lance knew this had to be the king and queen, but of which lands he hadn’t known. The king’s eyes drilled into Lance. This man Lance found highly intimidating, he was after all build like an ogre, and if his voice were any deeper, would have sounded the part. “I bet this little scandal is all Aquarius’s ploy, a means to trick our niece into marriage so they can take her land.”

“This ploy of yours boy,” the queen snared. “Shall not come to be.”

“I had nothing to do with this!” Lance shouted defensively, his hold around Aka loosening.

“Aunt Natelle,” Aka said, coming to his defense, “He didn’t do this, he helped me when Tak poisoned me!”

Queen Natelle turned her chin up then before speaking. “And how would he be able to help you if he hadn't made the poison himself?”

“I study!” Lance retorted angrily.

“And why would a prince of persons need acquire such knowledge?” Natelle spoke again, her arrogance ringing in her tone as effectively as her voice rang throughout the hall.

“Some of us have better things to do than to consume everything before us.” Lance wish he had the ability to smirk then, just to emphasize the insult on Natelle’s weight.

“The nerve!” Her voice raised a full octive as she stomped the ground. Her husband however, took to a stance that suggested readiness for a fight.

“Don’t you two have something more pressing to turn your attention to?” Vivian said in a low, authoritive tone.

Both the king and queen looked her way. “What are you implying girl? Learn your place!” The king bellowed loudly. Vivian however merely stared at him, gazing into his eyes as her anger build. Lance knew when Vivian was on the verge of losing her temper and at this very moment, had never seen her rise so quickly to that point.

“Ummm… your majesties?” came one of the doctor’s voices from within the crowd, several of the indenting parting so he could be clearly seen. “Prince Takian’s condition appears to be worsening, we must move him for treatment immediately.” The doctor’s gaze fixed on Lance before he continued. “Prince Lance, I was made aware you've treated this ailment just a day ago? Could please-“

“NO!” came the king and queen’s simultaneous shout, though it was the king who continued. “I will not have this thing anywhere near my son!”

Lance had been staring at Tak while the majesties exclaimed they’re distaste for such a suggestion, noticing how quickly the fool was turning a shade of yellow. He cut into the exchange not caring for who he interrupted at the time. “Yeah I have treated that before, looks like that one potion I could never remember the name for. He’s turning yellow now, and unless you let me take a look at him now, he may slip into a coma. He’s probably already unconscious as it is.”

A servant had come down the hall to stand before the crowd as he announced carriages had arrive to take they’re majesties to the docks for departure. All the prince and princesses, queens and kings present had left in a hush furry of speculation, all of whom frequently glanced at Lance as they parted down the hall. Vivian, her sister Valerie, and Aka had remained. Lance had his attention on Tak’s parents as he watched as Aka’s aunt and uncle pondered for a brief moment before stepping aside to allow him passage. Lance definitely had not wanted to do this, but how else could he prove his innocence in this situation? He walked past the crowed, trying his hardest not to make eye contact with anyone else. He knelt beside Tak, putting a hand to his head, noting how hot he felt. Tak’s body had turned a very notable yellow, sweat purring from his body and pulled around him. “Shit,” was Lance’s only response to his condition.

“What exactly is wrong with him?” asked one of the doctors, leaning forward.

“Will he be okay?” Tak’s father asked, disgust still present in his voice.

Lance looked up at the two doctors, saying “we need to move him now! One of you get a bath ready!”

“You sick-“ Natelle started, her fury rising. “You defile my niece and now you will shame my son!?”

“Are you for real?” Lance snapped back, becoming angry. For a moment Lance had to pause, starring at Tak’s parents as he noticed that, only for a brief moment, his vision had blurred. He hadn’t dwelled on it as he took hold of Tak’s feet while a doctor grabbed him by the shoulders, carrying him down the hall and into one of the vacant suites. Sitting him in the tub and filled it with water.

“So, where do we start?” One of the doctors asked him.




It had been several hours since Tak had been treated and Lance had already retreated to his suite in the next building. He was now being fitted with new clothing and a servant had already addressed that his carriage was waiting for him. His mother had already left for the docks and he had only assumed his companions had departed as well. Lance was looking down at one of the three chamber maids he knew from his home, the young girl keeping her gaze fixed to the buttons she fastened down his front, when Lance began to notice that she seemed to appear blurred. He blinked several times and watched her as his focus wavered. A searing pain stuck his head then, causing him to almost lurch forward. All three maids took a step back, two of them yelping with surprise as they watched him now. Lance put a hand to his head, feeling as if the notion would ward off his discomfort.

“Your grace?” The maid to his left asked, leaning forward to study his face. “Are you alright?”

“Your majesty,” asked the small girl before him now, remaining where she stood as though to ward contracting his ailment. “Are you ill?”

He just stood for a moment gazing down to the floor, listening to his heart beating. “Do you hear that?” He asked then, clutching at his chest. His breathing had become rasp and sweat began to build on his skin. He snatched at the brace around his neck and unfastened his shirt. The made all reached for him then, taking away his coat and helping him to undo his shirt.

The maid to his right stepped away and rushed to the door, flinging it open as she yelled. “We need a doctor here!”

The sound rang in his ears, every touch, every scrape, every inhale and exhale of breath, it all erupted like explosions in his ears. He stumbled back a moment with his eyes shut tight, clutching his chest as his heart became erratic, a cool damp atmosphere seem to enclose him and felt the unnerving sensation of feeling heavy. Opening his eyes, Lance immediately noticed how dark the room had become despite the open windows. He looked about frantically after realizing the maids who had tended to him seemed to be shouting at him with fear in their eyes, yet he couldn’t hear him… in fact, he couldn’t hear anything. He took a step toward the maids at the door when a sudden force rocketed him forward to the wall-

He stirred then, putting a hand to his head as a high pitched screeching sound erupted around him. Lance rolled onto his back as pain registered throughout his body. He took a deep breath and immediately began into a coughing fit. Rolling to his side, he attempted to stand with the pain in his mind to great to warrant him opening his eyes just yet. He stumbled onto what he assumed was the bed and decided to cling to it for a moment. The ringing in his ears began to die down as popping sounds could now be heard, some high pitched and short, others deep and long. His eyes shot open as he realized the sounds of explosions erupted around the building. He stood as he gone into another coughing fit, leaning against the bed post as he looked about the room. The room itself was utterly destroyed with the large whole that had been blasted onto the side of the building. Debis, dust, scorch marks blanketed the room and he starred about the damage wondering how he had survived. He turned to the door, saw no one there but from where he stood, the hall looked as if it had been torched. He all but stumbled to the door as he grabbed hold of the door frame and peaked around the corner, what he saw made his heart nearly lodge into his throat. Dark floating figures… two of them... seemingly gliding from room to room at the far end of the hall, Lance had almost gone into a panic as he realized something. It was that realization that he had to whisper to himself that he was not in the void. There were the same creatures that attacked the town; which meant the summoner had to be near. He needed focus on escaping but he had no idea the scale of this invasion. While he could clearly hear the sounds of fierce battle carrying outside, he needed to sneak his way through the building and out toward the stables. He looked toward the hole in his room, knowing that was the fastest way out, but it also would make him an easily spotted target.

He shifted into the hall, lightly stepping over ceiling debris as he made his way from room to room, checking for anyone who made have been hiding or in need of aid. Lance had managed to get to the last suite before coming to the grand staircase which divided the building’s wings. He ducked into the suit, making his way down the corridor when he halted. What he saw made him rigid, frozen where he stood, both shocked and fear washing over his body in a wave of cold sweat. There were three of them near the bed, all three of them looking at him. The smallest of the three, a creature just as fleshy as the other two, stepped slowly forward, blood and slime leaked from the it’s chard skinless body, its color and odor that of a rotted corps, it’s mouth parted with a shriek. The sound was breaking him, the shrill of it, caused his body to weaken, his vision blurred, and his mind brew an ache as if he had been hit by a mace. I have to get away. Unable to think, his legs began to move, drawing him backward and away from the creature. It responded by charging at him, wrapping its arms around him as it bit into his chest. Lance let out a harsh, fear filled cry as he tried to shove the creature off. He struggled, his body feeling weaker with every move he made before tossing the creature into an end table, it’s shrieks becoming shrill and louder as it fell to the ground as the other two, now shrieking that horrid sound, now ran toward him with arms outstretched. He wasn’t fully aware of what he was doing now, merely grabbed one of the stools next to the end table and swung, catching the larger of the two in the face. The other stopped in it’s tracks and Lance lunged forward, screaming to the top of his lungs as he swung the stool for all he was worth. The shriek the creature made then, almost made him topple over until the stool connected with the side of its head. It fell to the floor as Lance stumbled sideways, tripping over the larger creature. He wasted no time swinging the stool, the blunt object connecting with the head once more, and again, and again as he repeatedly beat the creature until its head was ghastly destroyed. He immediately went over to the other and began wailing the stool into its head as it started to scream. He was panting, holding the stool firmly in hand as he looked at the smallest one. It growled before letting out the most ear piercing shrill he had ever heard in his life. The sound crippled him, bringing him to down to one knee as he gripped his own face as if to shield himself from the sound. He too began screaming as he launched himself at it with the stool. It connected with the creatures leg as it tried to stand and flee, causing it to fall to the ground as its head banged against the ground. The shrill had stopped then and Lance took the opportunity to rush it, lifting the stool above its head as the creature turned to him, it’s mouth open. His robes were already stained with blood, his arms and legs already weakened, yet he hadn’t stopped bring the stool down into the creatures face, even after it’s body no longer moved. He dropped down to straddle it, slamming the stool down in an almost barbaric inhumane fit. One he finally stopped, the creatures head was no longer recognizable with bits of brain and bone littering the area around it. His wings felt far too heavy, his tail felt like an entire tree he dragged behind himself, but had stood and turned to leave the room when he saw two more of the creatures entering the door. They stood as they were just as Lance held his ground, fear radiating in his mind at the thought of dying here. He doubted he had any energy to take on two more of them, and even as they started slowly to him, Lance had to strain himself into a readied stance, the action of merely holding the blood stained stool in hand rapidly drained what little fatigue he had left. However, both creatures seemed to stop then, with the taller of the raising both hands, it’s mouth opening wide. He only saw red exploding in all directions before the shrill reached his ears, his vision blurred so much so he couldn’t identify anything within the room. Lance could the red liquid was indeed engulfing him, slamming into him like a massive tidal wave, slamming hard into the wall and window. His head shattered the window, and as what tasted like blood filled his mouth and lungs, he gave up as darkness overtook his vision. He was going to drown here. He was going to die here…





Ringing… A long high pitch ring filled his ears, it sounded distant to him in a way. He tried to move, and it was then that he realized that he couldn’t, then realized he was on his back, his hands felt bound above his head, he legs felt fastened together as he tried to move them. Panic was rising within him and his increasing heart beat rang in his ears now. He struggled as he realized he had been bound to what felt like a bed he lay on. He attempted to open his eyes, but the light that purred between his eyes was far too intense, so he kept them shut. He continued to struggle with his binds for what seemed like hours, eventually giving up and lay silent. He felt claustrophobic and the fear that remained clear in is silent plea did nothing to ease him. He had no idea how much time had passed, and even though the ringing in his ears had eventually subsided, the lack of any sort of sounds other than his own breathing and heart beat did nothing to comfort him. He lay for what seemed like hours until he eventually gave into his want of sleep, and as he done so all he could hear were the sounds of screaming.


(this was hastely posted so i'll be proof reading it tomorrow)