Jon Stark's Story

Jon Stark was alone and he was grateful for it. The festivul was splendid, with its food and drink and fine music. Yet there was no part of Jon that wanted to partake in any of it. He was in Khalidor to do a duty, as a new king, to make alliances with the other nobles here. Yet a masquerade ball was the one event where he wouldn't know a king from a stable hand and didn't feel he needed to suffer through it unnecessarily. He could allow himself a respite and no one would even notice his absence, as far as he was aware the only person who knew who he was at the event was Dorian and he was enjoying himself too much for Jon to want to dampen his mood. So Jon Stark did what he'd done since he was a boy. Slip away from the crowds and find solace in solitude, it took him back to a simpler time.

His brother had been named standing general to Winterfells Host as well as its crowned prince, at only nineteen years of age it was quite the accomplishment but Robb was always better than Jon, at everything. Robb was the better fighter and the better rider, not to mention the girls, gods the girls oved him Jon thought as he made his way out of the grey keep and headed for the tree line. He'd nearly reached the woods when he'd heard a voice from behind him.

"Jon?"

He froze in his tracks, he was suprised she'd noticed he'd left, she always loved these parties.



"What are you doing out here Sansa?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, don't you want to celebrate with the others."

Jon ran his hand through his hair with a sigh.

"I don't like those parties, I'd rather be out here... alone."

Sansa stared at her brother a confused look on her face before she walked up to him, took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead.

"But you're not alone Jon, not ever."

Jon blinked and Sansa was gone, the tree line outside of Winterfell was gone and the simpler time was all but a memory. He clenched is fist, angry at himself for all the lost opportunities with them growing up. As a boy he wanted to be alone, now he was and he loathed imself for it.

A soft nudge to his back pulled him from his minds wanderings.

"je suis désolé"

It was the woman with the song from the east, the one with the sad eyes. He'd never heard a language like hers before, but he did find it beautiful. She stared at him, bare shoulders and mid section exposed to the winter wind which struck him as odd. Most southerners could barely handle the cold in the region, even when they were bundled up in layer upon layer of furs.

"Are you not cold My Lady?"

"You have quite the talent. You should be proud." Arkaelus smiled at her compliment. He didn't play too often so he felt a bit rusty around the edges. "Why thank my lady." He told her in response. Then they met up with the others, who insisted on going to a bear fight. Funny, he hadn't expected Xiao to be the type to like such a brutal sport. Upon arriving he could tell who it was that was foolish enough to fight a Kodiak in single combat. Dorian, he had always been reckless, even this wasn't a change in his behavior.

Arkaelus watched as his cousin was nearly mauled by the bear and saw another figure talking to him afterwords. It looked like a northerner, but Dorian didn't associate himself with just anyone. "Excuse me my lady," He told Tenanye "but I must speak with my cousin." He walked over to where Dorian had been drinking, a bit disgusted by his lack of self control."

"The man who was with you, who was he?" He asked.

Dorian looked up smiling, no doubt feeling confident from his fight with the bear. "You should know that face by now. It's Jon. Jon Stark. True king of the North!" The slurring in his speech made it clear that he had been drinking quite a bit.

"He has grown since the last time I saw him. What happened to Ned and Robb?" Arkaelus asked. Dorian set his drink down and his lowered his head. Arkaelus knew what he wanted to say. "I'm sure Jon will make a fine ruler. Do you know where I can find him?" He asked his cousin. Dorian pointed to his right.

"Thanks." Arkaelus replied, walking in that general direction. He needed to find Jon to make some arrangements with him.

"Are you not cold My Lady?"

Dae looked down at herself. She didn't feel the cold, she didn't feel the heat. One of the very few good things to come from her secret, that is until she made a foolish mistake like this. She hated lying but she had to fake it somehow, less he start asking questions. "Now that you mentioned it." She said, rubbing her arms, though not a bump could be seen nor did a shiver quake her body. "I was much warmer in there then it is out here...." She said,That was one thing she'd learn from the Fae, how to lie without lying. She never said she was cold, or wasn't, just that he'd mentioned it and that it was much warmer inside then it was outside. Also true. She still didn't have a fur of her own, she didn't bring one, if she moved to go inside, she would have had to take someone else's fur. She could probably ask Eva, but the girl was so much smaller then her, she'd never be able to pretend that it belonged to her. "I'll be fine, thank you." She said, trying to remember to occasionally rub her arms.

How odd it was, that it was he to whom she ran into. He was -as much as she hated to admit it, and probably never would- much more handsome up close. Dark guarded eyes, snow pale skin, midnight curls the framed his face, he seemed to have soft features as if he took after his mother, that sharpened when given to him. Why was he alone suddenly when he seemed perfectly friendly with General Dorian. "You are suppose to wear a mask, it's the rules of this place." She said, glad for hers although, for something reason, why way he looked into her eyes during her song, he seemed to see right through the mask, both of them.

"Humans are often cruel. The crowd hasn't given any thought about how an animal might feel, alone in a strange place, forced to fight... They might not care if told. Even in my home country, people enjoy violence without a second thought."

Xiao Jingshen looked behind her to find a man with a lovely swan mask adorning his face. She knew his voice but couldn't place his name. He said humans? Was he not one? She would have known him if he wasn't.

"I am sorry." He said, after placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She sniffed. "Why are you apologizing to me? you didn't hurt me, or the bear." She said, looking at him strangely and it was then that Tenanye joined them.

"Are you alright, Little Sparrow?" Tenanye asked and Xiao Jingshen nodded. "The King's cousin, hurt that poor bear..." She told her and Tenanye smiled softly. "He'll be alright." She said and Xiao Jingshen sighed. "I'll ask him when he wakes?" She said and Tenayne shook her head. "No, no, not here." She said and looked to see the man with the swan mask. She smiled beneath hers.

"I know you." She said, and Xiao Jingshen shook her head. "That's against the rules, Meimei---oops." She covered her mouth.

"You are the youngling that looks like my friend." She said and Xiao Jingshen smiled. "Oh! Hello!" She said, her tears all but dried now. "I remember!!" She said happily. "Are you not human?" She asked only to receive a look from Tenanye. She shruck back. "But he said...well, I was upset and I didn't know why that man would want to fight a bear, and he told me that humans were sometimes cruel....So...." She said shrugged. "I wanted to know."

"Forgive her, She is Fae, we are curious people." Tenanye said and Xiao Jingshen sighed. "Do you mind looking after my sister for me, I'd like around." She said and would be off the moment he said yes, if he did.

Kallias grinned at the young woman's words. He couldn't help it. She seemed so... innocent. He was glad that he was able to distract her from the bear's pain. At her mentioning his looking like her friend, he grinned happily.

"Indeed, I am! You are one of the Fae, Xiao, I think. We haven't been formerly introduced, I think. There were so many new people, I have a hard time keeping track so forgive me if I got your name wrong. I am Kallias, Prince of Drake. I can't forget the last part. Moloch would lecture me for hours if I did."

"Forgive her, She is Fae, we are curious people." A dark-skinned beauty he remembered as the Empress Tenanye spoke. He bowed in greeting before she continued, "Do you mind looking after my sister for me, I'd like around."

"Oh, I don't mind! I love meeting new people and seeing new places myself. I think we'll get along well."

As the Empress left, he turned to his new companion, an excited grin still on his face.

"You look beautiful. I think your mask suits you. To answer your question, I am human. Well, Moloch says we have dragon blood, but I've never felt like a dragon. The philosophers in Drake like to speak about humans as though they are observers. I think it helps them study human nature better or something. Cyrus would know more."

"This festival is wonderful. We can dance or watch the perform-," he began only to fall silent as he saw a shock wave heading towards them. His eyes widened. It looked like it came from the palace. Before he could think anymore of it, he placed himself between it and Xiao, his back to the shockwave as he held her close to his chest in an effort to shield her from it.

He didn't have time to say anything. One moment, he was shielding the woman he was charged to look after, the next, he was on the ground screaming in pain. It felt like a thousand knives had stabbed him in the back even as something was siphoned from his veins, causing him to twitch wildly from the sudden, inexplicable loss.

Just as the man began to speak, there was sudden shift in the air. Like a storm on the rise. She pulled her mask from her face, tradtions be damned, it fell into the snow with a dull thud. Something was wrong, the air felt wrong, it felt like.....

"Magic..." She turned to the Northman, she didn't know him, but she didn't care either. She was scared.

Then suddenly, like something knocked the wind out of her, she was blown back, and then, there was pain. Her legs, once long and lovely crumbled beneath her. The magic was gone, completely. She pulled up her skirt to her knees to find her legs, gnarled and broken, bruised and purple, she bit back a horrible scream, grabbing her now useless limbs. She looked at them in horror, the once glowing blue runes were as black as night. She reached out, her hands shaking as she reached for her calf. She bit her lip, her brows creased into a frown as tears worked behind her eyes...she pulled back before her hand touch her leg, unable to bring herself to do it. Why was the magic gone?

"You look beautiful. I think your mask suits you." Xiao Jingshen blushed behind her mask. "To answer your question, I am human. Well, Moloch says we have dragon blood, but I've never felt like a dragon. The philosophers in Drake like to speak about humans as though they are observers. I think it helps them study human nature better or something. Cyrus would know more."

"Dragons!" She exclaimed. "How wonderful!" She grinned.

"This festival is wonderful. We can dance or watch the perform-," Prince Kallias suddenly stopped, looking up toward the large citedal, she watched as a wave of magic came rushing toward them. Kallias then grabbed her, his back toward the wave, and she ducked into his shoulder as it blew through them.

Kallias collapsed to the ground, while Xiao Jingshen was spun around and blown back on her knees. Her body quaked as she felt as if she were being pulled a part. Her arms was pulled behind her, as her eyes went wide, enlarging, the pupils sliding into small slits, the white turning a golden yellow. Her mouth opened, but no scream could be heard but her pearly white teeth, sharpened into fangs. Just as the change happened, it disappeared, pulled along with the rest of the shockwave, she then dropped unconscious beside Kallias.

Tenanye hadn't walked far, she was on her way toward where the music was coming from but was struck but the sudden burst of magic, she turned, just in time to see her sister dropped to her knees, all that was Fae in her seeming to come out at once and disappear just as quickly. It was only enough for her to see, as the shockwave blew through her as well, knocking her back. She kept her footing, there was a moment, she looked down at herself, checking for injuries and there were none. She took a step and that's when she felt it, pain, like her skin was burning. Breathing hard, she looked at her hands, they began to glow like the sun.

"No...No not now, not now!" She tried to tell the magic, but it wouldn't stop, she couldn't stop it, not this time.

She rubbed her hands but the glow crawled up her body until she was completely covered, her silks burned off, as her skin erupted into flames. She couldn't help her sister, she couldn't even touch her, so she ran as fast as she could, into the forest avoiding the trees and anything else she could until the flames disappeared and she dropped into the ground, she had just enough consciousness to cover herself with her arms, and curl up before she dropped unconscious, her body twitching every so often.

Severyn felt the magic shift in the air, he turned, shifting Amelia behind him as the magical shockwave blasted into him. suddenly, the woman around him all seemed to be in horrible pain. Severyn himself felt as if he were struck, winded, and dizzy but Amelia, she went down, he managed to catch her before she struck her head but his sudden weakness made him unable to hold her up. Then Xiao Jingshen, it was like the Fae would torn right out of her and what shocked him the most was his Empress. He watched as she suddenly caught fire.

His eyes went wide and he understood now. Why she wanted to come here all of a sudden, why she was so eager to learn more about the outside world.

"Summer Queen," He breathed, before he watched her run off into the forest. He wanted to go after her, he needed to but between Amelia and Xiao Jingshen he wasn't sure what to do, that coupled with his own sudden weakness.

He understood what this was. Someone, somewhere just took the magic from them. He was only barely effected he was an Elf, not a Daoine Maithe like Xiao Jingshen and Tenanye. he could preform magic, spells and things like that, but wasn't made of magic, which was why he was only weak.
The people of Khalidor seemed to be in a panic, guards rushing around, maesters too.

He wanted to get Amelia and Tenanye but he swore to protect Xiao Jingshen, he figured if he tried to duplication spell, it would not work, so he could not be in three places at once.

Taking a breath, and caught a maester, who looked afraid. "you, get her," He told him and nodded toward Amelia. "Careful, she is Queen." He told him and the maester nodded, unable to take his eyes off of the Elf Prince for a moment before turning to Xiao Jingshen and his doppleganger. It was odd seeing his own face like this, howling in pain. "Peace, boy, peace..."He said, his voice calming as he kneeled down to him. He figured he'd never seen battle and never felt true pain before. " You're magic has been taken, try to breath through the pain." He said. This boy was born with magic. That was a curious thing but a curiosity for late.r He scooped up the near weightless Xiao Jingshen but she felt heavy and he was so tired. He shook it off, soldiering through it.

"Where's the infirmary?" He called out to who he thought was Dorian Ursuul but instead it was another dark haired lad, covered in furs tending to the woman who'd Xiao Jingshen ran into, her legs looked as through they'd been crushed but nothing fell, He and Xiao had sensed her magic, by the runes of her legs. He recognized them, Xiao Jingshen was very skilled with rune magic, if she were away, and still Fae, she would fix her.

"you all did this?" the woman said, and Severyn shook his head. "No, this was not Fae..."

"It was magic."

"Clearly, we are not the only one who posses it, My Lady, this was not us, Fae cannot--"

"Lie, I know..." She said and clutched to the man with her. "I'll find a maester." He said and it was then he found Dorian. "General, What in All Hells happened?" He asked him, danger in his voice as he clutched the girl in his arms. He spotted another maester and grabbed him, shoving him toward the girl with the broken legs.

Dorian was lucky enough to have looked at the palace towering above central Jodan, just as it disappeared. For a second he was in shock, then as he watched as people further up the streets collapsed, realizing there was an area effect he quickly cast the strongest protection spell he could muster. Then the pain happened. It felt as if his vir was at max stress, like his body was dissolving away, forcing him to violently threw up what had drank.

Now shivering he looked up at those around him. The fae queen, Tenanye, had burst into flames, running through the streets. Her sister had collapsed as well as Berlin. He grinned to himself if only for moment. At least he knew now how to deal with the Anansi fae.

With the pain starting to secede, the man stood up to watch the carnage that had been unleashed around him. Perhaps the only reason he was sparred was because of his protection spell, still he felt that much of his reserves had left him. Looking around, Dorian removed his mask and put his fingers to his throat. Using magic to enhance his voice, which made his bones ache, he shouted out to the crowd. "All soldiers and guards that can hear me, this is Dorian Ursuul, report to the center immediately."

Minutes later two dozen troops arrived accompanied dby tens of guards and several meisters. He designated the guards to search for the senators that had come to the festival and bring them to the Capitol for an emergency meeting. Then he called up eight soldiers. "The fae queen has retreated from the city. Seek her out and bring her to my apartments. Follow the smoke to find her." He told them, turning to ten more. "Find Arkaelus and bring him to my apartments as well. I want all of the royals treated for as soon as possible."

It was then that the elf rushed over to him. "General, What in All Hells happened?" Dorian sighed "No doubt an attack while we were distracted. These soldiers will guide you and Xiao to safety." He told him, walking over to the woman that Severyn was screaming about. The legs weren't working, but they weren't broken. Maybe paralyzed.

"Let's say what we can do here." Dorian told the crippled woman, examining her legs. He cast a light transmutation spell, one that made him bleed from the nose. Yet another after effect. The spell would make her legs work if only for a few hours until she could find a proper meister. "This should work for now." He told her.

The pain was excruciating. He didn't know what it was like to be whipped to the extent skin was peeled off, but he had a feeling it was a bit like this. He laid on the ground, waiting for the pain to go away.

"Peace, boy, peace..." A calm voice echoed over him. It sounded familiar and soothing. " You're magic has been taken, try to breath through the pain."

He took a slow, deep breath, focusing on the voice as he opened his eyes. The pain was fading, thank the gods, but he still felt winded. It was as though he had been conjuring fire non-stop for ten hours. As his vision focused, he grinned at the familiar face. Slowly, he stood up.

"Severyn, I'm glad you're okay," Kallias told his doppelganger. His eyes widened, however, as he found that he had not been successful in protecting Xiao. He staggered over to her with a sinking feeling. He had failed. Her sister had trusted him to protect her and she was still hurt and, judging from her unconscious state, even more than himself. He walked beside Severyn as he carried her.

"By the gods, I hoped to protect her. I wish I knew some medicine."



Moloch had been on enough battlefields to develop a certain sixth sense when it came to danger. Most veterans did so, whether they were mages, rangers, drakons, or knights. Thus, he had already conjured a flaming shield around himself and Aada when the shockwave hit. He was knocked off his feet, his breath knocked out of him as the pain hit. He felt as though he had been stabbed through the heart, but he fought to stand up. He was no whelp that he would lay on the ground, waiting for whoever was responsible to finish him off.

He looked around him, his vision swimming.

"Aada, are you alright?!"

Aada stepped back when Kallias arrived. He held a mask out to Moloch, "Moloch, the masquerade is starting. I got your mask here."

"Cyrus designed it, didn't he?"

"He thought you'd like it."

"You should go ahead. I'll look for my brother. I'm sure I'll find you in the crowds Your Majesty."

Aada curtseyed to Kallias and Moloch before taking her leave. She retraced her steps to the hall they had been gathering in. She lingered by the door, searching the room for her brother. From what she could see, Arim had retired elsewhere. "He's in his quarters Your Highness," one of their footman arrived at her elbow.

"Where are they?" She asked.

"I'd be happy to escort you," the young man offered. Aada nodded her agreement and followed the footman through the Citadel. He stopped outside Arim's quarters. "These are his quarters, Your Highness."

"Thank you."

The footman bowed and left Aada. Aada knocked on Arim's door and waited for him to answer. When he opened the door, Aada noticed that Arim had already changed his clothes. "Ah, I take it you won't be joining us at the masquerade?" she asked.

Arim looked down at himself, "No, I won't be. The journey has tired me too much for the revelries. But you go, enjoy yourself. You deserve it." Arim placed a kiss on Aada's forehead. "Your rooms are next door, I made sure of it."

"Rest well."

---

Aada checked her mask was in place. Even though everyone's faces were covered, she was sure she could find King Moloch in the crowd. All around her, people were dancing with abandon. The smell of food and alcohol was heavy in the air. Music and laughter echoed through the streets. A crowd seemed to be gathering.

In the centre of the crowd, Khalidor's general was fighting a bear. This was definitely something new. Bear fights weren't something that happened in Cinnabar. To fight the bear without weapons seemed suicidal, but the general carried an air of cockiness about him, a self-assurance in his victory. Aada shook her head and turned away from the fight. She spotted Moloch's mask a little way away. Thankful for familiar company, Aada weaved through the crowd to Moloch's side. "I thought I'd lost you for a moment."

As the celebration continued, Aada felt a sense of unease growing. She instinctively moved closer to Moloch. She felt magic being used behind her when she was knocked off her feet. Moloch fell over her, protecting her from the worst of the blast. Aada pulled her mask off. Her ears were ringing from the blast. The breath had been knocked from her. She gasped for breath. She looked up at what remained of the Citadel. Oh Gods no. She felt panic rising in her chest.

"Aada, are you alright?!"

She nodded, "I think so." She rose to her feet shakily. "Arim's in there."



In his quarters, Arim woke in a cold sweat. He was tangled in the sheets. He kicked them off and stumbled to the window. There was a mist stretching out across the sky. This didn't look like a normal mist though, the colour was off. The air was humming with magic. He felt weak. He needed Aada. He should have gone with her. She would know what to do. She always did.

The mist began to recede. The magic grew stronger and darker. He tried to push against the air to form a shield around himself, but his magic was weakened. He felt panic wrap itself around him. He threw himself under the desk, wrapping an arm around his head and trying to form a small barrier around him with the free hand. A weak barrier formed, but the pain he felt was agonising.

The blast tore through the Citadel. Arim was thrown forward. He bounced off the floor. The pain was instant as his head smacked the stone floor. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears. He gingerly pressed a hand against his ear. There was a thin trickle of blood. His head was of more concern. He could feel something hot and wet trickling through his hair. He no doubt had broken bones. His leg definitely if the sharp pain was anything to go by.

While he waited for help to arrive, questions chased each other. Who would do this? Was this Sphex's doing? He was the only one that made sense at that moment in time. Valyria? Their absence was noticeable. Arim fought to keep his eyes open while he waited for someone to find him.

He smiled, soft and subtle at her question. A beautiful young woman stood before him, shoulders bare to the falling snow and she asked him about tradition. He was a bout to speak when the flutter of black wings on a cold wind echoed in his mind, he could almost hear the ravens caw. He turned as if expecting to see the creature from his dreams flying towards. Instead he saw nothing yet felt something awful, like a great fear welling up inside him, warning him of what was coming.

"Magic..."

She whispered in a hushed, fearful tone. The look on her face stirred something in Jon and all he knew in that moment was that he needed to protect her. He stepped forward only to fall to his knees. His eyes shot open in pain as icy fingers gripped his heart. He clenched his teeth in agony as his blood chilled to freezing and the world around him seemed to slow.

No... no, no, no, no not now... Please!"

His eyes locked on the woman before him, her mask had fallen away and she too was on the ground writhing in pain. Whatever was attacking him had seized her as well. He reached out only to recoil his hand in terror as he realized it was coated in frost, ice forming on his knuckles. He clenched his fist, bringing it to his chest as he tried to force his power to submit to him. This was wrong, his powers had swelled in the past but never like this. This was something else, something foreign and invasive. Jon groaned in pain as he did everything in his power to force the icy torrent in his veins to subside. The snow began falling harder around them as the wind picked up with an vengeful chill. Winter was coming, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Jon gasped as ice began to form on the ground around him. Wicked, jagged spires erupted from the floor, cracking the stone work. Ice, coated his hands and up his forearms, spikes of ice formed on his shoulders and back. He could feel his skin growing cold and blue, his eyes shifting from their murky black to icy blue. The wind whipped around him in a frigid vortex of winter fury when he saw her. Weak and alone, she was laying in the snow, legs useless to her. She stared up at him, unable to flee from the monster before her. She looked at him and for a moment, she saw him, the man within ice and it was enough.

The wind died down and the ice ceased to grow. The spikes on his body fell away and shattered on the ground as his hands returned to normal. His skin warmed and the temperature around them returned to a normal. Last was his eyes, slowly fading back to their natural black as he went to a knee before the woman at his feet.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

He asked, reaching out tentaively. Her legs were horribly mangled and broken, her knees seemed gnarled and bruised. He prayed to any gods that could hear him that this was not his doing, his guilt were that the case would have been too much to bear. He slid his hands under her knees gently, his other around her back before lifting her into his arms with ease. She was feather light as he got to his feet, looking at her with worry and shame.

"I'm sorry, I'll get you to a maester."

Turning with her in her arms it was only then he realised the massive castle was not only ruins, Jon could only stare in shock.

"Gods..."

Despite her pain, Dae watched as the man, she was just speaking to, was overcome with ice. Like a frostbeast of legend, ice sprouted from his body. Fear struck her first, as he reached for her and his ice soon followed but then she saw it's...his eyes. He was afraid, he knew not what was happening and it frightened him. She watched his eyes and suddenly it was gone, the wind, the ice, it fell away and he dropped to his knees before her.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"
He reached out for her legs and she winced and braced herself.

His hands were gentle as they slid under her knees and behind her back. Her legs hung limply over his arms, and the pain was enough to cause her eyes to water.

"I'm sorry, I'll get you to a maester." He said and she shook her head, but it was at the moment she saw the citadel, the castle that was apart of the skyline, gone. It was almost funny, she would miss it.

"Gods..." He said. "You didn't do this..." She told him and before she could say more it was than that Dorian Ursuul came over to them. He didn't see the man's magic and the man didn't seem to want him to know. She knew the feeling.

Was he cursed, like her? She wanted to ask, but if he was, it wouldn't be something he wanted to talk about. The Fae man had seen her marks, he knew the magic that once adorned her legs.

"Let's say what we can do here." Dorian said, as he came over to her. She absentmindedly winced into the man, almost shying from Dorian's hands as he came to her, but her legs wouldn't move. He began to cast a spell on to her legs. The runes hummed but didn't glow. Dorian Ursuul, contrary to popular belief, was human, he magic was nothing compared to any Fae, especially a royal one. She did appreciate the attempted. The pain was gone at least,and the bones were reset, but she couldn't feel the man's arms under her knees. "This should work for now." He told her and she gave a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes. She had to admit, she did underestimate him, she thought him like his cousin but he wasted no time using his magic to heal her, or at least attempt to. "Thank you, General." She said, and then she looked at the man that carried her. She didn't even know his name. "Thank you, Mesiuer, I think you can let me down now." She said, and he did, gingerly. Her feet touched the ground and she couldn't feel the snow beneath her feet. The pain was gone, thanks to the general but she still couldn't walk.

The man let her go but just barely, before her legs wobbled like a new born calf. He held onto her and her fingers clutched to him reflexively as she closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I can't---"

No sooner did she speak, did the man lift her up again. He seemed to think he was the cause of this, and she wanted to tell him he wasn't to blame, but not in front of the General.

She looked at the man, and though she should at least offer him, her name. "I am Dae, Dae Missan, Thank you, Are you hurt at all?" She asked, not wanting to say more with Dorian there.

Dorian sighed as it became apparent that the girl's legs weren't healed. He always had been a poor healer. "Jon, get her to an infirmary. I trust that won't be too much a problem." He told his old friend. Taking off his mask he looked called up the guards that had rallied to his call. A handful of meisters and guards stood around him. "Form up! We march to the palace." He told them gruffly.

The guards marched orderly, with synchronized steps. It was important that the citizens of Jodan saw the City Watch as still being organized even during the great chaos surrounding them. Eventually they arrived to the palace or what was left of it. Everything was gone; from the courtyard to the stables to even the garden. "Search the grounds." He ordered the guards.

After several minutes of searching, the number of guards that had arrived to the scene had swelled in the hundreds. The elites were dragging away the unconscious body of Fiona Pynchon to the dungeons deep underneath Jodan where she would be questioned about her role in the terror which had been inflicted upon the city. Her staff was under close watch as every man who had tried to pick it up had died a terrible death. Dorian was searching through the remains of the second half of the palace. Much of what was beginning to crumble away, it was only a matter of time until the whole place collapsed.

As Dorian walked through a hallway in search of any surviving staff, he heard some heavy breathing coming from what he thought used to be one of the guest rooms. Inside to his surprise was none other than Arim Funar, the new king of Cinnabar. "Well hello majesty." Dorian told him. "I haven't had the fortune to meet you, but I must say, I wish it was under better circumstances." He told Arim as he picked the injured king up. "Don't worry now, we'll patch you up right quick."

Dorian carried Arim outside where some meisters were caring for the injured staff. "These are dangerous times we live in." He began as he set Arim down for the meisters. "Do you think that this could happen in Seleny?"