Philomena's Story

Aarynn Fletcher

"Ya know, where I come from, if you're late more than three times, ya get run through with a spear." Marsaili's tone of voice was threatening. Flynn wasn't sure if she was being completely serious or if she was just messing with him. Probably both.

In either case, Flynn wasn't worried at all. Siya had been perfectly fine when he arrived and even seemed to be smiling--that was what was important. The Ginger Samurai shrugged dismissively thinking to himself, Glad I don't live where you came from. Despite his sarcastic thought, Flynn smiled politely at Masaili--this was simply how the girl acted and, since they were fellow Protectors, he would simply have to deal with it.

The girl flashed back a demonic grin. Yup. I'll just have to deal with it. No matter how uncomfortable. Marsaili proceeded to relate the current situation with him, in her own odd way of course. Flynn had to take a moment to translate the information the girl had given him. So, we're heading to Mr. Roc's house (Whoever that is...) because the Water King was murdered. That, and apparently a messenger had been very lucky this day. Had Marsaili figured out that the messenger had been afraid of her--there probably would be a messenger anymore aside from a torn limb or two... The Samurai had been thinking this as the door shut behind Marsaili. Flynn snapped back into reality just in time to notice Kaed frown at him.

"Next time, pay attention to the messenger I send to you. You should hurry up and get ready, we're leaving to see King Telius within the next hour or so."

Oh, so they were going to see the Earth King.

Flynn had just been about to inquire as to Siya's reasoning for this when a pounding on the door distracted him. Siya had bid the knocker in; a messenger with a note. The young prince's eyes flickered over the paper and he muttered something that Flynn couldn't discern before folding the paper and crossing the room towards the doors, "Change of plans. We're leaving for the Shrine of Aridea. By the time we get there it'll be evening and we wouldn't want to make Celeste wait for us."

Celeste. Celeste MacAvelia, the Wind Princess. In some parts that Flynn had passed through, she had been known as the Demon of Mirages--told to fight in a manner that completely eluded her enemies. At the same time, the Kingdom of Wind was a prosperous one and so--Flynn was sure--she was no evil tyrant. He had never met her before, but, having also heard of her beauty, he found himself very interested in the prospect of getting to meet the Princess.

"I'll go inform our little menace," Kaed sighed. Flynn walked as the other Protector walked off. He felt a pang of pity for the dark haired man.

Siya also began walking off down the hall. He glanced back over his shoulder smiling brightly, "I'll meet you in the stables, Flynn. Go get ready, and try to be quick."

"Aye-aye, your Majesty." The crimson haired man saluted. Then, he too headed off--he was going to his room to pack a few things for the trip.

---

Celeste MacAvelia

Knowledge is power. That was something that Celeste had been told by her father who constantly reminded her. Quite frankly, she would be surprised if those had been his first words to her when she entered this world. These words had embedded themselves in her heart and mind. It wasn't simply a saying for Celeste anymore--it was her way of living. The epitome of this quality of the Princess came in the form of a book--her «Codex».

The «Codex» had started as a single piece of paper that six year old Celeste had--in boredom--written notes on in regards to the mannerisms of each of the Elemental Kings present at one of her father's diplomatic meetings. Almost immediately, the notes that she had taken proved useful in the diplomatic process. From that day forth, the Wind Princess added information from any reliable source to her «Codex» and what had initially begun out of boredom quickly grew into a massive encyclopedia--the stories it told and the information it held was practically endless. Naturally, there had came a time where the tome had simply grown too big. That was when Celeste had enchanted the book. The 10" x 15" tome could shrink and condense to a convenient 2" x 3". Of course, a specific phrase was needed to re-expand the book--no body, as far as Celeste knows, knew of the book and, just in case someone did, the Princess wanted to ensure that no one got a hold of her database without her consent. That would be bad. Very bad.

The knocking had caught Celeste just as she had been finishing a set of copies of information from her «Codex». Immediately, she muttered the words which magically compressed the tome before proceeding to slide it into the left pocket of her peach-colored shorts. Then, she finished her last notes. She already knew, from the sequence and sheer volume of the knock, that Kanan was on the other side. Kanan Thiyerwas one of her trusted Protectors but the Princess kept knowledge of her «Codex» secret even to those closest to her. It was a matter of safety. For everyone in the world.

Celeste gently picked up her papers and glided over to the door. She quickly inspected herself before opening it. Red knee-length boots trailed up her long legs; under the boots, she was wearing pink stockings which had straps attaching to her relatively short peach-colored shorts. A slightly tight fitting short, sleeveless red dress--matching her boots--wrapped around her upper body. She also wore a short pink cloak and red gloves on each hand. Wrapped around her wrists were her four Ribbons of Hathor and strapped to her right leg was Amalthea, her enchanted throwing-knife sheath--presently holding three knives. This was the Princess of the Winds' typical travel attire. She was smiling to herself as she opened the door.

"Ah, Kanan you're here." Celeste noted. She peeked down the hallway. They were empty. "I see Aeraki isn't here yet." Turning back to the Protector, she added, "You're always so punctual. Thank you."

She stepped out of the room--trailed by a waft of wind with an unnatural hint of peppermint--and motioned for Kanan to follow her, she had intended to meet all of the Protectors in the Debriefing Room on the first floor of the Palace before departing. It would be much more probable to find Aeraki on the first story.

---

Aarynn Fletcher

It hadn't taken the Samurai long to pack his things--he was a simple man of simple needs. All he needed was his sword, the clothes on his back (It was only going to be a day's trip anyways.), a small bag containing emergency supplies, and a bamboo sleeping mat (usually used as a pillow rather than a map.). After about five minutes, Flynn had collected everything that he needed and proceeded to run to the Royal Stables.

If a normal individual had seen the the Royal Stables they have been left speechless. They looked nothing like what one would associate with stables. The Royal Stables were kept amazingly tidy and the air inside was crisp, just as pure as the outdoor air. Flynn himself had been impressed the first time he had seen the stables--'till then, he had thought he had seen everything he had wanted to see in regards to horses. Forty-two visits hadn't changed anything. His forty-third visit was a bit different.

When the stables had come into his sight, Flynn knew something was wrong. A hole was torn in the roof. Crap! the Samurai thought as he made a full sprint towards the building. Late again!

"Prince Siya are you okay?!" Flynn called as he burst into the building. The stables were in a very unusual state. It wasn't usual to have a Prince holding a beautiful young girl in his arms--despite what legends and books may suggest--and it certainly wasn't usual to have the girl unconscious, bleeding, cut, and bruised all over. "What happened?" he wondered aloud.

The roof was a wreck. A hole, about human sized, was torn in the wood--probably where the girl had fallen in from. There had been a fight--of some sort--up on the roof. He wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but, whoever had been attacking was long gone.

The Samurai returned his attention to the Prince and the girl. The fiery haired man crouched beside them. "Are you okay, your majesty? And is she okay?"

Siya's response was short and concise. "Help me get her inside!"

Though it wasn't a direct answer to his two questions, the urgency in the young Prince's response was answer enough. "Yes, your majesty." Flynn nodded and proceeded to assist Siya in carrying the girl into the castle.

"Don't let it get away!"

"Dammit, where'd that thing go? Don't leave a stone unturned! Check the trees!"

"Get back out here, freak! You can't run forever!"

They're right, but there's no doubt that they'll kill me if I stop. Expanding her wings, she stepped out from a high-standing branch and took to the sky, a bright light coming from below her. Lovely. They were going to follow her using air magic.

Three nymphs and a pair of elves continued their pursuit in the air, refusing to let her escape. The elves would run out of sacrificial energy, at least. All she had to do was lose the sprites. With that in mind, she rose higher to force the elves to expend their power. She didn't care if they fell to their deaths — they were trying to kill her right now as it i—crap, they lowered back down before they ran out.

Diving back into the forest below, she continually rose and returned, looking for anywhere big enough to hide. Outside of a wood nymph's territory, at least.

Have to think positive. They can't kill me if they can't catch me. With that, a sharp blast of air scraped her right wing. Okay, screw that—dammit! Was fighting really going to be her only option? Emerging again from the sea of trees, she had to clear up her vision. Covering the eye that'd started bleeding, she managed to find a significantly large building in the distance. A mansion? There's no way she could hide so easily with the nymphs on her tail.

She reached into a pocket on her dress; just a couple metal balls left, but they'd have to do. Stopping well above ground level to face the nymphs, the little iron weights disintegrated between her fingers. She drew the sword from her side in a wide swing, and from it erupted various blade-shaped blasts of wind, and a shockingly hefty amount of them considering how little material she had to work with. Either way, it got the nymphs out of her way, and she fell.

---

Eugh, my head... More than that, Mina's entire body ached. Her right arm felt even worse — broken, for sure, but someone dressed it. She had bandaging over her left eye, too. Her legs and spine weren't all too well, either. Just what'd she land on?

On top of that, where was she now? She was in a bed, a ceiling above her decorated in fiery adornments. Sitting herself up with little groaning, the rest of the room around her had a similar setting. A palace, maybe? Judging by the decor, and the fact that even the bedsheets were dyed in warm colors, this could have been the Fire King's; how did she end up here?

Regardless, she was relieved. There were few fae that wouldn't be caught dead in a fire mage's territory, much less their home, unless they were one themselves. So... why was Mina still alive?

"Hello?" she called, almost hoping no one would be around to hear her, though she wanted to know who took care of her. How long she'd been out was on her mind, too, among other questions. No self-respecting fae would have passed up the chance to put her out of her misery, especially when she couldn't fight back.

"You're awake!" Siya leaned forward on the chair he was seated in, a meter or so from the bed. He gave the girl a bright smile, albeit a little tired, while over his shoulder Kaed had his arms folded over his chest. The guard was glaring coldly at the back of his King's head, and Siya felt it. He tried his best to ignore it, though.

Silver hair was braided and fell over his shoulder as he leaned inward, so he tossed the mass of hair back over his shoulder. His smile didn't falter even though he could feel Kaed's death glare boring into the back of his skull. Earlier, Kaed had scolded him on why he'd taken the girl into the castle — it was a sacred place. He'd told Kaed that he couldn't just leave her there, hurt as she was — and, you know, falling on him. It didn't seem like that explanation had done anything to calm the Protector, but Kaed seemed curious enough to know where she came from.

"I'm Siya, and this is Kaed," he motioned with his hand to the tall black-haired man. The man in question warmed up when he looked to Mina, but only slightly. "How are you feeling?"

So, this man was human. His companion, too. The former was probably expecting an answer, but Mina couldn't find the words to say how much everything hurt. Instead, she glanced down at her arm and back to the King.

"Oh, right," Siya continued. "You must have taken a real beating earlier. Landing through my stables' rooftop probably didn't help any. Now, if you don't mind my asking, could you tell us your name?"

"My... name?" Usually even humans wouldn't ask her that.

"Do you not have one?"

"M-Mina."

"'Mina'?" Siya's smile widened a little more and warmed up, while Kaed's scowl had simultaneously become colder. "That's a pretty name."

What the hell's with Siya? Kaed asked himself. Before he could get into a jealous fit about how Siya was treating this girl so kindly, a second Protector decided to join in the conversation.

Flynn silently stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He seemed to notice the situation for the first time, "Oh, she's awake. Is she okay?"

"Yes, awake, but not very talkative," Siya commented without turning. He continued to smile warmly at the young girl, hoping that she would come around in no time. If he was sweet to her, perhaps that would get her to talk. Or maybe there were too many people in the room. However, if he asked Kaed to leave... well that wouldn't be possible seeing as how Siya could feel the blaze of Kaed's horrible envy sinking into his spine; almost gave him chills.

Kaed sighed, an irritated groan that he didn't try to hide. What was so special about this girl? She was just a girl... with... wings. Why was she getting all of Siya's attention? How come he was smiling at her like this? Kaed hadn't ever seen that smile directed towards him before. Or maybe he had... it didn't really matter at the moment, though. Even Flynn's in on being all nice to her.

The samurai had caught on to Kaed's irritation towards the girl and looked to Siya. Pointing at his fellow guardian with a thumb, he couldn't resist, "What's wrong with him?"

Kaed controlled his urge to smack Flynn across the back of his head. His fingers twitched and he pulled them into a fist as he growled an answer, "I'm fine."

Flynn grinned but said nothing more on the matter; he wasn't about to ask for a smack from his fellow Protector—Kaed could make those hurt! He took several steps closer to the Prince and the girl. Lowering himself, he smiled at the girl, "You know, it isn't safe playing around on a roof."

"Flynn..."

"You could really have gotten hurt if Siya wasn't—"

"Flynn," Kaed interrupted.

"What?"

"Shut up."

The red-haired Protector pouted. Tilting his head towards Kaed, he noted, "Look, the girl's been through a traumatic event. Couldn't you try to be nice for once?"

"Flynn."

"I'll stop talking now."

"So," the King dared to continue, ignoring Kaed and Flynn, "can you tell us how you ended up falling from so high, Mina?"

Siya Ukomo, Kaed Kuhti and Mina

It took some work, but Siya was able to convince his bodyguards to leave the room. Mina wouldn't have talked otherwise. Kaed's hate-filled gaze... scared her. (Of course, he was eavesdropping behind the door. No way was he just going to leave his King alone.)

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"They were trying to kill me." Siya couldn't really wrap his head around the idea, and the more Mina answered his questions the more he had.

"Why? Who's 'they'?" She quieted down again, finding little comfort in knowing she had her sword within arm's reach. Mina didn't want to answer him. Siya took her into his home without remorse; he cleaned and dressed her injuries; it felt nice, being worried over like this. She didn't want more people — let alone humans, who weren't able to fully comprehend what she was — to treat her like...

"... a monster...."

"A monster?"

"They... elves, and fae treat me like some kind of beast because of my ancestors, so they hunt me like one or act like I don't even exist." Mina couldn't tell him the whole story; she couldn't bring herself to. She even started tearing up just choking out her next words. "They killed my mother ten years ago."

Behind the door, Kaed stiffened. His gaze was locked on the floor as he cupped his ear against the door, trying to listen clearer. The girl had obviously been through a lot. It was just like Siya to take in troubled people. His lips turned from a detested scowl to a fond smile as he thought about the selfless things that Siya often did, even though it vexed him sometimes. He continued listening to the conversation, his arms crossing over his chest as he leaned against the door.

"Mina," Siya's voice was soft, his eyes filled with pity, "I'm sorry for your loss. Look, if there is anything we can do, please tell us. In the meantime, I have to leave for a short time; there are some urgent matters I must attend to. Can you stay here until I return?" As he stood to leave, Mina grabbed his wrist and blankly stared down at her blankets, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Please don't leave me alone."

Kaed's smile quickly turned to a lour of sheer disbelief. His eyes widened, and he turned his head to glare at the door. His hands curled into fists, and he trembled. Just what was that girl up to? He had half a mind to burst through the door and throw her out the window! (The other half of his mind remembered that she has wings.) Anything to keep Siya from a girl — especially one that can end up being a danger to him. He leaned in closer to the double doors, intently listening to find out if his King's well-being was at risk.

Siya almost jumped. Mina's grip was surprisingly strong. When he looked at her, he was startled to see her in tears. Did he upset her somehow? Did he dig up bad memories? For a moment his heart jumped to his throat, and he felt utterly terrible.

"Mina?" Siya was unsure of what etiquette was involved with dealing with a crying girl. Even Marsaili's never cried, except for her crocodile tears.

"I don't want to be left alone again."

"You won't be alone, I've got many servants here that can tend to anything you... need." As Siya finished, Mina's grasp loosened and her fingers drifted off his arm, her hands moving to try and wipe away her tears. She looked terribly sad just sitting there in bed like that; he wasn't sure that his servants would even look in her direction, either. They have as little experience with this as him. "Or, um... you, could come with me..."

Siya smiled at her again, trying to offer her some semblance of comfort even though he just stood there awkwardly. He turned just enough and offered his hand, "Come on. We have to leave really soon, so we might as well go now and head to the stables."

Helping Mina out of her bed, Siya looked to the doors and calmly stated, "Kaed, you can come in now. She's coming with us."

Opening the doors for his King, Kaed must have felt some kind of sympathy, because his words were much softer than before. "She can come, but she rides her own horse." Though his words weren't hateful, the man's cheeks were red as if he were infuriated about something. However, that didn't seem right to Siya. Kaed was never 'infuriated'. Irked at times, yes; angry, yes; but never enraged about anything. Was this... jealousy? Well, that's what Siya saw.

"Kaed," Siya started with a lightly teasing tone, "it's alright. She can ride her own horse if that'll satisfy you. I just don't wish to leave her here all alone in such a huge castle."

Kaed flicked his eyes past Siya's shoulder to Mina and sighed. He placed one hand on his hip and ran the other through his long hair, fingers curling at the back of his head. He watched Siya closely before giving a shrug and a smile in return. "Alright then."

Kanan Thiyer

Kanan had followed Lady Celeste from her room down the hall to the platform that would take them to the debriefing room where she'd called all of the protectors. The young protector hadn't said much to the woman aside from giving a nod to her when she'd acknowledged him earlier. He was still unsure as to how to act around her, and most times went completely silent because of it.

He stepped up onto the platform, right behind Celeste having followed her diligently from her quarters. Queen Celeste turned then and watched him for a moment before smiling warmly. Kanan felt his face flush involuntarily and his eyes widened slightly. Why did she smile at him? How was he supposed to respond to that!? His nerves went from semi-steady to wrecked with that simple, gorgeous smile that she flashed him. Kanan stared at her without making a move, no smile in return, no words came from his mouth. He felt terrible when she turned away, having gotten no response from him.

His eyes looked off to the side and gazed at the elder man who served as Celeste's butler as he stepped up on the platform as well. The elder butler was much larger than Kanan was and he was slightly intimidating which didn't help Kanan's usual habits towards larger people. He was on edge as he stepped up on the platform behind his Queen, his hand gripping his sword tightly as he kept a close look on Emrys.

It wasn't that he distrusted the man, no that wasn't it. He just didn't know how to take the man's presence. So, he ended up being on the defensive and it was purely by habit, not intention. Kanan didn't say anything as he allowed the Queen to take them to the debriefing room. He was left to his own thoughts as he stood there awkwardly stiff behind her. Kanan's gaze continually shifted between Celeste and Emrys, trying to figure out their relationship to one another, though he figured they were fairly close. At the back of his mind, he wondered how he could possibly step up his own relationship with the Queen and possibly be a better protector.

Kaed moved swiftly down the hallway and stopped in front of the room that was Marsaili's. He could tell it was her's by the distinct smell of sulfur and ash in the air. For some reason the little trouble maker reminded him of hell. Almost too much like hell... Kaed sighed heavily as he reached up and ran his hand through his long black hair. Tossing the long strands over his shoulder, he knocked on her door gently. It was best to not rile up the beast as much as possible.

Marsaili was not a happy bunny. In fact she was greviously unhappy. She sat crosslegged upon her bed, arms crossed across her chest and scowling. Her anger was cloying and heavy in the room as was the harsh scent of brimstone and sulfer. The little demon watched as a knife tried to bury itself in the wall. The wall opposite to her door. By going through the door. No one seemed to inform demonic telekenisis that that was one big ass door. And no amount of flailing and anger fueled stabbing was going to get through it.

Although there was a nice little groove in the door now, going half way into the wood. That was cool, she supposed.

A soft knock at her door interrupted her thinking and caused her unstable telekenisis to panick and start stabbing the door frantically. Marsaili groaned and pulled herself off her bed and pulled open the door. The knife carried on trying to get through the door as the little girl gazed up at the much taller protector. Her eyes narrowed and she made a face. Marsaili was well aware that neither Flynn or Kaed was overly fond of her. She didn't really think Siya was all that happy with her either. Hell, the guards around the place were probably drawing Devil's Traps all over the roofs and stocking up on the Holy Water.

"Marsaili? There's been a change in plans. We have to go meet with Lady Celeste instead of going to see Lord Telius. We're leaving very soon, if you could be ready then. Marsaili?"

Well, of course she could be ready! She was ready right NOW. That was the problem! Nobody told her there was a change of plans so she had stalked back to her room (before setting fire to nearby side tables and flowers. Oh, and that oil painting, that was cool to watch. A little silver knife got sacrifed in the name of Lucifer for that funsies.)

"Oh cooome oooon. Do we have do go visit airy lady? Can't she just come here? Or maybe, we could just off her like Bluey and then no problems! Then we wouldn't have to go visit and I could go to the rock person's house and torch it! That sounds much more fun." Marsaili pleaded, her voice popping up an octave or two. A raised eyebrow and a funny look made the small demon gape.

Kaed stared at her and sighed as she complained. His hand came up and smacked into his forehead. He shook his head then, with it still in the palm of his hand. One hand rose up to his hip and he frowned in frustration. Why was she like this? There had to be a reason...

"Marsaili..."

"So wait, killing people off here is frowned upon? Now really, how do you sort out your differences? Talking?! Now that's a dumb idea." Marsaili rolled her eyes. A loud crack interrupted the hell spawn's ranting about how humans sucked at resolving issues. The little girl looked at the door frame and found that the knife had managed to get through the door. Huh. So it was possible. Marsaili wrenched the dagger out of the wood and gave Kaed a blinding beam.

"Marsaili, would you please try to behave yourself when we go? The last thing I need is for you to burn down anything valuable in the Shrine..." Kaed shook his head again and gave her a pleading look. Brushing his long hair back he turned and gave her a sideways glance, "Lord Siya is waiting in the stables, you should hurry and head there."

He said and started down the hallway.

The little demon stood in the hallway for a few seconds before letting out a loud sigh and rushing back inside her room to get her sword. And Mr Smiles. Because what was an adventure without your best friend? She giggled as the rabbit was clutched to her chest.

"Finally! Let's get going!" With that she tore down the hallway, hair flying out behind her and laughter echoing in her wake.

...

Marsaili was not a happy bunny. Again. She was in a dire mood and was emitting a black fog that circled her very being. This was common for demons to show that they were angry or irritated. She had seen it throughout hell as demons got a bit...touchy. Usually though, it could be controlled. However, Marsaili's control over her demonic powers was patchy to begin with. Thus, as she walked through the corridors, a distinct smell of brimstone and a shadowy black mist around her conveyed her anger and frustration to everyone. Nobody told her that there was apparently another change of plans. She went to the stables. And waited. Waiting was rare for the hellspawn so that was a big thing and still, no one came. So Marsaili got angrier and angrier and the horses got more and more jumpy as the rage was almost tangible. Eventually, she gave up on waiting and decided to find the king and her fellow protectors and take them/bodily drag them to the stables so that they could gallop off and so she could finally torch someone's palace.

Now, really. Was that too much to ask?

So as she went through the palace, merciously hunting the others down like a greyhound, the shadows died down a little more. Although the flowers she passed were still dying and withering up as the smoke choked them. Oops? Marsaili couldn't really care. She turned around the corner and bumped into a walking piece of fabric and muscle.

"Oof!" She fell to the floor and the blackness snarled and rose again as she realised who she had faceplanted into.

"You! Siya! Kaed! Flynn! I found yas! I was lookin' for ya' cos you guys left me at the stables!" Marsaili ranted from her perch on the floor, slowly getting more irrate and angry. She didn't really know why she was getting so angry but didn't fight against it very much. Hell, demons didn't exercise self control all that often. Her eyes glimmered with irritation as she ranted about how she was left alone at the stables and wasn't told of the delays again.

"I waited for ages!" She cried, crocodile tears welling up in her eyes. But that wouldn't have fooled anyone. Roaring hellfire shone in her orange eyes and the black fog shimmered around her hands. Then she noticed someone else. As Marsaili noticed this new person, her dislike flickered and took root. Someone had to be blamed and this new person was the easiest target. She climbed to her feet and threw an accusing finger at this person. She looked Siya straight in the eye, clutching her teddy to her chest and fighting the urge to draw her sword, she pouted and let a few of the angry tears fall down her face. Say what you will, but Marsaili was an expert in guilt tripping. The king of Hell himself couldn't be mean to that face. Her angry eyes fell upon the young woman in front of her and she let out a shrill cry.

"And who, in the name of Lucifer, is that?!"

"Dumb... falling from the sky... landing on Siya... making me wait... hate everyone...Seriously, everyone should go... burn... explode... find a ditch... some lava somewhere 'round here... somefink... make it myself...can lava make bones melt...?"

"Did you say something, Marsaili?"

"Nothing, King; just talking to myself."

"Mina," Kaed asked as he prepared his things, "are you able to saddle a horse?" He wanted to get Siya's attention as far away from that girl as possible.

Quietly as ever, though, she stood outside the stables and answered, "No need." Clenching her sides, the once pitifully small wings on her back expanded to massive proportions, lifting her into the air with little effort.

---

"Dumb... bird girl... held Siya's... damn wings... no horse... flying... gah..."

"Did you say something, Kaed?"

"Nothing, my King; just talking to myself."

Flynn's ears perked as he decided to open his mouth again. "I believe that what he said was: 'Dumb'—ow!" Kaed shut him up with a swift kick to the leg.

Siya turned in the saddle just enough to look at Kaed, who was leaning over in his, one arm across the pommel and the other lazily holding the reigns. He looked utterly irritated as he rode mere feet behind Siya. It was slightly shocking to see Mina in the air, but Siya had found it really amazing to watch. He wondered what she was exactly, but hadn't thought to ask because he feared being too rude to her.

I feel for ya, Kaed, Marsaili thought. Stupid bird lady...I hope she explodes...or spontaneously combusts...or gets eaten... by a really big bird. She tried to get a hold of her horse, who seemed jittery and nervous.

"Are you sure you can fly all the way there?" Siya called to Mina. "It'll take a few hours to get where we're going." He was worried about her strength, seeing as she'd just fallen on him not but a few hours ago. Behind him, he heard Kaed grumble again.

"If you can't, you can share my horse," Kaed quickly called out, jumping ahead of what he believed Siya was thinking.

Flynn covered his mouth in an attempt to restrain a chuckle. "I don't think you'll want to ride with Kaed. Last person who did that ended up sliding off and got left behind." He sounded like he was talking from experience.

"No such thing happened!" Kaed retorted then turned away from the other protector, propping his head up on his hand. His frown deepened as he glared off into the distance.

"I don't think you have a bruise on your ass to prove it!"

Kaed shifted, and his eyes narrowed as he turned his head to direct his glare to Flynn without saying a word.

The samurai flashed a cocky smirk knowing full well that it may be his last.

Marsaili mocked the conversation whilst trying to make her horse walk like... a horse. Instead of a crab, as it currently chose.

"Ya know, if you can't walk like a good little horsey, I'm gonna burn you into glue. Now knock it off before I melt you from the inside out. Okey dokey? Good." With that, she grasped the reins tightly and gave her horse a warning look.

The hellspawn looked up at Mina and frowned. She had sort of hoped that her wings would fall off. Oh well, there was still time. Instead of listening to the conversation, the demon entertained the thought of the winged girl falling from the sky. Preferably into something like...oh, maybe a lava pit... or Hell... or maybe even into her experiment! She could always use more test subjects...

"I don't think my wings suffered much damage; I should be able to last." Mina lowered down to Siya's level, Kaed refusing to take his eyes off the pair. "Siya, are you really a King?"

Siya smiled warmly at her, oblivious to Kaed's watchful gaze. "Of course. We're heading off to meet a Queen as well. Why do you ask?"

Kaed seemed to sink lower in his saddle, leaning over even further as he listened to the exchange with yet another scowl. His jealousy was getting the best of him, and it wasn't pleasant. However, he couldn't get rid of the feeling as Mina flew close to Siya. Of course, Siya didn't know how Kaed felt; that would explain the young King's manners. Perhaps he would make certain that the winged girl knew exactly where her place was. Several ideas as to how that could be done ran through Kaed's mind, some of which required... delicacy, due to Siya's nature. Others were on par with Marsaili. It frightened Kaed, but just a little.

Mina, in the meantime, could feel Kaed's seething hatred and jealousy. It was almost as bad as dealing with elves, but she did her best to ignore it. She started exchanging a bedtime story with Siya, about magic and Kings protecting it.



Kana

"Shh... It's okay, little guy." Kana looked overhead to the branches of a tall tree, and back to the wounded finch in her hands, which was bleeding at the wings. "You fell from your nest, didn't you?"

With the chick's blood dripping through her fingers like water, feathers sprouted across Kana's arms and in streaks through her hair; rose-colored wings emerged from her shoulder blades, and her bare toes had become talons. Without another moment to spare, the young lady scaled the height of the tree in front of her, stopping just over the injured bird's nest to return it. Kana stopped the chick's bleeding, delicately dealt with broken feathers, and gave it an accomplished smile before dropping back to the ground alone.

"Afternoon, Miss Gotou! Swear you're a dragon in disguise or somethin'." As the effects had worn off and her colorful feathers receded, Kana was greeted by a passing townsman, with a bag full of vegetables and other foodstuff.

"Why do you say that, Jeorge?"

"Ain't ever seen a human shapeshift; even with magic. Then again, all I'd ever seen with magic is killin' things and cheap tricks. Heard the royalty's even thinkin' of makin' some kind of 'games' that are jus' nothin' but mages kickin' each other's asses in giant stadiums." Jeorge got side-tracked often.

"They would have built the stadiums by now if that were true."

"Oh, they're buildin' 'em, alright. They're just not lettin' anyone see until they're finished." Charming, no? "Before I forget, the missus wanted to invite you over for dinner tonight. She thinks it mus' get pretty lonely eatin' all your meals by yourself."

"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to intrude." Jeorge's two sons didn't really like Kana all that much, since they saw her in the middle of exsanguinating a horse some weeks ago. (In Kana's defense, that horse was in the middle of dying when she found it.)

"Well," Jeorge continued as he offered Kana an apple, "if that's your decision, I won't try to change it. I'll make sure Carla knows you're doin' well, though; she gets worried, what with you living alone and using blood for magic and such. Carla feels really good whenever she takes care of someone. She doesn't think she could help you right if somethin' went awry, so it'd just crush her if anythin' happened to you, y'know? You were holed up in your home last week, too, so she was gettin' kinda paranoid."

After a healthy chomp into the fruit Kana replied, "I understand. Could you thank her for me?"

"I'd be glad to, Miss Gotou." Before he let his mind wander too far from the thought of dinner, Jeorge set himself up to leave. "It was nice seein' you again. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will." As soon as she and her neighbor parted ways, Kana's thoughts went back to the little chick she'd saved earlier. Maybe I should have killed it to see how long the effect would last. Birds aren't easy to catch when you're stuck on the ground.

"My Lord," Kaed complained, "why must we trudge through this forest?"

"This is the quickest way to the Shrine."

Flynn groaned; he couldn't feel his legs. The samurai muttered to himself, "Also the most uncomfortable way to the Shrine..." He thought of how the wind protectors were probably floating through the clouds and groaned again.

Siya lightly held the reigns in his hands as his horse trod through the trail that led deep into the forest. The shrine was still several hours out, but the young King had figured taking a short cut would at least reduce the amount of time it took to get there. He knew how testy Lady Celeste could be sometimes, and the last thing he wished was for them to get on her bad side immdediately upon arrival.

Turning in the saddle, he grinned at his protector. "I thought you liked forests?"

"Most times..." Kaed replied, but his eyes were shifting through the trees as if he were on high alert — or at least, higher than usual when they weren't at home. Siya sighed and turned back around.

"What could possibly be making you so tense?"

"... Just... a gut feeling," the Protector muttered under his breath. Siya looked over to Mina, who was walking alongside him and Kaed. She must not have been able to fly through.

At this, Flynn chuckled. "Gut feeling? Surely, it isn't a case of wing envy?" Then, thinking about his comment, Flynn realized that he was also quite envious of Mina's wings. The samurai cast a glance—of slight loathing—at the creature directly below him. Boltte was a rough bony horse with an attitude at least five times his weight. Flynn called him "Butt" now, but the joke was still on the Protector—it was his butt hurting after each ride.

That damn girl came from this direction, Kaed thought. This is nymph territory, too, so if they really do hate Mina there's no doubt that there'll be trouble. He looked over to the girl, and noticed how tightly she was clutching her sword. She's anticipating it more than I am, it seems. Sadly, trying to get her away wasn't going to be the best choice at the moment.

"Don't worry." Mina looked surprised to be hearing it from the man who wanted nothing more than to be rid of her; Siya didn't appear to notice. "The king would never abandon someone." She didn't answer, but even if it came from Kaed it made her feel a little more at ease.

Marsaili growled as they entered the forest. The demon did not like the forest. It was too green for her liking. She much prefered red. It was a small thing but still, it irked her. And then there was the fact that it was Mina (or "wingy lady" as she was mentally referring to her as) was being all cagey. Sure, everyone sort of thought Marsaili wouldn't notice it, (to be honest, if Kaed wasn't being so blatently obvious...) but she saw the tight grip on the sword. Yeah. That was not going to fly.

"Well, the king might no' like abandonin' people but I've no problem wit' it. In fact, I have no problem wit' turnin' someone into, oh, let's say, sawdust!" Marsaili flashed a blinding grin to Mina before coaxing her less-than-willing horse to catch up to Siya.

Well, at least one of them might as well protected the poor sod.

"Marsaili," Kaed called, his voice less than pleased, "No one is turning anyone into sawdust."

"Oh, but come on! It would be fun and would certainly bright'n this journey up. S'been so borin'!"

Kaed sighed and put his head back in the palm of his hand. "That doesn't mean you can go around torching whatever you please to dust, Marsaili..."

"No torching from the Fire Protectors?" The Samurai's eyebrows arced, "That's confusing..."

Up ahead, Siya laughed at their bickering. He turned in his saddle to offer some advice for the little girl at further agitating the tall Protector but as he opened his mouth a soft sound caught his attention. He was far to late in realizing that the arrow had already launched at him. By the time he'd turned around in alarm, the projectile struck his shoulder, deep in the tissue. Siya yelled in shock and was knocked off his horse. He fell hard on his back, one hand reaching for the arrow that stuck out of his body.

"Siya!" Kaed shouted as he drew his sword and rushed to Siya's side. The trees were alive with the subtle movement of the nymphs and elves that lived there. Marsaili let out a shrill peal of laughter as she leapt from her horse, drew her sword and plunged it straight into the chest of the nearest being. The elf stared in shock as a little girl slipped her sword underneath the rib cage and prodded his heart. Hard. She giggled, her arm in someone's torso before ripping it out and attacking a second time.

"Phew! No need for sawdust, Kaed! We gots all the fun we need now!" She shouted back, a dagger piercing a stomach and causing a nearby nymph to fall with a scream. Marsaili chuckled, her eyes flashing a fiery orange as the smell of brimstone swirled around her form. Black smoke was drawn out from her body as she let loose a fireball straight from the depths of hell. The hellspawn stood in awe as a few of the attackers burned in the dark smokey flames.

Kinda pretty.

Flynn had been off his horse in an instant—and... had... face-planted into the ground in that same instant. Damn you... Butt. He quickly leapt back to his feet, sword blazing in hand. He glanced in Siya's direction.

Kaed threw a quick look over his shoulder to the girl that looked absolutely pleased with the fight that had just erupted. The Protector, on the other hand, didn't share the same feelings. He wasn't in the least pleased about the sudden fighting.

Marsaili threw her head over and spotted Kaed kneeling over Siya. She looked back up at the attackers and sent a small ball of demonic energy their way. It tired the little girl out but it did give them a little bit of time. Marsaili made her way over to the fallen King, her feet stumbling as a sweat broke over her forehead. Summoning hell was not a nice experience, no matter how natural it felt.

"So, damage...control?" The demon panted, eyes glazing a little as the elves tried to push back the demon energy. It was still connected to her until she dismissed it. Marsaili had always hated that part.

"I'm fine," Siya replied to the girl that stood over him. He smiled up at her even as blood poured between his fingers where he gripped the arrow. He noted that she looked utterly tired and pushed himself up into a sitting position, "Let it go, Marsaili. We'll be fine, don't push yourself."

"You heard him, I'll take care of them. Watch him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Kaed gave Siya a hard look before swiftly getting to his feet and summoning his own fire magic. What he sacrificed turned to blue dust and sunk into him. Fire erupted all along his body and then exploded from him in the shape of two dragon heads. The power rushed out towards the oncoming elves and nymphs.

He manipulated that power for some time before dismissing it and leaving a trail of burning foliage and bodies behind. Kaed charged head long into the first of several elves, his sword clashing with the closest one and blood covering his weapon and clothes in process.

Marsaili frowned stubbornly and sent a ripple towards the ball of energy, strengthening it, giving it form. Kaed might be able to handle himself but, damn it, she wasn't useless. The ball of black smoke grew in size and swallowed up nearby nymphs. The demon hissed as she fought the urge to let go of the beast and let it settle back in hell. Nope, she could show her dad what she could do. She was not a baby anymore. She screwed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, forcing the parts of hell to stay up and help her.

"I will...n-not...let...it...go." She snarled through her teeth, a little flush taking over her cheeks. "You b-better appreciate this..." She gave Siya a quick look as she kneeled down. No sense wasting energy by standing. Well, that's what her legs were telling her. Marsaili couldn't really care if her legs were tired, the all-consuming feeling of holding the hell energy up was slightly more pressing.

"Marsaili," Siya whispered, in awe at her determination. She was just a small child, but at times it seemed that she was something more than that. Scooting towards her he reached out, but stopped half way. He wasn't sure how to do it, but he'd heard of sharing energy between two people and it involved sacrifices. Siya turned and looked around trying to find something he could sacrifice that would be enough, preferably without using his sword.

He thought of the arrow in his shoulder, the tip was made of metal, right? He concentrated and in a matter of seconds the arrow tip dispersed into energy and he used his orb to take that energy and touched her shoulder. He let that energy transfer through his body and down his bloodied hand into her shoulder.

"I know it's not much, but I hope it's helped," Siya said to her, smiling once again. Marsaili looked down and frowned. Why would he help he- Suddenly that thought was no longer important. The extra energy coursed through her quickly and she reacted. The demonic influx of energy burst forth and shot through the forest. The demon gave a shrill scream as she let out the burst, her nerve endings on fire as well as singing out. Oh, it burned but felt so natural for the young demon. But as suddenly as the energy shot through her, it disappeared and the steady posture she had slumped forward, her hair hanging before her eyes.

"Y-yep...that was...yeah..." Marsaili panted, holding her sides tightly and screwing her eyes shut. She had to get reacquainted with the lack of energy pull and the hell energy slowly seeping back into her. Marsaili shivered as the sweet black fog returned to her. Her instinct was to pull it around her like a security blanket, but she had other things to do. She glanced back at Siya and felt compelled to ask something. She wasn't good at the whole social stuff but hey, she could try.

"S-so...how are you...d-doing...?"

"Fine, Marsaili. Thank you, but I'm more worried about you. You look exhausted." His eyes raised as he caught sight of movement behind Marsaili. He didn't know where Kaed was exactly, but he figured that the taller Protector was still fighting. Siya could hear the clashing of weapons. He lost sight of Mina, but a wild explosion behind him told him she was fighting, too — whether it was for herself or him, he really didn't care at that moment. He was just happy Mina had some fighting spirit in her.

Siya pulled Marsaili close to him with his good hand and once he was on the other side of her, he drew his sword and raised it in one quick fluid motion. Steel scrapped together, hurting his ears and a sharp vibration ran through his arm. He held his ground even as he was kneeling down on one knee. The elf growled at him as he pushed from overhead and brought Siya backwards even further. He could feel his back hitting the small girl behind him, but he didn't relent.

Fire coursed along his arms, erupting in a torrent of red hot flames. They stretched forward, leaping across his limbs and down his sword. The fire then seemed to open up a large gaping mouth and consumed the man before Siya in one sweep, head first. The elf released his sword and stumbled backwards, screaming as his flesh was burned to a crisp. Siya dropped his sword, his shoulder aching painfully by the annoying arrow. Marsaili looked up at the King with glazed eyes, feeling the fire of Hell returning in the pit of her stomach. She rose to her feet shakily, stumbling a little. The demon grabbed her sword quickly and looked at Siya's shoulder. She pulled a face.

"Y-ya see, my problem is that...I-I can't really do very m-much about that...but Kaed can..." The hellspawn gripped her weapon closer, a quick plan formulating in her head.

"But I can d-do a lot over there, and as great as Kaed is doing...h-he'd be better over here." Marsaili finished, her stubborn streak back in full force. She grinned quickly and gave the King a quick wink, some of her confidence swelling back.

"Alright," he finished, "but be careful, Marsaili."

Siya let her go before turning to find Kaed and call him back. It seemed as if Kaed had already realized what was going on though, for he'd been retreating back to Siya's side and wasn't too far from him as Marsaili went to finish off the rest of the fight. Kaed sliced through the remaining elf that opposed him before he dropped back entirely and knelt next to Siya.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his breath short from fighting.

Siya nodded to him, smiling at him to hopefully ease the Protector's worries. Kaed didn't seem to fall for it though. Reaching out he took hold of Siya's shoulder and held him steady as the other hand grasped the arrow shaft. Siya took a deep breath and prepared for the projectile to be removed.

It was quick and swift, though not without a bit of pain. The arrow was freed, missing its tip as he'd sacrificed it moments ago. Siya watched as his own blood spilled down the front of his shirt and onto Kaed's hands, who had put both hands over the wound and summoned his magic. Fire coursed along his shoulder, cauterizing the wound. After Kaed had stopped the bleeding, he tore a piece of cloth off his long attire and began wrapping it around Siya's shoulder.

"I swear, you're so careless..." Kaed muttered as he worked. Siya flushed and looked down as he let the Protector bandage him up.

"I'm sorry."

"Try to be more cautious next time, please? If not for yourself then for me," Kaed took Siya's chin in his hand and forced the King to look up at him. He was filled with worry and a deeper caring than Siya knew about. He felt awkward sitting there next to him, a burn across his cheeks revealing that he was only slightly embarrased to be looked at in such a way.

"Alright, Kaed," he answered slowly. Kaed smiled then, the hard look softening and he pulled Siya into a tight hug. Marsaili let out a little wolf whistle and giggled, appearing right behind the two.

"I hope I ain't interruptin' anyfink, but I'm finished!" She sang out in a sweet voice, still a little sensitive from her previous attack. The charred bodies lay scattered around the clearing and little puffs of smoke rose from the ashes. The demon surveyed the scene around her quickly, and found a weary Mina returning with a few burns herself. I didn't do it! was the first thing on the little demon's mind, though it was actually true... for once. Mina was blowing things up and left just as bad a mark on the woods as Marsaili did.

"Yep, I don't think we gotta worry about those guys again." She smiled, face streaked with ash and sword over her shoulder. Despite her confidence returning, she still walked a little like a baby deer, stumbling and stuttering. She tried to hide this and bit her lip. "Does this still mean we have to go to wind lady's house?"

Siya blushed furiously as Kaed held him tightly. There for a moment he'd felt safe in the Protector's arms, a different feeling washing over him as they sat there. He shoved Kaed away from him who only grinned at his King's embarrasment. Siya looked up at the man with a slight glare.

"Yes, this still means we have to go to the Shrine," Siya replied quickly, desperate to have something else to talk about rather than Kaed's sudden show of affection towards him.

Marsaili groaned and pulled a face. "But we almost died! Well, you did... so surely, that gets us out of visiting her!" Marsaili whined, her large orange eyes looking up at Siya through her fringe pleadingly.

"If you don't want him to truly die, Marsaili, then we have to go. Lady Celeste would most defintely kill him." Kaed muttered the last part with a sigh. The King of Air was most difficult at times — especially if you called her "King".

"Pfft, I could take her on! Any day! And Siya dying would put a damper on things, but that's not a problem when I'm around. Thus, we don't have to visit airy lady, and we can go home, and I can raid the cupboards for Flynn's cookies." The demon spawn finished with her hands on her hips and a pout firmly fixed onto her face. She really didn't get why this was such a problem.

Siya laughed at the girl's moaning. She sure had a strange way of interpreting things. He got to his feet slowly, careful of moving his injured shoulder too much. He almost wished that he were young like her and without a care in the world. However, that wasn't how it worked for him and the other Kings.

"We have to go, Marsaili. I promise when we get back that you can have any goodies that you'd like, alright?" Siya said, patting her head gently as he passed her to remount his horse.

Marsaili stopped to think for a second before beaming. "Sure! I can deal with that!" The demon skipped back over to her horse, her body listing as she tried to get her bearings back. Jeez, this summoning hell business was not as easy as it looked. She hopped back onto her horse, muscles complaining.

"Tally ho!" She yelled, her horse galloping forward. She had gone a little distance before something occured to her. She looked back at the rest of the group, a little grin on her lips. "Ya know...I don't really know where we're goin'... Oh well! Forward is a good place to start!" With a peal of cackles, she took off once again, leaving everyone else to catch up.

Kanan, Freece, Aeraki, Celeste, Tien, and Emrys

Kanan tensed as Aeraki suddenly burst into motion. He thought for a mere second of utter shock that she was about to latch onto him once more. He watched her carefully, only calming a little as he heard her say Freece's name much like she'd done his.

"Fleece~" She called out, mimicking her pattern from earlier and lacing delicate arms around his neck, though only brushing her lips across his cheek. "Give me a piggy-back ride, I'm suddenly too lazy to walk." And blatantly ignoring the fact of her wings, which she drooped to add effect.

Upon hearing the nickname that Freece hates, there could be a noticeable vein throbbing on the right upper portion of his forehead, It was intensified more as the fae attached herself on his back. He would never know why Aeraki liked to pester him most of the time.

"Oi you Airhead, let's get things straight. Don't call me that! I am not a sheep! And second you have wings to fly! So fly!"

With all of that said, Freece begrudgingly carried Aeraki despite his complaints. The fae after all was not that heavy to begin with. Even when he would be expressive in his dislikes and rude remarks, in the end, he would still do what is asked of him. Well, he still mumbled and occasionally jolted the fae by bumping her to the nearby trees or rocky walls.

Aeraki was used to this behavior by now, able to deftly avoid being jolted too much, though the motion was progressively becoming repetitive to her. She was sure that Freece regarded her as a child, a mistake a lot of people tended to make for her behavior. Oh well! It made her observations go that much smoother and it helped that he wasn't on guard about it, not that it'd make much different if he was. She shifted her gaze downwards as she flicked her brush around idly with a free hand, scattering the water on the tip all over the place. This was too long of a walk, she needed to be entertained...! Wait a minute, wasn't the knot of the tie of Kanan's eyepatch uneven? Huh... She stared at it, squinting to see if it was indeed parallel or uneven, fortunately distracting herself long enough to stop squirming and sit still for once.

"Hey Disco Wings... Stop waving that pen around!"

Freece shouted in irritation as he shook his head where some of the water nestled. After doing so, he stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. His deep green eyes were sligtly more richer in color due to the spark of annoyance present within. Furthermore, why is that this sad excuse for a fae can't pick on herself. She is a perfect candidate for her antics. Although, he noticed that Aeraki was looking at something or more specifically someone else. Following that line of sight, he noticed it was the new addition to the group of protectors, Kanan.

Kanan felt a stare at the back of his head and turned just enough to see what was going on. Aeraki was still for once, albeit on Freece's shoulders, but still non-the-less. He sighed inwardly, that girl was a lot of trouble... another thing he had trouble coping with. The silver-haired protector turned back around and continued forward as they were making their way to the Shrine.

He idly wondered who they were going to meet there. He hadn't seen any of the other protectors or the Kings before. Curiosity was working it's way into his system and before he knew it he was lost in thought, wondering what they were going to be like. To add to his curiosity he felt a pang of guilt run through him. What Lady Celeste had spoken of back at Anemoi. Were they really going to fight the other protectors? Kanan hoped they wouldn't have to. Kanan straightened, stiffening slightly and berated himself for having been lost to his thoughts. It wasn't like him to question things so much, or for so long either. He sighed inwardly and continued following the others towards the Shrine. They would be there very soon.

Emrys looked back at the trio of Protectors trailing behind him and let out an indignant sigh. Personally, he wasn't sure that they were qualified as the princess' Protectors. Kanan was a 'maybe'. The other two were simply insubordinate and, at worst, untrustworthy. Shifu Tien, though impassibly wise and knowledgeable, was simply no longer fit.

The group reached the Shrine within a few minutes. They were the first there, just as Lady Celeste liked to have things. Kanan was starting to get used to the way she planned stuff. It was only a matter of time before the other King's entered the area as well.

Siya and Kaed

"We'll have to leave the horses here, the woods are too thick for them to go through," Siya said as he slowly dismounted, careful of his injury. Perhaps if things went well, Lady Celeste would heal the wound for him. He could only hope that she would be in a good mood. On the other hand though, his thoughts had been filled with Kaed for the remainder of the trip. The tall protector had looked so worried when Siya had been injured.

There had been a look in his eyes that had shocked Siya and stirred something else inside him as well. He wasn't sure what the feeling was yet, but he could still feel it, swirling around at the back of his mind and causing chills to run their course across his body. The young King took a quick look to his protector. The tall man was quite pleasing to look at, his long black hair always flowing around his face, his dark red eyes were the most alluring. He was warm, comforting and Siya's closest friend among his protectors.

Kaed turned his eyes down, catching the King staring at him. Siya flushed and before he turned he caught Kaed's taunting smile. His heart beat had picked up erratically, his throat tight as he quickly went around to the front of his horse and took the reigns. He tied the beast to the nearest tree and tried hard not to look in Kaed's direction.

"Just beyond here is the Shrine. We should hurry through, I'm sure Lady Celeste is waiting for us as it is nearing the time to be there," the young King announced, looking up through a break in the canopy above him. The stars were getting brighter as night settled in further. Siya took the lead, bringing his companions through the thick brush and trees. It was a lushes forest, beautiful in more than one way and far enough from any prying eyes or well traveled roads.

This place was where the Kings held most of their meetings should they ever all need to be contacted for one reason or another. Siya, naturally, knew the exact way to get to the small clearing where the Shrine was. As he broke through the thick greenery, his eyes were met by Lady Celeste and her troupe already there, just as he suspected. Off in the distance, he could hear another group rummaging through the forest as well and could only assume that is was Lord Byre and his protectors.

Siya offered her a smile and bowed to her. Kaed followed suite and offered quick, sharp, glances to the other protectors as a silent order for them to do the same. Siya straightened and looked up at the Shrine nestled in the far side of the clearing. The woods were slowly beginning to take it over, vines wrapping up the large pillars of the small structure. The stone was dark with years of elemental wear against it. However, it still kept its alluring beauty and power. Siya could feel it eminating from the center of the Shrine, a small square hole where offerings were usually burnt.

"My Lady," Siya offered to her as he stepped in closer to the shrine and the King of Air, or rather, Queen as she prefered, "I assume you know of the Water Kings death. Once Lord Byre is here, I would like to propose a means of finding a new King," he stated simply, trying to keep it short and too the point as to not waste time, but also to assert that he had plans of his own as well.

Hebi

The woods were cool, dark and inviting for a being such as himself. They'd left the Earth Kingdom and had made their way to the meeting place, only stopping once. Hebi, all the while, kept his smile to himself. Of course, he didn't have much to be smiling about as he had only heard portions of what his King and Eugene had talked about, but it was still amusing none-the-less.

The trees were getting thicker as they moved and Hebi knew then that they were much closer to the Shrine then. It would only be a matter of minutes before they were at the meeting. The meeting. How dull, Hebi thought to himself, loosing the amused smile for just a moment. He had better things to do and more interesting ideas to say the least.

No matter. As long as he didn't have to do much, then it wasn't a problem. He followed his King as they broke through the brush, entering the Shrine.

The rest of the journey was more to say a humdrum. Assassinations, attacks, common thievery and the such never occurred or loomed over Byre even once. Somehow, it was a bit of disappointing in his opinion. After all, it was not too often that he manages to leave the domains of his kingdom. Yet, there had been little inputs along the way as he traveled with his chosen Protectors. The twisting conversations with Eugene, the fleeting observations towards Hebi, and his last protector who entertains him through silence. It was a conundrum of eccentricities that he appreciated in different ways.

"Master, they have already arrived."

Radiating within his consciousness, Telius' conjecture brought the Young King to the reason for this sudden walk out of his realm. The odd familiar was still lounging on top of Byre's shoulder as if it was a charming nest of softness. It seemed that the Wind and Fire Rulers had arrived at the Shrine of Aridea. As such, there was no need for him to linger around in such a relaxing pace. He had only done so in respect to the pride of the Wind Princess who always desired being on time. Adding to that, he did like the idea of being waited upon. It is one of the many luxuries of being late and awareness of the time.

"And so did we."

After stating that, Byre walked through the bushes that had gratefully parted to give way to the Earth King. His clothes reflected his status and rather militaristic qualities of his dominion. He wore white collared shirt with a blue necktie overlapped with a black vest which was covered by an opened military jacket with gold stripes at the end of its sleeves matched by a pair of black pants, half gloves on his hands, and combat boots on his feet. Upon the jacket, there were respective medals and badges some connected intricately by lithe silver chains. It fitted his form perfectly and not a speck of dust or leaf could be seen on his person. He was a vision and without a doubt inherited his father's intimidating yet good looks.

"Greetings Lady Celeste." Byre offered accompanied by a cordial bow to the female King who would without a doubt take another step in this three-way game of chess or even perhaps there were more players than he could conclude.

"I extend them also to you Lord Siya." In this regard, Byre only offered a courteous nod of the head. He had took notice the brief scent of magic that pilfered the winds, the touch of cinnamon and the allure of the forest nymphs.

"You seemed to have trouble on the way Fire King. It is good to know you are still here with us."

The string of words that Byre spoke had no specific tone of sympathy or concern. One could say it was rather empty and dull as if spoken only through the lore of politeness. This was only evident more to his rather apathetic expression as he slightly observed Siya's condition. His eyes also transferred to the Fire King's chosen Protectors.

"It is a pleasing thought that you have reliable protectors with you. Keep them well."

There was a seemingly underlying meaning to those word that its depth has yet to be seen. After saying that, Byre's eyes made a passing glance to a specific guest in the Fire Crew. The sense of a tainted being emitted from the frail form of a girl. He had read about such a creature once in a passing whim. It seemed that the world still have many secrets to be revealed to him. Knowing such concoction, the Earth King only spared a second worth glance to his protectors. He expected them to behave or his temperament would not only be limited to mere chaining them to the wall. It was delivered with the subtle serious intent within those greenish-blue eyes of his that seemed to glow.

As if to emphasize this, Telius who was still on Byre's shoulder delivered his words through the mind of the Earth Protectors in complete secrecy to the others present.

"Bad servants shall be punished. Will you be able to be good little protectors? I highly doubt it."

While the mental charade was going on, Byre once more looked at the Wind Princess and her retinue once she was done healing the wounded Fire King.

"Shall we begin then? The matters to be discussed are of great concern after all. The Balance and The Future are on the agenda as they always have."

Without further ado, Byre lead the way knowing full well his protectors would follow to where the Center Table laid. However, the Earth King stopped before the entrance and gestured for the Wind Princess to enter first. After all, he still have his trained and innate manner to consider in such instances.

"After you, Lady Celeste."