Home

It was wrong. All of it was wrong. A handsome man stood his hands clasped behind his back and peered down at the frightened young man kneeling before him. What a disgrace His top lip curled over his teeth and home king let out a low growl.
"P-Please your highness." The man before him sputtered and his soldiers restrained him as she tried to crawl towards him begging to be saved. "I'm so sorry, it was a mistake, and honest mistake." The man was puled back by his hair and he let out a small yelp of pain.
"Pathetic" Cain sneered and he took a step towards the man and the crouched to be on the same level as him. The ground between them cracked a little and a small vine slowly grew its way up towards Cain. It slithered almost lovingly around Cain wrapping loosely around his wrist and resting there. The young man gulped, a small bead of sweat dripped between his eyes and he stared at Cain wondering if this was the end. "You know what we do to rule breakers here?" Cain asked him softly as the Vine began to move again, this time towards the man. The man didn't answer but instead let out a little whimper as the Vine began to wrap painfully tight around his leg and then slither up to his waist cutting of his air. He gasped for breath and tried desperately to get away but he was forced to stay by the two soldiers holding him. "We take them away." cain spoke even more softly still "And they never come back" He chuckled softly and suddenly his left eye was twitching and the hands that were so calm before were in front of him and he was moving his fingers erratically. His hands clasped and un clasped and he let out a loud laugh that echoed in the halls. "you're mine boy!" He stood and as he did vines more vines rose from the ground with him and they too began to wrap themselves around the poor man. "Good bye!" Cain said as he bowed flamboyantly. The soldiers moved away from the man and he tried for escape as well but the vines held him. Then suddenly they were pulling him. She slammed him against the ground and there was the definite crunch of a bone breaking and a scream of pain and terror. The floor opened like a black hole and the man was sucked in dragged deep beneath the castle. It was dark. So dark.

Cain let out a delighted giggle and waved his hand over the floor as it head back to its perfect gleaming marble. He smoothed a shakey hand over his dark hair took too a deep breath only to let out another laugh. "Oh that was fun." He said as he went to sit at a large golden throne. He crossed his legs and uncrossed them and then tried the other way. Neither felt comfortable but he went back and forth between the two variations. As he did an officer went and stood by him, he always had a constant guard around him. Not that he needed it, he was far too powerful of course. The officer was no lady, but rather a woman who was as deadly as a dragon. She was called Alys and he quite liked to look at her so he kept her near by, then again Cain liked to look at most women. Sometimes he even liked to touch. He stood after the crossing of his legs was evidently not working and stepped to the window. Out down below people were starting their days, it was around the time that they were allowed out of their homes.

Cain rubbed his chin and looked down at the empty streets below him for a while more and then headed back inside, he wanted to go to his library. His head was pounding after such excitement and he couldn't stop moving. He wanted more, more screams, more pain... But no one else was breaking any rules so far, which disappointed him. He stepped into a long hallways and walked towards the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with exotic plants and at the middle of the yard a round stone building stood. It was a tall building and trees seemed to be growing half in and half out of it. Already he could feel his brain calming and his hands steading. Cain stepped into the library and went for the nearest chair. He conjured up a drink called Firebrand and took a long gulp. He contemplated what to do with the rest of his day and realized that at the end of the week was the monthly masquerade ball. That put a wide smile on his face. He loved parties, there was always someone who would slip up at them and he would get to punish them later. He giggled a little and rubbed a hand over his twitching eye. He waved his hand and a quill and parchment appeared before him and began to write the things that he needed. He hummed softly and tapped his foot to the song. Above him the trees grown into the library rustled softly and then were once again still. lots to do, lots to do, went the voice in his head.

Issac Theodore Prynne, aka Zapper was currently in his house that he lived in. It was an alright house, if a little too large for him, and it didn't really have a sense of home to it. It was basically a copy of the house before and after it, save for the small burnt spots that littered the walls and floors, having come from practice with lightning. He was bored, he didn't anything to do, no work and no one to play with, most people not wanting to associate with a child whose family may or may not have murdered by the king.

After looking for nothing in particular, he decided to go to the market and try and find some fun. However, before he left, he made sure to bow to the poster of King Cain that came with the house, What a cool looking guy. He though to himself, as the poster had him looking over at anyone that looked at it with a knowing look, not to mention the crown that Zappee thought looked neat. He left his house and started off towards the market.

After making his way to the central part, he noticed that it was quite busy, with people moving all around him. He then decided that now would be the best time for a little fun, a small evil smile creeping on his face. He tried to find a place with a large metal pole with people all around it, and after finding a suitable spot, made his way up one of the two story stores and looked down to see all the people. He began to change up electrify in his right hand, and felt the warmth this seemed to give him. After making sure that it was good enough, he murmured 'Zap.' to the people below before touching the pole. The resulting shock traveled across the crowd, each person giving a small yelp before a woman with a water bowl on her head felt it and spilt the water on a nearby soldier.

Zapper knew that was bad and quickly began to make his escape, the soldiers at the market all having been told that anything involving a shock was most likely caused by him. They never took him to the dungeon, but locked him inside of his house, probably because of his age, and the fact his family had some power before dying. He heard only one person chasing after him on the ground, and pulled up his small hood to cover his wild red hair, which unfailingly gave him away.

After searching for a nice shop to hide in, he quickly decided on a trading post that seemed to be owned by some elves. He rushed inside the post, and found a place to hide underneath a table located within the store. He was panting slightly,and waiting for the soldier to finally lose interest in him before he went back outside again. I did have fun with that. He thought happily to himself and smiled a bit.

The blister beetle darted surprisingly nimbly through the altitudinous winds. It was a noble member of Epicauta hirticornis, and its family had been in the service of Nackerick Botch since he was a child. Though its form was not aerodynamic, indeed its bulbous red eyes and fat black body made it look rather clumsy, it was quiet and could protect itself. This was the reason for its constant use as a recon scout. Spying its home and master, it flew down and perched upon his well-bitted shoulder.

Assisted by his lantern-staff, Nackerick walked quickly along the stone strewn road leading to the next village he planned to visit. Not knowing much about it, he had sent a spy in earlier that day. The town was called Iradei, he knew that much, and it was supposed to be rather poor. He didn’t relish staying in hungry places, but he would only be there a few nights. Oh well. His thoughts were interrupted by a needling sensation on his left shoulder. Turning his head he saw that his scout had returned, and he grinned. The beetle scrabbled over to his ear, avoiding the lice that seethed in the hair patch above it. Jerking and twisting its mandibles in a sickening motion, it whispered its report of the land ahead.

It spoke of a wide and luxurious landscape, where sweet fruit was plentiful and music was heard in all places. Botch was certainly surprised; this contrasted what he had heard about Iradei completely. However, he trusted the blister beetle and nodded his head in thanks. No sooner had he done so, than the creature burrowed into the bruising blue skin of his neck. It pulled itself under and disappeared in his anatomy. Nackerick winced ever so slightly, but he was used to it by now.

After some time, Botch passed a rather steep hill dotted with deep green pines. As he did this, the small cloud of flesh flies he had been following suddenly changed direction. They began heading over the hill. Though he was confused as to their path, he followed. Peaking the hill, he could see vast and rolling landscape. It was rich and ripe and full of life. A mountainous stronghold of a castle stood in the distance, and all manner of shops and sweetmeats could be smelled even from this distance. He grinned widely, and as he did he felt his parasitic company grow excited and restless.

Lead on, gentleman, he thought in happy disbelief. Cautiously walking down the steep hill into the valley, he saw a great stone wall. Chuckling to himself he approached it. Looking it over, he rapped on its surface with the base of his staff and saw a small shower of pink sparks leap off. His smile dropped.

There was magic here, strong magic. From the corner of his eye he could see little blue streaks that faded when he turned to see them. Could it be some kind of barrier…? But from whom? And who had cast it? Hmm… Well it’s worth a shot in any case. Let’s go boys. He pursed his lips as if to whistle, but the sound that escaped was closer to the rustling of rough paper. His graying cloak shook violently in response. From his sleeves poured hordes of yellow moths and black beetles and all manner of winged insects. Flocking to his skin the cloud of life obscured him, and he was slowly lifted off the ground. When they passed over the stone wall he could feel energy rush through him. There was a spell there, but it seemed to ignore Botch and his friends. His feet touched ground again on the other side, and the swarms were drawn back to the folds of his cloak. A grin far wider than before now cut across his face. He knew where he was.

This wasn’t Iradei. Not by a long shot. This was the Hidden Valley, stuff of legends, flights of fancy. It was a sanctuary to nonhuman kind. Of course he could find it and enter. Familiars weren’t technically human, even less so were his children. He had found the capitol of all the world’s secrecy and peace. He had found Home. Every corner of his being radiated with clicks and buzzes of joy. He threw back his head and with the voices of a thousand parasites, did something truly unsettling.

He laughed.

Adriana stared absent mindedly at the door of her grandparents shop, playing with a lock of her golden hair. Tables covered in dainty white table cloths were pushed against two of the wall parallel to each other while at the back was a counter and a shelf that was stuffed with fabric. Beneath the counter were several pouches to keep money that they earned from the jewels located in a glass case that, like her, was behind the counter. Off to the side was a small room that held a few cleaning supplies and the cramped stairs that looked as if they had been added as an afterthought.

Overall the place was pretty shabby and boring. Adriana hated the job of shop keeper mainly because of the lack of fun but also because she couldn't bare to see things in the shop be traded away. It wasn't that she was emotionally attached to any of the objects, but that,as an elf, she loved to keep everything for her own. Still she was good at the job, being very persuasive.

The door suddenly opened revealing a young woman with long blue hair. The girl was extremely attractive and Adriana recognized her immediately as a recurring customer and her best friend. "Ella!" Adriana cried in her slightly Elvish accent. Her friend blinked waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the shop before speaking. Many customers had to do this when they stepped into the room since the sun was much brighter than the light source in the shop.

"Aww your behind the counter today? I thought we'd be able to get together. Ah, well I suppose I can stay with you and look after this place." She complained in a playful voice her small, yet full, lips curling down. Then her delicate face broke into a grin and she shoved a handful of coins onto the counter. "The usual?" Adriana was already reaching for the silk in the shelf above. "Yes, in blue." Was the ringing answer. With a flourish Adriana brought the fabric down into the waiting hands of Ella. Being a siren, Ella was a frequent customer for cloths and the only one who was allowed to pay in coins. Everyone else had to trade things which was a strange policy indeed.

After collecting the money Adriana drew a seat for Ella to sit. "Guess your stuck with me," she joked. Then her eyes flew to the motion of Ella's hand fluttering a over her chest and below her collar bone. The thin fingers were messing with a broken crystal attached to a silver chain. The smile vanished from Adriana's face. If it was broken that signified her friend had killed another. "Who was it?" She asked in a horrified whisper.

Ella clearly cringed when she heard the tone of Adriana's voice. She had hoped her friend wouldn't notice the broken necklace that was slowly growing back and reforming into a whole crystal. Her voice was small and meek when she spoke. "He was insignificant. A lower being. His family won't miss him." "Family!" Adriana's voice cracked on the second syllable. At the rising of her voice Ella's hands clenched tight around the silk she had just purchased. "He had FAMILY and you drowned him?" Tears pricked in the corner of Ella's eyes. Usually she welcomed water. This form, however, was shut out.

Forcing the tears back she straightened her back. "It was only an accident." She braced waiting for the disapproving voice to hit her. It didn't come as the conversation was interrupted by the opening of a door. A young boy had rushed in, paused for a bit, and darted under a mahogany table. Speechless both girls stared at the table cloth that was still fluttering from the boys entrance.

<( * . * )> ------------------------------------------------> (0. 0) Meanwhile............

Idon watched silently from the sidelines as the young man was brought to the king. His pleads echoed through the room interrupting the thoughts Idon currently stored in his mind. The king of course dismissed the man with a wave of his hand and the guards dragged the new prisoner into the dungeon. Idon hoped Cain would let him torched the later. The screaming had been entertaining but not enough. He needed more. So much screaming that it would haunt him well into the night. And the visuals. The visuals would need to be gruesome and bloody. Yes lots of blood would be needed. A shudder of pleasure went through him. To get the stain of red on the floor he would need lots of rule breakers to kill. Plastering an innocent smile of a child on his face he set out into town.

Reagan woke an hour before curfew and stretched happily. She arched her back and he bed shifted under her growling softly. "I know I know, but its about time we got up." Reagan said to her bed as it there was nothing wrong. She stood and looked down at her bed which was in fact a giant black bear curled up comfortably. She smiled at him, bent and ruffed that sweet spot between his ears and he grumbled and curled into a bigger ball. She laughed softly and then went about getting ready for her day.

Her fiery red hair was brushed and brushed and much to her dismay it was still a frizzy mess. She rolled her eyes and blew up at a strand of hair that was in front of her face and then went about braiding it. Once her hair was braided she studied herself in the mirror and frowned again. It wasn't a masterpiece but hey, she wasn't really trying all that hard. she got dressed in her hunting grab which was a leather jacket and cloth clothing underneath. She pulled on a pair of boot and then opened her pantry looking for something to eat. Her cupboards were pretty empty and she made a mental note to buy a few things from the market.

She glanced out side and figured it was about time that she was allowed out and she looked over at Benjamin and whistled softly. The big lazy bear raised his head and grunted and then dropped his head back down and was asleep in moments. Reagan has a pouch of money at her side and she hummed softly as she headed to the market. She browsed through a few stalls and had a few apples in her hands when suddenly a sharp shocking pain which made her arms go flying sending the apples everywhere. She wasn't the only one who let out a yelp of pain and she went to quickly gather her things. Reagan looked up in time to see a young boy running away and she sighed. It was that zap kid. She didn't know his name but it wasn't the first time she was victim to one of his pranks. She brushed it off and went to the centre of the market where a large poster stood outlining all of the rules that Cain had put into place. She read them through:
All citizens must:
Be home by 9
Out of home but 10
Attend every party thrown by the king
Hold one item in their home that has an image of the king
Never disrespect a Soldier
Never wear brown on a Thursday

There more rules each sillier than the next but she had learned to live by it. Reagan turned away from the sign and shrugged and went off to find more food.

Zapper tried to hide perfectly still under the table, hoping the cloth would hide him from sight. However, he knew that two girls were in the store, and they might turn him in, Please don't, please don't, please don't. He thought to himself, and then making a mental comment about how he thoughts girls were gross, so they probably would. He didn't realize it, but he was too young to 'feel' anything for girls yet, so as far as he knew, most girls were gross, except for the ones that played with him.

When he didn't hear anything for around a minute, he knew the ghost must have been clear, since no soldier came in and asked for him. This wasn't the first time he hid in the store, but the older elves were usually the ones inside, not the younger girl. He poked his head out the cloth to the door, and saw that it was infact clear. 'Haha, Zapper lives to zap another day! he thought triumphantly before getting back underneath the table and took his hood off.

He then started his way out from under the table, which wasn't hard, it was a big table, and he was a small person. He got on all fours and dog walked his way out, and after he was all the way out, jumped to his feet, and flashed a big smile at the girls, his eyes closed. "Hehe, guess I outsmart the soldiers once again." He said happily to them before opening his eyes.

The first girl he had seen at the store a few times, when he wasn't hiding, and she was alright, although he didn't really see her outside as much, if any times at all. His eyes then drifted to the second girl, the one with blue hair, and then something happened within him. He felt his hand drop from the back of his head, his mouth opened a bit, and he felt his heart start racing. 'She's not gross at all...' He found himself thinking. He realized he was staring for a moment befor who's brain kicked back in.

"H-Hey, I'm Zapper." He said nervously as he got closer to her. He got around four feet away from her, but found he wanted to get closer for some reason, all the while looking up at her face. "Would you like to play with me? I know a couple of really cool place." He then chuckled nervously, this being the closest thing he could do that feel within 'date' territory.

As Nackerick began the short trek into the kingdom, he looked at down at his patched gray cloak. It was already pretty moth-eaten, and made from a rough and itchy fiber. He had dressed for Iradei and would've blended in well with the poor folk of the village. But against the wealthy background of Home, he stuck out like a termite in a butterfly field. He had to find better clothes to fit in with this lot.

Normally I could’ve just scavenged for some common clothing, he thought as he carefully scratched his hair’s inhabitants. But these folks look so well off even that would get me noticed. I’ll have to actually buy some. Damn it. Keeping to the sides of the road, he walked through what was thankfully a busy market. Botch peaked into nearly every shop he walked past, but saw none that had any clothes amongst their wares. Sending out a cloud of flies to search the town was out of the question of course. He couldn't afford a single question about where he came from, and even though there were undoubtedly other familiars--

That’s it. Perfect. Perhaps if he could find another familiar, he could drum up some sympathy and get some information while he did it. Now, how to weed out an animal lover… He clicked his tongue in thought, when suddenly he heard a collective shout ring out in the market. A young woman with a red braid who had been standing a few feet away from him tossed her armfuls of apples up into the open air. He bent discreetly to pick one up, and pulled it into his wide sleeves. She hadn’t noticed him, but he was grinning slightly in her direction. The surprised, “Yelp!” she called out had a hint of animal in it. Not enough to suggest she was a hybrid, but enough to show she had spent considerable time with one. She turned and headed off to another section of the market.

He brought the apple to his lips, though by now it was half eaten and full of maggot holes. Eating hurriedly as he walked, he followed after the animal girl. He caught up with her again, tossed the core down his sleeve, and took a breath. Preparing his best poor-weary-traveler face he tapped on her shoulder.

Reagan was busy searching for more things to eat, she had spotted a few fish that she was sure Benjamin would like and she was bent examining over them when suddenly she was tapped on the shoulder. She let out a surprised sort of jerk and whipped around, her braid hit her in the back and she went to fix her hair hurriedly. She wasn't expecting to see the man before her, he looked terribly bruised to her and she wondered if he had been in a fight.

"Oh... Hello?" She offered him a smile, it was a genuine one, after the shock of his appearance she quickly got herself over it and straightened. "Do you need something?" she asked him. She took the time to study him a bit more and noticed that he seemed to have something crawling over him. She fixed the apples in her arms and then took one and offered it to him. She thought maybe he was some straggler who had heard of Home and had finally made it.

"I havent seen you around before." She said "You look new, well not new exactly... but new to here... if that makes sense..." she sighed softly and said "I'm Reagan."

She had been buying fish, when he'd approached. She spun around wildly, her braid hitting her in the back. She seemed flustered, but quickly straightened out. Introducing herself she offered him an apple, finally giving her name as Reagan.

“Honored,” he replied, his company lending a fluttery sound to his voice. He bowed his head slightly and smiled. “I’m Botch.” He shook his head politely and gestured toward the apple. “No thank you, Reagan. For I’ve just eaten.” Even as he spoke the apple core in his sleeve was being brought to nothing by a small troop of ants. “You stand out in a crowd as someone with intelligence, and I was wondering if you’d direct a tired traveler to a place where I could purchase some clothing.” He leaned a little more heavily on his staff than he needed to. She had a look of honesty about her, and it rather unnerved him. He also disliked how quickly she noted him as not native to the Hidden Valley. Those with good memories for faces usually ended up being trouble.

What’s her connection? He ran threw a few options in his head as he spoke. Well, she’s buying fish… Cats, maybe? Or birds? She’s also bought apples… But those might just be for herself… Hm…

He had an interesting voice and she wondered why it made her think of wings. "Nice to meet you Botch." she took the apple back not offended at all and instead rubbed it on her shirt and then took a bite. she enjoyed the taste and then laughed as he said she stood out. "It's the hair isnt it?" She gave her head a shake and then said "Well Botch, we've got an inn down the road just there" she pointed. "It's a fairly simple inn if you want fancy you've got to sweet talk the king but I'm afraid that's a rather difficult task." She sighed a bit remembering the parties at the castle.

She shrugged away the thought and said "If you want I can walk you there, its on the way to my home." She noticed how he was leaning on his staff and wondered if he might need help. She hoped not because he seemed a bit gross to touch, she hoped he wasn't carrying any illness.

She turned to pay for the fish and it was bagged for her and she took it and said "Benny's gonna love me." She laughed at her own inside joke and didn't bother to tell him what it meant. Instead she turned back to face him and said "shall we go then?"

He made a mental note to avoid the castle. He’d had bad experiences with royalty in the past. She mentioned an inn, and he smiled in response. He enjoyed the hive style of living found in busy inns. She also seemed rather pleased in her purchase of fish for ‘Benny’. Though he knew more about the insect world than nearly anyone, his knowledge of larger animals was severely lacking. He could really only conjure up one or two animals that ate fish that weren’t just fish themselves. It must be a cat, he decided. She’s a cat familiar.

Turning his attention back to her, he gestured openly with his free hand to the open road ahead of them. “Thank you, Miss. Please lead on.” He smiled his most gracious smile, which sat uneasily on a face built for scowls and grins. She seems a bit too eager to help… he thought, better safe than sorry. He clicked his tongue softly, and a little white Peppered Moth flew discreetly out from the base of his cloak. It flew behind them, ready to follow.

Reagan walked, leading him to the inn and she saw in the distance a familiar large black mass coming towards her. Benny had grown bored of waiting for her and was lumbering down the road. People avoided him but they weren't afraid. Reagan raised her hand and waved to him. He let out a low grumble and when he reached Reagan she brought out a fish for him which he gobbled up.

Reagan stepped back and looked over at Botch "Botch, meet Benny, Benny meet Botch." she grinned as the black bear nudged her and she patted him and put an arm around his neck. "shall we press on?" she asked as she gave another fish to Benny. She gestured ahead and said "Botch? don't be offended or anything, but what are you?"

"Bears eat fish," he mumbled under his breath. "Benny is a bear." He shook is head, breaking his initial shock. No one else seemed to be screaming, so it had to be somewhat normal. Then he turned to Reagan and offered her his answer. "Yes of course, I should've said. I'm a familiar." Then he exhaled deeply, and a small set of five or six locusts flew from his lips.

"But my friends are a bit... parasitic. I like having them close, but their long term effect is fatal." He thought back to a little leather bound book his moths had torn through, and what he had learned. "I learned a little life sustaining trick from a book we borrowed once... They can't kill me, but the burrow holes and bruising is still rather apparent." The locusts buzzed about his bluish hand, before finally perching on top of his lantern-staff. "So then, fair's fair Miss. What's the situation with your furry friend here?"

When the locusts came out of his mouth her eyes widened in surprise and she felt a small shiver run down her back. "Oh er..." She was at lost for words when she realized that he was a sort of home for his friends. She appreciated the fact that he was giving up his body for them, that was true dedication to his animal that he was connected to. She glanced down at Benny who made a playful swipe at one of the locusts and grumbled happily at the sight of a new familiar. Since Benny didn't seem to be grossed out she decided she wouldn't be either. "Just between you and me Botch." Reagan said leaning towards him, "Don't tell the inn keeper what you are telling me." She laughed a little laugh at that and when he asked about Benny looked down at her friend and smiled.

"Benny and i have been together since I was five." She explained, "My father took me out on a hunting trip and we were scouting out a bears cave when I spotted him playing with his mother." with out thinking she began to stroke the back of Benjamin's back as she recounted her tale "something about it called me to them and before my dad knew what I was doing I was out there playing with them as well. He says it took 100 years off his life." She leaned against Benny and said "We've been together ever since."

She shrugged and then gestured that they walk and talk, she moved them along towards the inn and asked "This life sustaining magic of yours. Does it last forever?" She was curious about this man.

Alys was standing in the courtyard leaning against a tree, she had a look out for anything suspicious. You could never be to careful when the king was concerned. Little do gooders thought they were doing the world a favour when they tried to take Cain's life. Oh she made them regret that, Alys smiled grimly as she played with the knife that could be usually found in her boot. She had spotted a few birds and was thinking of throwing the knife when Blake showed up next to her.

"Morning." She listened about the new comer and grinned, "Perhaps we have a trouble maker." She moved her thumb over the tip of the knife and sighed soflty "I hope he's a screamer. I love it when they scream." She came out of her thoughts and then said "We'll tail him closely to make sure he isnt a threat to Cain." She flipped the knife and caught the hilt and then said "You did indeed miss a poor blubbering idiot getting dragged away. Pathetic boy was so scared he could barely beg for his life." she chuckled at the memory.

"As of right now Blake you and i are on guard duty for the king but once we get relieved you and I can follow that new man." She pulled out a second knife and gestured to the birds nesting above. "Wanna see who can hit them first?"

Ellanor Frill
Ella wondered what the boy was doing. He crawled out from under the wide table on all fours with a triumphant smile on his face, directed at the door. Then he turned towards the two girls with an even bigger smile, before actually seeing them. His eyes quickly cast over Adriana who still didn’t seem to be able to relieve herself of shock. Then his gaze turned to Ella. The prism on the necklace glowed ever so faintly and Ella noticed it had now grown back to its original size. Great! Now she could restrain herself from seducing anyone else. Even as she thought this the boy stuttered out and introduction and then requested her as a play mate, while flushing.
Ella smiled sweetly at him and then, she couldn’t help it, tilted her head slightly, a move which entranced most that viewed her. “I’m Ella.” She almost sang it out. This was natural for a siren when she encountered one of the opposite gender. “I’d love to play with you,” She continued. A clearing of the throat stopped her from going any further. A hand grabbed her arm. “WE’D love to play with you,” Adriana said coldly. Ella frowned at her friend. She knew that she shouldn’t be messing with this boy. It could end horribly wrong, with a child’s corpse at the bottom of the ocean. But then again, Adriana knew that Ella wouldn’t kill him on the first day. It took three to four days in a row. Still, she supposed it was good to take precautions.
“Yes,” she said “We’d be happy to play with you, as long as,” she paused to glance at Adriana “As long as it doesn’t involve water.” Ella hoped that would make up for killing the other man. If she could sho restraint with this boy then perhaps her friend would relax.
Idon Metel
Idon watched the strange new comer. He looked like a bruised homeless man and, were it his past life, Idon would have reached out and helped him in any way he could. But there was something strange about him. Did his skin really move in that strange way? The man was talking to a red head in the market. She had a kindly face. It was a possibility that one of them could slip up and he’d be able to lead them away to the dungeons. He was currently disappointed since fellow soldiers had informed him that just moments before he arrived there had been a strange occurrence. The zap kid had played one of his stupid pranks. He had managed to trick an elderly familiar into admitting that she hated the king. He had charged her for treason, although that was a bit high.
The red head and the bruised man had started walking towards a bear in the distance. That probably meant at least one of them was a familiar. Pushing himself off the wall he was about to follow when a small women hovered in air, right in his face. Great, a Fay had to bother him now. He put on his childish mask before the fairy asked how the king was doing. Obviously he knew she was a Soldier. She also knew his name was Idon. The innocent smile dropped off his face. He didn’t need it if she knew what he was. Instead of answering her question, however, he wondered aloud. “Would you be a good meal for my birds? Perhaps a chickadee would like you. Or a raven.” He ran his fingers through his black hair as if he was seriously thinking about calling a bird to eat her.

Zapper let out a mental jump of joy when the girl, Elise, said she would play with him. This joy was only tempered when the elf girl put herself into their business. He didn't show any signs of sadness, but some wind had gone from his sails. He wouldn't let this stop him however, so he smiled widely instead, this being how he showed most emotion. He did look at her a bit funnily when she said they couldn't play near water, which made him wonder why.

"That's fine," He said to the elf girl, "I can't swim anyways." He then returned him gaze onto Elise. "And besides, water doesn't mix well with electricity, had to find that out the hard way." He chuckled softly. It was true, whenever he bathed, it had to be quick, because the amount of time in water made him store up electricity, which when realsed while still wet would cause him a nasty shock. He was sure that when he got access to his family's library, their would be a way to stop the overcharge, but until then he avoided baths and had never learned to swim.

Realizing he still had a goofy grin on, he stepped back and looked at them both. "Cool. So what do you want to do Elise? We could play hide and seek, or maybe go to the forest outside town and play tag." He stooped for a moment before saying, "Oh! I know, no water right? How about we go to the castle and see if King Cain wants to play. He is a busy guy, but you gotta have in ever now and again, right?" The last plan he suggested was something he wanted to try inorder to spend more alone time with Elise. If King Cain did want to play, he could be sent with elf girl, leaving him with Elise.

Looking around the store,buses didn't really catch onto anything, fabric wasn't really something he found very interesting. A couple of shiny things here and there, but mainly just a boring trading post. The only stores he liked we're the candy store, and the store that sold instruments, the sound coming off of them usually made him feel happy.

"So, what do you two want to do?"

Sandra's smile left her lips quickly. She grew a tad suspicious when that innocent smile dropped off his face. She quietly listened to him as he spoke. Her eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance now as she looked at Idon. A smirk formed on her lips. She slowly licked her lips.

"Would I make a good meal for your birds? I wonder, how fast would a chickadee or raven die from poison? Would they make a good meal for me? I would be quiet a deadly meal for any of your birds. I would also be very tricky to catch. I know tons of hiding places too," she stated.

She pursed lips. "Hmm, it would be a shame if a bird precious to you ended up dead, wouldn't it now?" she questioned; not expecting an answer. She slowly began to fly backwards. She was pretty much done speaking with this Soldier. Sandra could never really stand Soldiers.

"Now, good day sir. I would hate for this conversation to become even more unpleasant Idon. Also, I wouldn't want anything to happen to any bird you may send after me. I do like animals quite a bit, hurting one would be a shame," she said. Then she quickly dart off deeper into the market.

He shook his head, dismissing the idea. “Just until something else kills me. A sword in the throat, poison in the wine, you name it.” He smiled and gestured to his throat in show. “I’m not immortal. It just keeps me safe from my friends. Similarly, I can’t kill them. Kind of a two-way deal. Not that’d I’d ever want to,” he shuddered at the thought. “But if we didn’t have immunity to one another, I’d being crushing a beetle with every step and I’d be dead from eight kinds of tapeworms inside a week.”

He was still feeling a bit anxious around such a powerful animal. Of all the people in the marketplace, he sought out the one with the bear. Still, she seemed willing enough to help. As long as he was careful not to get to close, he’d probably be safe. Maybe it was just that she had raised here where magic was common place, but he was surprised at her acceptance of his company. He grinned again, slightly. He was going to like it here.

Then speaking again, “I’m not totally even sure how it works. They know some parts of it, I know others. At this point it’s just something we take for granted.” As though they knew they were being talked about, two of the locusts began lazily circling his head. “Thanks again for taking us to the inn. What's it like around here?", he asked looking around at the background of the roads.

Idon Metel
Idon smirked when he saw the Fay get mad, just like he’d expect. “It’d be a shame if one of your birds ended up dead, wouldn’t it now?” She said, fluttering around a bit now instead of hovering in his face. She said her goodbye and darted into the market, quickly disappearing into the vast sea of bodies. Idon’s smile went up again, this time with a hint of triumph at having made the Fay go away.
A strange pang suddenly hit him as he remembered a small fluttering thing talking to him as a child. He blinked and it was gone. The consequences of being altered to a Soldier were vast, so anything could happen. In his case he had lost his memories. For a second he was dazed before he shook it off.
By now he couldn’t see the newcomer or the redhead. The smile was still painted perfectly on his face but it had lost the victory from before. He pushed his way through the mass of bodies looking for them.
Perhaps, he thought, it’s time to return to the castle.
Ellanor Frill
“The King?” Adriana said in a slightly shrill voice. Ella rolled her eyes. Her friend was always one to exaggerate things. But going to the palace to play did seem extreme. After all, the king was royalty. Ella didn’t think they would be allowed inside the castle. She glanced up at the poster with the king’s portrait on it above the door. In her own home she had created a fabric with the king’s face on it. It had taken a while but it was better than a poster that would easily tear. She could already see the worn marks on Adriana’s poster. She glanced over at the girl to find her nervously playing with the lights in the shop. On and off they flickered. Of course they didn’t turn off all the way, Adriana was afraid of the dark. Even if they had, however, there would be light from the windows.
Finally Ella decided to speak. They weren’t going to get anywhere if they just stood in silence. She smiled again at the boy, called Zapper, and spoke, “I’m not sure if we’ll actually be allowed entry but I suppose we could walk to the palace and see what happens.” She tossed a lock of blue hair from her face as Adriana agreed and then bustled around to close up the shop. “I’m ready,” she announced. They both looked at Zapper for his reaction.

He spoke of torture and Alys' smile grew even more. She had such wonderful memories of past prisoners begging and pleading her for their lives. "Such fun to give them hope, and watch that light in their eyes grow until you rip it away from them. That look on their face is my favourite." She purred softly remembering the hopelessness.

She was brought out of her thoughts as blake asked where the king was and she pointed to the library building. "I believe he's planning this weeks party. He's expecting a few of us to bland in and mingle looking for treachery." she informed him. I've got you and another soldier Idon and myself down as guests. I think a few more might be joining as well." Her thumb rubbed over the knife blade and she made a grumpy face, "This of course means we have to look...nice." She looked down at the jacket and pants she wore and thought they looked just fine, but by the kings standards she would be required to wear a dress. Killing people was not as fun while wearing a dress, it hindered one far too much.

Blake took the knife from her and observed the birds and he looked back at her and said she may go first. She nodded at him and lifted her arm. She adjusted for the soft breeze flowing in and then let her arm throw the knife. It flew out of her hands and spun towards the birds. There was a loud squawk and she grinned as a body few to the ground and a few seconds later the head of the bird fell as well. "Alright Blake, beat that."