Elven Realm

Asper kept his diplomatic demeanor in check saying calmly, "I am Lord Asper, defender of this Realm and caretaker of it. Yes I know of David, although I will tell you this now. This realm is outside of the hands of any divine being, therefore your God has no rule here. I have grown accustomed to Nephilim being prideful and self-righteous. Here you are our guest, do not disturb the Elves here, or make any commands. I will take you to David now." Turning from around he began leading them back to the capital city of the High Elves, speaking to Ae telepathically, "Meet back up with us when you are ready, we will need to speak in private."

Ae sat in her tree when Lord Asper spoke to her. She could only imagine what he want to speak with her about. It was awkard enough when he had to explain the whole Surge thing in the first place. Now having found her Surgemate, who knows what he has to say. She climbed down from her tree and approached Neven. "Come now, Neven. We have an akward meeting with Lord Asper." She told the beast and he nuzzled her. Feeling her emotions. She smiled and climbed aboard. Neven walked slowly toward the Captial. She wasn't ready but then again, How could she be, She'd be meeting again with her Surgemate. A Man from another Realm who understood very little of their ways. She sighed.

Myra let Benjamin take the reins on this one. She didn't think hearing the situation from a guardian would really be saying anything. Leaning against a tree and patiently listening to the converstaion, she realized how much the realm had changed since the war. A numbing feeling washed over her body as she pushed most memories farther away. As the lord turned to lead them into the city, Myra felt a kind of nervousness. She was returning to a place she hadn't seen for too long.

Benjamin nodded and followed. "I just hope we are able to defeat Antony before he causes too much of a disturbance." He began to wonder why Asper would call the Guardians self-righteous. We're only doing what is requested of us, and we are taught not to be conceited, to begin with. Pride weakens us, while humility strengthens us. We are nothing without God. Either way, what mattered, for now, was his mission to protect his cousin.

---

Just beyond the outskirts of the Capital, David sensed Benjamin and Myra coming closer. I figured Joseph would send bodyguards my way. One of the strands, though, seems to be of a relative of mine. He appears to be of a latter generation. A grin on his face, the former Arch-Nephilim began his flight into town. Once he spotted the location he knew he would meet his fellow guardians and his friend, he landed there and waited.

---

Unfortunately, Lord Asper, Benjamin, and Myra were stealthily followed. Antony Pyro was a skilled assassin who could avoid notice from many of the the most powerful of supernatural beings (other than God, of course). At last, I will confront David Gideon! Once he is dead and no longer a thorn in the Remnant's side, nothing can stand in our way! He was not aware of David's current condition, however, this much was clear: defeating him would deal a major blow to the Guardians' morale.

Ae and Neven made their way toward the Captial. She was glum the entire ride. She saw the high towers of her home and felt a little better. "Let's go Neven, Yah!" She called to the beast and Neven picked up pace and soon she could see her Uncle, the halfling and the Nephilim. "Whoa." She said and Neven slowed to a walk and approached the group. She had little to stay but her Uncle requested her presents, so there she was.

((Presents??? XD No offense, but don't you mean "presence"? lol))

Benjamin could sense Ae'Naria and her lion coming closer. Oh, great... what's she going to do? He noticed the huntress' glum demeanor, which placed him in a state of remorse, revealed in a sublte way. "Hi..." There was not much that could be said. She was emotionally wounded, and any further conversation would have to wait until the group met with David, who by now was only about a mile or so away.

Myra kept behind the group, watching the world around her. She wondered if the people knew of their arrival, and if so, were they aware of their purpose? She knew David couldn't have made it into the kingdom alone. Someone had to help him, and word would travel. She didn't believe in a stealthy fleeing, someone always found out. That someone, would be after them now. With the lord accompanying them, they seemed to be in even more danger. Keeping her weapons close, Myra made sure to keep her senses awake.

((....Nobody asked you Zach, you knew what I meant....XP))

Ae's heard the Nephilim speak to her. She looked over and down as she still rode ontop Neven. "Hello." She said, her voice was smaller then usual. She wanted to be upset with him but it wasn't his fault so she tried to keep her frustration down. She sighed hopped down from Neven's back. She figured it would be rude. That was the last thing she needed. Was for him to be angry with her. "I apologize for my sudden departure. I was in a bit of a shock is all." She said

Benjamin shrugged. "It's okay." he looked into Ae's eyes for the first time. She was beautiful, he had to admit. "I honestly don't know what to make of this. I mean, what if my duties in service of God end up making it difficult for the two of us?"

"Benjamin, I felt the same way when I fell in love with a human mind worker named Lanuya. In the end, she and I were able to be together in spite of it all."

Hearing the voice startled the recruit. When he looked in the general direction it came from, the person the voice belonged to became clear. Benjamin could tell by the two scars and the man's brown wings. "David, right?"

The older Nephilim nodded. "I knew Joseph would send bodyguards my way, sooner or later. While I appreciate it, I'm afraid it only attracted a certain Remnant Rage Nephilim's attention. This is precisely why Tamar Hagar, the Archangel of Secrets, only teleported me to this Realm. Any additional Guardians would create an aura the Remnant would not long ignore. It is risky for you, the other Guardian present, and the entire Elven Realm."

Benjamin could not believe what he just heard. "Then, what do we do?"

"If we defeat Antony Pyro, the Rage Nephilim Remnant will be in disarray, thus enabling the elves of this realm to effectively defend themselves from that organization."

((Hope you like the plot twist! :3 ))

Ae allowed herself a small grin as he didn't seem inbittered. He then spoke about his duties interring with their relationship. She didn't think he wanted a relationship with her. He felt no Surge so why should he? It was all so confusing. She was glad however that he seemed to accept the idea. It was then another Nephilim appeared. He spoke and she clenched her fists at the idea of a threat to her Realm. "He is here for you, yes? Why? and Why threaten the realm?" She asked him, scrutinizing him carefully.

((Yes! Ae gets to fight!))

Asper slammed his staff against the ground, "You led enemies to my realm!" His mood changed from slightly annoyed at having unexpected guest to wrathful at the thought of someone in his realm that meant harm. He looked at Benjamin with eyes filled with the storms of a tempest. "You will handle this, Guardian you will handle the problem you have caused." Then he looked at Myra, "You are of Elven blood, show pride and defend your homeland and make right the wrong you have caused in performing your duty."

Myra had been calmly trying to stay out of the conversation and let the men argue, but as soon as the lord adressed her, she felt her blood boil. No pride for her homeland? What she had done wrong? Myra merely nodded her head and stepped back. "We will fulfill our duties Lord. You can be sure of that."

Nodding her head to the lady, Myra sternly help contact with Benjamin. "You will meet me at the hotel near the waterfall in precisely half an hour. We will regroup there." Striding from the presence of the royals, she remained unemotional until she reached the hotel.

After paying for a room, Myra went up the steps to examine it. She knew getting a room with a single bed was provacative, but two beds would bring controversy. She had to do what she could to keep them under the radar.

((I'm beginning to hate Lord Asper. I don't see anywhere in the roleplay, so far -other than when he talked to Ae'Naria- that indicates compassion.))

Benjamin gave an angry glare at Asper, reverting back to his Leviathan Form in a contained rage. "Like there's any other option? You honestly think the Guardians are cowards?" And this pure elf called us self-righteous! He is unjustly blaming one of his own kind! Nodding towards Myra, he waited for further details.

David cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you being a little too harsh on those two, Asper?" Shrugging it off, he continued after nodding to Ae's question. "The Guardians have protected mankind from demonic threats for 105 years, now. The Remnant Rage Nephilim were once part of a larger group, simply known as Rage Nephilim, their goal being the destruction of both the Guardians and the humans. They were Azazel's response to the Modern Nephilim Guardians' growing prowess and reputation as Nephilim who could defeat entire armies from Hell. I was the oringal leader of the Guardians. When we defeated the Rage Nephilim, they reorganized themselves into the Nephilim Blades. Some did not want to back down, however. These individuals broke off from the Blades to form the Remnant. They want revenge for their defeat in the Nephilim Civil War. Once word spreads that I am here, the Remnant will see your race as an enemy due to my presence in this realm. Their mindset is that anyone who assists or harbors a Guardian deserves no mercy.

The day the Guardians are eliminated is the day mankind will die, which I doubt will happen, but one cannot be too cautious. The reason for their hatred lies in the corrupted nature of mankind in general. When Jesus Christ gave the humans a chance at salvation, Azazel was furious. Every Remnant Rage Nephilim echoes that fury, despite Azazel himself having given up that mindset to be accepted back into Heaven."

As Benjamin listened, his skin hardened further. He knew this part of the history of the Guardians well. He decided to fly over to the hotel, but not before saying to Ae, "I'll be back to talk to you, soon." Once at the hotel, Benjamin followed Myra's strand, stopping in front of the door.

Lord Asper rubbed his temples, fighting back a stressful migraine, when the others had left he turned to David, "Forgive me for being hard on them, but I am not ready to see this realm fall because of the mistakes of anyone. Long ago before this realms destruction, we faced a threat once every thousand years, this realm was much more powerful when we had hundreds of Dragons to defend it." He gazed at his hand, gazing closer to look under the skin where he felt the warm dragon blood coursing through his veins. "But now I am the last Dragon, time has not permitted for any other Elf to evolve to my point, so for now..." He looked towards the dense forest and the to High Elves that practiced their arts in them. "Defending this realm falls solely onto me, I am working constantly to keep the barriers strong and it takes a great toll on me."

Myra had just finished hiding her numerous weapons when a clock chimed, indicating Benjamin's curfew. Gliding down the staircase, she saw the young man standing in the doorway. She knew all eyes would be watching the strangers who had entered the realm and putting them in seperate rooms would most likely create suspicion. Still, she wasn't prepared for the awkwardness that would approach them.

"Benjamin, darling." Wrapping him in a warm embrace, Myra flashed a smile which would make most men drop. "You just have to see the room! It's just absolutely perfect." She placed an open palm over her chest before grasping his hand and leading him to the room, bantering on the whole way. "Isn't this place just beautiful! I walked in here and just couldn't take my eyes off the extravagent tapestries or that giant chandelier and oh my goodness wait 'til you see the room!"

Finally making it through the door, Myra dropped his hand and sighed. The passerby had obviously noticed the 'newlyweds' and were still cheering obsenities outside their room. Twisting the lock and sliding the small barrier, Myra chuckled at Benjamin's expression. Even after all this time, she could still draw a crowd.

Ae nodded to Benjamin as he made his leave but frowned at her uncle. "Uncle. You may be the last Dragon but you are not alone in the defense of the realm. You have trained me well in the arts. Sure, I may not be where you are but I am however able to defend myself and our people." Ae turned to David. "We will find this Antony and will rid our realm of him. You have my full cooperation." She said crossing a fist over her chest as a sign of respect. "Uncle, What say you? You say the protection if the realm is your responsiblity yet you tell them they must "correct their mistake". Perhaps you should help them correct it, yes?" She said. Though she may have stated it as a question, Ae was sure her uncle heard the underlining challenge in her words. It was probably a dangerous course of action had it not been Ae'Naria that challenged him but she was forever turning his words against him and to her favor.

He did not face her while she spoke, her words had angered him because they were true. So desperate to teach a lesson that he did not think of his own duty, He removed the ornate helmet and turned to face her. His eyes burned fiercely and his skin was slowly 'melting' away to reveal a true face of golden scales. "Mark my words, they will get there chance to fight an enemy and save their honor. Their foe may cross deserts, he may cross the astral, he may even face the soldiers of their god, but he should not face me!" Placing his helmet back on his head, his face remained a mix of High Elf and Dragon. He turned from her again and face the city with much on his mind, "Ae, I do not give my blessing, but I do not seek to rob you of your right. Seek the heart of this Nephilim, and you will only find pain. Someday he will face the scythe of death, and he to will follow him into whatever afterlife awaits. But you, my niece, will go on for eternity. Never to grow old, never to know true death. You and our people will always exist, we will only end, when this Universe collapses under the power struggles of divine and infernal beings."

Ae didn't flinch when he turned to her enraged. This was something she was rather accustom to. She just watched him and nodded. He then spoke about the Nephilim. "I understand our differences, Uncle, and I did not choose him, Fate has. So one day, perhaps he will parish but we must not think such grim thoughts all of the time. Otherwise, our lives will be filled with misery. " She said and looked out at the city. "I know that you are looking out for me but maybe Fate has something else in store for us." She said reached up and kissed his cheek.

David completely understood Lord Asper's situation. When he had the opportunity to speak, he raised a hand. "While most Nephilim will die, there are a select few who are immortal, to some extent or another. It depends on how long God wills each of us to live." He turned to look at Ae'Naria. "The reason I came to this realm is because it was relatively untouched by the conflict between the heavenly and the demonic. Here, I can wait a century for my death to the energy poisoning I received from baring the Guardians' burden for 105 years. Were it not for that, I would have lived forever. However, it had to be done, and I regret none of it. Every Arch-Nephilim, every leader of the Guardians in the years to come, will experience this. When Armageddon comes, the last Arch-Nephilim will bare the Guardians' burden one final time in combat, ensuring that some of them will live through the end times to tend to the saved when the thousand year sleep following the battle ends. It has all been decided before the beginning of the Earth arrived." Placing a hand on Ae'Naria's shoulder, David added, "Maybe one of those who survive Armageddon will be Benjamin."

---

Benjamin did not expect Myra to behave the way she was behaving. However, if it was to avoid suspicsion, he figured it was proably for the best. Still, it sort of made him angrier, considering the Surge Ae'Naria felt. He whispered, "Alright, here's the plan: The camp we set up has a cloaking device and a device that creates what would pass for an illusion. David can move his stuff over there and activate either one of those devices for maximum stealth. I designed them to mask the strands, auras, and scents of any Guardian within the perimeter radius. In the meantime, We better be extra careful. Antony could be anywhere. You and I both know he was personally trained by Calcifer, which means he can use Rage Fire for deadly results. Should you see anything that would ressemble the effects of Rage Fire just recently used, less than a day old, activate this energy absorber immediately." He handed the gadget he mentioned to the half-elf. "Keep it attatched to your belt at all times. I will wear the other. If either one is damaged, I will personally repair it. I learned from Arch-Nephilim Isaiah how to handle angelic technology."

---

Antony overheard the entire conversation with Asper from a distance, knowing his cloaking powers with Rage Fire have their limitations on from how far away they can work. To completely avoid detection, he had to take to the air, using a sound amplifying earpiece to listen. Lord Asper seemed a powerful man, but that was not what peeked his attention. When he heard of energy poisoning, the Remnant leader grinned. This seemed excellent news for him, because it could mean the kill would be that much easier, given the opportune moment.

Ae'Naria smiled at David. "You see, Uncle. A little optimism would do you well." She said to him, She turned back to David. "Now, about this Antony. I needed to know all I can about him. What do you know?" She asked as felt eyes on the back of her neck, She scanned the forest but say nothing. She still felt as though she'd been watched. "As a matter of fact. Let's speak someplace more secure."

David grinned. "I think I know the place."

Snapping his fingers, an orb of light surrounded Ae'Naria and Lord Asper. When it faded, the interior of a massive tent appeared. To the left of him was a desk with some photos of himself and Lanuya when she was still alive, from their time on a French island called "Fantasy" (the beginning setting for "Mental Implosion") to a family reunion where their relatives, including their offspring and grandchildren, grouped together for a family photo. To his right, there was a bed and storage area, along with some futuristic-looking devices.

"The technology you see in here cloaks the entire tent and camp grounds. All any hostile being will see is a non-existent crater." At his desk, David pulled out an old photo from the Nephilim Civil War, along with a profile. The individual whose photo and profile it belonged to was Antony Pyro. "This is Antony Pyro. Red hair, red eyes from demonic energy, adorned in black, grey, and red clothing. He was personally trained by Calcifer to be an assassin. When the Rage Nephilim were defeated, it was Antony who formed the Remnant. In the war, the one energy which made it diffcult for the Guardians to defeat the Rage Nephilim was Rage Fire, a pyrokenetic energy fueled by anger. Calcifer and his trainees were masters of it, finding more uses for it than could have been imagined, including the ability to cloak their presence or make a hasty retreat. Untrained, the wielders of Rage Fire would only end up hurting themselves due to how chaotic it is, by nature. There are two forms of Rage Fire, heavenly and demonic. Heavenly Rage Fire, the trademark of a Nephilim Blade, is more contained and controllable. Demonic Rage Fire, which Antony and other Rage Nephilim in the war used, is more destructive and requires much more discipline and time to master. Many Guardians fell to Rage Fire projectiles in each battle we fought."

Giving the profile and photo to Ae'Naria and Lord Asper, he continued. "Antony uses Demonic Rage Fire and concealable weapons to silently kill his enemies. If he cannot achieve stealth, his Rage Fire can reach the magnitude where someone untrained in the art of resisting it will be utterly destroyed, the ashes of the corpse spreading to a radius of kilometers." He pressed a button, making a training arena come out of the ground outside. "I can teach the two of you how to resist it, but you will have to learn quickly, considering Antony could be anywhere, at this point."

Ae took in his words and commited it to memory. "We are Elven. We are beings of Magick. We learn fast." She told him with a prideful smirk. She looked the files once more. "Can he cloak himself? It would make him harder to find if he could. I'm sure we have a spell to locate the unseeable." She looked to her Uncle for approval.

Benjamin felt the strands of David, Lord Asper, and Ae'Naria instantly further away. David must've taken those two to his tent. "I'll be back." Once out the door, he told the bystanders who watched there was nothing to see. The elves shrugged and went about their business. The recruit extended his blue wings once we was outside the hotel and flew in the general direction of the strands.

Myra took the electronic piece carefully. She wasn't one to deal with modern pieces, but she knew she could use it if she had to. Her senses were beginning to make her whole body tense from over work. Sure, the day hadn't been too long, but the stress of keeping her homes at peace was not something easy. Making sure Benjamin had left the area, Myra slipped out of her dress and started to run a bath. She figured relaxing wasn't the best thing to do at the moment, but she wasn't going to get anywhere being so tense.

David knew there was an Elven Spell for that, but he interceded by saying, "Even with a spell, those unfamilar with Rage Fire will have much difficulty spotting someone cloaked in it."

Before anything else could be said, Benjamin arrived at the tent and went inside. "Did I miss something?"