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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/campfires/item_id/611897-The-Secret-Truths-of-Aquaria
Rated: 13+ · Campfire Creative · Fiction · Fantasy · #611897
Aquaria, a land of nobility and honor, or danger, secrets and lies.
[Introduction]
Aquaria has long been called a land of freedom were all men were respected, but under that cover there hides the truth. Hidden in the cold and dark of the core of the land a girl named K'ean searches for answers but only end up with more question. In time she will find the truth with the friends she makes on the way.

:*:

Dark Aquaria once was the capital province of Aquaria, Housing the former capital. The powers of evil were corrupting Dark Aquaria along with the rest of the sublime land. However, the old capital and the reign did not belong there in Dark Aquaria. The natural rule was of the aquarian Family, the natural founders of the land.
This cuased a Revolution in the Dark Revolutin in the Dark Province, against the natural ruler who now took the throne back after the Eran war, for King Eran. Sadly the rulinbg king diesd, by mysterious circumstances the queen died as well.
Regardless, the king and queen had no children, except the king had an illegitamite child ,who would still be considered quite legitamite, with his wive's sister before they were married. The King died before exposing his heir.
Now, two young freelance warriors found out about the heir and set off to find the child not expecting a 17 year old girl, in the sense of a female warrior.
They must convince her to come back before the revolution progresses into a war. However, they must train her and teach her the Aquarian ways, let alone their language: on every degree.
But her mother is still alive and knows of her childs existence and tries to get the the secret truth into her grasp to rule all of Aquaria once again.

Good*
Small sects in both Dark Aquaria and South Haven;
North Haven
Median
Everyone who fights against the Revolution

Bad*
Revolutionists hiding in the mountains;
Fighters of the Revolution
Evil Provinces: Dark Aquaria, South Haven
Dark Lord
The Sovereigns of the Evil Provinces

Neutral*
Freelance Swordsmen and Arhcers
Residents of the Exurbia and Suburbia
Not against or with the Revoltuion

Lands of Aquaria: Dark Aquaria, Median (accent on top of the e), North Haven, South Haven; capital: New Haven.

Mountainous in the centre extending to the East. Dark Aquaria is a shoadowed level plain, majority of it's topography is barren. Each of the four lands are divided by high mountainous valley's and rivers.

Ruling sect- North Haven / The Exiled- Dark Aquaria
Name: K’ean
Species: human
Land: Aquaria
Age: 17
Language: English
Personality: Kind-hearted, shy and very open-minded. She likes to help when she can, but allows no one to take advantage of her.
General Appearance: Long shiny black hair with a white tint and a slight curl. She has vibrant hazel green eyes. She is about 5’9. Tan skin.
Family: none
General importance in story: Main character


“Aquaria is a land split in four, children,” A man said as he talked to his pupils. “There is North Haven were the rich and the wealthy live, Dark Aquaria, Median, and we live in South haven,” He walked to the front of the class as he talked and began to draw a map of Aquaria. Then he turned back around. “Miss K’ean is there something more interesting than this class outside that window.”

“No Sir, Mr. Trodden,” K’ean replied as she turned form the window. As she turned she mumbled something under her breath.

“What is that Miss K’ean I’m sure the whole class would like to know what you just mumbled,” Mr. Trodden asked as the class became silent.

“What I said Mr. Trodden was that I see no reason why we have to learn all the senseless thing about this land,” She said his name with great distaste.

“Well, K’ean, what should we learn?” Mr. Trodden asked as he became more annoyed with her.

“We should learn about the Eran War, we should know what Aquaria was like before it, What happens in the heart of Dark Aquaria, why are the so many different factions,” K’ean shouted as she stood up. “We should know about all these things.”

“I have had enough of you insolence K’ean,” Mr. Trodden replied angrily as the chalk in his hand broke. “Get out of my class immediately.”

K’ean left the classroom, left all her classmates that mocked her, left the only home she knew. She had one thing on her mind, if no one was going to tell her the truth she will find it on her own. She began her journey Median, so headed to the mountains.
Name: Raen
Species: Water Nymph
Land: Aquaria
Age: 15
Language: English
Personality: sharp-tongued and short-tempered. Is pretty, and would seem like the damsel in distress, but is very strong and a good fighter. She doesn't let people decide her life for her, and the war makes no difference. She's never followed the rules, and she doesn't plan on starting to. She can be very giggly though, and smiles a lot. She likes to laugh and swims well. She's also trained in the art of pickpockoting, murder, and flirting
General Appearance: long dark brown hair, with sort of blue-green-purple streaks in it, and violet eyes. She's 5'5 and is sort of a light tan color. She has a shapely body and attracts a lot of attention from men-considering she can seduce them
Family: Other than the Nymphs she's forced to hang out with, she has an older half brother that's a pureblood human

Pushing her wet hair away from her eyes, she nearly gagged at the disgust she felt every time she heard one of the other water nymphs giggle.

She pushed herself up onto the shore, and sighed, in an exasperated way.

"Raen," one of the nymphs swam up to the shore, followed by the rest of them, "Raen, dear, are you sad?"

Raen didn't answer, but instead looked away.

"Ra-ehhn!" the nymph, Keira, whined. "Swimming and singing and flirting will make you happy! It makes all nymphs happy!"

"Not me." Raen snapped, slipping back into the pool. She may have not liked the other nymphs, but she did like the feel of the water on her skin.

She smiled, and slipped beneath the surface.

"See." Keira said. "You're happy now."

Raen frowned at her, and she swam off, giggling.

One of them stayed, and put her arm around Raen. "Be happy being a water nymph, Raen. There's nothing else for you and no one else would have you."

Raen didn't let it show, but the words stung her, and she felt angry.

She pushed herself out of the pool one last time, and slipped into her thin, blue silk dress.

"Where are you going?" asked Keira.

"I'm not staying here." Raen said.

"I can see that, but where are you going?" Keira demanded.

"Away. And I don't plan on coming back." Raen glared at her.

Keira climbed clumsily out of the pool and walked over to Raen. "Goodbye." she gave her a hug, that Raen didn't return. "If you ever tell anyone where we Nymphs live, Raen, I swear I'll slit your throat."

They parted.

"I'd like to see you try." Raen snapped, as she hurried away from her former and hated life, not knowing she was about to meet a 17-year-old girl, who'd just gotten herself kicked out of her school.
Name: Viper Sands
Species: Man and Warrior/ Woodland Elf
Land: Median
Age: 17 in human, 1200+ in Elven
Language: Elven and English
Personality: Deep and violent, yet sweet and magnetic and smart, in common, thief, street, and book sense. He is like a flame and people are drawn to him, yet he feels better being himself and by himself. He had valour unbeckoming of any one and a deep arduos passion that can inflict any sort of controlling feeling into the heart, souls or mind of a person. His voice is calm and warm, but changes when it must. He has a kind personality, think elf but tall, warrior, Man and woodland creature.
General Appearance: Young, handsome, smart, but looks like a derelict. He sometimes has short hair and then long, due to the fact that he cuts it every new moon, so it will be longer. He keeps it in a ponytail. He wears long black pants with boots. A three way badlric around his waist for his double knives and other weapons and herbs and a black leather baldric across his chest for his long broadsword, bow and quiver. His tunic varies but it's either sage, black, blue or leather.
He's 6'1" with an even tan with a fabulous male figure and eyes that match his mood and raven hair with multiple pale blonde, blonde and hues of brown highlights.
Family: None

:*:

The faint smell of fire and ash lingered as its remains were put out by Viper's deerskin boot. Looking up to the early dawn still starry sky, as the pale Majestic mountains rose triumphantly over Median, he smelled the fresh dewwy air and took in a deep. Packing up his things and carefully wiping away any trace of his camp there, he left to the direction the wind told him.
Viper was a freelance derelict archer: who was his own man and not set under the rules of his people or the Good or Bad. He did not want to be ruled by the many powers that conflicted inside his young body. He did worry though that if he did get involved in this war he had to choose a side and a race, and he wasn't one for options such as those. He was walking for about 6 hours, as it came upon late morn, when he heard the calming yet rapid sound of a river a couple feet off. running to what he heard, he had found his feet led him to a secluded dell somewhere in the heart of the Median lands. So he made camp.
Lunch was just finished as he spit out the last deer bones, but burried the bones beneath one of the oldest trees and say a prayer to its spirit taking it, as his mother had taught him.
A swim was next on his agenda. The cool water seemed repleneshing to his eyes and would calm whatever troubled diluted his mind that day. He stripped his boots, tunic, baldrics, weapons and herbs and as he was about to dive into the small pond at a waterfall break. A blade was slowly edging into his back, he could feel his blood running down his back.
"Who are you, are you with and against us."
"Depends on who's asking." Viper said in a melancholy tone.
"So, what are you." The blade was almost into his back muscle.
"Look and listen." Viper was now infront of him holding the blade with his bare hands away from him and beneath the squirmish man's chin. Taking a bloody hand, he drew hair away from his ears and revealed his pointed hereditary.
"Ohh I see." He said in a squirmish and afraid voice. Viper dropped him, the man ran off afraid never to be sen again. He did however, drop the blade that still had Vipers blood on it. Picking it up he read the fine inscriptions on the intricately emblazoned hilt.

"This blade is forged by the hand of God
For the child who shall deliver us
Who's royal blood runs deep beneath Aquaria's veins.
When we look back and wait for my child's endless reign.
Innocent blood shall not touch it."

"This blade is forged by the hand of God
For the child who shall deliver us
Who's royal blood runs deep beneath Aquaria's veins.
When we look back and wait for my child's endless reign.
Innocent blood shall not touch it, eh. Luckily, I'm no were close to innocence in my blood."
Dunking the blade into the water, he threw it onto a green patch of moss and dove into the water, to wipe all of his blood away. He was soon distracted by the russeling of Ferns a short ways off the left of him.
Is it okay if there’s an extra person helping?

Name: Forest

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Species: Elf

Land: North Haven

Language: English, but she can learn other languages quickly.

Personality: She’s really kind and can be very eager. She likes to learn and enjoys being outside. She’s outgoing and friendly, and also likes to talk. She is smart and is not so calm, but sometimes she is.

Appearance: She has straight, long, blond hair and green eyes. Her height is average and she’s thin. She wears a cloak and a locket around her neck. Her hair is usually in a ponytail.

Family: She has a little brother and a mother and a father.

It’s okay if she helps, right?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who are you?” I asked. The girl just looked at me. She was probably around my age. “Why are you here?”

“Um, I was…told to leave my class.” She replied. “Now could you please let me pass the mountains?”

“Well, most people don’t come up here a lot.” I muttered. “I was just wondering why you’re around the mountains.”

“Forest!”

I turned around and saw a friend.

“Hello,” I smiled. “What’s wrong?”

“There might be a problem, Forest.” He whispered. He looked at the girl. “A war, maybe.”

“I hope there won’t be.” I nodded. “Thanks.”

He grinned and quickly left. I looked around. The girl was somewhere else. She’d left. I got onto my white horse and looked around the place. After a while, I heard someone behind me and saw someone else.

“I think I know where she is.”

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I’m Viper.”

“I’m Forest. Do you know where that girl went?”

“I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “But I think she’s on the mountain over there. Follow me.”

“Okay.” He rode on his horse. We galloped for a long time. Soon I saw a girl.

“Hi!” I cried. The girl looked at me. I stopped in front of her. “Who are you?”

“Raen.” She replied.

“I’m Forest. Have you seen a girl around here?”

“Yeah, I did.” She showed us where to go.

“I knew that was where she would go.” Viper muttered.
Name: Ayrian
Species: Human
Land: the woods, forests and mountains of Aquaria
Age: mid 20s
Language: can speak a dozen different languages, mainly of the indigenous people of the mountains and woods he encounters in his wanderings.
Personality: harsh and distrustful. He hates people passionately because of their distruction and disrespect for the land that he loves. He can be decent to people if they are in need of his help, but he gives it grudgingly. The only people he does like are the few indigenous peoples and tribes of the mountains. He's got a soft heart for the forests and mountains and for the flora and fauna that inhabit them. He has a special connection with the wood and lives a hermits life.
General Appearance: He has shaggy blonde hair and startling green eyes. He's well muscled from a life in the wood and he has scars in the shape of vesta horns on his palms. Gifts from a man named Har who he found wandering in his wood one day. The magic associated with those scars is a secret and one he keeps jealously guarded. He usually wears sturdy boots laced to the knee, brown leggings and a white tunic. He fights with a longsword/shortsword combination, unarmed, and sling.
At the moment he's neutral about the present situation and doesn't really know anything about it. He may change later on
~

The sky was overcast and black, heavy and laden with rain. The wood was silent, waiting for the heavens to release its tears. Aryian was silent, sitting almost invisible among juniper and sassafras, eyes narrowed as he watched the road.

The road. It was a monstrosity carving its way through the wood, bringing with it ignorant man. Aryian heard the cry of a bird and, without looking, raised his wrist for a small falcon who alighted on it.

"I know girl," he cooed softley to it. "I was wandering through some other mountains, but I'm back now. For a little while at least. Did anything bad happen while I was gone?" The bird shifted its weight from one foot to the other. Aryian sighed and shifted his gaze back to the road.

"It looks like nothing has happened that I should worry over." He stroked the birds head. "Wait now, beauty, someone's coming." He narrowed his green eys once more and watched the road.
K'ean made her way slowly down the road as the rain began to drizzle. It had not been long since she ran from the strange girl, whom she assumed was an elf. Her blond hair and green eyes hunted her memories, although she did not know why. If she had learned anything at all in the time she spent at school, it was about the strange things one could find in the mountains of Aquaria.

She was so deep in thought that she barely realized that rain, once a drizzle, had become a downpour. She became aware of it after she heard thunder. It felt like if the sky itself was tearing apart.

"Why did I leave home, nothing worth this, not even the truth." K'ean said to herself aloud, as she looked down at her soaked clothes. The rain was cold, the coldest she ever felt, and it beat down on her as fatigue came over her. K’ean could not remember ever begin this tired before. She was starting to find it hard to move her feet. When she thought about it she realized she had been walking for hours. She continued onward. As she went forward. Her vision became blurry and all went black.

Ayrian looked on from the distance and saw her faint.
Raen frowned. Something was definetely wrong. She followed slowly behind Forest, feeling a bit left out of a conversation the elf was having with the man-Viper.

Her ears immediately picked up a sound human ears couldn't possibly hear. Nor Elves.

Someone fell to the ground, and hit it, hard. There was something wrong with that though. The girl who had fallen, was who Forest was looking for. She wasn't weak, so why was she down?

Raen turned her head, and narrowed her eyes, making her normal, air-headed and fun look disappear all-together.

This girl was stronger than the strong. What she would achieve was what warriors' lusted after. When the greatest fighters had never been able to brag about. This was no ordinary girl. She had no ordinary destiny.

"Good-bye." Raen said, breaking into Forest and Viper's conversation.

"What?" Forest's voice was sharp and snappish.

"I said good-bye. I must go now." Raen turned, and began to run.

"You're hiding something!" Forest shouted after her. "I know that you're hiding something."

Raen stopped and turned. The gleam in her eye was not reassuring. "I'm a nymph, you idiot. Hiding things-keeping secrets-lying, is my job."

And, with those last words, Raen ran, eventually disappearing in the distance.

But someone was watching.
"Are you with the Revolution or not?" Forest turned to him. HEr green eyes looking suspiciously into his, a now frigid, cold blue.

"Why are you asking?" She turned her head back. Forest's eyes caught the sight of a black loom of cumulus and strato-cumulus clouds.

"Just answer." His voice was hard, wanting an answer.

She turned back around and looked at him hard, wondering why he would ask an Elf such a stupid question. "What type of question is that. You know all elves are on the side against the Revolution."

"Not all elves." He sat down.

"Like who, you!" She starred down at him, the surprised and angry tone of her voice still lingering strong.

He sucked his teeth. "The Dark Elves." All he could be thinking was that Forest was a ditzy blonde misinformed North Haven elf, with doctrines that needed serious editing. "Being an elf you should know who your enemies and fools are."

"And why do you know, you are woodland aren't you."

"That may be true, but the blood of the Dark Elves coarses redder through my veins than even whatever Elf you classify yourself to be."

"So what side are you on?"

"Although you did not answer my question. I will answer yours. I have no side. I refrain from following any sort of leadership that I truly don't see my self under, having my destiny dictated by a Council or what ever hybrid existence conflicts in me. So I choose no side. I choose not to be good and not to be bad, labeled either by either side. And you princess aren't as difficult to understand as myself."

"What did you call me. Look take me to the girl please." He got up. "And where are you going."

"Me, I am going away from here. You can get there yourself. You were looking in the direction of her location, so go." He cleaned of the back of his clothes.

"I will go then." Her words where storng, her voice sublime and chocking. Walking straight past him she said, "Earlier you didn't seem so mean and conceded." He scoffed. She fixed her clothes and scalled a small quartz formation blocking her passage to the dark overcast. Setting pace to the wind, she left Viper.

By the time she was out of human eye sight, he made his way opposite hers: back into the forest, to his camp. Soething caught his attention though. It was swift and apparently agile. It nibly shot through the trees with ease, enticing Viper's curiousity as he reached for his bow. He began to follow it, his direction certainly uncertain, no longer paying attention to it he was.

:*:

The rain had stopped falling and all that remained was the lingering scent of freshly fallen rain and the scent of grass. Where was the girl, she thought. She looked around for any sign of her being there. As the sun passed out of a cloud, a glossy ebony strand of hair was stuck in the mud.

"What's this?" She asked twirling it around her long fingers. "The only person I have seen with black hair is that Viper and the girl, so this must belong to her." HEr attention's where distracted by the sweet cry of a falcon echoing in the far of distance. "A falcon. What a beautiful sight." Noticing some strange traits of the animal, she came to realize that wasn't the native falcon to those parts of Median. "That is a royal falcon and wherever does beautiful animals soar, something special is there. I guess it is worth the risk." Twirling the strand of hair off her finger, she left to where the falcon circled hoping to find the girl.
Character: Forest

I left. Now I was all alone, trying to look for a girl. I didn’t know where she was, but I guessed. I felt kind of bad, but watched as Viper left. Soon I galloped into the mountains. I asked a few people if they had seen a girl. They hadn’t seen anyone.

I kept on searching when I heard someone talking. I quietly came over and saw the girl and someone else.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“I’m Forest.” I replied. I looked at the girl. “I was looking for you.”

I saw a bird in the sky and smiled. Birds were very amazing.

“Who are you?”

“I am Ayrian.” He said. “I live here by myself.”

I knew he liked to be alone. I nodded and smiled.

“What is your name?” I asked the girl.

“K’ean.” She replied. “Why?”

“You need to go home.” I muttered. “We need someone to rule the area before the war starts.”

“Oh,” She sighed. “But…”

“I’ll teach you how to lead and all that other stuff.” I nodded. “You’ll be ready when you return.”

“Okay.” She smiled.
"It's none of my damn business," Aryian growled. "I don't care at all. It's her bloody fault for wandering out hear in the middle of a rainstorm with no protection. It's her bloody stupidity." He sullenly watched rain drip from the corner of his green hood to a small pool between his feet. The falcon, having taken refuge from downpour in the shadow of pine, gave a low caw and fixed him with an eye the color of the sun. Aryian glared and it and rose languidly to his feet. "I just have too good of a heart, that’s all. My heart has to be so big." He made a face and moved down the embankment to the road.

The sky began to swallow some of its tears as Aryian moved silently beside the girl. He knelt and laid the back of a sun browned hand against her cheek. “Your ice cold lass,” he murmured to the mud caked figure, “ice cold. Come on then.” He picked her up and carried her off to the side of the road and put her under a stand of low trees. He swung his cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around the girl so she wouldn’t lose any more heat. He removed her boots and began to rub her feet between his palms.

“What, beauty?” he addressed the falcon, “I’ve got to stop any possible fever from spreading to her head. The sooner she’s better the sooner she’s out of the wood. The sooner I don’t have to deal with her.” The girl’s lips parted and she let out a small moan, her eyes opened a crack but didn’t really see before the lids covered them once more. “Shhh, lass,” he whispered and began to dig for some fresh water.

He froze. He heard something beyond the patter of raindrops. He rose slowly and rested one hand loosely on the short sword at his waist. The falcon took off from its perch and beat its wings over the tops of the trees, away. Aryian narrowed his eyes, waiting for whatever it was to come. It did. It was a nymph.

Aryian did not like water nymphs. They annoyed him just as much as humans, elves and the like did. But often times they were found in the wood, so he respected their spot in cool, wooded pools. This nymph didn’t seem to have the empty headed look on her face when she rounded the bend in the road, like others of her kind. She looked….determined? He couldn’t place it. She halted when she spotted him and her deep violet eyes narrowed.

“Who are you,” she demanded in a low growl.

“None of your business,” Aryian responded in a slow hiss. The two circled each other like strange cats in a small room before the nymph spoke again.

“What did you do to her,” she growled again, with a gesture at the girl on the ground. Aryian said nothing, but flicked one eyebrow in an ambiguous response. Before the nymph could reply and elf girl rode into the clearing. She dismounted and surveyed the scene.

“Who are you,” she said to Aryian.

“I’m a figment…” What are all these people doing in my wood? “…of your…” By the gods, I can’t stand these folk, “…imagination.” Aryian growled through clenched teeth. Well, now the mud caked girl had her own kind and her own people. He could leave and the gods take them all. As the elf turned her attention to the girl who was beginning to rouse Aryian melted into the wood. Disappearing among the dense foliage he went off to search for some fresh water.
Name:Eressë
Species: elf
Land: North Haven
Age:18 in human
Language: English
Personality:Kind, gentle(to some), very well trained in fighting, indapentant yet likes people.
General Appearance: Blonde hair down to her hipes, ice blue eyes, thin, curvey, 5'9.
Family:just the other elves she lives with.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eressë:
*I was walking along the muddy hill when I slipped and fell.
I rolled and rolled until I finally stopped but then I fell into an ice cold lake type thing, I stayed in there for about an hour before I relized where I was and by then I was freezing cold and bruised.
I had hit a big boulder* on the roll down.
So I got out of the water and crawled to the road but I couldn't go any farther, so I stopped and went unconsence*.
I could feel the rain pour and it was liek I was awake but couldn't open my eyes.
Then I felt someone touch my cheek and then pick me up.
After awhile they laid me down and took my boots off and rubbed my feet.
I could hear him say somthing but I couldn't make it out.
Then I felt all the pain on my body it hurt to evan breath.
And ofter that it all went blank.
(is this ok?)
Viper looked down at the girl whom he had just saved. Her body was muddy and her blonde hair bas darken with mud. Seems the Forest is full of blonde nowadays he thought as he smiled and proceeded to build a fire.

``````````````````````````````````````````````````

K’ean awoke with a jump, the last thing she remembered was walking in the rain but now the rain had ended. Her head ached and her whole body was sore. She was terribly hungry now and she wondered how long she was unconscious. As she stood up the world began to spin and she wobbled a bit, but in a few minutes, all was still again. Before her now stood two girl. She recognized the first one immediately, that same blonde hair and green eyes elf that had hunted her so, the second one was different though she had long dark brown hair which contained sort of blue-green-purple streaks in it and she had violet eyes and she appeared to be a nymph. What were they doing here and why did they stair at her so she wondered.

The nymph was the first to speak.
"I'm tired of all of all of this." Raen said, her voice a mix of anger and hate. "Will somebody tell me what is going on? I want to know who you are." she pointed to K'ean. K'ean didn't say anything. "What?" Raen asked, in a simpering voice. "Can you not talk?"
K'ean regained her voice, but only barely, and not even half fast enough for the hot tempered water nymph.
"Look, I left home to find an adventure and do something besides wander around, aimlessly after people I don't even know the names of!" she stamped her foot. "I want somebody to explain things now! If you don't I'll summon..."
"Stop, stop, stop!!!" shouted the girl standing next to K'ean. "I'm...
Viper had semi-undressed the girl and laid her beside the fire wrapped in his cloak; her clothes as well as his tunic were drying beside the fire. He sat far away from the Elven blonde, feeding of his horse's body heat keeping a loose eye on the girl yet straying off into the whimsical mystery of the wind and the forest that it rules.

He had fed her a special herb he carried in his lower baldric knowing it should ease her pain and calm her breathing and heart beat, was she waking up anytime soon? Slowly his eyes turned from a serene midnight blue to cloudy hazel gray, he was falling asleep and falling into dream. Cinders swirled past his face as he heard his name being whispered through the boughs if the trees around him.

Viper, My dear son. The image of an elf appeared. She was tall and beautiful with long flowing auburn-ebony hair. Her lips moved in a smooth symphonic fashion as she said the name of her son, her blue jadeite eyes framed by long raven lashes starred at him in premonition. Decide as you are, if you shall hear and listen to my words on this full moon night, and just like this night, the light will soon wane and give way to complete darkness of sky and soon, darkness of land. However, a full moon alwyas shines again and if you are willing to do this, let the light shine again, listen and follow my words, my love. Her lithe, ethereal figure knelt beside Viper and stroked his damp forhead strung with strands of obsidian. I am sorry for leaving you, but sorry for coming now. However, you are important to the future, whether you like it or not, my darling. You may not have chosen a side, however both sides have chosen you and another to help them win. I shalll tell you this now: you must find the heir, the heir to the Aquarian throne. 17, tall and and orphan. The name of this child is K'ean, who rests in the Median mountains in a small clearing. The child rests there now, although I think you needn't my help in direction my love. You must teach her the Aquarian ways. The story you shall know and the history I will give in time, but it is your destiny for you and the other of your kind to find this child. So please my love, when you awaken, remeber my words and go to where your instincts tell and it shall all fall into place there. The sun will be rising in three hours my child, so ready yourself for your journey to the east. Her glossy lips touched his dark cheek as she bid him adieu, not before whispering a sweet Elven Blessing as at last she closed her eyes and walked off, fading into the mist of the forest, singing an ancient lullaby.

"Uhh!" Viper sat up panting hard. His heart-beat was racing, sweat was trickling down his face, seeping into his mouth. His chest felt warm and red, his eyes reflected a purple, a spicy confused purple. "What had happened here." He remebered his mother, he remember what he thought was a dream. The words she spoke were still as fresh as the dew on his hair. "Maybe, maybe it was just a dream. Why would my mother every come back for me adn with words like that. I must be going mad." Luinel, his horse nuzzled him under his neck in worry. "It's alright Luinel, it was just a dream. Yes, just a dream." Viper got up and stretched out, his body was slighlty sore from the cold night. Walking past the girl, he went down to the lake to wear he had found a volcanic hot spring for and early bath.

:*:

The vapour rose slightly intoxicating his toughts.
"Maybe, it was really her. She was there and I didn't even know it and I had to be asleep. I could take a gamble and say it wasn't her and not listen to a word she said to me. I don't know." Closing his eyes, he fell asleep in the hotspring; abruptly he awoke from the distant call of Luinel. "Ohh crap, Luinel and that girl." Getting up out of the water, he grabbed his drying cloth, clothes, and ran back to his camp.

:*:

A tantalizing aroma lingered thinly through the air around the camp, an aroma of fresh hide, berries, and meat. (it smells good ok, trust me) As Viper neared the camp, he slowed as he saw the girl tending the fire. "What are you doing there in the condition your in?" He asked, standing a few feet behind her. Yet, she didn't answer. She had dressed herself make-shiftedly in his cloak and was preparing breakfast.

After he dressed himself, he walked down over to her.
"Good Morning." She said, handing him a strip of meat. He gratefully declined and returned to starring at the fire.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Eressë."
"Elf. I knew it." He stood up and walked to his black stallion.
"And why do you say it like that?" Her blue eyes looked at him angrily yet confused, because she saw his ears as the wind toussled his hair to the left.
"I mean I knew it, because I had a feeling that you couldn't be another species than that. With your long fair blonde hair and crystal eyes, with that slender ethereal figure. I somehow knew and besides the facts, aren't elves usually found in this part of the forest."
"That may be true, but your voice held so much more to it."
"Well, I'm a very vague guy." He stooped down infront of her. "So how do you feel, judging by this you are feeling better."
She laughed, "Well yes, I am thank you. I would like it if I could find out the name of my rescuer?"
He got up from his haunches and proceeded to feed his horse, "My name is Viper Sands."
"What's your elven name, I am assured that isn't it."
"Ha, like I use it." He stroked Luinel's obsidian mane. "How did you know I was an elf?"
"Well, by the build of your body, the weapons you carry, and the strange taste that's in my mouth."
"From the herb."
"Yes, only elves and mountain dwellers can recognize it."
"I am very well aware of that, but I wouldn't need to waste such a rare find if you didn't end up on the road while I was walking."
"Now you don't mean that?" She coughed.
"Frankly, I don't know what anything means anymore, even what I say."
"And now why should you say that." She was standing beside the hybrid elf now admiring the silky coat of his horse. He shrugged at her question. "You sound mad." Her voice solemned.
"Not mad, just frustrated."
"And why?"
He turned and looked down at her, "You are an elf so I guess you hold some common understanding of what I will tell you."
"Ok."
"Well early this morning. I had a dream. A dream of my mother, who I was told was dead. I try to keep her memory, hers and my fathers, sacred. Even though I keep them and my past life as far away from me as I can. In my dream she came to me. She told me that I had to finally make my destiny. I must go out and find a 17 year old child, the heir to the Aquarian throne and set him upon that throne, before this war gets out of hand."
"And you are frustrated by this. Upon an elfs recieving of those words, they instantly know what to do."
"That's not why I am frustrated. I am frustrated because I don't know if I should believe what I heard and saw."
"Who was your mother? Did you love her."
"My mother was the most beautiful elf that has ever lived, a rare and comforting sight to the eyes. I did love her, and I guess I still do."
"So listen to what she said. A request such as that should not go ignored."
"So you think I should listen to her?" He turned to her.
"Yes, I do. I am in no position to disagree. I want the rightful heir of Aquaria back on the throne before this war become out of hand." She walked over to the fire to check her clothes.
Viper had put back on his tunic beside the fire and gathered his remaining things. "Well you are not going to see that."
She stopped. "Excuse me?" Her arms were on her hips. "What about everything your mother said."
"She never told me to make sure he becomes the heir. I have plans for this boy."
"And so you are going to give him to the Revolutionists."
"Never said that either." He doust the fired, and covered all the traces of them being there. Mounting his horse he said, "Eressë, I know what all you elves expect, but I am only going to follow what my mother told me." Luinel turned to the west.
"And where are you going. Do you not realize I am sick."
"Yes, I have." He got down the black stallion, as she was running towards him and collapsed before him. "And I was about to say in no shape to run. Come on Luinel, he's friednly, as you have seen. I am taking you with me."
"Where?"
"To K'ean and I have a feeling I'll find an old elf friend there as well."
"Who?"
"Just this elven maiden, who you remind me of. Now let's go."

Viper and Eressë set of to the west, to the mountains, to K'ean who was enraptured in her own concerns.


Character: Forest

“Okay, we’ll explain everything!” I cried. K’ean looked at me and was quiet. “Now what do you want?”

“To know more about the world and stuff…” She replied.

“Fine.” I nodded. “I’ll teach you a lot of stuff, but first I’ll have to teach you how to defend yourself. Is that okay?”

“Sure.” She shrugged.

“Okay, here.” I gave her a bow and arrows. “We are going to practice archery first. After I get the targets ready, we can start.”

I smiled. I usually carried an extra bow and arrows in case someone else needed them. K’ean looked at them and grinned. She nodded.

“Could I help?” She asked.

“Yeah, sure.” I replied. “Raen, do you want to help?”

Raen nodded. We set to work on building the targets. It didn’t take very long, but Aryian came back with water. When he saw us, he looked a bit confused.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“K’ean just woke up and we’re going to practice archery.” I replied and kept on working.

“K’ean, I got some water for you.” Aryian muttered. K’ean thanked him and quickly drank the water. She hurried back to finish working on the target.

“Forest!”

I turned around and saw Viper and another girl. She had blond hair and blue eyes. I smiled and stopped working to look up at them. I grinned.

“Hello Viper.” I said. “Why are you here?”

“I’m looking for K’ean.” He replied. He looked around and saw her. “So you’re already teaching her how to use the bow and the arrow.”

“I thought you said that you weren’t going to look for her.” I said. I went on working on the target.

“Well, I had this dream.” He smiled. “In the dream, my mother told me to find her. And this is Eresse.”
Aryian sat on a stump glaring at the people in his wood. Thankfully they had decided to use deadwood for target practice. If they had hurt a tree, Aryian would have to hurt them. He shifted his gaze from the targets to the newcomers. The young man was...strange. He looked human but at the same time didn't. He was something Aryian had not encountered in his travels. The other was a young elven girl who looked a little bedraggled. The presence of even more people made Aryian even grumpier.

He drew out his pipe and chewed on its stem for a moment pondering. He knew it wasn't the people themselves that made him grumpy but the news that had been whispered by their presence. What was all this about a war? The young man, whose name was apparantly Viper said he had a dream about finding K'ean. And they all met in his wood. His wood.

The trees sighed above him and the falcon cried lonely over the tree tops. The earth under his scarred palms was warm and trembled with life. The forest seemed to speak to him and tell him something he already knew. The wood would be in danger if there was a war. And having these strangers in his wood would bring any destruction closer than ever the the land he loved. He needed to help get these people through the forest to get it out of trouble. And the wood was rapidly disliking these strangers. He did not care about the outside world or the outside people but he did have a few hidden strands of compassion for his fellow man. He put his pipe away and rose.

As if molded out of tree and leaf he approached the group.

"Who are you," Viper demanded hand snaking toward a knife.

"It's alright." Forests voice didn't stop Viper's hand from grasping a knife. Aryian gave Viper a long look and turned to the others. K'ean was looking better, he noted, his medicinal skills had not failed him.

"Hurry up with what you are doing," he said simply folding his arms. "I'm afraid the longer you stay here the more trouble you bring to the wood. I will lead you by the quickest way through these mountains and out of the wood."

"We have the path," Raen said, eyes narrowing.

"The path is man made," Aryian said with contempt. "It does not know the wood. It is not the quickest way. Plus, the wood doesn't like it and the wood, right now is not very fond of you, with maybe the exception of the nymph" nymphs are natives to the wood after all, Aryian reminded himself. "Anyway, if the wood doesn't like you it can make travel...difficult. So, hurry so we can be on our way."

He turned on his heel and strode back to the treeline where he leaned against a great oak, green eyes shining in the shadows.

Eresse:
I sat on a stump as I watched them teach K'ean how to shoot a bow.
I wondered if she was a fast learner or a slow one.
Because I believed Aryian, the wood didn't like us here, I could feel it.
I watched Aryian couriously.
He was mysterious, yet he knew so much about the wood and it just seemed that he had knowledge within him.

Then I started thinking about when I was very young and my father started and continued* to teach me archery.
A troubled looked came over my face, it was a painful memory my dad.

Then I took my focus off that and I felt the returning pain in my stomach and head from that fall and the ice cold water.
I squinted my eyes shut but I made no sound.

I didn't like it when people came to my aid.
I felt like they were treating me like a baby or child when they did that.
However I knew that I was wrong, I was just tired of being taken care of when I was sick or anything like that.

Then I looked at K'ean and she hit the target farely where she was supposed to.
she's a fast learner
And going to be a good archer if she tried
, I thought to myself.
"Give me a break!" A seductive female voice bellowed from the shadows cast by an overhead castle turret.
"About what?" A tall, dark man stood in the setting sun rays casting an amber glow around his silhouette.
THe girl stood out of the shadows and shook some fallen moss from beneath the turret out of her hair and replied, "This crap." Her hands went up and down in a gesture of frustration. "How dare you disobey the Darl Prince like that."
"The little brat is only following in the footsteps of his late powerful and exorable father."
She scoffed, "How dare you! Look the only reason you are being so hostile is just because he doesn't believe you can get the job done anymore and so you are mad because I get the job done and is not so idiotic and stubborn. I at least fight for our side."
"You see all that, all of what you just said: pure crap!!! Like he would trust a vixen Lorelei like you, who gets her job done by sitting on her butt and letting others do it for her."
"That is not true." Her eyes flared to hot red opposed to purple gems.
"Then once, tell me when you have executed a job on your own." His arms where akimbo and his head was in a list looking at her, his blonde hair toussled by the desert winds.
"Well..." Her explanation was cut short by a messanger of the Dark Prince, Illion, himself. He told them that "the Lord Illion requests their presence in the throne room immediately." He also said that the Prince had an important service he wanted them to attend to. With those words, the two eager followers ran up to the courtyard and into the sea side castle.

The two argued their ways up to the Blest Throne Room, the door heavily guarded with five Roux Guardians. They let pass as Iricel, the black and purple eyed vixen lorelei and Nienin, the blonde, blue eyed, dark-tanned warrior made their way into the candle-lit room.

Illion sat, with a pipe in his mouth, on the tall ruby red cloaked dias. He breathed casually out his nose and shifted position as his two most faithful followers genuflected before him, with the extra of "My Lord."

"Iricel, Nienin. I will get straight to the point for time is wearing thin." Nienin's brow darkened and Iricel devilishly smiled. "My mother has had a dream and you know of her dreams. The child lives, a child she has hidden from me for the last 17 years of my life. A child borne on the white moon of the last day of the Eran War." He stood up and walked down to the third step of his dias.

"And this child, my Lord, what do you request." Nienin said in his low warrior tone. Iricel's eyes narrowed at him.

"The child, this child is my very existence. I need him to control my reign, to secure it." He pounded the chairs gold plaited arm, rattled the long pipe in his mouth. "And that is where you two come in." He was already standing before the two. "Go and find me this child. With your elven skills and your Ranger skills. There will be no trouble in finding him."

"But I am in more favour my dear Nienin." She smirked looking at the Prince.

"You silcence!" He shot back at her. "I know what each of you think. I favour one over the other. However, the truth is I don't favour any of you after the blind and careless stunts you both pulled. You have no right saying that young Iricel." Iricel shied beneath his words, but Nienin snickered niavely. "AND you, don't let me begin on you!" HE shuted-up instantaneously. "I am going to make it interesting for you both after what I have just witnessed. Let's play a game."

"A game?" They asked in unison.

"Yes a game. I want to see who will please and honour me by bringing this child to me. Whoever comes through will stand at my right sight and become honourable and official second in command."

"And what will happen to the loser."

He laughed. "Well I trust you will not think about that right now. Go." Illion laughed and sat back down in his throne and began to smoke his pipe again. "So, what are you two still doing here. I dismissed you. Begone. The quicker you leave, the quicker you find the child."

"But my Lord." Iricel walked frightfully forward. "How are we to know who this child is?"

"This child is just like that of our Dark royal line. His hair is shinny jet black. Eyes of my mother, the clairvoyant. is eyes, however, are brighter than that of my mother. His skin is as golden as the desert dunes that grow and shift with the unconstant winds. He is fairly tall about 5'9'' or 10''. Find him now. My mother's knowledge of this child's where abouts are in the indigenous dwelling of the Median Mountains. And with this go out and find him."

"And Lord if we are not successful, or if we return without the child?"

"Well that's simple. You kill him and keep searching until."

"There are many children around Median. How the hell do you propose we will find this child."

"THe child has just turned 17. Look through that age range and Do Not Fail Me, you here. or the consequences will be DIRE. Now you know what to do. Leave!"

The two genuflected and turned out the door, snubbing the Roux Guardians and each leaving of into opposite direction, using opposite tracking styles, searching for the same person.

The group who had all found their way to Aryian's "wood" had only a week to say, and in that short expanse of time the girl was to be taught. Viper sat apart from them including Eresse as did Aryian away from the rest, he wanted nothing of it, even though deep down he knew he would be part of it. It was midnight, the 3rd day of the stay. Viper also felt the torment of the forest that went deeper than their stay almost into the cloudy past and history that laid locked away into the ancient boughs and trunks of his friends. Viper could feel the warmth of the forest as he stood amidst the trees, they were telling him something, they were telling everyone there something and he knew Aryian felt it as well and like he himself couldn't tell what it was and feared, feared the consequences of the forest's secrecy. Another latent reasons for his hostilities.

He leaned down on one knee infront of one of the targets and pulled an arrow out, placing it beside the rest three he pulled out.

"Why are you up?" A voice asked.
"I should ask the same of you?" He knew it was Forest who stood behind him. He picked up the four arrows and walked over to K'ean's quiver.
"Hmmm, we haven't spoken to each other in a long while. May I ask what's wrong?" She crossed her arms.
"You imply something is wrong, just because I haven't spoken at least a statement to you." He stood infront of Forest, his arms where crosed as well. She quickly put her hands to her side, thinking his action was in mocking protest.
"You just seemed silent from since your arrival here that's all. What are we going to do about K'ean?" Forest sat down, pulling her hair from its long ponytail and wrapping her blanket around her.
"Intending to sleep here?" He was looking at K'ean askanse.
"Yes, actually I do. The breeze blows cooler here. Now tell me Viper, what do you intend to do about the girl."
Viper sat down beside her and packed the quiver with another set of arrows, he looked up to the cloudless, star-studded sky, "Why do you ask Forest?"
"Eresse told me of your dream, and something she said interested me."
"What?" He still looked forward.
"She said your mother told you that it was your destiny and the other of your kind to find this child, Kean."
"YEs, that's what she said. What of it?"
"I can't help but think I am the other of your kind."
He stood up and looked down at her, "Why do you think this now."
She stood as well, "We are both elves," As he was about to protest with a remark, "who never answered your question of what side I am."
"Ok then answer it now."
"I wasn't on any side. I only spoke of the truth and what elves are raised to understand here in Aquaria. I am neutral."
"What?" His "what" was pertained to her blonde hair, fair skin, and pure elven looks.
"I am just telling you what is the truth. So tell me Viper, who else do you know who is an elf as well as a neutralist in this latent war. Who came for that girl for the same reasons as I. Contradict me and understand this, I don't care what you say. I am going to train this girl and I know that you are not one to disobey your mother." Viper laughed purely and genuinely. "What!" She protested.
"Everything you said, they are true as well, I can see it. I guess i understand." He slung the quiver over his shoulder. He walked off into the direction of the moon over to a little pond.
"ANd where are you going and with that?"
"Oh no where in particular. Good Night Forest." He disappeared into the shadows of the tree's.
"Hmm, Good Night." She flapped the sheet around and fell back asleep beneath the tree limbs.

:*:

K'ean was slowly waking up, the sun burning her tired and sore skin.
She woke up not in the same place.
It was different. Viper was sitting beside her sleeping as she looked bewildered at where she was. Not thinking anything, K'ean waited for Viper to wake up.
"Viper, what the hell is going on. Where are we. Where am I!!!!!"
"Hush, geesh."
"Dude, where is Raen and Aryian and Forest!! This isn't Median." Commenting on the sylan radiance and beauty that Median paled to.
"Well yes you're right. We aren't in Median."
"Then where are we!?"
"Ugg, The Land of Nobles and Selfish Fools." He stood up and climb the tree shading them from the sun, he looked down and saw she looked questionable at him, her left eye brow high."North Haven K'ean."
"North Haven!!!!" She was completely shock and felt even more winded as she came to a realization that, "Viper, you kidnapped me."
"Call it whatever you want." He was sitting above her in the limb of the tree.
"Well I am calling it kidnapping. Hold on, does anybody else know?"
"Nope."
"What? Viper are you insane, uhh damn." She fell back on the soft grass. "And no body knows." SHe turned on her side, but sat back up. "WHat about my training?"
"Well I'll be training you."
"You. Oh great I get kicked out of school, suffer a fever, unconsciousness, and confusion just to be kidnapped by the likes of you."
"So you were kicked out of school, eh."
"Yes, and sad to say I think I should have stayed back."
"In the likes of these countries, you did the right thing."
"Amm, I would run right now, but I am afriad of the bow and quiver on your back. However Viper, I'm not sure if Aryian would care much if I am gone, but wouldn't Forest hurt you and Raen slit your troath."
"Like I am afraid of them. Ha."
"Well, who lives in this North Haven."
"The rich and the powerful. The predominant ancient species is High Elf, the royalty and nobles. Eresse and Forest are of their lineage."
"Well I hope they come and get me. I knew I couldn't trust you."
"Trust me not, I don't care, but I am doing this from my mother's wish and the my own. I am doing this to protect you and introduce you to your destiny and birth rite. I am going to help you."
"Which is?"
"Like I am going to tell you."
"But wasn't Forest doing that by training me in archery."
"That was one aspect of it."
"Ohhh."
"It's not like you're going to move anywhere anyway."
"Huh why."
"I gave you a paralysis herb."
"What."
"And it should be kicking in soon." His senses were kicking into high alert. Someone was coming, that shouldn't see K'ean and he knew it. "Trust me it's for your own good, good night."
Character: Forest

I looked around and wondered where K’ean was.

“Eresse,” I muttered. “Where is K’ean?”

“I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “But Viper isn’t here either.”

We had left the forest because Ayrian had told us to leave.

“Okay, maybe we should just look around for them.” I said.

“Alright.” Eresse nodded.

We got onto our horses.

“Raen, we’re going to find K’ean.” I said.

“Okay, that’s fine.” She smiled. “I just need to get onto my horse.”

We rode off to find Viper and K’ean. We went to many areas and soon saw Viper talking to K’ean.

“Viper, why are you in North Haven?” I asked. “I was training K’ean.”

“She’s good at archery.” Viper replied. “But now that she’s learned it, I need to teach her more. We don’t have a lot of time to teach her everything.”

“Hi Forest! Hi Eresse!” K’ean smiled. “Hello Raen!”

I grinned. “Hi K’ean.”
The vesta came to him that night in his dreams.

It stepped with dainty hooves from among silvery leafless trees and held him with its liquid purple eyes. It horns, similiar to those scarred on Aryians palms, were giant, interlocking and intertwining and its silvery coat was dusted with grey.

The wood needs you Aryian, it whispered in his mind. It is calling out to you, it is in danger. War will break out and soon.

Wars are the affairs of men. Not me...or of the wood. What do I care if men kill each other over their silly little affairs. He responded, green eyes locking with purple.

The vesta's eyes looked tired and it dipped its head. This war can kill the wood. Aryian snorted. Mark my words, Aryian, don't be stubborn. Who knows better than I? And if the wood is destroyed, where will you go and what will you do? You are as much a part of these trees as I.

He was about to object, but found his mouth open with nothing to object to. I am a man. A single man, what can I do. A man can not stop a war.

A man can watch a girl, the vesta responded with its eyes, a man can save the wood. He looked at the vesta wonderingly...

Aryian woke with a start. The wood was sleeping all around and the wind cried hollowly through the trees. Everyone that had once gathered on the path, now a few miles away, had left the wood.

But the boy, or man, or whatever he was, had taken the girl.

"He's young, rash and foolish," Aryian muttered to himself as he stood, buckling his short sword in place on his hip. "But luckily he left an easy trail." He smiled and shouldered his longsword. As he filled his water skin, he paused to pat the trunk of a giant oak. "You don't leave me much choice. If I refuse you'll haunt my mind, both unconcious and waking."

He made good time through the wood, following the trail Viper had left. It was crossed, now and then, by the trails of the others until he was led out of the wood. He paused a moment at the edge, not wanting to leave the leafy protection it offered, the comforting familiarity. Then he set his face and headed off into North Haven, following the trail to K'ean. Following the trail that would keep his wood safe.
Eresse:
"Hi K'ean", I said still on my horse.
"True we don't have time", Stated Forest.
*HA HA very short but i can't stay on for long*
Forest was speaking but K'ean didn't hear a words said. K'ean was rapped up in her own thought at the time and she was in a dazed state. Mostly because of the paralysis herb that Viper had given her. A lot was on her mind, why did everyone go to such great lenghts to find her, it was like everywhere she went these people she met was there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iricel and Nienin had mad their way to Median.

"I hate this place, so many bloody trees," Nienin smarled as he hit the tree that was in his way. "When are we going the find the person whom we are searching for?"

"I don't know, but he must have been here." Iricel said as she stared at the ground.

"How do you know that?" Nienin grumbled.

"There's a trail on the ground," Iricel smiled. "Let's follow it."
Night had dawned in North Haven and for the moment, camp was set up in the forest glade where the three girls, Eressë, Forest, and Raen, had found K’ean and Viper after he kidnapped her the other day. The three girls, including K’ean, sat around a roaring blaze in a soto conversation; K’ean’s eyes focusing on the dancing flames consume the logs of dead wood.
Forest was speaking now, she was telling K’ean all about the Éran War and the things she needed to know that they would never teach her in school. K’ean looked completely unattached to the world but was still conscious what she said. Eressë began to speak, giving Forest and Raen time to lie back and look at the stars. “So there are the bad: like Revolutionists, Dark Aquarians, South Haveners, the “Dark Lord” and the “Sovereigns of the Evil Provinces. The good are: the North Haveners, Medians, and anti-Revolutionists.”
“So you’re either with or against or neutral.” Forest finally said.
“There is neutral!” Raen and K’ean both said.
“Yes.” Forest said, she smiled.
“Then I’m neutral.” K’ean replied boldly, straightening her hair.
“Ammm, no, sorry. It’s not that easy in your case. You my friend are an anti-Revolutionists.”
“And why!?” She asked outraged.
“Well because…” Forest began.
“Your future is set in stone unlike the most of us.” Forest, Eressë, and K’ean looked up and Raen turned around to find Viper standing behind her. He was dressed differently. He wore a black tunic with long sleeves that reached past his thumbs. His left hand had a black glove on it. He wore his usual long black pants and deerskin boots. He wore his bow and quiver on his back and his Longsword on his side. His hair, however, looked like he had just finished washing his hair, pulled back loosely in a tight ponytail, a jet and blonde highlight fell on his face, his pointed ears stuck out beneath his pulled back black hair.
“And why are you so dressed up?” Raen asked.
He accidentally ignored her, making his way to K’ean. He crouched down between her and Eressë. He told her to follow him over by a tall tree behind them. She nodded in cautious reply and followed him.
“So what do you want Viper, I know it possibly be you going to kidnap me again.”
“No.” He laughed. He seemed strange, K’ean thought. “How would you like to go somewhere with me tonight, there is something I want to show you.”
“Show me? Like what.”
“If you come, then you will see what.”
“How am I not so sure its another one of your schemes.”
“If it is, well, I realized that it would have to be a damn good scheme, to deter you crafty girls.”
“Haha, I see.” K’ean said following Viper as he made his way through the Forest.
“Now let’s walk.”
“So, why are you so dressed upped, trying to impress someone.”
“No K’ean, if I were it was surely for naught.”
“Yeah, but you look so much nicer.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean.” He gave her an askance glance as he ducked a tree.
“Nothing.”
“I’m only dressed like this because I’m cold.”
“Sounds reasonable enough, now where are we going?”
“Stop!” He put his hand out to stop her advance. K’ean looked at him strangely. “Listen.”
“To what!” She protested.
“Hush and listen.” K’ean did as she was told. She concentrated on the beat of the forest, and focused. Soon she caught the distant rhythm of songs, refrains, and laughter echoing below in a large waterfall and clearing.
“Viper,” She asked, her eyes closed and head turned down. “What is that sound.”
“That my dear K’ean is what you are going to find out now.”
Viper walked behind her and pushed her down the slope to the frost lighted clearing.

It took them twenty minutes roughly to reach to the clearing. K’ean was in awe at all she saw. It was a festival, an elven one. The pair walked between the royals and the little children sometimes receiving strange looks from some. As K’ean walked, slowly a smiled beamed from ear to ear at the idea of why Viper wore something different.
“Ha, Viper. Now I know why you are dressed differently, you wanted to impress these elves.”
“If that were the case K’ean, I would have dressed differently and so I keep with my original reason, I am cold.”
“Whatever, but why are they looking at us so strangely.”
“Well, because of the way we look, K’ean. Not too sharp are you.”
“These are Forest’s and Eressë’s people, correct.”
“How many times must I say yes?!” He hung his head in pity, again saying in his mind, “not too sharp”.
“Sorry, now what did you want me to see?”
“It’s right over here. Come.”
K’ean obeyed and went with Viper wherever he was leading her. He made his way from the festivities, to the pool where the waterfall fell into gracefully and powerfully. He looked around to see if anyone was watching and took K’ean around to the side of the pond.
“How am I not so sure its another one of your schemes.”
“If it is, well, I realized that it would have to be a damn good scheme, to deter you crafty girls.”
“Haha, I see.” K’ean said following Viper as he made his way through the forest.
“Now let’s walk.”
“So, why are you so dressed up, trying to impress someone.”
“No K’ean, if I were it was surely for naught.”
“Yeah, but you look so much nicer.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean.” He gave her an askance glance as he ducked a tree.
“Nothing.”
“I’m only dressed like this because I’m cold.”
“Sounds reasonable enough, now where are we going?”
“Stop!” He put his hand out to stop her advance. K’ean looked at him strangely. “listen.”
“To what!” She protested.
“Hush and listen.” K’ean did as she was told. She concentrated on the beat of the forest, and focused. Soon she caught the distant rhythm of songs, refrains, and laughter echoing below in a large waterfall and clearing.
“Viper,” She asked, her eyes closed and head turned down. “What is that sound.”
“That my dear K’ean is what you are going to find out now.”
Viper walked behind her and pushed her down the slope to the frost lighted clearing.

It took them twenty minutes roughly to reach to the clearing. K’ean was in awe at all she saw. It was a festival, an elven one. The pair walked between the royals and the little children sometimes receiving strange looks from some. As K’ean walked, slowly a smiled beamed from ear to ear at the idea of why Viper wore something different.
“Ha, Viper. Now I know why you are dressed differently, you wanted to impress these elves.”
“If that were the case K’ean, I would have dressed differently and so I keep with my original reason, I am cold.”
“Whatever, but why are they looking at us so strangely.”
“Well, because of the way we look.”
“These are Forest’s and Eressë’s people, correct.”
“How many times must I say yes?”
“Sorry, now what did you want me to see?”
“It’s right over here. Come.”
K’ean obeyed and went with Viper wherever he was leading her. He made his way from the festivities, to the pool where the waterfall fell into gracefully and powerfully. He looked around to see if anyone was watching and took K’ean around to the side of the pond and stepp across the thin rock ledge to behind the downward spray of water.
"Viper, what in the..."
"K'ean come over here by me for a second please." Viper asked.
K'ean agreed very suspiciously and walked beside him looking at what he was looking. Viper wiped his hand across the slate blue and quartz crystal opaque wall. "What are you doing?"
"What do you see."
"Nothing." Her voice was irritated.
Viper took her wrist and guided her hand across where he had done the same. Strange hieroglyphs began to alight in a blue and silver flame across the crystal wall, lighting up K'ean's and Viper's face. She gasped in delight and surprise. "Can you read that."
"I don't know. I don't think so." Her voice was now amused as she wrote her name in cursive across the wall as the flame alighted each hieroglyph she touch.
“You can’t can you, I guess your not ready yet.”
“What are you talking about Viper?”
Viper was looking distressed, wondering if his mother was wrong and then he assured himself that she could not have been wrong, and K’ean was not probably ready. Sighing as he looked up at the opaque crystal wall, he looked back down at K’ean. “Now let’s go buy you a dress fit for a…queen.”
“What!!!!!!!!! Viper!!!!!” He took her by the wrist again and led her out back onto the lawn beside the pool.
“Hey, we have the rest of the night and early morning to enjoy the festivities. You must make the most of it.”
“What did that ‘queen’ outburst mean.” She asked, as she was led back to the people. “And besides don’t you hate North Haveners, so why do you delight in the festivals. Now you’re a hypocrite.” Viper stopped and looked at her.
“Now listen K’ean, I have my reasons, but I am not a hypocrite.”
“So explain your love of festivals and your abhorrence towards them.”
They now walked back into the forest, “I don’t abhor them, and these festivals are not only filled with North Haven, even though they construct majority.”
“So!”
“K’ean, there is a girl that I want you to meet, who will get you dress as well, and she’ll tell you.”
“She North Haven?”
“Yup.”
“She knows you hate her kind.”
“Yup.”
“She knows you’re here.”
“Yup.”
“You won’t buy me a dress.”
“Nope. Now come.”
“You’ll like her when you meet her, we’ll show you around the festival.”
“If you weren’t being so kind to me, I would hurt you right now.”
“Sure you will.”
“I still won’t wear the damn dress.”
“Yes, you will. Listen to yourself, so arrogant and controlling. Perfect.”
“For what?”
“Just come.”
“Forest, Raen, and Eressë would not want me to wear a dress.”
“You sure.”
“I AM NOT WEARING A DRESS!!!”
“Sure you aren’t” There argument and play trailed of into the rhythm of the forest and the festival found in it.
Character: Forest

I heard someone approaching and looked around. After a while I saw Ayrian.

“Hello,” I smiled. He asked where K’ean was. “She has gone with Viper. He’s talking to her.”

Ayrian sat down.

“The war is going on so I must help K’ean.” He muttered. “That way I can save the forests.”

We talked for a little while and soon I was tired, so I went to go to sleep.
This was a different forest from the one he lived in, yet it was the same. Its feeling was different but there was the same pulse, the same rhythmn, the same heartbeat.

As Forest fell asleep, Ayrian rose and looked around at his surroundings. A ripple went through the wood, a ripple full of anger and rage, and it passed through Aryian so deeply he could feel it in his bones.

Something was hurting the wood.

Aryian closed his eyes and felt the source. K'ean could wait, they all could wait, the wood came first.

He moved off silently following his insticts, moving and threading his way between huge trunks and knotted vines. He crawled on his belly over a small hillock and saw them. A man and a woman. He fingered his sling, but then dropped his hand back to his side. He would wait. He would follow them and wait for the right moment. They were not worthy of a quick death. He would make them pay. With a bone chilling smile he followed them. As a third shadow he followed them through his wood, back toward Forest, back toward K'ean.
Erësse:
After I rested a little from the trip I went on a walk.
I herd singing in the distance I figured it was a feast of the elves, for they had many this time of year.
So after awhile I walked back to camp and sawAryian leave.
Then I sat down and listened to the sounds of the forest.
A Non-Existent User
Name: Nessa Elenesse
Age: Ancient
Sex: Female
Race: Centus
Appearance: She appears mostly in human form. She is 5'9" and has a very slender figure. Her face is round and she has pointed ears. If not for her skin and hair one might think she was an elf. She is very pretty.

She moves gracefully, like she is walking on air. Her flowing silver blue hair falls down to her waist, with big bright blue eyes and dark eyelashes. Her skin is flawless and as white as the clouds in the sky. Her voice is rich but has a soft lift to it.

She wears a burgandy warriors dress type thing that reaches to mid thigh. And light gold/tan colored boots.

Personality: She is a very sweet and friendly person. Although she is a bit jittery and shy. She is easily spooked and can take off in a split second before anyone would ever notice.

Skills/weapons: She has no equipment. Her only source of protection is her swift moving legs. And of course her wings when she is in horse form.

Suggestion for her importance to the story: She is a centus. The last of her kind. She is a shape shifter, a half pegasus half unicorn that can appear in human form. Appearing in human form protects her from those who wish to capture her kind. Any use of her healing powers or her shape shifting could lead to her being caught and chained. However, she can be a very good asset to K'ean because if the time comes when she may need to get away quickly... there she will be.

((let me know if I need to change her...in the meantime someone drag her into the camp... lol.))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A tall slender figure watched the campfire scene from the safe confines of a nearby bush. Her sapphire colored eyes followed every movement that the elves made.

Uncertainty flared up inside her, refusing to let her move. She knew that she had found her destiny, that the girl she was sent to help was among this group. Yet she couldn't help the fear that welled up at the thought of being around strangers. Beings that could potentially hurt her.

She sighed heavily, moving around to find a comfortable position. She would sit here and watch for a little while. Wait until the moment was right to intrude. At this moment she couldn't see the girl so there was no harm in waiting until her return.

K'ean hated to admit it but she was injoying the attention that she got from Viper. He was a lot more friendlier than he had been before, the idea of wearing a dress still depressed her but she had to deal with it.

The festival was filled with many things she never saw before, people of all shapes and sizes, and colors and sounds she never thought existed.

SHe followed Viper all the way to a house at the end of the festival grounds. As Viper opened the door, K'ean as a beautiful maiden similing at them.

"Well hello Viper," She grinned, "Whatever took you so long?"

© Copyright 2003 A Light in the Darkness, Inda Brittania, Dark Angel, Forest, WithyWindle, Sylver is graduating!, xx-xx, (known as GROUP).
All rights reserved.
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