Spirits of the Earth

The day was fair and bright, as it ever was in the duchy of Hellvion.  The birds were swinging sweetly, the gardens full of blooms, and the entire castle appeared bathed in the sweet golden, warmth of the sun.

Everyday was like this for the lady of Hellvion; daughter to Duchess Melora, ruler and supreme over this region of the land.  Everyday was like a treasure, and everyday, Aella followed her mother's dictations blindly as she was either dulled up for the day to be paraded throughout all of Connlaoth, or to simply be dolled up for the sheer reason to appear as.. well a doll.  With unique attire, of both dress and pants, suited well to her features, Aella found herself amazed at the new dress her mother had brought to her that day.

"The color is called 'Silk Violet'," Duchess Melora told her, and became pleased as the radiance her daughter showed as she embraced the dress.

"Oh, mother, this is beautiful!"

"Yes, well, go ahead and try it on," her mother encouraged, blushing after Aella pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Eagerly, Aella obeyed, and the maids were quick to surround her, helping her pull off her other dress as they slipped the knew one on.  It breathed across her body and lay in layers of ruffles and lace. Form fitting at the top, hugging her body until her thighs, then flowering out to hide her legs beneath ruffled skirts.  As the maids worked at lacing upt he bodice, which was a beautiful ivory, embroidered in soft silvers and violets to match th eskirt, (the same violet that also was in the fluted sleeves, that puffed around her shoulders, grew tight around her around, then flowered down her fingers from the wrists.

"Where are we going today?" Aella asked warmly.  Her mother didn't answer at first, and the answer she recieved actualyl confused her.

"We are going no where, my dear."

"Oh." Aella simply replied, smiling as she admired herself in her dress. The maids began to work at her hair, fussing over it and setting the gold strands to curls.  She blushed at her reflection, the smile slowly faded as her mother appeared,just behind her.

"I must be off for the day on an urgent matter. But you can stay here at the castle."

Aella gasped and turned towards her mother.
"What do you mean?" it was the first time in a long while the lady was to be left out of arm's reach of her mother's care.
"Now, now, do not fret my child. You are old enough to entertain yourself inside this big castle, are you not?" her mother replied.

Aella's eyes prickled with tears, panic gripping her heart as she shook her head.

"But mother.."

"No, buts, my dear. It shant be for long."

Lowering her head, Aella nodded, and quelled her tears, but could not help but feel at a loss. She had never been without her mother. To dine alone felt so strange!
"When do you leave?" she inquired.

"Within the hour." her mother reported.

Aella raised her head. "Do we have time for tea?"

The duchess frowned.
"No, we do not."

Aella lowered her gaze.
"I see."

"Come, come, my child," Melora said, sighing as she reached out to embrace her. "I can't be with you everyday. For there will come a time you will not have me as guidance."

Aella raised her head, nodding mournfully over the thought.

"But cheer up, and enjoy the day in your new dress."


Though it was difficult for Aella to do.  She found herself barely eating a thing, and growing quickly bored and restless, before retiring to her room for an afternoon nap. Though she couldn't sleep at first, fidgeting on her bed as she rolled onto her back and sighed, irritably up at the ornate, gold painted carvings on her ceiling and chandelier.


She had everything.
Beauty.
Perfection.
Grace.
Wealth.
Power and Pride.

But she had little known will of what to do with herself now that she had a castle of her own! It had been years since she had any free moments not under the scrutiny of her mother's paw, but here she found herself with an entire day-
and she was too restless to enjoy it! 

Pulling herself off of the bed, she gave a sigh and stormed over towards her closet, throwing the door open in aims to procure her riding boots and coat! Today was a day for.......



OOC: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand 

Tags to Paradox with his character Laighean <3
Hope no one is offended by my choice of title for the post XD

A young man to topple right out, his body knocking into hers and sending the poor lass to fall. And as she lie there on her back, he lay over her in a daze for a few moments. "Finally! I've been in there for hours. I was starting to think I'd be stuck in there forever!" He had a peculiar accent, thick and rustic. Very foreign. "Oh...what's this?" The man pushed himself off Aella and sat back on the heel of his boots.

He looked around. Apparently he'd wound up in a lady's room. His eyes now shifted back to the young woman he'd stumbled into. He smiled. Fortune was with him! For the lady was exceptionally cute! Judging by the extravagance of the room itself and the clothing the lady wore, Laighean would have guessed that this girl might have been royalty. His mother had never worn any dress of such lavish and colorful design.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to just fall on you like that." He wasn't even sure how he was going to explain to her what he was doing here. In her room, seeming to be hiding in her closet. Like a stalker. "Are you alright? Do you need... "

When she was on her feet, he spread his hands out before him in a gesture of helplessness, " So you're probably wondering what I'm doing here and that's a perfectly reasonable question..."

ooc: lol feel free to scream or...knock him unconscious. MUST DO SOMETHING FOR THE LULZ.

Just sayin'!

Aella hadn't expected when she'd go to her closet she'd find a boy.
Or that the boy, once found, would fall suddenly on top of her, knocking both to the ground. Aella barely had time to register a cry of alarm as she was on the floor, golden hair splayed around her in a river of beauty, skirts fairing the same. Her violet eyes, eyes of a charming hue, similar to that of her dress, now gazed up at the young man with her lips agape, cheeks burning suddenly with the fierceness of a blush as she stared at him with widening eyes.

"There's a man in the room!" she said suddenly, mind reeling as she pushed away from him suddenly, feet tucked and disappearing beneath her skirts. And all she could do was stare, and stare and stare, and stare at him some more, lips never able to close.


OOC: She's too much in shock to register muhc more than WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

XD~

Now it was his turn to stare at her. Of all the responses he'd imagined from her, this was not one of them. He'd half-expected her to scream, flee or locate the nearest and most dangerous object and try to clobber him relentlessly with it.

He supposed she was in shock which could be a good thing as well as a bad thing if that state of shock wore off and she started to scream. She likely had guards, if she was a princess or a member of the upper echelons of wherever he was.

"Aye, you got that right, miss. Hi there, " He flashed her his most dashing of smiles, " I'm Laighean."

At his reaction, his smile and even his name, Aella could only gasp, backing away from him as her eyes widened in shock.

"A man in my room,"s he repeated, face going white as she found herself backing away, all the way towards her bed, and it was when her butt bumped against it that she gasped out in alarm, whirling around and embarrassed to see her bed was there, and then- not only that, but a pillow! YES!
She could arm herself with a pillow!
Snatching onto it, she held it before herself, protectively, still very much terrified of what she saw.

"What.. what were you doing in my closet!?" she finally asked, words barely able to form as they fumbled out of her mouth.

"Now, let's not be hasty. Just calm down and take a deep breath. There's no reason to be frightened . I'm not going to hurt you," Laighean attempted to soothe her fears in a gentle tone , but he could see in her eyes that she was near to hysterics. He did not pursue her as she backed up to her bed. When she grabbed the pillow however and held it up threateningly as though it were a mace, he had to quirk a brow at her curiously, "Seriously? What are you expecting to do with that? Beat me into submission?" He inquired humorously.

Then she demanded to know what he was doing in her room and he honestly had no idea what to say other than the truth which would possibly make NO sense to her but any other sensible answer would have meant that he had to have sneaked in here. And why would he do that? To steal from her or to do something to her specifically. It meant that he was a criminal or a pervert. He was neither of those!

"If I told you the truth , you probably wouldn't believe me. In all honesty , I have no clue. I was walking in the woods one moment and then I ended up in your uh...wardrobe." He only realized how insane he sounded after he said that aloud. 

Aella only stared at the man, both fearful and confused. When he laughed at her choice of weapon, she tossed it at his head.
"Don't come any closer!" she warned, but flinched back, finding herself suddenly unarmed again as she grabbed a teddy bear and held it between them..
the bear even gave a squeak. She looked at it with a long face, then up at him.
But at his story, she gave a start.
"You're a mage!?" and the teddy bear was suddenly thrown at his face as she ran away, frantically to the other side of the bed, to be at the farthest part away from him as possible! 

The pillow hit him square in the face, but fell to the floor harmlessly. Unfortunately for poor , frightened Aella, Laighean remained unaffected and not incredibly impressed. He held up his arms in a gesture of helplessness, "Please, if I was going to hurt you, don't you think I would have already? "

He ducked , narrowly missing the teddy bear missile as it flew over his head. "Judging by your reaction , I'd venture to guess that you're not particularly fond of mages. " That didn't really answer her question though, "If I said that I wasn't , would that ease your state of panic?"

Probably not! But , hey, it was worth a try!

"But then you might be lying!" she retorted, still fearful and stepping back and away. "And for all I know you.. you could be lying now and.. and.." she thought quick, mind trying to think up a weapon and turned, trying to grab a nearby lamp for portective when she suddenly gasped. The lamp was far too heavy for her to handle, as it's weight toppled over, heavy stained glass top towering forward, heading towards Laighean and just about ready to crash into the ground!

Laighean rushed forward and caught the teetering lamp as it was starting to fall. With a grunt, he set it back in place. He took a step back and breathed a sigh of relief. Things couldn't have gone well for him if it had crashed to the ground. He turned to Aella and shook his head at her, " What kind of answer are you looking for then? Do you want me to say I'm really a thief or a kidnapper or some creepy secret admirer turned stalker? "

He crossed his arms and the frowned , "And what, exactly, is wrong about being a mage anyway?" He honestly had no idea where he was or what these people of Connlaoth believed in. If he had, he'd have never told her the truth.

"And, " He bent to scoop up the teddy bear, "Who throws teddy bears, honestly? "

Aella held her breath, amazed when the young man caught her lamp. Then, watching him right it, and then hearing his comment, she turned to him with a start, face freshly flushed.
"I-" but before she could answer about the mage part, she lowered her gaze shamefully. But then he brought up her teddy bear and...
she gasped, snatching it from him as she hugged it fiercely, and then, suddenly found herself laughing.

"I suppose if you were out to get me, some robber or a kidnapper, you wouldn't have taken so kindly towards my bear." she smirked at him, still clutching the thing as her violet eyes sparkled. Well, at least it was a handsome boy that appeared inside her room.
"But really.." she set the teddy bear back. "How did you get in here? There are guards..."
Was he a magician? One how knew tricks? Or.. could this man really have the power of magic at his touch?

Laighean shook his head, " Well, the simple explanation for my being here is that I fell through a magical portal. " It was far more complicated than that, but he found that non-mages wouldn't be able to follow the actual explanation. "I was in the woods, looking for my sister. I didn't even notice it was there until I fell," he blushed. Now that was embarrassing considering that he was a mage and he should have been able to detect such a thing. "And then I ended up here. Wherever here is?"

"Now that you know my name and why I am here, perhaps you'd humor me with your name, Miss?"

At the mention of magic, she gasped again-
"So you are a mage!"

-As she had backed away, the bustle of her dress bumping into the desk behind her as a decorative lamp, vase and picture frame all crashed loudly to the floor.
She hadn't even gotten a chance to give her name, gasping and staring down a the mess with a panicked flutter to her heart.
That's when there was a knock at the door.

"Lady Aella?" the voice was male, most effectively, a guard from the other side. "Is something the matter?"

Aella froze, her voice caught in her throat as she braced a clutched fist to her chest, eyes wide as she stared over at the door.

"There's no need to get your panties in a twis-" Laighean had begun to say, but then the poor panicking girl was backing away from him again as if he had some manner of fatal disease. Having lived in a realm where magic was as common and necessary as the very air that they were breathing now, Laighean did not understand the girl's negative reaction to him. Perhaps, if his magic were like his brother's, he'd understand.

Now she was about to knock into more furniture. "Uh. You might want to stop-" It was too late though! Aella's dress knocked into the same lamp he'd saved earlier. As large and heavy as it was,it in turn took down an equally large picture frame and a vase with some type of fern in it.All of these things crashed to the ground and as the glass shattered, Laighean's green eyes widened about to the size of dinner plates. He heard a voice, deep and masculine coming from just beyond the door.

Lady Aella? So she was a noble then. Although the extravagance of the décor in her room and on her person pretty much gave that away...

He looked at the door, then at Aella, then back to the door, then back at Aella...his eyes were pleading with her not to alert the guard to his presence but she was just standing there. Why couldn't she just tell him that she was fine?

"I'm coming in," He heard the guard saying and it was the only prompting he needed to scramble for a place to hide! And so , back into the closet he went! He could only pray to the Guardian that she wouldn't rat him out! Hopefully she didn't dislike mages THAT much!

He heard the a door open and clinking sound of armor. Armed with a spear, the guard entered the room , looking for trouble. When all he saw was Aella and the fallen lamp he frowned , "Apologies , my Lady. When you didn't answer me, I feared there was something wrong." He studied Aella curiously, "Are you alright? You look as though you might have seen a ghost. Or a mage." He chuckled.


ooc: Oh insomnia, thou art a heartless bitch!

If you want him to get into trouble, I support! <3

Aella turned to the guard with a gasp.
Feeling embarassed, she found herself stuttering.
"I- well- it-"
but the guard only smiled, bending over as he picked up the lamp, setting it back upon the table.  He did the same for the picture frame, but frowned at the smashed vase.
"No worries, my lady. I will send a servant to clean up this mess."
Blushing, Aella finally found her voice.
"Th-thank you," but after the man was gone, that was when Aella realized-
"Oh, wait!" as she moved towards the door, halting in her step as she paused, staring over towards the closet.
Maybe she just imagined it. Surely there couldn't have been a man inside her room!

Fetching up the lamp, and with some trouble, she slowly made her way over towards the closet and waited, quietly before clearing her throat.

"Uh.. um.. hello? Young man from my closet?" she tilted her head curiously to one side. "Are you.. even real? If so.. are you still in there?" She held the lamp tentatively, waiting.. just incase he was really a monster about to spook her this time.... for real!


OOC: Man I hope my posts this evening make sense XD~
just yell at me if there are typos OR confusion.. OR BOTH XD

From the other side of the door, Aella heard Laighean's muffled voice reply, " Man? Nope. Can't say there's anyone in here that fits that description. There's nobody in here but us clothes!"

He probably shouldn't have gotten smart with her, but he couldn't help himself. He slapped a hand over his mouth and laughed quietly at his own lame sense of humor.

Though as soon as she'd drawn close enough to the door, he popped his head out and exclaimed, "Boo!"

Aella only stared..
and stared and stared at the comment the man claimed himself to be clothes.
She would have even considered a laugh, but then suddenly the man came out, screaming like a ghost as she gave way to a scream- lamp crashing down on top of his head.


OOC: SHORT POST IS SHORT!

My, my! What a jumpy lass! Laighean was grinning like a gleeful idiot at his mischievous prank. "Girls. They always make it TOO eas-" It never registered in Laighean's mind that the heavy lamp and come crashing down on his head. But when all was said and done he was lying unconscious on the floor , pinned beneath his assailant. Fortunately, Laighean's head had softened the lamp's fall and as he had crumpled to the floor beneath its weight, there was hardly a sound.

It would be several minutes before he would stir again with a groan.

Aella paled the moment she realized-
"I just killed a man!" Growing frantic, she heard the guard at the door.
"Lady Aella?"
Panicking again, she darted this way, then that, halting only when she heard them click on the door.
"No, do not enter!"

"My lady?" the guard inquired, the door not opening under her command.

"I.. I was... I was just being clumsy, knocking over a few dresses in my closet. Please do not trouble yourself oever me!"

"But my lady.." the guard persisted.

"Please, I am not well. I .. just need to rest is all and umm.... yes, just some rest."She sweated and looked over at the young man on the ground.

"Oh, alright, if you insist," the guard lamented, and returned to his post.

Aella released a held breath and looked down, frowning at the injured man.
"I could get hung for this.."S he griped, and slowly, ever so slowly, approached the man who lay still.
She cocked her head to one side, slicking back her gold hair behind her ear before looking down at him steadily beneath her curious and sympathetic violet eyes. NOw that she had a better look at him, she couldn't help but think how handsome he was.

"And the poor thing will have his grave marked that he was killed by a lamp." collapsing to her knees, she found herself almost in tears, and it was only when she noticed the rise in his chest that she gave a start, gasping as she realized..
"He's alive!"

Appalled, she only stared, watching him breath in pain before blinking and moving onto her knees and crawling over to him and stared down at him, examining his face.
"Hello?" she said after a time, staring at him from upside down, hair falling around his face like a curtain.
He really did look rather handsome, even upside down- a silly thought as she lowered her face down-
What if she were to kiss him?
She had never kissed a boy before and well..
she didn't know why she felt the need to know, but he was asleep- wasn't he?
And she's sure he wouldn't notice.

Her cheeks flushed over the idea.
But she found herself staring, face frozen but inches over his as she looked and looked down at his lips.

Yes.. he was only sleeping.
Swallowing hard, she found herself puckering her lips up for a smooch-

Oh.. his lips were very soft indeed!  And he smelled like dust and woods.... and musk- like the smell of the knights when they drew near...
and never had she felt as giddy as she did, so scandalous as when her curiosity lead her to this kiss!



OOC: XD *snickers*

When his eyes opened, there was a girl leaning over him with her face just a breath apart from his . Laighean stared at the girl who looked about ready to...

Nah. She wasn't going to do...his heart skipped a beat. Was he really going to get lucky? No, he thought with some mild disappointment. She could not possibly be thinking of doing that!

Still, in his humor, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a comment, "I can honestly say that this is a first for me. Never had a girl try to take advantage of me while I was unconscious." He laughed softly once more at his own lame brand of humor and did not move. " Earlier, I thought you were repulsed by me. " He smirked at her. 

Aella tore herself away from the man and was set to screaming, and in a panic, she rushed away, scrambling to the other side of the bed and before she knew it, the guards exploded into the room.
"Lady Aella!" they shouted, and as she whirled around to them and noticed their stares towards the boy..
the girl could only find herself keeling over, draping away most resignedly to the floor, dropping to it with a thud.

The poor lady had fainted.

The armed men soon turned to the boy with a growl.
"State your business!" they shouted, drawing steel.

Laighean smiled disarmingly and backed away slowly, " Take it easy, gentlemen. This is all just a big misunderstanding. Lady Aella and I are just friends. You know, having a nice chat, like most friends do. It's quite normal, really." He kept backing away until he had no more room and the window refused to let him pass.

The guards strode forward into the room with sword and spear directed at the intruder. " I've never seen your face before, boy," The taller guard growled.

"How did you get in here, criminal scum?" The shorter guard demanded.

Laighean look wounded, "Criminal? I am many things, sir, but criminal isn't one of them! Thank you!" Hands behind his back, he fumbled with the window's latch. If they thought they were going to catch him, well, they had another thing coming! "I happen to be a very important man." Important in Aeorna, maybe, but not in this foreign land!

"Do we look stupid to you?" The first guard sneered.

Laighean resisted the temptation to speak his mind. He shrugged.


" You fancy yourself clever, do you? Well, how about we put that crafty lil mind 'o yours to the test, eh? In the dungeon."

Laighean knew they wouldn't believe him no matter what he said. He'd come into this woman's room in a manner they wouldn't understand. They assumed he'd come in here on purpose with wicked intentions. He couldn't blame them. He'd be upset if some strange man had entered Fiona's room without his knowing! "Thanks , but no thanks. I'm afraid that dungeons and I don't work out very well together. I'm rather claustrophobic, you see. "

"Enough of your games, imbecile! You are hereby under arrest-"

Laighean spun around and pushed the windows open wide. He pulled himself up onto the window sill and turned to face his would-be captors, "My sincerest apologies, gentleman. I'd really love to stay and chat. Talk about how you're going to lock me up and torture me and all that, but I've got many a lady's closet to raid and the day is short!"

"HEY!" The short guard bellowed, " YOU GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

Laighean laughed, " If you want me, come and- woah!" His foot slipped and he went toppling out.

The guards ran to the window and , as they poked their heads out and looked down they could see something had caused an enormous splash in the fountain below.

A poor servant girl whom had been walking past the fountain as Laighean fell into it screamed and then took off running as the water exploded from the fountain and showered down upon her.

This alerted the guards nearby who came running towards the fountain with their weapons at the ready.

Laighean burst from the water with a gasp and found many spear and sword points surrounding him at all angles. He grinned sheepishly and held up his hands, "Alright. You got me, boys. I surrender!"

It was a while before Aella had come around, and when she did, she sat up with a start.

"Easy no, Miss Avelon. You've had quite the day already. Be still, child," the large maid said in a soothing tone as the noblewoman looked over at her.

"What.. what happened? I simply recall seeing a man than.. passing out," Aella informed.

"Don't you worry about none of that now. You will be right as rain to know the ruffian was captured and tossed into jail."

"Into the jail!?" Aella said with a start, face going pale.

"Why, yes, deary, all criminals tend to be put up in there," the maid said with a chuckle. "But it's good to see you awake again. You had quite the faint there."

"But what of the man's fate? if he's in jail.."

"Probably the noose for him."

Aella gasped.

"But don't fret none on it, I'll go fetch one of the serving girls and we'll get you some tea. You'll be feeling much better in no time." and the old woman patted the girl's hand and moved off to leave, leaving Aella panicked as she sat upon her bed, worrying about the fate of the peculiar boy that had come out of her closet.

Was he really to hang!?
And what offense had he committed?
Perhaps he was really just a thief but...
Aella couldn't help but worry for it as she peered over at her closet curiously before slipping out of hte bed, making her way over towards it and threw the doors open-

But saw nothing but her own clothing within.

He was seized roughly and ever so kindly 'escorted' to the dungeon. Unfortunately for him, the place was seemingly well-lit with plenty of wall torches alight and plenty of guards watching the shady individuals contained within each and every cell.

As far as dungeons were concerned, it wasn't too bad. Sure, it was a little musty and damp but overall it seemed fairly clean until one looked inside the cells themselves. Laighean wrinkled his nose at the cell he was made to stand before , waiting to enter whilst the guard fumbled with his many keys.

"It's kinda dirty in there. Do you think we could find something a little bit more sanitary? "

"Quiet!" The guard behind him knocked him in the back of the head with the pole of his spear.

Laighean flinched from the blow, "Nevermind. This is fine. I'm sure all it needs are few homely touches!"

Finally, the guard with the keys had the cell door unlocked and opened. Laighean was roughly shoved stumbling inside and the door was slammed shut quickly behind him.

"Just wait until the Duchess hears about this!" One of the guardsmen sighed.

"Yeah. The stupid kid will hang for sure." Another commented as they walked away, leaving only one man to stand watch across the way from his cell.

"Hang?" Laighean gulped and felt his throat with a hand.

And what did a Duchess have to do with any of this? Unless Aella was her...

"Oh Guaridan. What a fine mess you've managed to get yourself into." Laighean turned around to have a look at his new accommodations. It was mostly bare with some iron shackles on the wall and few crimson marks staining the floor and walls. "Charming. Simply charming!"

Aella didn't know why, but panic began to over take her.  The strange man was going to hang, and here it would be HER fault! Not knowing what to do, she threw on her riding cloak, attempting to disguise herself and began to sneak through the halls.

The least she could do was question him about all of this-

but then again, hadn't he already explained?

Sighing, she hugged on more tightly to her cloak and slipped into the secret passage ways throughout the castle. She didn't use them as often as she should, found herself getting lost before finally, after nearly an hour of turning this way and that, found herself in the basement of the castle, in the dank smelling area with cells.

Not many prisoners were kept on premise- her mother, after all, preferred execution, either the chopping block; or the noose.
Swiftly, she made her way past the guards and into the long hallway, eyes peering around to see if she could find him- but it seemed hopeless.
There were so many cells, most of which were empty, but soon she heard a noise and peered towards the end of the row.

There he was!
She gasped, but drew a hand over her lips and moved closer towards the bars, only to paused just before she reached them to study the man within.
The cloak my have hid her face, but it was a bit evident the person standing before him was a lady...

not to mention, a lady wearing fancy purple shoes...
ones that seemed to match a certain purple dress...

"There's really not much that could be done. I wonder if they'd let me clean the blood off so I can sleep on somewhat cleaner floor..." He felt a presence behind him and turned around. He gave a start. He had not expected to see Aella again. Well, maybe once more before his head was lopped off or he was strangled to death.

"The lady doth return. " Laighean bowed very elegantly for a man whom was accused of being a churl, "Welcome to my humble little corner of purgatory."

ooc: lol....

Aella gasped and felt her cheeks flush. She didn't realize it was so obvious who she was.
She took a hesitant step towards the jail cell, frowning.

"I wanted to come to apologize for hitting you with the lamp," she said. "And.." she lowered her gaze. "For.. for.. well, fainting." she frowned, then sighed before raising her violet eyes to his. "I still don't understand what to make of you in my room. You .. clearly weren't there to steal anything, nor to see me or... actually, that brings up a good point!" She said, blinking.
"Do you honestly not know who I am?" she asked, pressing herself closer towards the bars now.

"You hit me?" Laighean didn't remember that happening, but he was surprised all the same. " Well, that's not very dignified or practical- oh...you are quite clever, aren't you? Pretending to be helpless and then clobbering me when I least expect it! That, my lady, is a strategy of brilliance. Very resourceful. "

Now she changed the subject back to his presence being in her room and she seemed surprised, perhaps offended that he did not know who she was. "Well, the guards mentioned something about the Duchess not being thrilled about my intruding into your quarters so I'd venture to guess that you're related to her. A daughter, perhaps? That would explain why everyone is so eager to have me executed. Although, in my country...we'd never have used such extreme measures....ah but I digress! "

He took a step closer to the bars, " I would have thought my attire and dialect would have screamed 'foreigner' to you. I'm not from this land, of that I am certain. What I am not certain of is where I am. And dare I explain the same story again? I fear if I name what I am that it will cause you to become uncomfortable and assault me with another lamp again. I'm not sure if this fear of yours is exclusive or a societal paranoia. Be it the latter, I ought hold my tongue." Maybe it was a crime for being a mage in this country? 

He kept moving until he was right up against the bars, " Pardon me for being bold, but I can see why your mother guards you so . " He smiled and place his hands on the bars, " Now I'd like you to humor me with answering a question."

He paused for dramatic affect and asked her whether she approved or not. "Were you really going to kiss me?"

ooc: lol...

Aella's face burned fiercely at the comment, and she backed away with a gasp, hugging onto her riding cloak indignantly.
"What a question!" she exclaimed, and perhaps, had she the lamp again, she might seek to clobber him with it a second time, but she couldn't help but blurt back. "Whoever said I was trying to kiss you!?" Though she knew the reality of the situation and well....

Who did he think he was to just assume!?

"Perhaps I shall just return to my room then since you and I have nothing here further to discuss!" She worked at fixing her cloak, aiming to leave.

"Oh well, my mistake then. Pardon my wishful thinking. It just would have been nice to think that was true. Right before my execution and all. " Laighean sighed and moved back to sit  on the floor, leaning his back against the cell wall.

"The initial question was merely a jest though. There's no need to get yourself so worked up over it or do you find me so repulsive? " He chuckled, "Don't answer that." Then he shrugged, " The real puzzle for me is why you would return here to speak with me? Does that mean you doubt that I should be here?"   

Aella pressed her lips together, then looked down ashamed.

"I.. I still don't know what to make of your presence," she admitted. "Considering, I still do not understand why you are here. And if you are to stand trial for execution, and I have doubts, I could not forgive myself to know I was the one who sent an innocent man to the noose." She lowered her gaze even further. "My mother.. she.. would most likely not even let you have a trial. She is most protective. If she had been here today, you'd already be in the gallows."

Laighean nodded, "Can't say how I'd feel with some random person popping out of my wardrobe either. Though were it you..." No, no! He really ought to behave. He shook his head, " Can't say I'd be keen on a man in my sister's room so I suppose I could understand why your mother would be upset. Though killing me seems just a wee bit extreme."

"You know nothing of magic, I assume? It's difficult to explain to someone who lacks comprehension of how it works. Suffice it to say that I found a portal that another mage created and I fell through it. The portal itself didn't have a specific location because the spell wasn't complete or it's weakening, hence the malfunction and my being here. I didn't intend to be here. I just am. " He shrugged helplessly, "Although of all the random places I'd have to end up in, I can't complain much about your closet. " He smiled at her.

Hey, if he was going to die and he wasn't going to get a kiss. He was going to flirt shamelessly with a cutie until the end! 

Aella could only stare at him. It was hard to fathom what he was saying, at least in this reality. Books, on the other hand, were a completely different story- and well, she had read about things before but... really, to think such things actually existed.

"No wonder mages are so feared," Aella replied softly. Shaking her head, she frowned. "You have a sister?" More guilt to add to her plate, she'd imagine. She bet his sister would surely be sad to find her brother had been hung because of a magical mixup.

However, at his comment about being glad it was in HER closet, she blushed and found herself unable to speak for a few minutes.
"Well, I suppose appearing there would be better than appearing in the men's water closet," she replied in earnest, blinking at him then sighing again.
"I'd like to help you out, but I don't think there is much to do. But I feel guilty for all of this happening and.. and I can't even recall your name." It was a rather silly sounding name- as was his accent. "Where did you say you were from again?" she asked curiously, raising her eyes to his.

"In the wrong hands, it can be , aye. In the hands of the careless or the selfish.  Though it's hardly a portal that people should be fearing. Those take a lot of work to make and only the most powerful of mages can make one of those. So, they're not quite as common. So you need not worry about another man randomly showing up in your closet. " He smirked.

He nodded, "Aye, her name's Fiona. She's my wee baby sister. About your age, I'd wager." He shrugged, "I've an elder brother too, Draven. " He didn't forget the family he'd lost either, but he wouldn't burden a seemingly sweet young lady with that bit of dark and tragic piece of his history. Even if her mother was about to see him hang!

Laighean was pleased that the lady had taken interest in knowing something of him. Her company was better than sitting alone in a rotten old cell to await judgment.  " I never told you where I was from, but I did tell you my name. I suppose my name is a bit of a mouthful to some.  Laighean Flannchadh, pleased to meet your acquaintance, Aella. "   He had not forgotten her name, of course! He was never the type to forget the name of a pretty lass!

"I'm from Aeorna. You've probably never heard of the place. It's very...isolated. You know, out in the middle of no man's land surrounded by the eldest forests and mountains. Where I'm from, girls don't usually wear such extravagant dresses. " He grinned at her. 

"Laighean," she repeated. Yes, that was it. Why couldn't she commit that to memory? She stared at his face, trying to commit that too, but then found herself smiling at his sister.
"Oh? She's my age?" she mused, but realized she shouldn't press anything on the matter- after all, if he were to hang, now she was becoming even more guilty for it!
"And no, I never heard of the place,"s he frowned. It seemed really far. "You must feel out of your element being here in Connlaoth. Most people fear mages and what they can do. Magic is all but banished and subdued here."

Then at his comment about her dress, her cheeks blushed. She supposed she didn't do a good job of hiding her identity beneath the meager riding cloak...

"It's not as common here as you'd think.  But my mother prefers this sort of fashion on me." And lest she admit, she liked it, too.  She looked back towards Laighean, sighing.
"I wish I could help you but... I don't think I can. I'm not even supposed to be down here."

"I think so. Although, you might be a wee bit younger." Laighean conceded. He got up and walked over to the cell door again, " What about you? Do you have any siblings? "

He leaned forward so that their faces were close and that he could see her eyes, " I'm not surprised, really. We're so far removed from the rest of the world that they've likely forgotten that we even exist. " He shrugged, " And most of my people have been stuck in the same place,living the same boring existence for...Guardian knows how long. I suppose you might say that we're equally guilty and have forgotten those who forget us. Though there are a few who never forget..." He knew she likely had no idea what he was talking about. "Apologies. Another digression. " He stared into her eyes. They were a unique color. His people had brown or green eyes.

"Indeed I am, but I find it refreshing despite the paranoid and irrational viewpoints of mages. " He shrugged. "Magic is very much a part of everything in Aeorna. It's as vital to us as air is to one's lungs. Though I'd be lying if I said we didn't see the darker nature of what magic could become when wieldied by an individual with corrupted intentions. My mother made certain that I was aware that magic , like nature, should be treated with care and respect."

Though many had forgotten what it meant to be gifted with the Guardian's power....

"You do wear it well," Laighean complimented her, " though you could probably make anything you wear look so radiant."

He grinned when she admitted that she wasn't supposed to be down here, " Well now, I'm flattered that the Lady would risk such a clandestine little meeting. " He shook his head, " I suppose there isn't much to be done. I'm either a criminal or , worse, a mage. "He grinned at the idea. He didn't know Connlaoth or it's people well but to be so paranoid of magic as to expel it from their land? How silly! Magic was everywhere! "And I wouldn't ask a nice lass like you to trouble yourself over little old me. Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone I practice any magic, alright? "

He might be able to wriggle out of this mess!

Aella blushed over his obvious flirt, then lowered her gaze as she frowned, becoming heavy with worry for him. But as she heard a noise, she moved to retrieve something from her cloak.
"Here.."s he spoke in a whisper. "Use this to unlock your door." Her eyes raised to meet his, violet eyes shimmering. "Please be careful when you make an escape. There are guards everywhere since your arrival."

He felt her press something small and cool into his hand, "What is this? " He looked down at it now. A key? He gasped softly, surprised at how swiftly she'd changed her mind. After all, she had claimed that she couldn't help him before! The fact that she had lied to him before- this was irrelevant now. He was ecstatic that she'd provided him with an alternative and possibly less problematic means of escape.

Without thinking he reached through the bars and grabbed a handful of her cloak, pulling her close. He then leaned against the barrier that stood between them and kissed her...on the cheek! It was just an innocent kiss of gratitude and as soon as his touch left her skin he whispered, "Thank you, my lady. I will not forget your benevolence." Then he released her and moved away .

It was a kiss.
Just simply a kiss-
and only a kiss to her cheek.
but it was still a kiss and he was just a boy..
and what a boy..
and look at that smile..
such charisma and...
My, wasn't HE a handsome fellow!
Ahh! But it was! It was a kiss! A kiss!

A... A.. A KISS!?
Her first KISS!?
even not on the lips but...
still, panic over took her suddenly, and the girl suddenly fainted to the floor, crumpling at the foot of the cell.

Oh dear. He had not been prepared for that sort of reaction at all! What was this silly lass about? Surely, a harmless kiss on the cheek had not caused her to swoon so! Or did she have some illness he wasn't aware of? Concerned , Laighean returned to the door and knelt down, reaching through the bars , "M'lady?" He touched her leg, which was the closest thing in his reach, " Are you alright?"

No response. Laighen pursed his lips and frowned. He glanced down the hall in both directions , looking for guards. One would be due back to his post near his cell very soon and if they saw Aella here...

"Guardian preserve me. " He sighed and stood up. Key still in hand, he slipped it into the lock and opened the door to his cell, carefully and as quietly as he could.  Aella's body was partially in the way and so he could not open the door wide enough to get through comfortably. He squeezed though though and shut the door quietly behind him. Then he knelt down beside Aella. He studied her face for a moment then took her shoulders gently in his hands and tried to shake her awake, " M'lady, wake up. Wake up!" He pleaded with her in a hushed , urgent tone.

Alas, Aella was out cold!

Laighean lifted his head, glancing left first and then right anxiously, expecting a guard to be in sight at any moment. He sighed and tugged on the patch of hair on his chin that he prided in naming his "epic beard" (which was really more like a baby goatee but one couldn't argue such silly points with him!).

What to do? He could not linger outside his cell , he couldn't stay in the cell . He should just leave, but he could not leave Aella here. Her dress was getting dirty! And he didn't want the lass getting in trouble on his behalf! He also wanted an excuse to put his hands on her but that really wasn't the driving reason here!

Without further delay, he gathered the lady into his arms, slung her over his shoulder and carried her off down the corridor, passing one cell after another. Most of these cells were empty though one of them contained a shady looking man who reached towards him through the bars as he passed, " Escapin' , eh? Help a fellah out."

Laighean ignored him and kept moving. He would regret his action in a moment.

"OI! GUARDS! THE BLOKE THAT ASSAULTED THE DUCHESS'S DAUGHTER IS ESCAPIN'!"

Laighean cursed and broke into a run, rounding the hall and crossing into another. Around the bend stood a guard who, hearing the prisoner's yelling , had come to investigate. When he saw Laighean carrying Aella, his eyes bulged and he started drawing his sword. "STOP!" He commanded but Laighean wasn't about to .

"Sorry. I'd love to but, " He kept charging forward, bull-rushing the unprepared guard and knocking him aside, " I'm kind of in a hurry!" The guard staggered up against the wall, slightly dazed. He recovered quickly though and chased after them, calling out as he ran, "HELP! A PRISONER IS ESCAPING!"

Never once losing his speed or momentum, he rounded yet another corner. And he could hear the clinking sound of armor resounding off the stone walls behind him and the pleas of damned prisoners for freedom as he passed each cell.

He rounded one more corner and came face to face with an imposing man in quite fancy looking armor with a sword drawn. Behind this man stood two knights each with their swords drawn as well. These knights stood between him and freedom!

Laighean skidded to a halt and stood well enough beyond their reach.

"I advise you to put Lady Aella down and return to your cell," The knight spoke in an almost regal manner , strong and commanding . It reminded him a little of Draven.

"And if I did, you'd see me hang afterwards. I don't think so. I've got a better idea. Stand aside or I'll kill her. "

"Monster!" One of the knights behind the commander snarled.

"You're unarmed, " the commander smirked, "you're in no position to make such threats."

Laighean sighed and mumbled under his breath, "Forgive me, mother." Then , he lifted his right hand and concentrated, calling upon the forces of nature, upon the element of water and ice from just beyond the door outside. Gradually ,an icy glow licked his fingertips, springing up like blue, ethereal flames.

"The hell!? He's a mage!"

"That's right. I'm a big, bad scary mage! Now, kindly get out of my way before I case a spell on you!"

The two knights behind the commander did move, intimidated by Laighean's bold display of magic despite how minor it was. The commander, however, remained where he was. "I won't let you take her."

"So be it. " He'd gathered just enough energy to cast a minor freezing spell, a frozen mist spraying forth from his fingertips and enveloping the man's limbs.

"What!?" The knight commander tried to move but he was so sluggish that by the time he'd regained circulation and movement in his arms and legs, Laighean had gone!

Laighean ran up the stairs and , much to his dismay, he emerged within the lower levels of the castle proper. There were servants and guards...guards EVERYWHERE. He sought hiding place behind a pillar near the far wall. This was a more isolated corner of the room where he could pause to formulate a strategy on how best to proceed with his escape. 

OOC: Poor Lughead! I mean, Laighean!

It wasn't until Laighean had found himself trying to hide away in the hallway that Aella began to awaken.
A soft murmur escaped from her lips but once she realized she was dangling, she let out a gasp, then turned her head to see the man from the cell, holding her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes!

OOC: sorry this is short but...
I can't make her react much more than this lest she alert the guards XD
and I think she's done enough damage <3

He felt Aella stir on his shoulder and glanced up at her,  " Good, you're awake." He whispered and set her down, " I think I might be in a wee bit of trouble. The guards know I've escaped and, well, getting out is going to be a little tricky. Do you think you could make some sort of distraction?" He was asking a lot from her, but well, she was part of the reason he was even in this mess to begin with!

He licked his lips, "Maybe you could tell them I got away. Outside and let you go. They , uh, think I'm trying to kidnap you." He grinned at her sheepishly.

Aella gasped at their situation and his suggestion.
"So you've kidnapped me!" she said, flinching as she realized she spoke a bit too loud, and looked around, as if panicked.
"But what would you have me do? Oh, dear, I must've fainted!" she went on, running fingers nervously through her hair. She shook her head, turning to Laighean. "You!" she said after a time, and very accusatory. "YOU kissed me!" and all she could do was stare at him in shock!

"What? No!" Laighean's hushed voice, raised slightly by an octave. He slapped his hands over his mouth and pressed his back against the pillar. Lowering his voice he insisted, " I certainly did not kidnap you!  You fainted and I didn't want to leave you there in a place where you'd probably get in a lot of trouble for being..."

Now she accused him of kissing her? He blinked , "So?" Honestly, what was the big deal about that? "It was just a peck on the cheek. My people do that all the time. It's just a gesture of gratitude or affection. I was just thanking you. Not trying to get into your skirts. " He shook his head, "Why are we even having this discussion at a time like this anyway? Just go find that walking tin can in the fancy armor and lie. Tell him I'm NOT here! Tell him you saw me leave. I was running towards...well, wherever is far from here. Maybe they'll go looking for me elsewhere and I'll be able to slip out easier. "

He'd rather not have to rely on his magic again. 

Then , he had a thought and grinned, " Or would you rather that I kidnap you and hold you hostage? It would certainly ensure my way out. "

Aella merely stared at the man, her eyes growing as wide as saucers. Her lips even fell open as she stared.
"You're asking ME to LIE to one of my mother's knights?" her voice also hitched at the end, eyes fluttering. "I.. I don't even think I could try to lie! My mother says I'm a terrible liar! Even when I try to fib to get dessert first, she won't have none of it!"

But then at his last statement she gasped, then grew angry, hands to her hips.
"You would NEVER!" she huffed. "I just got you out of jail!"

Laighean shrugged and smirked, " If you can't help me, then I'll help myself by whatever means necessary. I don't intend to die here. My family needs me, " He grabbed her,  " And time isn't on my side anymore so, please forgive me but taking you hostage seems like the most effective of choices, it seems. " He held her close, in front of him so anyone who spotted him would see Aella first. He concentrated, his mind reaching out and touching nature...it wasn't quite as simple casting indoors.

"Give me any trouble and I'll be forced to make you a pretty little ice statue, understand?" He whispered in her ear and then lightly pushed her ahead of him. He didn't mean it, of course. He would never do that to girl! Especially a cute one!

As they moved out into the open, some servants spotted them and gasped. One girl dropped a tray stacked with tea and gasped. "Gracious ! "

The noise attracted some guards and when they saw Aella with a man, a strange foreign man standing behind her with  one hand gleaming a bluish-white, they drew their weapons, but warily advanced. They were but ordinary men and they knew not what this mage was capable of.  "A mage!" A corpulent maid gasped and fainted right on the spot.

"Keep your distance!" Laighean cautioned them. "You will let me pass or your precious Lady Aella will become the newest addition to your decor! " He threatened, " A lovely ice statuew, perhaps? "

"Fiend! " One of the knights spat maliciously at him. "Release her this instant and face us like a man! "

"Seven to one? I hardly call that a man's fight." Laighean retorted. "This is my ticket to freedom and I'm not stupid enough to give it up until I have what I want. Now, I suggest that you back off."

The knights kept their distance, allowing him a clear path outside. And he didn't waste time leaving!

Aella gasped. She couldn't believe this turn of events as she was forced to walk down the halls. How insulting! How infuriating and after they had gotten so far, just barely pass the guards she suddenly stopped, stomping a foot and turning around.
"NO!" she spoke, violet eyes hot with anger. "You can not use me like this any longer! I had aimed to help you! But I will play this game no longer!"s he cried out, then suddenly pushed away from him, only to trip suddenly as she fell into a side of drapes, tearing them away from the wall and exposing a secret entry way.  Aella only stared at it in wonder.. and also.. in horror!

The knights seemed to hear the lady struggle and shouted down the hall-
"Lady Aella! We're coming!"
She braced herself, head spinning with what to do!

"This, " Laighean snatched her by the wrist and yanked her up to her feet, " isn't a game to me!" Now there was an angry edge to his tone. "This, my lady, is an act of desperation and , like it or not, you're caught up in it!" He eyed the newly revealed passageway. " Where does this lead to?"

ooc: Haha short!

Aella gasped within his clutches. "You're hurting me!"t hen turned towards the passage with a frown. "They lead out the back," she informed him softly, wilting away as she turned her face away. "Go that way if you must, lest we never see you here again."

He let go of her immediately, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" There was no more time for conversation. The knights had arrived and they were armed well. One of them had a bow and wasted no time taking shots at Laighean. The first arrow would have struck him true, right in the heart but Laighean used his magic to freeze the thing moments before it could pierce his chest. It fell harmlessly to the ground, encased in heavy ice. The second arrow, however, struck him in the shoulder and the mage spun away , stumbling toward the exit and leaving a trail of dripping blood in his wake.

"Got him now, boys! " The bowman crowed triumphantly.

Stumbling down the stairs, Laighean entered the passageway. The knights weren't far behind him!

Panicked, many shots whirled about her head- emotions swelled through as she let out a cry the moment the poor man was shot.
He had apologized-
he had a family-
and here she was, sobbing about the sight of blood.
As the knights rushed towards him-s he suddenly blurted out the commands, "STOP!"
and the knights clunked to a mighty halt, just feet away from their prize.

Slowly, steadily, she made her way towards the passageway.
"Do not harm him!"s he commanded, and the knights all tensed, lookign to one another before one finally had to ask.
"But the villian is getting away!"

"The man was no villian!"s he called out. "Just a simple mage having stumbled into unfortunate circumstances, now if you'll please allow him the dignity to leave, he just needs to get back to his family!"
Here, she stomped her foot.
"It was I who released him from jail. Now heed my orders at once! I am the lady of this castle and you will obey me!"


It took an awfully long time, but finally the man whimpered back at her command," Y-yes, my lady." and they only spared one glance towards Laighean before disappearing back up the stairs.

In his haste to leave, he tripped over own boot and fell tumbling down the stone steps, landing on his rear only when he reached the bottom. Disoriented , he sat there for a moment and listened for...

Wait. He heard Aella speaking now? What was she saying? Whatever it was, the guards were no longer pursuing him! Had she saved him again somehow? He was so grateful that he might have run back upstairs to kiss her again if he didn't know better!

The pain in his shoulder was difficult to ignore. The arrow would need to be removed and the would dressed, but he had nothing here to take care of such things. He'd need to continue down this narrow, dimly lit passage towards wherever it led. Before he proceeded though he looked back over his shoulder one last time as he rose to his feet. "Thank you, " he said quietly to a lady he never expected to see again.

It would be chaos for a while, for sure. The men, now obeyed Aella's command, shrunk back and the girl stole only a glimpse at Laighean's fleeting form before turning back to her men, shoulders square, chin raised, pretending to be headstrong.

"Now, if anything, you mean should see to it that he gets out of here alive. He had meant us no harm. There was just some silly confusion over the whole ordeal."

"But Lady Aella.."

She raised her hand.

"And further more, I can inform my mother herself.  So please hold your tongues until we have spoken over this matter."

The guards were shocked at such a request and hesitated, but finally answered.
"Y-yes, my lady."

"Good, the we are at an understanding. Please, if you would, call the servants and maids to clean up this mess. If anyone sees that gentleman on the premise, please see to it he is kindly escorted out."

It was quite dark and dank within the underground passageway. At the bottom of the steps, his path split into three directions. "Uh...Aella, a little –" He heard the stone door sliding loudly closed behind him and the light that had been filtering through from the passage's entrance was blocked out completely, leaving him in an oppressive darkness that was just dimly illuminated by a single torch. "Help...?" Laighean finished with a sigh.

Reaching with his good arm , he pulled the torch from the wall and held it up so that he could examine each path choice that lay before him. Forward, left, or right. All of these choices looked the same. Narrow, dark and creepy. "Well, it would have been nice to give me a map." He commented aloud to himself humorously. "Wouldn't it be ironic if I ended up right back where I started?" He chuckled and turned left with a shrug, " One direction's as good as another, I suppose. Hopefully, my sense of direction isn't quite as terrible as Draven's sense of humor."

Speaking of Draven, he thought as he moved forward, slowly moving through the passage that was just barely wide enough to accommodate him, he wondered if his brother would be panicking over his absence by now.  Just how long had he been away?

Moss and mold clung to the stone floor and wall, the air was heavy with damp and smelled of dust and mold. Spiderwebs were draped high along the wall and some hung low, clingy to the young mage as he passed through. An occasional rat did scamper by, crossing his path which split multiple ways, multiple times and presented him with far too many choices.  Laighean tried to keep his direction simple, but there were so many turns, so many intersections and winding passages that  , in the end, he felt as though he were lost in a maze.

All in all, the trip was extremely confusing but uneventful and when he at last found a door and decided to risk pulling it open. And as the light flood into the passage and he poked his head through the entryway, he did a double take!

Ironically, he was back to right where he started in Aella's room!

"You have got to be kidding me," He was going to be in SO much trouble! '


Ooc : We knew I couldn't resist the ridiculous.   

The place was in disarray and it took some time for the young lady to calm down her people and after it was all said and done, she excused herself to her room.  After all, this was really FAR too much excitement for the girl for one day and as she slipped the door open, she politely thanked her maids, shaking her head before closing the door behind her and stepping out into her room- where she gave way to pause....


OOC:AAAAAAAAAAND, you can decide what she sees <3
lol

He's totally a stalker
JUS' SAYIN'

The room was empty, but he heard noise just from beyond the door. Approcahing voices and footsteps just from beyond the hall. "Oh Guardian," he looked about for a place to hide. He started over towards the closet , but didn't make it far enough across the room when he heard the door starting to open. He dropped down on his hands and knees, then flattened his body against the floor and slipped under her bed which was, well, generously large. King or Queen sized , he assumed. It was twice as large as his bed was!

These Connloathians sure are spoiled, aren't they ?

Now the door pulled open and he heard someone walk in. He held his breath...


ooc: Yes. YES he is! :3

Aella only knew of one thing that could calm her nerves, and it would have been her clothes she'd drop at her feet that might indicate to the man beneath her bed what was going on.

"Lady Aella, your bath waters are ready."

She nodded to her maid and stepped away from her fallen dress, walking across the room and towards the back room where she slipped behind a screen and nestled into her bath.  Some murmuring of words was heard, then the maids departed as Aella let out a sigh.

It felt good to be alone.
ANd good to finally be able to think by herself. Her head was spinning. And what was she to do!?
her mother was going to kill her! And soon enough, she found herself in a fit of sobs that echoed beautifully and soft across her room.

At first he thought nothing much of it. He could see the familiar violet material, the dress crumpled on the floor just a few inches away from him. It wasn't until he head a maid announce that the 'Water was ready' that it clicked.

He was in a lady's room!

While she was undressed!

For a bath!

This was hardly appropriate at all!

He wasn't supposed to be here! She would kill him if she knew he was here now! The guards would kill him! Her parents would kill him!  His own family would want to probably murder him too...

By the Guardian, EVERYONE would want to see him dead!

He should have been afraid, but instead he was excited! A naked lady! Here? Might he be able to take a little peek? No, no! He wasn't that pathetic! Though he hadn't known a woman in a long time. A LONG time. The thought of NOT taking advantage of a situation like this would drive him mad!

Just one little peek. Won't hurt anyone.

However, when he heard her crying he found himself feeling guilty. Though he had no way of reading her mind, he suspected that he might have had something to do with those tears. He  lowered his eyes and felt a wave of shame wash over him.

After a time, Aella's tears subsided and she tried brushing them away, eyes peering off in thought towards the ceiling. She frowned. Too much has happened today- and she had a feeling her once perfect life was about to change. She shivered and soon stepped out of the bath, calling for her maids as they dried her off nd draped her in towels, then she asked them to fetch her her nightgown, and she was swaddled in them and wrapped up with care.
The ivory material trimmed in last was most beautiful and striking against her body, ad fit her well.
With soft slippers on her feet, she moved back over to her bed and took a seat on it, eyes drifting off in deep thought.  She was alone now, and had, once again more time to reflect on the day's events, before kicking off her slippers and slipping into bed, but not before she turned the candles out.

When Aella got into bed, things became slightly more cramped. Then the lights went out and he felt himself grow cold and numb again. No longer could he feel the plush of the rug beneath him.

Wonderful. Now I REALLY can't let anyone see me.

Though one question did remain. Could anyone see the phantom prince? It was probably better not to attempt to find out. And so, he waited for Aella to fall asleep. He lost track of time , but he waited little over a half of an hour before he slipped out from underneath her bed and rose to stand.

He lingered by her bedside and gazed down at her sleeping form. It was highly inappropriate for him to be viewing her in such a state of dress , but he couldn't help himself. She was quite breathtaking and that nightgown looked far better on her than a some silly poofy dress that hid away all the voluptuous curves...(ooc: I don't even know if she is but oh well!)

Behave yourself, Laighean. You're a gentleman! Shaking his head, he went over to her night table and lit a candle. The light caused him to become corporeal again so that he could lean over her and tuck her in, gently pulling the sheets up snugly over her. He found her stuffed bear and set him close by in case she had need of something to snuggle.

He set the candle down on the night table and turned to move away. He needed to leave. It would be pretty easy under the cover of night.

Aella breathed softly, having fallen asleep, just barely seconds before he slipped out from underneath the bed. Her mind had been fraught with worry, too many thoughts overwhelming her that she felt sick.  When the bear was offered, she naturally wrapped her arms around it, soft golden hair spilling around it's form as she rested her cheek to it's.
Then she murmured as she slept, only half conscious of what she said-

"Laighean," but her eyes weren't even open, but her lips were as she softly breathed.

For a moment, he froze.

She was awake? I should have let her be. Wonderful. Now I'm going to have to explain to her what I'm doing here in her room. Again. At night. Like a creeper.

Rather slowly, he turned around to face her again. He didn't say anything though he was certain that he'd heard her speak his name. Curiously , he looked at her, wonder if she was awake despite her eyes being closed.

How long has she been awake? Wait... is she even awake? He took a quiet, tentative step forward. Well, why else would she speak my name? Maybe she's dreaming about me. Wait...dreaming? About...me? Really? He liked that idea! But if that was true, what did it mean? Does that mean she likes me? She did give me the key...oh! He suddenly remembered! The key! How could he forget. He fished in his pocket for it and brought it out and placed it on her night table , careful to move as quietly as he could. A very simple thing for someone as woodsy as himself.

Aella was in fact, asleep.
Though she breathed softly, sweetly as sweat would have rolled down his face.  She was a light sleeper, however, so when the key was set upon the table she made another noise and opened an eye, yawning at the sight of the candle.
Then she saw the man, her brows furrowing together. "L-laighean?"
ANd then she shot up in bed, gasping. "Laighean!" and drew her blanket quick and close to her chest.

Shit.

So she was a light sleeper! He froze up when he saw her eyes open and she suddenly sat up in bed and drew the covers around her though not before he stole a glance. Very nice.

He stared at her for a moment and easily slipped into his usual fool's grin. Well, she certainly didn't look all that pleased to see him. No, not at all.  And then, quite thoughtlessly, he spoke the first thing that came to his mind , "Nice nightgown."

Sadly before it registered in his mind how inappropriate his behavior was, he said , "You should wear it more often." Not very smooth of him. At all. And if his words weren't enough,  she could probably tell by the look on his mischievous face that he might have been thinking something along those lines!
 

Aella's mouth dropped open at the mention of her gown.
And then she gasped as he mentioned it again, a hand striking across his cheek.
"Laighean!" she cried out, then snapped a hand over her mouth, eyes darting about before angrily turning to him again, hugging the bedding closer to her chest.
"What on earth are you doing here!? Do you know all of the trouble you caused here? Why are you in my room!?"

He didn't see her hand coming and it surprised him at how much his cheek stung afterwards! The little lady could hit quite hard when incensed. He rubbed his aggrieved cheek, " What was that for? " He inquired. Really? Was that even necessary? What was her problem!?

It didn't occur to him yet that his behavior was completely out of line and not very gentlemanly.  "I can't help it if you've got generous assets, " He probably should have just stopped talking after she'd slapped him.

ooc: I vote she slaps him again!

OOC: SHORT POST!


Aella couldn't believe him as her eyes went wide, slapping him again.
"Laighean!" and she reached for a nearby pillow, only to find the teddy bear instead as she launched it at his face. "And here I saved your life and you come into my room, speaking like a barbarian!"

He certainly deserved the second slap as well! Yet he STILL thought she was overreacting! He tried to duck the teddy bear, but the plushy missile smacked him in the face. "It was a compliment!"

It really was! Albeit not a very tasteful one! Quite crude, actually. Barbaric, indeed!

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to intrude. Again. I got lost down there. You didn't tell me which way to go and- have you ever been down there? Because I can tell you, there are way too many cross sections down there. I've honestly no idea how anyone could possibly know where they're going. There wasn't even a map. "

He went over to the are from where he emerged and pulled the wall open, revealing the spot he'd come from , "And you really might want to consider having this sealed off. You know, in case some weirdo wanders around down there and ends up finding his way into your room..heh. Like me?"

Aella stared at him for a while, taking in what he said. She had a pillow in hand, ready to pulverize him with it if the need were to arise. But then she felt bad and lowered it, listening to his plee. But then at his last comment, she raised the pillow again.

"So.. you... got lost?" she asked slowly, with a blink.

Laighean stared at her incredulously. "Aye, what do you expect? It's not like I'm familiar with the place. It's not like there's a sign that says 'Walk this way to escape!'  Ye don't honestly think I'd come back here after your boys in metal tried to skewer me with arrows, do ye? " He nodded at the arrow shaft that still protruded from his shoulder.

"Ach. Forgive me. I forget my manners. " He amended and shook his head, " I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you. I really meant none of it. I've just been cursed with a wee bit of bad luck lately. " More like a lot! 

He was thankful that she didn't know how long he'd been in her room. That he'd been present for her bathing. Then she'd REALLY let him have it! 

Aella stared at him for a time, still clutching her pillow protectively, as if to use it as a weapon.  She felt bad for him, and couldn't help but wonder, by the thick coating of his accent, where the man might be from. But then, it only dawned on her that...

"How long have you been in my room!?" she asked suddenly, raising the pillow threateningly again.

Laighean seemed suddenly nervous. He really didn't want to try to answer that question, but he had to provide her with an answer. "Not long, " he told her. A hasty and vague response. He didn't look at her when he said it, because if she was anything like any of the Flannchadh women, she'd see the truth in his eyes! Or perhaps this was just something females were good at !

"And ye never answered my question. Why did ye let me go?" He was a curious thing and he had to know, hoping that it had something to do with her being attracted to him. Compassion was nice too!

"Not long!?" her face went white as she assumed the worse and let the pillow sail, sinking into his head and allowing for ignorance on his last question- which she would have felt slightly uncomfortable to answer as she hit him again and again. "You were in here when I was bathing!?" Aella accused, and struck more pillow across his face.

"I wasn't looking!" Laighean cried in his defense! Really! He didn't! Well, he might have seen a little skin , but it had only been for a few seconds! But he wasn't even going to admit to that! Guardian! Why had he just confirmed her accusation!?

"I can't help it if you picked an inopportune moment to bathe!" He shielded himself from her furious pillow lashings with his arms. Boy was she mad! It was kind of cute! And just a little bit scary! "I was under the bed. I didn't have a very good view!"

Partially true! But from his angle, he could have seen plenty enough! But he'd been good! Mostly! He was, after all, a gentleman!

Aella's violet eyes went wide at is statement.
"So you *were* in here!?" She couldn't believe it and blindly continued to bat her pillow at him, swinging for her his, his chest, his body- WHATEVER she could hit in her blind rage and before she knew it, she was stumbling out of her bed with a squeaked gasp, legs becoming tangled in the bed sheet.


OOC: Sorry these are so short- but *SO* amusing 8D~

"I didn't look!" He tried to remind her , but she either didn't care or didn't believe him!  She was merciless and he was somewhat taken aback at her unbridled wrath! Who could have thought that such a small lass could smack a man that hard armed with nothing more than a pillow!

A PILLOW!

"Have mercy!" He gasped as she, cleverly, managed to slip through his defenses and whack him right upside the head. Andshe was in, the blows were faster , harder...if she had an axe in hand ,she would have made a bloody corpse out of him!

As she stumbled ,her legs caught up in blankets, he caught her but where his hands were catching her would have caused her rage to soar!

His hands were on her pillows!

OOC: THe cheese should never stand alone.

IC:
Aella let out a cry- realizing HOW she was caught only after the fact of feeling relieved that she was! And she went to lash out, to free herself from such a pose only to find herself gasping and twisting about, becoming more entangled in her bed sheets around her legs as she slipped from his gasp and landed on her back upon his boots on the floor.

Staring up at him, she gave a start.
"Laighean!"s he cried, heart pounding in her chest, face flushed, nighty slipping from one shoulder and some of it's lace coming loose to show only the faintest glimpse to the rise of her breasts...
"You were supposed to be out of my duchy!" she screeched, and began to kick and fight against the bindings of blankets against her leg, flopping around like some exasperated fish.

Predictably, Laighean noticed the slipping strap of her gown and certainly wasn't hesitant to steal a peek at her peaks!The view was ....well, not only did the feel nice, but he couldn't complain about the view! He could die a very happy man right now! Yes, that was how sad and lonely he was!

As he looked down at her and she was yelling at him....he was actually listening despite practically drooling (but not quite!) over the generous view of what nature had endowed her with! Guardian, she was even more attractive when her face was so brightly flushed. Too bad she was pissed!

"I know, I'm trying to leave." He watched her flail and struggle to free herself from the mess she'd gotten herself tangled up in . He looked dismayed, "Um...do you want any help with that? "


ooc: lol...

Aella continued to struggle, her legs wrapped well as if in a cocoon as she let out a shout, then wilted to the ground. Moving her hands back, she began to forcefully pry and peel the blankets off from her legs, then shot a nasty glare at Laighean.
"Don't try to leave, you should just do it! What good you are!" she said with a huff, cheeks pink. "Watching a lady in distress!" THen she backed away, shoulder pressed against the bed, a hand reaching for another pillow. "And now you're simply watching me! Why do you not go!?"
She eyed him suspiciously, pressing herself even closer to her bed.

"Okay, alright. I'll go ,but let me jus'..." He leaned over her and helped unwrap the blankets and sheets that restrained her legs. She protested. She wanted him to leave but he persisted, "Oh c'mon, now ! Don't be ridiculous..." 

Her legs...

He resisted the temptation to touch them, but his eyes caressed their silky smooth surfaces. When he thought of how they felt, he blushed. "I DID ask ye, if ye wanted help." He pointed out quietly.

He stepped back and shook his head at her question. "Well I...I mean I was about to leave but then you woke up and..." Why was he still here? Deep down he certainly knew why! But the words were on the tip of his tongue...but instead of speaking the truth, he deflected it with an excuse . "Well, I jus' wanted to give you your key back..." He said lamely.

He couldn't say he was lingering because he found her attractive and wanted to just keep staring at her. Not only was that inappropriate but it was certainly creepy!

"I don't exactly know..." He stopped suddenly and turned abruptly away from her. He'd heard something, a distinct thunk! noise coming from her closet!

"What in the fangs of the Guardian? Wait there, " The last bit was directed at Aella.  Boldly , he approached the closet and yanked the door open!

And...two people toppled out, spilling out on top of him and pinning him beneath their weight! 

His heart was pounding like a beating drum-

harder and faster as he moved to follow his sister into a fragment of ghosted light.  It was wild and flickering, offering a painful crack of color in a muted world by it's breath of light. And the calling felt real, almost as if there were voices in song, chanting with the beat of his heart; and cradling the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

And All Draven could think of was-
Laighean.
He was in trouble.
And he had to save him.
Sword drawn, the two spilled through the closet, slippign through close and collided with-


"Laighean!?"  Draven was surprised to see his brother, unphased, though smashed beneath the tumbling weight of both he and their sister.  Pushing himself to his feet, his face was consumed only for a brief moment with a smile, before it hardened into a narrow gaze as he turned back to Fiona.
"Fiona!?" he blinked, then turned back to Laighean, hand's to his shoulders after helping his brother to his feet.
"So you're alright then!? Fiona- she made a fuss. I was worried." he blinked and then froze, realizing Laighean was not alone as his brown eyes stared past him and to the violet eyed beauty who remained standing, staring in a white nightgown so fair.

"Laighean!" Draven's face gave way to a naughty smile and blush as she suddenly ruffled his hair. "Charming a fair lady in this other world? I should have known!" he even went so far as to laugh. "And to think, Fiona was worried for yuor life! Perhaps, really, she was worried for hers!"


And all Aella could do was stare...
and stare and stare as two new people toppled into her room.
They seemed to know Laighean and well, that made her all the more scared and confused. Then when she was brought to attention, her entire face turned red and her body froze beneath Draven's handsome stare. 


"Well, aren't you going to introduce us to your girlfriend, Laighean?" his brother jested, jabbing an elbow into his rib.

"So you're alright then!? Fiona- she made a fuss. I was worried." he blinked and then froze, realizing Laighean was not alone as his brown eyes stared past him and to the violet eyed beauty who remained standing, staring in a white nightgown so fair.

Once free and aided to his feet, Laighean stared at his siblings dumbfounded. "Draven? Fiona? But how-? Fiona said..." He pushed past them and went over to Aella's closet to inspect from where his siblings had come. "It's not supposed to be in the same place..I thought...?" He entered,searched for the gate but it had vanished already. Perhaps Fiona was mistaken? Maybe this particular point WAS the a fixed point of entry. Perhaps the gate DID move but always had a predictable pattern as to where it would show up ? What a fascinating concept.

His thoughts were distracted by Draven speaking to him. Turning away from the closet, he smiled, " It's not what ye think.  I went to look for Fi in the woods, you know. The usual spots by the lake near the Guardian's Shrine and I fell right through the earth...ending up in there." He pointed to Aella's closet.

Now the rest of his tale would have to wait , but Draven needed to know that Fi was right. Laighean WAS in trouble. "Ye should learn to trust in her senses more then, Fi is ...ah...right Draven. My presence stirred up quite a bit of fuss, but that's a long story and let me just suffice it to say that the people of this particular country don't care for two things. " He looked over his shoulder at Aella, "One of those things being a strange man in a noble lady's room and the other being magic. What I'm tryin' to say is...Draven, Fi , meet Lady Aella Avelon, daughter of Duchess Melora of Hellvion. Aella,  this is my brother, Draven and my wee baby sister, Fiona."

Fiona had scrambled to her feet with a horrified gasp directed at the man pinned beneath her and her eldest brother.  That horrified expression remained fixed, her eyes on Laighean, until he suddenly introduced them to Aella.

Her expression shifted to something more sullen, and she continued to eye Laighean for a moment before stepping up to the lady in question.  Though never one for the courts, Fi had been raised to be a lady nonetheless, and she curtsied for Aella with a pretty smile.

"Pleased to meet ye, Lady Aella.  Your room is beautiful, and your closet is..."  She turned to regard it with her head half-cocked, as if trying to think of the proper explanation.  "...Spacious."  Yes!  It could hold two Flannchadhs at the same time!

Turning back to the lady, she said, "You have Laighean all over."  It was said with a smile, as though admiring her hair.  She shot a petulant look to her brothers.  "That's what happens when you stay in one place too long.  You get all over other people!"

When Fiona stepped forward, Aella finally stirred, gasping slightly and stepping back, almost fearful as she clutched her hands against her chest and stared in wonder as the woman curtsied before her.  Though, her choice of wording confused her as her face contorted and twisted, and she did not have the efforts within her to be able to retort to any of Laighean's claims.
And that's when Draven stepped forward, tall dark and handsome and Aella felt her entire throat closed up. 

But it wasn't his looks that had her stiff, it was the blood color lurking in the depths of his warm brown eyes as the man bowed before her.

"It is lovely to make your acquaintance, Lady Aella. Please forgive us all, for our intrusions and rudeness.  Not all Flannchadh's are as reckless as my dear younger brother, so I hope you don't judge us all based on the merits he warrants." He offered her a brief wink, before rising and turning his hawkish face towards his brother.

"Speaking of which.." his hands went to his hips, eyes narrowing on Laighean. "What SORT of trouble have you started here?" He then glanced across the room-
things HERE seemed to be in order..
His eyes then returned to Laighean, his gaze still skeptical.  "Do I need to drag you back to mother by your ear?"

Laighean tried not to let his jealously flare up when Draven used his charm on Aella. How easily women did swoon over his taller, darker and awesomely bearded brother. Oh how Laighean wished to have such magnetic facial hair. There wouldn't have been a woman in the world that could resist him then!

"Oh sure, ye're always ready t' lay the blame on me," Laighean retorted, his thick accent flaring up any time he became upset, " Ah'm 'ere only cos ye sent me t' look fer Fi. Were ye in me boots, ye'd end up in th' same place an' ye would 'ave frighten'd th' poor lass joost as easily. She made a fuss an' drew attention to me. Ah got meself arrested an' ah was probably goin' t' 'ang. Lady Aella 'elped me escape , but th' attempt dinnae go very well.  " Laighean shrugged, "An' ah may 'ave been a wee bit drastic wit' me plan, but 'twas nae more than a bluff. Ah'd ne'er dream of hurtin' a pretty face. "    He was looking over at Aella as he said that. It was true! He'd never intended to actually hurt her. It was just an act to keep the guards back.

He left out his incessant flirtations that bordered on crude. Draven and Fi , if they could remember, knew how bad he could be where women were concerned. Unless they'd forgotten, but really...these were unimportant details though he found himself regretting his actions. Had he restrained himself a little more, perhaps he'd have had a better chance at...
At what, exactly? Because of what he was , he could never...

He sighed, taking a moment to collect himself before he continued, " Look, just trust me. We cannot stay here , alright? I've made a lot of people angry and not on purpose! It is what it is.There's no sense in standing here and arguing about it. We need to leave. Now. "


ooc: Sudden accent irrationally appearing! SO SUE ME. Not based on mine. Poor attempt at Scottish Highland (based off reading Brian Jacques books) ...DEAL. :d Hehe. I won't be doing this THAT often though just for the sake of my sanity and the rest of the world's.

Fi left Aealla to her own devices, moving gracefully -- almost with a ghost's grace -- to her brothers.  She stepped neatly between them with her back to the eldest, giving Laighean a tight hug whether he wanted one or not!

"You are all over her," she repeated softly.  "All over everything.  And you look so pale.  You should not have been here so long."  She released him and turned back towards the silent lady.

"I don't suppose you've seen a tear in the Veil around here, have you?  It seems that your closet is more of an exit, and the spirits of your realm are strangely silent.  Draven wants a giraffe for his birthday tomorrow, so we have to get home."

OOC: Draven will never live down the GIRAFFFFFFFFFE

IC:
Draven listened to his brother's rant. His tongue could become increasingly more heavy with accent when he got angry- and well, Laighean was obviously angry.
"Cool your temper, brother. We are in the presence of a lady." And he winked to him after patting his shoulder lightly. "You're just in luck Fiona and I came here to save you." He turned his gaze to Aella, who still remained pale and unspoken. "Well, save you from whatever horrors this pretty little lass might have had in store for you had you stuck around just a bit longer." He nodded to her. "And again, my apologies for my brother's tongue, or if he's scared you. Or if we have."

Then he turned to Fiona who was standing at his side. He hadn't even noticed her approach and listened as she went on about his birthday and the giraffe and the grave concern for Laighean's white complexion (Which to Draven, looked more red like an apple now that he was angry) ....
and he would have commented on all of this but.. well...


Suddenly, Aella fainted, making  simple noise before dropping to the floor.

Laighean's face turned an even darker shade of red at his sister's comment which he probably misinterpreted. "All o'er...? N-no! ah..." He hadn't done anything to her! Though the idea certainly tickled his fancy! What man wouldn't? He embraced Fi , still blushing furiously.

But she'd also added that he was all over everything and wondered if her meaning was something different..he could never tell. He nodded, "I do feel a little drained, but I figured it was from the stress."

He shot a sharp glare towards his brother , but said nothing. Lady or not, what right did Draven think he had to treat him like a fool? Had he even been listening to what he was saying? "Draven, I'm not kidding. If anyone finds us here-"

And then, Aella fainted ! Again!

"When will she stop doin' that?" He moved over to her and knelt down beside her unconscious form. He picked her up and gently deposited her on her bed, and his eyes were lingering on her for longer than was appropriate. She really was beautiful and he being a silly young man couldn't control himself!

After a moment, he cleared his throat and looked away, and he turned to face his siblings. " We'll find the other gate later. We need to go." He looked over beyond Aella's bed towards the secret passageway across from the closet, "Supposedly that will take us outside... according to Aella."

Fi looked quite alarmed when Aella fainted, though she smiled slightly when Laighean lifted her into  bed.  He really should have married...  But, then, Draven should have as well.  The three of them were quite the pair, weren't they?

Fetching the stuffed bear from where it had fallen, Fi held it out to Laighean expectantly.  "You should put this with her.  She'll want to have a friendly face watching over her when she wakes up.  And kiss her goodnight when you tuck her in."  There was a sort of innocent self-assurance about that statement, as if Fi hadn't thought through all of the implications.

Nor, apparently, would she.  Turning her back on Laighean and the girl, she grabbed Draven's hand and dragged him over to where the secret passageway was meant to be.  Laighean should be able to say his goodbyes in peace, after all, away from the prying eyes of his siblings...  "How do you think this works?" she asked her older brother with a curious tilt of her head.

Blinking, Laighean held the stuffed bear in his hands and stared at his sister curiously. The dark crimson color graced his cheeks once more. He assumed that Fiona's intentions were, unlike his, innocent. She had not idea what feelings stirred within him though she knew just enough to pick up on the obvious. This strange girl , this Aella of Hellvion, struck his fancy. He nodded and approached Aella's bedside.

He tucked her in gently as he had done before and set the bear down at her side. He considered leaving her just at that. It was kind of embarrassing to go kissing a strange girl with his siblings watching, but then...who cared? He hadn't been allowed to experience any of these things in a long time...and if he went back home and didn't allow himself just this....he'd probably kick himself for an eternity. 

His face lingered over hers, and he was but centimeters from her lips. He was awfully tempted , but he fought the selfish urge and planted a light, chaste kiss on her forehead and whispered something in her ear before he drew away and walked away to join his siblings. When he reached the doorway to the passage, he paused to cast a look back over his shoulder and sighed almost dramatically.

Guardian she was a cutie! Too bad it couldn't be!

Draven folded his arms over his chest, shaking his head at his younger brother.
"Come on, Laighean. Before we catch you stealing a kiss on her lips." Though could he blame the boy? His reputation with flirting was pretty... horrendous, and since they had all been cooped up inside their dieing kingdom for gods knew how long, well, perhaps the young Lady Aella was lucky he wasn't doing more than that!

He gestured for them all to follow as he assumed the lead, pressing open the secret passage way with ease and staring at the narrow passage with a gentle whistle. "Impressive." He turned over his shoulder, taking his calculations based on what he could see outside of Aella's window, then disappeared inside, but not after informing Laighean, "Take your sister's hand." and he guided them through the labyrinth.   It was almost like second nature to him, and after twenty some odd minutes of spiraling about in near darkness, the trio found themselves to the cool air outside in the courtyard, near the stables where the smell and noises of horses was evident.

Though Draven was cautious, he gestured to the others to keep silent and low as he moved forward, pressing himself against a nearby gate.  There were a few foot soldiers at the door. He motioned to Laighean again, gesturing for him to go on the other side-
The two boys could sneak up behind both men and knock them out at once.
Then at his command, he moved forward, tapping the man on his shoulder and when he spun around- is fist met the man's face- and he went out cold.

Draven made the catacombs seem as though it were mere child's play. Sure, Draven was the most intelligent of the three remaining Flannchadh children, but this seemed like something that shouldn't have been quite so simple and the layout of the underground hadn't been that straightforward. He had to wonder if the power he'd found had somehow enhanced his mind as well!

He held Fiona's hand until they were outside when Draven signaled him to move towards the two guards. Ne nodded, understanding what his brother intended to do and quietly approached the guard standing on the right.

And he was SO close to his goal when he stepped on a twig that had the audacity to snap so loudly under his weight! Draven's guard was down ,but his intended victim turned around and when he saw the mage he pointed his finger accusingly at him and gasped, "YO-" Laighean's fist hooked powerfully under the man's jaw.

As the guard crumpled limply to the grassy earth, Laighean rubbed his aggrieved hand. He was a bit softer than his brother and better suited for ranged combat. "You poor things," He told his knuckles, "Daddy is very sorry."

ooc: Punching the wrong way can hurt. Hehe. :D

OOC: Draven = a cheater XD
And now for some horse whispering skills!
IC:

Draven just gave Laighean a stare. Really, could he not be careful where he stepped? No matter, the guards were down and as Draven access the area, he gestured towards Laighean.
"Take Fiona's hand. We need to procure some horses. Let me check it out. Stay here and wait for my signal." Then he moved away, disappearing into the stables on the far left side of the area.  There was only one watchman on duty.

Draven moved forward steadily and silenced the man (and the guard would wake up with a head ache when he did), and then Draven peeked back out from the stable and gestured for the others to come.

"It seems we'll have a pick of the litter.  Fiona, you can ride with me, Laighean, well," his brother smiled playfully. "Had it been more appropriate, you could have had Lady Aella ride with you." and he slipped himself up and onto a black mare before offering a hand down towards Fiona to help her onto his horse. "Come on, Fi. Let's make quick work and be rid of this place."

Fiona allowed herself to be led through the maze of tunnels, remarkably quiet, for once.  She glanced away when her brothers attacked the guards -- violence had never been something she was fond of -- then meekly let Draven lift her onto the back of his horse.

Once in the saddle, however, she smiled and leaned forward to pat the horse's neck.  He was a beauty -- and it had been a long time since she'd seen -- much less ridden! -- a horse.

"Where are we going to go?" she asked, her attention still on the horse though her question, obviously, was directed at her brothers.  "It will be night soon.  And Laighean shouldn't stay here much longer."

Draven nodded.
"ANd we need your shoulder to be looked at. That wound looks pretty nasty." He held his sister close and gave his horse a light kick. "Let's be off then. We need to get somewhere safer while looking for another hole in the veil. If we return home.." he frowned, not entirely liking the idea to go back but... well, in the veil- they really couldn't full die...

or so it seemed...

"Perhaps something can be done."

For now, keep your eyes peeled. We could stop at a nearby village. Seek out a doctor for that wound." He kept his eyes to Laighean, then the road, before asking his sister, "Unless.. Fiona, do you happen to see the way back home?"

The mention of Aella brought Laighean's mood to something sour. Was it really necessary to rub salt into his wounds? He shot his brother a dark glare, but then shook his head and sighed. Part of him wished that his siblings hadn't found him so soon. He would have liked to flirt with Aella longer. And his thoughts were still on the girl even when he mounted the horse. He didn't even hear his siblings speaking as they rode away, was hardly paying any attention at all...

He couldn't get the girl out of his head. It was always this bad anytime he met one. Especially a cute one. And all he could imagine was the way that nightgown left very little to his naughty imagination and how he would have certainly kissed those lucious lips if his siblings hadn't been there. He'd have gladly let the Duchess hang him if he could tap that fine ....

Oh...his head...he felt kinda woozy. Laighean teetered in the saddle and fell off his horse, dropping into the muddy cobbles with a heavy thud. Then , he blacked out!


ooc : lol....he's such a pain. :3

Draven's eyes went wide when he heard the horse beside his give a start, and he turned to watch in horror as his brother's eyes rolled back and his body shifted, wilted and dropped off the saddle.
"Laighean!" he halted the beast, slipping from the saddle quickly and was at his brother's side quicker than lighting.
"Laighean!" and he cradled him, shaking him lightly, heart racing within his chest as his eyes went to his wound. "Guardian, please dont' let us be late."
Returning to the horse, he scooped up his brother, draping him across his lap before giving the horse a heavy kick, it's hooves tearing across the ground.

To Draven, it felt like ages before they got to the town, but as they did he shouted out, asking for a doctor. A few townsmen pointed the way, and with a gracious, hurried thanks, the horse tore across the ground, galloping them to the other side to a quaint, wood and brick building. The symbol of a doctor was shown across the front, and Draven was quick to tether the horse.
"Fiona, help me," he instructed as the pair brought Laighean inside- completely startling the doctor within.


He was an old man, with a crick in his neck, a hunch to his stance, and a bald head with wisps of white gnarling at the ends in tufts, just above his large ears.  Age spots dotted his flesh, and wrinkles sagged them, and his beard was thinning and gristled as he blinked his blue-grey eyes at the bare, exposing a relative few remaining teeth he had.

"Landsakes! WHat's going on?" and his eyes went wide as Draven placed Laighean on a nearby bed. "I say! This man has been wounded."

"An arrow wound," Draven informed. "Can you help him?" he asked, eyes tearing away from hsi brother as he knelt at his side. "We haven't the coin, but we can pay you back in any means you ask."

The doctor gave a wave of his old, large hand and moved forward.
"Now, now, payment later Let me inspect the boy."
Working to remove Laighean's shirt, it was discarded and the wound examined.  The old man rubbed his chin.
"He's lost a lot of blood."

Draven grew anxious. "What can be done? What can we do?" His eyes flickered to Fiona briefly, then back to the old man.

"Let me place some cotton tot he wound, some salve and pressure. Got to stop the bleeding before he runs dry. Then... well.."t he old man shrugged. "Then we pray."

Fi was silent until they had reached the doctor's office.  Even then, she simply stared at a painting that had been hung near the door, as though she could climb inside it and disappear.

And it was such a pretty painting, too, of a pair of young girls having what seemed to be a picnic in the forest...a forest that was still lush and green and alive...

Turning away from it, she said softly, "Ye can't stop it.  He's unraveling too fast."  Her eyes followed a ribbon of lifeforce up from her brother, watching as it drifted away.  A whole minute drifted by, and she didn't seem to notice at all; she simply resumed her conversation where she had left off.  "Draven, we need to take him home."

The doctor, of course, would have no idea what she was talking about...

Draven furrowed his brow in worry at his sister's claims.

"If it were that simple, Fiona, we would have already tried to make our way home," he tried not to sound impatient, or upset, but he was.  Turning back to the doctor, he watched him finish binding up Laighean with some clothe.
"Do you have any medicine to subdue the pain? Any sort of herb supplements?"

The doctor frowned, but nodded.
"Yes, we have a few. Let me grab what is more potent. Perhaps it'll keep his body relaxed so he won't lose much more blood."  Moving aside, the doctor returned with a clear liquid vial, and moved to force Laighean to drink some.

"He is a bit feverish, too. I dare say it's hard to tell if he'll pull through, though I've seen men in worse condition bounce back." He tried to smile for them. "So don't wear those frowns yet. THere is always hope."

Fiona frowned in response to Draven's words like a scolded child.  She sighed quietly and twisted back around to stare at the painting.

He wasn't listening to her.  If Laighean didn't get home, he wouldn't recover at all.  There was nothing but death to draw from here...and she had tried to warn them.  The doorways were a danger she couldn't vocalize...

"Draven," she said quietly, "I'm going to go find the doorway home."

Laighean stirred a bit and half coughed- half laughed, " It actually hurts..." He wasn't fully aware of where he was or what was going on either. The last thing he recalled was...Aella and his siblings popping out of her wardrobe.

Afterwards was hazy. He tried sitting up, but did not have the strength. " I feel like I've been shot." He opened one eye and stared at the bloody arrow on the table. "Oh...it seems I have!" He laughed, " But she was worth it." He grinned stupidly, dreamily even. It was clear that he was kind of half-conscious.

Now he noticed the doctor and saw that the man had something in his hand, " Woah...wha? Who are you?  What is that? "  Laighean had always been a bit of a big baby when it had come to taking his medicine. His mother knew that better than anyone. She'd even handed the responsibility off to Draven a few times because he could be so tiresome.

Draven shot a glance over at Fiona.
"Fiona! No! Now is not the time. Please wait for us to see to Laighean!"
That's all he needed was for her to go wondering off! Especially in this strange place, this strange world- what were they to do!? Perhaps he should listen to his sister, but for now, Laighean was all that was on his mind. His brother needed to get well, they could find a way back soon enough-
so he hoped.
Turning back to Laighean as he stirred, his lips curled into a smile, but then it faltered as his brother went on about the woman. He shook his head.
"Somethings never change.."
And then when his brother began to make a fuss over the medicine, he shot forward, holding onto him.
"Don't you even dare think about fighting it off. YOu have to take this if you know what's good for you. You've been shot, Laighean. This will help with the pain." And he was stern with his brother, giving him a patronizing glare that reminded him who was the eldest here.

Fi looked crushed at the scolding, then turned her back on both boys.

Well, if that was the way they wanted to be...  She understood how important it was Laighean stay put and heal, rather than drag him all over the place looking for the door home.  But he had to understand, too, that this was something neither of them could do...

...And the longer they stayed, the closer to death they became.

Still, she was an obedient sister...when it mattered, anyway.  Her eyes went back to the pretty painting, her eyes taking in its details almost hungrily.

"Ah'm fiiiiine. Really. Ah hardly feel a thing. It's joost a wee pinprick, " Laighean insisted and sat up in bed, but the effort made his head dizzy and lightheaded, " Oh..." He lost his balance and toppled out of bed. He landed face first on the floor, lips kissing the ground and ass up in the air.

"Ah dannae need anythin' . Fi's right. We ought t' be leavin'. But I 'ave a question. Can we take Aella with us? " He looked up at the others with a great goofball grin.

"Here, let's help you back up boy, "The doctor gently took the strange man by the arm and helped him back to bed, "You've got an interesting accent. Where are you from?"

Before anyone could respond, Laighean said, " Ye cannae tell ? We're from Aeorna."

The Doctor stared at him for a moment, blinked and then shook his head," He seems to be delusional as well. I'll get to work."

The wound was dressed and the medication was administered regardless. Laighean took the it all reluctantly, "Ah'm not-" Laighean felt another wave of dizziness take hold of him and passed out again.

When he came to , he felt the familiar cold that he'd known for a couple hundred years. Yet when he opened his eyes he wasn't where he thought he'd be. He was lying on his back in bed. A sliver of pale moonlight peeked through the curtains of the window adjacent to the bed he was lying in.

Sitting up slowly, Laighean looked around the room, "Where am I now?" He pondered softly aloud.   

Was he still in Connlaoth? Where were his siblings?

There was a dull dripping.
And what he thought was a curtain was really nasty, gnarled growth of residue having grown along side the sewer grate in which they now hid.  Streaks of moonlight stretched within, splaying across the rivers of muck.

Muck.
If one could even call it that. They were in the dank, putrid sewers. But it seemed of little consequence to the trio-
for when the sun had fallen and the moon rose...
the trio had turned into a pair of ghost.
And caused quite the commotion.


Draven did all he could do, not only to keep his wayward sister close, but his injured brother protected as well. So when he awoke, Draven muttered through a sigh,
"Thank the Goddess." And moved closer toward shim after pulling himself up off the ground.
He had been spending time playing with Fiona on the ground, keeping her distracted. She had been so fixated upon that picture frame the entire evening that Draven thought they'd be done for.
Thankfulyl whe they made their escape, their bodies had turned into some ghost like form-
and that was how they were now.

Appearing as nothing more than ghosts.
Though they acted normal enough as humans, gravity still taking effect, and they could interact with each other..
But not much more.
The sewers seemed wise enough and in their forms, the muck and smell were of no consequence. In this form- it was as if they were fading away, like back in the castle....
Either way, the sewer was the chosen place for Draven to take them all. Afte rall, he had no idea what had happened and still needed to sort this all out. All the while everyone else in the city was freaking out that a pair of ghosts were on the loose.

Perhaps that was at least partially true.

"Laighean," Draven moved closer to his brother's side, staring into his eyes. "How do you feel? You suffered a great spell. Those drugs that doctor managed to wrestle you into taking were potent." He moved a hand to feel his brother's forehead, but frowned, realizing how silly it might have been in their form. Despite being able to feel one another- it was almost as if he were touching chalk, or solid dust.

Fiona let the boys have their moment, intent on the game she and Draven had been playing.  In their current forms, they couldn't even lift a single stone; what they could do, however, was to play the old games with their hands.  But Laighean, of course, came first.

"When you're feeling better, it's your turn," she informed the younger of the two with a sage nod.  "Draven's no good at Miss Mary Mack.  He keeps forgetting to turn his hands 'round, and he can't remember all of his part."

She shot her oldest brother a petulant look.  He never had been very good at these things!

When her eyes returned to Laighean, her expression shifted to surprise -- as though she were just seeing him awake for the first time!

"Good morning, Laighean!  When you wake up, I want to show you this giant bug I found!  It's this long, and I think it killed a rat!"

When he finally came around again, Laighean wasn't quite sure what to make out of their predicament. He couldn't help feeling disappointed and it showed in the way he looked at his brother and his shoulders sagged , " Ah was hopin' ah'd passed oot in th' lass's room an' ah'd wake oop an' she'd fall all over me with worry...ah , but ah suppoose ah'm 'appy t' see the pair 'o ye. "

He paused to take a better look at their surroundings, " Ach! A silly question, that. Ye know ah cannae feel a thing nae, " he then grinned, " an ah suppoose ah'm thankful that ah cannae smell nothin' either. Ah'd be willin' t' wager that this place doesn't smell like a bed 'o roses. " There were no sewers back home, but this place certainly looked like it'd reek something fierce!

At Fiona's remark, the young man grinned for a moment but quickly adopted a shocked appearance as he turned to face Draven, " Ye mean he still hasn't learned after all these years 'o havin' the best Miss Mary Mack instructor in th' world. 'O draven, brother! Wot ever are we gonna do with ye? " He whipped around with the biggest and most ridiculous grin on his face and winked at his sister.

The moment was swiftly restored to solemnness and Laighean shrugged, "Ah'm sorry, brother. Ah may have been a wee bit careless. It's joost been so long since ....ah got so excited about the prospects of havin' a go with a fine filly- er..." He nearly forgot that their sister was there listening. Awkward. "Was selfish 'o me an' ah promise ah'll behave meself from nae on."

Could Laighean honestly keep his word on that one? Probably not.   


ooc: lol...

Draven shook his head. Laighean would always be predictable Laighean.
He had to wonder if his brother would ever get sick of chasing skirts.

"You're always thinking with your pants, Laighean." Though he smirked, his tone still sounded somewhat chastising.  Patting Laighean on the shoulder, his smile grew wider at Fiona's words.
"Yes, why don't the two of you look at that bug and play Miss Mary Mack, later. If you haven't noticed already, something very strange has become of us. But I don't know what to make of this. It's as if we've changed into ghosts. I wonder if this is some part of our curse," Draven frowned, mulling it over. "Either way, we're still together, as mental as we were before, if not a little lost and a long way from home." Sighing, he looked around, wrinkling his nose as if he could almost smell the  sewage, though it was a rotten feeling inside he felt, rather than a smell.
"I just fear we're not supposed to be here- and that our bodies fading mean we'll die faster in this world than back at home." He sighed, throwing a fist at the wall. "Damn it, and it seemed as if we were making progress."

He was pissed-
He wanted to help his family, but now it seemed they were worse for wear, and for all it was worth- it seemed they would surely die in this place before the morning. Ghosts! They were like fucking ghosts here!

"An' ah don't think ye concern yerself enough with yer own, brother. Ye never were mooch of a keen eye fer a fine lass. Mayhaps yer holdin' a secret , aye? Fancy the menfolk , do ye? S'nothin' t' be ashamed of, really. Father probableh wouldnae approve, nae. But ah'm 'ere for ye," He teased. He never even thought about such things though . Draven had a lot on his plate , but then again the whole family did. Why Draven thought everything rested on his shoulders alone - that was something Laighean never understood. And it boggled his mind that his brother had never shown much of an interest in women or courtship. Was he really that much more concerned about their family's predicament? Was Laighean being selfish for letting himself be momentarily distracted by a skirt or two?

Laighean shrugged. Ah well. He didn't like to think too much on these things! Though he frowned at his brother's statements that followed. 

"Ooch! We're not, daft brother! Me an' Fi are aware of the situation. Ah can't feel me boys, ye know?" Yes indeed. Laighean was always thinking about what was in his pants. At the mention of the curse,he pulled a face. "More than likely. Ah'm fer thinkin' our bloodline is cursed. Would make sense if it followed us even beyond our own homeland.

He waved a hand dismissively at the both of his siblings, his attitude almost carefree. " Listen t' ye,Draven! Frettin' like a superstitious old woman ! Ye worry too much and besides! Wot use is existin' in a world where we cannae feel our own toes or where the flowers danne grow? Ye really wanna keep livin' forever an' fergetin' wot tha's like? " He eyed Fiona and then Draven critically, "Ah know ah don't an' wotever this is, ah see this as an opportunity. Maybe it's nae a coincidence either. Maybe this is the Guardian's idea of hintin' at a second chance. Maybe there's somethin' 'ere she wants us 't find, aye? "

Fi had become silent, watching the exchange between her brothers with rapt, childlike attention.  Considering the state of her mind, she looked remarkably focused for a change.  If she was at all disturbed by their focus on women and Laighean's bits, she didn't seem to show it.

When she spoke, it was sudden and without preamble...and not at all on the same topic.

"Do you remember when they used to make applesauce in the kitchens?" she inquired, her tone and expression at odds.  A slight, wistful smile hovered on her lips, but her tone was serious.  "You could smell the apples and spices all the way out in the courtyard."

Draven considered Laighean's words. A second chance? Perhaps, but he wasn't sure this was from the goddess. His faith had wavered much since the years they had spent in their cold, greying kingdom, but he did see an oppurtunity when he saw it. But what could they do? Right now, they had the ability to walk through walls. For all he knew, they were fading.. and by morning, they could be for not.

It was Fiona's words that brought him back to the present. He didn't reply to her though, only sighed.

ooc: Not a whole lot for me to respond to here. I'll edit this post AFTER I've plotted with you a bit, Spice. Catch me on messenger sometime when you can.

I wrote this at 5am. If it makes no sense in places, TOO BAD FOR U. :3

ic:

Catching the doubt in his brother's face, Laighean simply shook his head and released a frustrated sigh, " So serious, Draven. Sometimes ah wunder..."

He didn't finish his thought though for it would have done them no good to argue. But he had to wonder how the man would ever manage to be King with such a high-strung nature. Not that he fancied himself an ideal candidate for leadership either. Nah. Laighean was like the wind. He needed to be free. Like the wind...with the lasses. All of them. Kings had to be tied down to so many responsibilities and to marriage. One woman. The horror!

No, no. Laighean couldn't picture himself in such a life though his mother always pressured him to "calm down" and "grow up" . She'd blather on about how nice it was to have a loving wife to care for him and a family and blah blah blah...

Strangely ,he found himself curious about Connlaothians. What kind of relationships did women of Aella's stock find preferable? She seemed incredibly prudish so he imagined that her view may have been similar to that of his mother's. So old-fashioned and not so fun...

Ach! His mind was wandering once again! He forced it back to the present, catching Fiona's comment about applesauce and grinning. Strangely, he couldn't draw up such a memory as he'd forgotten what applesauce was, whether or not it was edible and what it tasted like. But, he tended not to let on about such things whenever he could get away with it. "Ah remember the kitchen maids...hehe. "

Stretching his ethereal arms above his head he sighed again, Well, ah s'ppose we may as well take a wee break. Though ah must say, ah'd prefer a change o' scenery. Ah've 'ad more 'n 'nuff murky dark passages 'n tunnels t' last me a lifetime.O' course, if there's a fair lass at th' end o' one o' these passages, ah'm not fer protestin'!"

Just like Laighean, to keep on pressing about women. He only sighed and looked around them.
"Since it is night, and you are doing better, Laighean, and it seems we haven't faded much past the point we have become now... I was thinking about going to the surface. Back to the streets, to check through the town. Just to see what's going on. Perhaps there's something more to it than just us all turning into ghosts." Because that's what it seemed they had all become, ghosts.

"If you could stay here with Fiona," he said, moving closer to his brother and moving to place a hand upon his shoulder. "I could at least gather more information. I wouldn't be gone long, just enough to see if something is amiss up there." And he pointed towards the sewer grate, where the moonlight was fluttering down around them. "Maybe get us pointed in a better direction."

It was only fair that he be the one to go anyway. He needed to protect his siblings after all.
Also, he thought he had seen something when they were in that one girl's room back at that castle. But he didn't want to bring that up to Laighean. He'd probably want to sneak in there after hours. His brother was shameless.


OOC: THIS IS MY 4000TH POST! FEEL SPECIAL XD

Laighean liked the suggestion. Anything was better than staying put. Then again, Laighean had always been an active and somewhat reckless personality. Had his brother suggested staying put for the night, the young man might have lost it. It was a miracle that he could stand being a spirit for so many years without driving everyone else barking mad. "' Tis a better idea than stayin' here and waitin' fer the moss t' grow, that's fer sure, "He replied with an approving nod.

However, when his brother mentioned remaining put with his little sister , Laighean scowled. It was just like Draven to make him stay behind with the women.  Laighean had complained a few times before in his youth , but his father and Draven always made their point. He was too young, too inexperienced, too rash....but what about now?  Okay, so he'd gone and made a wee bit of a fuss with Lady Aella. It was a one time blunder! Wouldn't happen again! He was a grown man. He could behave!

He chewed on his lower lip and thought about voicing his protest. He loved his little sister, but he was tired of doing nothing. Draven always had to be Mister Hero, never letting him share some of the burden.  It made him feel guilty even if Draven was the one choosing to shoulder these problems mostly alone.

However, he held his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to sound like a whiny child. No. He was a man too now and Draven would someday be his King. Like a good brother, he would follow the man's orders. Mother would wish it so.

"Aye. I will." He said simply. Maybe his brother would find a bonnie lass or two during the venture to relieve the tension. The man hadn't relaxed for a day in his life since father had died."Well, off with ye then. We'll be here when you return."


ooc: Move Draven along. If you need help thinking of something, you know where to find me.


Ivory, sorry but I've elected to move us along slowly in your absence. This way we're still progressing but not at a rate that you won't be able to keep up with (I think?) . Anyway, Fi couldn't do much at this point in time anyway, I suppose? Still, feel free to disrupt us with her randomness whenever you are able. xD

(OOC: Oh, I don't mind at all!  I rather expected to come back to more replies than this!  <3  You kids are so nice to me!)

As if sensing Laighean's thoughts, Fi reached out a hand to her brother.  Her fingers twined with his, and she offered him a delicate smile.  The pair of them were very much alike in the way they viewed the world, after all -- or had been enough at one time.  She no more liked this cramped place than he, not when there was a whole wide world out there for them to see...and not when she thought their chances of escape were dependent upon her ability to sense the way home.

But Draven only saw her vulnerability and Laighean's youth...

"It's a dark dungeon," she said, squeezing her brother's hand comfortingly.  "With passages to explore and beautiful maidens to rescue and monsters to battle."

Her eyes moved from Laighean to Draven, then, and she asked sweetly, "When will you be home?  I'll ask Mother to make a cake."

Draven nodded, smiling a half smile to his sister before he kissed her cheek, then ruffled her hair.
"I shall be back soon." Then he stepped away, moving down the sewer before pausing to glance back at his family. He'd have to make haste.

Slipping back into the city streets was easier said than done as a ghost, but the first person to see him, some homeless man, fell over, having a heart attack when his own hand passed through him. Frowning, Draven could do nothing but watch the man die before him, stiffening into death as his eyes glazed over. So others could see them... and they appeared as ghosts. Perhaps that was what they were turning into. He'd have to be careful so as not to be see, but as he moved through the streets of the city, he caught word of something from a pair of guards on the end of the way. Pressing himself up against the outter wall of the building, he strained his ears and listened.

"Yeah, the Duchess came back fuming mad. There's apparently a bounty on the man's head who infiltrated the castle and Lady Aella is locked up in a tower under lock and key."
Instinctively, his eyes flickered over towards the castle on the horizon, to the northern tower where he presumed they meant she was being kept. He frowned. If that girl was under house arrest, it would be doubly hard to get inside. And in his state, there no doubt would be an uproar if someone found him.  Looking around, he tried to contemplate a plan on how to get back inside the castle without being seen and get back to his sister and brother before they even realized where he had gone-

But it seemed fate had other plans in store for Draven, and it was morning before he had stumbled back into the sewers, his body- already solid again from the daylight- which was one of the main reasons he had come back- and he looked worse for wear, a bloodied cut on his arm (that he seemed to ignore) and his body slick with sweat.

"We're going to have to get out of this city," he told them, avoiding their eyes. "And fast. Come on, Fiona," he said, reaching a hand out to his sister.

The thought of rescuing fair damsels brightened Laighean's mood no matter how absurd a notion it might have seemed to others. At least he could dream which was better than sitting bored in a stinky old sewer waiting for big brother to take care of things. He grinned, " Ah like th' way ye think, me wee baby sister." However, as an afterthought, he added, "Ye really think there are some bonnie lasses down 'ere ? Ah'm fer thinkin' that be the case, they'd be makin' a great fuss o'er gettin' their fancy dresses all mucked up."

He frowned at Draven, "Ye be careful. Yer not invincible , ye know. "
And then, Draven was gone and they were alone.

Laighean turned to regard his sister, " Ah do like cake. A nice big chocolate cake." Thinking about it though didn't make him feel anything as it used to. And , oddly, he found himself missing that terrible sensation of a grumbling tummy.
He shrugged his ethereal shoulders, " Let's find us some beasties to vanquish an' damsels to rescue!"

They wandered the underground. Laighean was careful to make mental notes in his head what tunnels they'd turned down so that they could find their way back. Fortunately, these sewers were not quite as labyrinth-like as the underbelly of Aella's castle had been.

There wasn't a whole lot to find either . Some musty old cobwebs , some rats , really dirty and smelly water. However, Laighean had nearly as big of an imagination as his sister and together they easily made an adventure out of it.
For some reason, their quest was to save the sacred flower garden from the evil giant rats which were minions of a diabolical wizard who sought to make the world flower-free.

Now brother and sister had fought their way through an army of rats and were proceeding towards the wizard's castle when suddenly they came across the most fearsome and terrifying creature they had seen yet!
Laighean stopped abruptly and stared.

"A cat?" Laighean pointed out the scrawny thing . A short-haired orange tabby with a bob for a tail. It looked up at the ghosts with it's big yellow-green eyes and mewled quite pathetically. 

"Careful , Fi...'tis an agent o' th' enemy!" Laighean pretended to branish a sword.

Now they were disrupted by Draven's arrival and Laighean forgot the feline. He noted the blood however and moved to greet him. "What do ye mean? Get out? " Was it his fault? Were the people so riled up about his intrusion in the castle. He'd hardly done a thing!

Draven narrowed his eyes at his brother.
"What I mean to say is, that girl you were flirting with has the entire city on lock down. And if we're not careful, now that we're all solid, we all could hang."

Laighean stared at his brother for a moment and then he laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

"O', me brother. Sooch a kidder! Ye 'ad me there fer a wee moment.."

But looking at Draven's face, he could see no change in its severity and his humor somewhat cracked. "Wait. Yer serious?"

Lockdown? Really?  Hadn't Aella told her mother that he was harmless? "Ah wot a buncha fairy doost! Tha's ridiculous! Lockdown? O'er a wee bi' o' 'armless flirtin'. Ah mean...ah know ah spent some time in the dungeon an' all but ah was goin' t' explain to 'er mother tha' it's all joost a big misunnerstandin'  .They dannae know what ye look like. Not ye or Fi . Ye two could get outta 'ere pretty easily.  Maybe if we split up an' meet ootside o' town, well it keeps our wee baby sister oot of more danger than I already so recklessly put 'er in , aye?"

It was easy to lose herself in the game she played with her brother, and it was only with some difficulty that she pulled herself back into the real world with their eldest brother's arrival.  She tilted her head comically to the side, and then she frowned, looking troubled...but, perhaps, less so than she should have been, given the blood...

"Did ye fin' the flower?" she inquired, abandoning the cat to its prowls to join her brothers.  But of course he hadn't...  That was what she was there for, wasn't it?  She pursed her lips together, then sighed heavily.  "Ah'm a Flannchadh.  Ye needn't worry o'er me so much.  Either o' ye."  Her stern expression regarded them both a moment, then softened into something kinder.  "Anyway, that's what ye're here for, right?  An' ah'll be goo'.  Pinky promise."

Draven sighed.
"Do you really think splitting up would be wise? I know you, Laighean, and... this world, though it seems the same as our, is vastly different. The common tongue even sounds different and ..." he sighed, raking a hand through his dark hair as he frowned.
"Do you honestly think I'd just let you go, after all the trouble you caused?" Though after saying it, he frowned at the thought and scratched lightly at the thick beard around his jaw. "Though come to think of it... I do recall you make a lovely distraction..."
But shaking his head at the idea, he frowned and looked back towards his brother.
"No, it is out of the question. We need to stick together to figure a way out." Then to his sister, he asked, "Fiona, do you know of any other way out? Any other way to get us back home? Like the secret door we had slipped through to get here."

Though for all he knew...
there was no more home to go back to, and this was their new destiny, this had been their way out... even as strange as it might be. But he could not say. Their destiny still lay in the winds.

Grinning at his sister, Laighean nodded, "Aye, tha' ye are."

Laighean turned to Draven and shrugged, " Ah'm noot a child, Draven. Ah can take care o' meself if ye let me."  The mage folded his arms over his chest. At the mention of his trouble-making, he grinned sheepishly, "Oh, 'twas joost a wee bi' o' fun. Ye worry too mooch. Ye ferget all we've been through. A couple o' boys in tin are hardly gonna stop me. Me magic'll protect me if ah don't 'old back like ah 'ave. Mother taught me t' fight an' ah'm every bi' as capable as you are. "

Then he rolled his eyes and added, "Fer yer information, it's not me fault these people are so damn paranoid an' afraid o' magic. "

But Draven wasn't even going to consider it. Laighean's mood soured, but he said nothing more. Future King Draven always knew best, didn't he? And as the younger brother , he should just do what he was told. 

Fi frowned at her brothers a moment, then whirled away and made as though she were about to scoop the cat, ragged and filthy as it was, into her arms.  His arched its back with a hiss, and its tail poofed out so dramatically that it looked almost as though a second cat were standing beside it.  It allowed her to pick him up, however, soon becoming pliant in the girl's arms.  It's purr was loud, made louder by their cramped surroundings, and it butted her chin with its dirty head happily.

With her new friend nestled in her arms, Fi turned to her brothers with a happy, rather vacant smile.  She seemed more focused on the kitty than on their plight, her words punctuated by the occasional giggle or coo in response to the cat.  "The light is brightes' in the dark.  Ye 'ave t' look 'ard t' see the shine.  Meow?  Meow, meow, meow."

"D'ye know tha' a ca' can see t'other worlds?  If we ask 'im, 'e might say."

Draven sighed as he looked at his sister, and went pensive a moment as he looked from her, then to the cat. After a moment, his features softened.

"Yes, why don't we ask the cat, Fiona. Does it know any secrets it wishes to tell us? And would you be able to translate what it says?" and he placed a hand gently upon his sister's shoulder. Perhaps the secret to getting out of here was simply trusting the unprecedented thought process of his fading baby sister.

"Probably sayin' 'e's  'ungry an' this place stinks like shi-. " Laighean nearly forgot there was at least one lady present here. He coughed and corrected himself, "Er. Bad, very bad." Actually, Laighean couldn't smell a thing in ghost form , but from the look of the place, he was willing to guess that it probably wasn't the cleanest or most pleasant of places to be. 

"But joost fer fun, can ye ask th' wee lil kitty if 'e can take us to a world where Draven isn't sooch a fusspot?"  Lagheain strained his ear as if listening to the cat, "What's tha' , kitteh? Ye say tha' no sooch world exists?" Laighean gave the cat a somewhat disappointed look, " Well, ah s'ppose we'll joost 'ave to do with a world tha' 'as some light and bonnie lasses. And by bonnie lasses ah meant human lasses, not kittehs."

The cat stared at him and then it cried softly, "Mew!"


ooc: My post contributes immensely!

Fi giggled at Laighean's antics in spite of their situation.  Then again, whose to say she fully remembered or understood how dire a situation they were in?

"Ah guess 'e does nee' a bath.  An' 'e would be so 'andsome, wouldn't ye?"  The cat seemed to be purring in agreement...or it could have been the vigorous rubbing he was receiving beneath his chin.  "We could dress 'im up in a wee suit an' give 'im a wee sword ta fight evil mice...  An' 'e'd be crowned King o' the mice, and they'd 'ave ta bring 'im all their cheese!"

"Ye know where the' Kingdom o' Mice is, doncha, kitteh?  Go on an' find i' fer us, then."  So saying, she sat the cat back down on the ground, where it promptly turned its attention to washing its ears.

Fi looked a bit crestfallen.

Draven frowned.
Well, that tactic proved fruitless. Sighing, he turned away from his siblings to peer down the way.
"We can't stay down here forever," he reminded the pair. "Perhaps now it's time to go." And without so much as a word, he moved away from the pair of them and climbed up a nearby ladder, to where he paused to observe the street above. The coast was clear, that much was obvious as the road was quiet and he couldn't hear a horse or carriage rolling by.

"If we're careful, we can slip out in daylight. So I suggest we go now while no one is up on the streets," and he gestured for Laighean to usher Fiona behind him as he turned back to the grate over head, grunted and removed it before he crawled out onto the empty street.

Predictably, the cat was behaving like a cat. "A vain beastie, " Laighean chuckled, "If ah dinnae know any better, ah'd say 'e was a princess." A Connlaothian one because they seemed like a vain and prissy lot. 

He watched Draven leave and then turned to regard his sister, "Well, ye 'eard th' man. Up we go!" He considered the cat now, "Ye comin', King 'o Priss? " The cat was grooming its chest now. Laighean shrugged, "Ah s'ppose 'e 'as more important things t' do! Well, 'ave fun with tha' yer majesty!"

Having bid his farewell to the feline, Laighean scaled up the ladder after his sister and emerged into the world of light.

Fiona waved goodbye to the cat, who, frankly, was too busy with his ineffective grooming to really notice.  She scrambled up the ladder, then, sandwiched between her older brothers.

On the street, she paused with a surprised expression on her face.  The quaint little street in which the trio had found themselves was lovely, composed of small, closely-placed cottages with overflowing gardens and flowerbeds.  The sun's light fell on blues, greens, yellows, and pinks, brightening the entire street with a sense of cheer and peace.

Yet, Fi's surprise quickly became confusion, then caution as she spun in a slow circle in the street.  "This isn't righ'," she murmured quietly.  There was an edge of something else creeping into her tone, something entirely foreign to her usual cheer.  It sounded like fear, verging on hysteria.  "We shouldn't be 'ere!  We 'ave t' go!"

It was, in fact, a picturesque scene. The sun cast everything in a golden glow, the place was lively, full of cheery, busy sounds and it smelled of fresh blossoms. It was definitely something the group of siblings hadn't experienced for a while, and even someone as stiff as Draven was coming in to appreciate for a spell-

That was, until his sister's sudden protest.
Blinking, he turned back to Fiona.
"Fiona?" he said, furrowing his brow as he took a step near to her. "What are you talking about? There aren't any guards around.."
Or was there something else she sensed or saw?

Laighean felt his skin prickle and he shifted on his feet, a look of mild discomfort on his fair features, " Ah cannae say fer sure, brother, but ah get th' feelin' there's somethin' amiss. Anyway, we-" He stopped and stared at something small and furry off to Draven's left. He pointed to it ,"Does anyone else find that just a wee bi' disturbin'?"

The feline sat there staring at the trio. It looked identical in size , shape, and coloring to the cat they'd seen in the sewers. It meowed at them once and then took off down the street.

And Laighean took off running after it!

((To remind you of what we discussed. Chase cat. Cat leads silly humans to the portal though not necessarily by intention. Fi should detect it and....then they can cross through and go home. Feel free to carry this out in whatever fashion pleases. Doesn't have to be so ABC . ))

Blinking, Draven looked down at his boots where the cat was snuggling up against in an oh so cuddly manner. It was odd once he realized the markings appeared the same.

"There are strays no doubt, all over town," Draven began to explain. "I'm sure they're all from a similar litter..."
But then, of course, his brother decides to up and make chase and Draven, doing a double take, let out a frustrated growl and called after him.
"LAIGHEAN!" he shouted. "MIGHT I REMIND YOU WE STILL NEED TO BE CAREFUL!"
And with another growl, he took a hold of Fiona's hand and gave a gentle, but forceful pull, "Come on. Let's go stop him before he gets us all killed."

If they could even be killed...

Fi started when Draven took her hand, having been lost in her own little world.  She had, in fact, been staring intently at a wisp of purple smoke that only she could see as it danced and wound through the air on the breeze above and around them.  "Killed?"

She looked to Draven, then over her shoulder at where the smoke had been...but whatever spell she had been under, Draven had broken it.

"Wha's 'e bein' killed fer?"

There was surprisingly little alarm in her voice...

Draven growled and continued to pull his sister along.
"Just for being Laighean."
Though need he go into detail about how reckless he could be?
"LAIGHEAN!" he shouted, but it seemed his cries were going on def ears. Wait until he got a hold of him, he'd box him one, right on the ears!

((oh Laighean...))

"'Scuse me! "

"Oh!" Several lasses were pushed aside as he crashed into the four of them. Some of them bonnie, others not so much! Part of Laighean regretted his hasted. For he would have liked to know a few of them...

"Sorry! Very sorry, ladies but ah 'ave t' catch that little hairball!"

"Ruffian!"

"Scoundrel!"

"What a cutie!"

"How rude!"

Laighean ignored the women and kept running on despite the protests of the women and the even louder protests of his brother roaring behind him. Oh Draven was so cross,  he knew, but he hardly cared. Instinct told him that this cat was unusual. He couldn't explain why. He just knew!

"Fast little bugger, innit he?"  Laighean panted as he closed in on the end of the street. The cat stopped at the end of the street and turned right into a narrow alley.

"Yer not gettin' away!" Laighean bellowed and charged onward after him around the corner but...as he rounded it, he came to find that the alley was clear. The cat had vanished entirely. "Where did the infernal beast go? Here, kitteh , kitteh, kitteh! Come, out kitteh! Laighean joost wants t' 'ave a wee lil chat with ye!"

Gods! Laighean was impossible! And to make matters worse, he and Fiona had to push their way through an angry crowd of women. By the time they made it to the other side,  Laighean had all but vanished.
Cursing beneath his breath, Draven growled and was about to turn back another way when he heard his lug head of a brother making 'cat calls.'

"Come on, Fiona!" he said, continuing to drag her away until the pair of them had Laighean trapped.
"Well, I hope your happy you found the end of an alley," Draven said, folding his arms across his chest as he finally relinquished his grip on his sister's hand. "Just what did you think you were doing anyway? You know it's not safe in this world for us."

Fiona blinked owlishly from one brother to the other, until something at the end of the alley caught her eye.  Her expression of confusion brightened immeasurably, and she stepped forward to pull free of her eldest brother.

Cooing, she made her way past Laighean.  "There ye are!  'Ave ye bested the mouse king already?" she asked the empty wall.  She paused there, then, turning to smile brightly at both of her brothers.

"D'ye know tha' a ca' can see t'other worlds?"  It was the same question she had asked them earlier in the sewers upon first encountering the cat...

And with that, she stepped into the wall, vanishing entirely back into their own world.

"Oh ye 'ave t' be kidding me!"  Laighean gave up on his cat search and turned around to face his brother as the man approached, patronizing him as usual. "What's gonna get me , Draven? The cat? The women..." He suddenly grinned wolfishly. "Ah'd certainly welcome the latter."

It was little wonder his brother was concerned though. It really did seem like Laighean was so reckless and treating it like a joke.

While the brothers were locked in argument , their sister found the cat and disappeared!

Laighean turned away and gasped, "Wha-? Where'd she go!?" Panicking now, Laighean rushed away , "Fi! Fi! Where are ye!? C'mon , Fi! S'not nice t' play games! " He threw his arms up in the air after a couple minutes of searching for her and then whirled around on his brother, "I'm a grown man and ah can handle meself! You need to worry about our lil sister! She's...a wee bit spacey!" He'd never call her 'touched' or 'crazy'. He loved her far too much. "Well, done! Ye've gone an' lost 'er!" He sighed angrily and went to lean back...

and fell right through the wall , seeming to simply vanish from the world!

Draven furrowed his brow and growled silently at his brother.
"You can't blame me for this one, Laighean. If it wasn't for your reckless behav-"
And before Draven had gotten a chance to get a mouthful of arguments out on him- Laighean was gone.


For a good long while Draven stared at the wall. If Laighean disappeared here, and before that- Fiona.. and they were all following after some cat....
He continued to study the wall a moment longer, putting his hand through the wall and feeling it pull at his very reality- his flesh.


Her jerked his hand back and looked at it again-
It was still in tact. Then he looked back at the wall and waved his hand through it once more.

"Interesting.." he stated, his eyes never once leaving the unseen void. "Very... interesting.."
And with little else more to go on, he drew in a breath and steeled himself...
Before stepping in through the wall.

The things he did for his family...

Even by the time Laighean had stepped through, the cat had vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.  Fi had also, apparently, forgotten entirely about the reason she dashed through the portal to begin with.  Instead, she had settled down in front of the portal, some distance away to watch the portal intently.

Laighean's appearance brought a happy expression to her face, as well as surprise.  "Laighean!  Ye aren't s'posed ta show yeself yet.  Ah 'aven't even finished counting ta 100!"

She rose to her feet when Draven appeared, then, and she approached the pair with a laugh.  "An' now ye're teachin' Draven bad 'abits.  Don't either of ye know 'ow to play 'ide and seek?  Ye're s'posed ta wait 'til I fin' ye!"

Laighean stumbled backwards through the portal with arms pinwheeling comically at his sides. He tripped over his boots and fell right onto his back.Draven came through not far behind him. Well, Laighean thought, at least the three of us are still together.

"Ach! Well, ah wasn't quite expectin' that!" He sat up and gave his little sister a curious look when she made the comment about counting. Were he unfamiliar to her, or perhaps anyone else other than himself, he would have needed a few moments to understand what she was saying.

Laighean grinned, "Ah'm sorry , Fi. Ah joost - ye know me, ah cannae sit still fer that long!" He made a pouting face at her and then rose to his feet and looked over his shoulder at Draven, "Ah dannae think 'e has an excuse."

Laighean moved past them and took in their surroundings. Dull, ashen landscape, dead trees, light-devoid sky, ruined castle. "Ah. Well, we're 'ome. Ah s'ppose we ought t' go see mother an' see 'ow she's been gettin' on without us. " Of course, even as he said this he doubted their mother had noticed. She seemed even more gone than Fi. Poor mother. 

Draven stared hollowedly at his sister, his smile forced at her words when he replied, "Yeah, it seems the game is over. Sorry, Fi," and he lightly drew a finger down her nose before tapping her lightly on the tip of it. Then he turned to Laighean with a nod. They both knew mother was a lost cause. She might as well have been a statue, the poor thing couldn't even sit.
ANd she no longer wore her shoes..
He'd fear her freezing to death if he didn't already know they couldn't die that easily...

Instead, they were set to the working of fate-
and to fade along with the colors of their world.

"Come along. We shan't keep her waiting," and he moved forward in silence, following a tall, crumbling wall with gnarled, dead vines twisted all over it. They were thorny and black, and like every other day, some debris of fading color- of fading light would fall from the eternally clouded skies above as the siblings walked towards the castle gate-

Where no one would come to greet them. No one would smile that they are home.


By now, most servants were gone; and it had been strange to see it- to watch people simply.. fade away. It was like their forms in that other world, and Draven grew pensive as he recalled it. The servants had turned into 'ghosts' and only a few months later (or was it a year? It was hard to say...)

They were gone.


But his thoughts were broken as he pushed open the heavy front doors with the assistance of his brother, and inside they walked, along carpets plush, but without color, and walls- that were once flecked with beautiful sparkling light from painted glass, now fluttered in muted colors the resembled the dying leaves of fall.

Fi's disappointment vanished instantly with her brothers' attention, and she bounded happily to her feet to follow in her brothers' wake...

...And occasionally jump ahead of them and to leave them in hers.  She moved about with more energy, it seemed, than anyone else in this land had left, and she would occasionally return to the pair with a wide smile and a rambling, wild tale or statement that made, if they were fortunate, only the smallest amount of sense.  As always, though, she seemed satisfied with their pats on the head and put-upon smiles, and then she was foraging ahead or behind again.

It seemed strange, therefore, that she should wait beside them so patiently to open the doors and to follow them in silence as they entered, pausing just over the threshold to stare at the cool, colorless place with a look of apprehensive fear.

She said nothing for a long while, allowing her brothers to walk inside without her as she stood there alone.  They were almost to the stairs before she said, "There's somethin' different."  Her voice sounded too loud in the silent halls, and she flinched as she lifted a hand to cover her mouth.  She whispered from between her splayed fingers.  "There's somethin' wrong."

Draven, who was hardly paying attention to his sister by this time, actually paused to turn his head to look at her.
"Fiona?" he said, furrowing his brow. "What's wrong?" And then when he looked past her towards the stairs..
THeir mother was standing there.


Before this day she never moved from where she stood in the throne room. She might as well have collected cobwebs all this time she had been there, or had turn into stone for as much as she had done since her last words were spoken, she remained as a poised figure. Now, her skin was pale white as a ghosts, her dress, fairing the same, and she looked haunting. Even her shoeless feet were exposed beneath the lace of her dress as her grey-blue eyes looked towards her children.

It was odd to see her like this and Draven felt his blood chill at the sight. She looked... frightful almost, afraid...
and her lips were partially open, almost as if she wanted to speak.

If Laighean felt an ounce of concern, his manner didn't show it. He walked right up to their mother as if it were any other day and greeted her cheerfully, "Hello, mom! How are ye today? Ye look very..." He noted how much more ashen her countenance had become. Her complexion nearly matched the atmosphere , but Laighean tried not to think about what that could mean because it pained him to. "Very bright today, aye? "He was afraid to put a hand on her shoulder, fearing to know whether his hand would pass right through her.

Eireen Flannchadh stared ahead unblinkingly, right through him as if she hadn't even noticed him at all. Laighean chose to pretend that she had responded in her usual manner. He could still picture it in his head and that was better than facing reality, "Ye will never believe what we found, mother. Draven, you tell her." Elder brothers were better at such things! Explanations for sibling antics was his job! 

"I know. " She said. Her tone soft but unmistakably her own. Now , she looked at her children as though she might actually be able to see them all clearly for the first time.

Laighean jumped back, "M-mom? Y-you TALK!"

The phantom queen nodded slightly , "I feel as though I've woken from a long dream or perhaps I am still sleeping? " She adopted a puzzled expression for a moment but then shook her head. She honestly could not say, " The Guardian woke me. She wishes to speak with you. She speaks to you now."

((If anyone had plans, I'm sorry. I uh...have an idea but let me know if I need to change anything. Pausing here for reactions. I AM going somewhere with this, but if you'd like to add something here....let me know in messenger or something.))

Fi looked less than overjoyed to their mother granted new life.  She whimpered softly, the sound muted by the hand still over her mouth, and then she stepped backwards.  There seemed to be too little space in the room, and certainly not enough space between them.

The back of her head and her bottom collided with the doors behind her with a soft thud that, too, seemed too loud.  She didn't seem to notice; instead, she sank down onto her knees to stare at their mother with impossibly wide eyes...but no more sound left her lips, still hidden beneath her hand as firmly as though it were glued there.

(OOC: I DON'T KNOW!)

((This is actually going somewhere but it's a surprise so I can't tell either of you everything. It shouldn't affect anything we've planned previously but should, in fact, help to support it IF things go well lol ))

Laighean appeared to be flabbergasted , "Woke you?"

The Queen adopted a pensive expression that was both familiar and not to Laighean. Something was a bit off and it made him question if this person who spoke to them now was still the mother he knew or if she had been so consumed with insanity that she had been reborn into something different.

"Mother,what do ye mean? Ye speak as though ye aren't who ye appear to be ,which would be...kind of scary and creepy. "

Queen Flannchadh frowned, "Apologies.I am...disoriented. I've never tried this before , but given the circumstances I had no other way of communicating with you. "

Laighean stared now. Yep. Mother was mad! "Tried what, exactly?"

"I have possessed this mortal shell temporarily. I share it with the Aeronan Queen."

Laighean jumped back, adopting a horrified expression, "Oh my GOD. Ye stole her body !? "

"No, possessed. Oh dear...that does sound a bit terrible , I suppose."

" Joost a bit!?"

"Calm down, she's fine. I cannot possess a human unless they allow it. Your mother prayed and asked for my help and so I have come to answer her plea."

"So ye...ye're uh- who are ye?"

A sigh came from the Queen, " I am the Guardian of Aerona. Mother of all, queen of nature. "

Laighean's mouth hung open. He shook his head, "Right, and I'm the King 'o the fairies. " He paused for a moment and wrinkled his nose, "Wait...that dinnae sound quite right."

The Guardian sighed and shook her head, "For centuries, I have contained Aerona to the best of my ability with my life force. I was trying to save you ,but this darkness that seeks to consume your kingdom and all of the people in it is weakening me. I cannot hold it back much longer, and I'm afraid that I need your help. "

Where Laighean was surprised, Draven was down right mad. How dare their guardian show up now and use their mother like a puppet!
"Laighean! Be careful! Something isn't right! Look at her eyes..." For they were a color not her own.. and a color at all!

"If you are who you say you are, and my mother prayed for you, where were you when we all prayed?" Draven asked angrily, taking a defiant step towards the woman who approached them, claiming to be their God. "And now you come to us seeking help? Look around us! Was it not your magics that condemned us here? To a life of us turning to cold greys, the color of ash."

He stared at her bitterly, hands gripping into fists.
"We are nothing but prisoners and ghosts here, My Queen.." he said bowing to the beast inside that imprisoned his mother. Then his dark eyes met to hers. "But I will still my tongue long enough for you to explain. How do you expect us to help? You must realize we have so many questions left unanswered..."

And why did she dare come to them now of all times to ask such a request!?

Laighean laughed nervously , "Forgive him, my lady. He's joost a wee bit cranky. He hasn't 'ad a nice nap or the company of a bonnie lass in a couple o'centuries." He then shot his brother a warning glance.

Really ? Was Draven trying to piss off a Goddess now? If he was in such a rush to die, why wait a couple centuries!? 

The Guardian stared at Draven with a serene expression. "Do as you will, though you need not still your tongue. What you ask is a fair question with a complicated answer."  The Queen's expression twisted with apparent remorse as she looked around at the dying realm, " I am nature. I am incapable of magic that defies what I am. What ravishes your home now is a perversion of my magics, magics I entrusted your people with centuries ago. Are you familiar with the legend of Morfran and the Shadow King?"

Draven kept a stern expression as he stared at the 'Goddess' speaking through his mom. It was almost too much to bear as Draven spat back.
"All of the realm is familiar with that story, though please, enlighten us on what you know."

"Well, ah don't, " Laighean admitted sheepishly and when everyone looked at him he blushed and shrugged, "So ah may 'ave fallen asleep during a couple o' mother's history lessons. Ah cannae 'elp it! There weren't no bonnie lasses!"

The Queen cleared her throat, "Anyway, time is of the essence so I will skip to the most important part. As you know, when Morfran died he was buried in the Tomb of Heroes and he was buried with the artifact that he used to defeat the Shadow King.That tomb was sealed and a warning was given to your people to not disturb that Tomb or ever take anything from it, especially not the artifact.  " She now looked directly at Draven , " And in spite of my warnings as well as those of your father, you didn't listen, did you Draven? You possess that artifact right now."

Laighean suddenly turned on his brother and gaped, "Draven? What is she talking about?"

((Remember that Fi and Laighean didn't know about Draven claiming the artifact and acquiring the forbidden magic/dark power. Although , since Draven doesn't seem to have had any magic to begin with I'm sure Laighean at least wondered where it came from.  ))

Draven kept his dark eyes sternly planted upon their Goddess. She'd be able to see all of the electrifying thoughts within his eyes. The anger, the shame, the desperation all rolled into one.

"It was claim the artifact," he growled softly. "Or let them all die."

"You wish to survive, but examine the cost. Was it worth it?  You are dying anyway and so am I. Everything here is,  " Time was running out and so she got to the point , " It was my mistake to allow humans to oppose the laws of nature, I shall own that. You hold a fraction of my soul in your hands that Morfran corrupted. I don't have time to give you an honest history lesson ,but all that you think that you know about Morfran and the Shadow King is wrong. It was not the Shadow King that he banished from this realm with the power that I gave him it was-" She felt herself losing her connection with the queen. A pained expression crossed her features,  " I'm out of time. Listen to me, you must find the other four artifacts and bring them home quickly. I cannot hold up the barrier much longer. It's already starting to break ,but if it shatters , then all is lost. Aerona will not be the only casualty.  " 

Laighean wasn't sure what to make out of it all. " Tha's great an' all but where are these artifacts?"

"I ...know not. "

"Some 'elp that is."

"Two clans of your kinsman were given the artifacts after Morfran was murdered. "

"Murdered!? The legends don't say-"

"They left Aerona long before the land was twisted by the dark magic and may be found somewhere in the land that is now called Connlaoth. One of those clans bears a descendant whom you've already met, a fair young lady that Laighean fancies more than he is willing to admit."

Laighean knew exactly who the Guardian was talking about and blushed lightly.
The Guardian nodded and took a seat on the crumbled stairs, "Start your search there. Time is up for us , I fear.  I- no, we wish you luck," and , just like that the Queen and the Guardian began to fade, her image becoming nearly transparent.

"Mother!?" Laighean ran forward and reached out for her shoulder ,but just as his hand drew near it passed right through her .

"Never lose hope," her voice was different ,more familiar and she smiled sadly and her gaze shifted one last time warmly to her two remaining children," I love you all." And then, just like that, she was gone.

"...no, no..." Laighean dropped to his knees and cried.

((Yes, it was meant to be cryptic but push the kids in a direction. More shall be revealed with time.))

The words from the guardian, and the disappearance of their mother left Draven numbed. If it were possible for him to take in all the cold of the winter chill into his person, he was experiencing that now. His eyes remained to where their mother once was, staring past even his brother as he sobbed. And in that moment, his glossy eyes hardened and he knew what he had to do. He had to collect all four artifacts and save his family. No matter the costs.

Though now they had a vital clue- and that Aella girl...
Yes.. He'd have to start with her for some answers, first.

"It seems we have little choice now but to look into the remains of the library for some clues and... wait." He frowned, setting his jaw. "It seems when all we had before was time, now even that will soon be taken from us." And he turned to observe Fiona a moment, wondering how their sister faired in all of this.

(OOC: That must be my cue!  *superhero cape flaps in the wind!*)

Fiona had not moved during the entire conversation from where she sat, huddled against the doorway with her face turned away from their Mother/the Guardian in fear.  To her, it had not been the image of their mother standing there but something far more terrible and primal, the visage of a god so old that even those gods worshiped by modern man had forgotten her...

Even once Mother and Guardian alike had faded, Fiona continued to cower with her head hidden beneath her arms in a protective gesture, and it was not until silence had fallen for quite a few moments that she dared risk a peek.

But all she saw now were her brothers, and, for a moment, her mind struggled to remember what it was she had been hiding from in the first place...but even if Fiona's mind had not already been shattered, the truth of what she had seen was too much for a mind to grasp for long.  Perhaps, the broken pieces of Fiona's mind was what saved her, for it was already accustomed to discarding unwanted information...

The sight of a God...  Their mother fading...  Her brother taking the cursed artifact...  All of it vanished as she met her brother's gaze...  But it stayed in her mind somewhere, lurking in the darkness along with all the other facts that seemed to come and go from Fiona's consciousness.

Her face, tense and frightened, softened as she looked at her brothers, and she smoothly rose back to her full height.  "D'ye 'ear it?  Music..."  She laughed out loud, then, dashing past them both and up the stairs with her usual air of excitement.  "We're going to be late to the Festival.  I'll go get Mother!"  And, above them, her youthful voice called, "Mother!  Mother, 'urry!  The pipers are already 'ere!"

Draven hadn't expected his sister to react in such a way, and with the way she had been acting as of the past few years, he was still unaccustomed to it. And once Fiona had taken off, he found himself releasing a snarled gasp as he turned to her.
"Fiona! Fiona wait!"
And he hesitated not in pursuing her. Up the long hall he went, and quickly his boots were hammering into the wide stone steps, carrying him heavily down the faded carpet to the room at the end of the second floor hall with a view. It was in the door way he stopped his pursuit of his sister and panted, bracing himself against the frame as he looked inside and saw it for himself- that only faint imitation rays of sunlight poured in through the window and danced lightly over the vacant place their mother used to stand.

Forcing himself to composure, Laighean cast one last bitter look over his shoulder towards Draven chasing after their sister before he turned away fully and walked away. He left the castle, exited the grounds and wandered off into the ashen woods, staring up forlornly at the gray sky and leafless trees as he moved, swiftly and with purpose. His mind was on his mother's - no, the Guardian's words. Draven held a cursed artifact all this time and had never told anyone? It wasn't the fact that Draven had it or used it that pissed Laighean off. And thinking about this quickened his steps.

He remembered his way here though it had been years since he'd traveled down this path and while everything appeared different, he just knew where to go because he'd been this way so many times in his youth on a dare from one of his other siblings whose names were sadly lost to him now. A faded memory.

He came to a clearing where the lone statue of the Guardian sat ever guarding the above ground tomb that had been erected centuries before for the Hero, Morfran. Laighean remembered stories his mother had told him when he'd been little more than a wee babe sitting upon her knee and he'd always heeded her warnings, "'Ye best not disturb the dead, Laighean. Spirits are a nasty sort when they're awakened before their time."

There had also been the far less cryptic orders from his father, "Ye boys e'er go in there an' I'll skin alive, the lot o' ye. Morfran's tomb is sacred ground. Never, under any circumstances, go in there or ye'll anger than ancestors but mostly me. And it's angering me that ye should be concerned about! "

The Flannachadh children had all agreed, but had they known that there had been a cursed artifact in there....

Deep down, Laighean was certain that his brother would never have stolen from the dead if he'd truly known that this would happen. At least, this is what he wanted to believe in.

He took a deep breath and approached the tomb. It was dark, ancient and ominous looking. It certainly looked like it could be haunted what with mold on the stone walls and cobwebs and dust covering every surface. Laighean chuckled as he poked his head through the darkened entry and peered into the gloom , "Oh c'mon, Laighean. Yer a ghost yerself. Kinda silly t' be afraid of other spirits." Taking another deep breath, he found the courage to move inside and become lost in darkness....

(( So Laighean is disappearing for a bit. You're welcome to go look for him or play out a scenario at the castle. Maybe look for clues in the library or something. Either way, I will be posting about Laighean's explorations and the results will be about the same.  ))

"Ye can't be in 'ere!" Fiona admonished good-naturedly as she scooped up a hair brush from the vanity.  "Girls only, Draven!  Unless ye want t'wear a dress and make-up fer the festival!"

If she was concerned with the disappearance of their mother, she certainly didn't show it as she danced about the room, collecting ornaments and make-up as giddy as a small child preparing for her first dance.

"I've go' a necklace 'ere that would suit ye."  She grinned from ear to ear as the item dangled from her hand.

Draven blinked and turned towards his sister as she danced about the room, merry and gay as if nothing, not even time had affected her. Their mothers disappearance felt like a hole in his breast, and as he closed his lips into a forlorned expression, he felt numbed to Fiona's words. Festival? Land sakes... it had been ages since any sort of activity ever graced the castle.

"Fiona.." his words came out in a soft growl, hoping that the tone would work it's way into her feeble brain to ward her off. But he could not help himself his his body tensed and his hands shifted into fists. Their mother was gone. She had finally faded; and all his sister could do was dance around!

The tone, indeed, cut through her smiles and jests.  Her smile faded slightly as she looked at him, an expression of hurt confusion on her features.

"What?" she asked, dropping the pendant back where she had found it much more carelessly than she had picked it up.  She stared at him, as if trying to determine why he had taken such a sharp tone with her.  She had only been kidding about the dress...

"Aren't ye comin' ta the festival?" she ventured tentatively.  Although why that would upset him so was beyond her...

Draven's temper was growing, but recalling what Fiona suffered from.... it only served to hurt him some more, but he swallowed down some of that anger as he shook his head and replied shortly, "No."

"Oh," Fiona answered, visibly wilting beneath his gaze.  Her shoulders drooped, and her face fell as she looked down at the floor between them.  And without the lively joy that always seemed to animate her, she looked a little more transparent herself.

"Ah'll jes' leave ye ta yer thoughts, then."

Without a word more -- and without lifting her gaze back to him -- she turned and moved towards the door.  There, finally, she paused and looked over her shoulder at her eldest brother.

"Draven, Ah know ye think ye 'ave ta do this all on yer own, bu' ye don't.  Laighean's cross, bu' 'e'll bound back ta 'is normal self.  'e always 'as.  An' 'e looks up ta ye.  We both do.  Ye cannae keep shuttin' us out or we're all doomed."

Without waiting to see if her advice had any impact, she turned and vanished around the corner.

Instead of making chase after his sister, he just let her go. There was a heaviness in the air long after she left, long after the room had settled into the cold, silent darkness. And it took every ounce of him not to shake with the rage and anger broiling inside him. They didn't understand. Neither of them did. He did this in order to protect them. He had already hurt them more than they could realize, even if some of his mistake was announced by their 'goddess' through the fading memories of their mother. But he was stubborn, and he was proud- and he felt it was his duty to do this alone. Perhaps when they were younger, he would have been more than happy to bring the family together in on this, but times were much more dangerous, and their lives depended on the out come. He did not wish to bring them down with him lest he failed again.
Even if he knew his sister was right.

ANd it was to the throne room he disappeared, where he bowed before his father and mother's portrait, arm across his breast, and head bowed in reflection, as he contemplated through fervent prayer on what he was to do next.