Tucked away from the rest of the hustle and bustle of the arboreal haven, Ariana's dwelling perched high above the see of leaves that rustled beneath the floor of her own quaint little home. Perfection would not be satisfactory enough of a word to describe her wooden abode, but came awfully close in her eyes. This place was simple in design and very similar to the other homes that were too scattered across the area of the city, however Ariana's home had a small outdoor stair way that wound around the back of the home all the way to the roof that to this day remained the setting for capturing the perfect sunset. There, she sat with a thick, woolen blanket wrapped around her huddled body as she stared out across the way at the black body of the ocean that loomed quietly in the far off distance. Tonight she hated this spectacular view with a passion as she thought of how this would be her last time viewing it; fore by morning she was to go there first hand- which was something she had not longed for at all since the time she and Mulidin journeyed for many months together to obtain her weapon that she never left her home without. I suppose, however, that this wasn't the full reason for her maintained anger. Tomorrow she was going to leave Kelethin.... her only true companion in life was not able to be by her side for the first time in many years that neither of them could recall.

"I'm sorry." Ariana whispered without turning her head to see Mulidin's green eyes peek over the roofs edge under his brush of dark hair. She heard his every step of his chase after her from nearly half a mile behind her with relative ease since her ears were sensitive to even whispers echoing a mile in the distance. This Mulidin knew, but never the less he remained hidden until he could break free from his loss of words that had stalked him since she first stormed out of the tavern. Part of it was still too hard to believe; she was really going to leave him behind.

"So you are going with them," he mumbled solemnly as he finished his climb up the narrow wooden steps and sat nearly a foot away from her shivering body. "I guess there aint really any...." Ariana harshly chuckled in disbelief while shaking her head at her poor friend; he had not known these circumstances before- so Ariana did not totally expect him to understand. Neither of them had really had any experience with an outside guild such as this one, but Ariana was well informed of the circumstances that followed membership. "No, Muli, "she stuttered with short breaths, "There's nothing I can do 'bout it."

Without knowing what to say next, Mulidin uncomfortably scratched the back of his still dampened neck and watched Ariana's movements intently trying to read her each and every thought so he could find some inkling of a solution to this current situation. To his own misfortune he saw nothing but hurt and confusion in her eyes that he had not seen since years before this very day, and it broke his very heart to see no smile upon her beautiful face. There was nothing more beautiful in the world than her precious smile that would light up a dark, storm-plagued sky in an instant and melt his heart into a puddle upon the very ground where he sat. In times such as these, where it was more than evident that a smile would not easily be forged upon her face, Mulidin would take her into a reality that was not hers to own- but one to imagine through her own thoughts. He scooted closer to her side and wrapped his well-built arms around her in a way that she would be able to softly lean back and rest her head upon his chest to listen to his stories of legends old and myths almost lost in the ages.

"Have I ever told you about the Maidens of the Rose, Ari? Or why Nagafen cries out all the time in agony?" Mulidin whispered as he gently rested his hand upon her squirming shoulder to help brace her from the light chill in the air. He could spend every day just like this.... "No" she softly whispered out into the breeze for no one except Mulidin to hear.

"The Maidens of the Rose was a group of what many men have said to be the most beautiful women to ever roam the plains of Norrath under the blessing of Erollisi. These devout followers spent their lives in Qeynos praying and cherishing all that was pure and beautiful within there lands- as my Goddess had always wished for us to do.... but sadly for these ladies of such magnificent nature, they were living in dark times where dragon-kind still had eyes on the lands and fortunes of men. Lord Nagafen, the fiery dragon from the keep volcanic caverns demanded sacrifices of maidens from the kingdom of Qeynos in order to spare the poor mortals from a horrible fate he would bestow upon them had the toll not been paid. Erollette, unfortunately, was one of these ill fated women from the temple of Erollisi, and she was sent into the scorching depths of Nagafen's Lair where she was to await her doom like the hundreds before her."

"For many nights she quietly cried without moving from the spot where the guards had placed her- awaiting the dreaded dragon and his fiery breath to take her. It was then she whispered her final prayer- asking that her sacrifice would be the last any of the Qeynos maidens would ever have to endure."

"Touched by the young girl, Erollisi used a golden thread and a shining crystal needle to sew Nagafen's heart to his belly- turning his hunger into aching love for the young girl that he was preparing to feast upon. The hungrier poor Nagafen became, the more his heart grew to the point where he was too large to break free from the confines of his very own cave! Erollette then escaped back home and left Nagafen calling out for her to return and stay with him for the rest of eternity...but she would not turn back....and when that happened, Nagafen cried one tear that turned into a beautiful diamond that rolled down his cheek and fell into the very heart of the mountain. It was Solusek's Eye...and as it fell, Nagafen's heart burst into pieces and he shot out a stream of fire into the earth that caused the birth of many volcanoes and deserted islands. The poor, heartbroken fool still cries to this day for his beloved Erollette to return." Mulidin's words became softer as the very words he spoke sent a pain of familiarity to his heart as he remembered nights like these were going to happen no more. He was to be left in the cave pleading for Ariana not to leave him, but she was to leave and live her life without him by her side to love her and protect her until death took them by hand and led them astray.

"Everyone's in such a rush to leave, it seems." She began as she once again grasped the charm that was lightly draped around her neck and rubbed it vigorously. "Always runnin' off to some new place, some wild adventure that could very well be your last." Her little voice again became faint and distant as if she were imagining all the awful things that possibly could happen.

"Ah," Mulidin smirked lightly at the thought, "I don't suppose it's too much different than running around here. The Orcs are just as vile a creature as any and could take your life just as well as a Giant could." Jokingly he tapped his forehead against her head and watched her cringe because of the small ache it gave her before she finally smiled a smile just as beautiful as any she had given before. "Aye, but no body could kill an orc better than you and I could!" she laughed. Within moments her laugh turned sour when she realized, "But it wont be you and I anymore...I don't know how I'll manage by myself."

Biting his lower lip to stop it from quivering he pointed out, "Well, ye' won't really be alone. You're going to have Zharden, Keiarra, and Drevian along beside you to help you ward off anything that threatens you." Ariana rolled her eyes and gently shoved back Mulidin since he knew all too well that it was not the same. "Aye, but not one of them is you! Muli, every move we do in the heat of battle is done for especially you and me with certain tactics no one besides us knows how to do! "

He shook his head slowly and simultaneously began to dig beneath his chest piece and pull out a simple trinket that was tied by a soft, leather string around his neck. This tiny heart shaped pendent was carved from mother-of-pearl that was harvested by the priests of Erollisi from the harbor of Qeynos, and symbolized the true power love could hold. Such an authentic artifact was hard to locate in curious times such as these, but Mulidin had only come across it when a man he looked up to as a young lad draped it over his childish head as a gift Mulidin was to keep until he felt it time to pass the light on. After a few moments of toying with the knot, the necklace finally became untied and its possessor had changed. With wide eyes, Ariana squirmed as she felt the smooth charm clink with her own pendant's gem. "Mulidin," she gasped, "I can't accept this; it was given to you to hold as a sign of your faith! It wouldn't be...." It was too late now; the charm had been secured and dangled peacefully above the beginning of her worn chest-piece. Mulidin smiled appreciatively and pulled her into the warmth of his arms while he tried with all his might to be strong for the both of them.

"There," he whispered, "Now I'll be there with you wherever fate may lead you." Ariana sighed in slight relief and threw her light, little arms around Mulidin's neck and hugged him tighter than she ever had before. For them, this precious moment would end all to soon and mark the beginning of their lives apart from one another without knowing whether or not there would be a time for them ever again. Just as tears began to fight there way into his eyes, Mulidin began to sing a song so familiar to the both of them and held a special place in both of their hearts.

"I close my eyes, and there in the shadow I see your light. You come to me out of my dreams across the night."

"You take my hand though you may be so many stars away. I know that our spirits and souls are one. We've circled the moon and we've touched the sun- so here we'll stay."

"For always, forever- beyond here and on to eternity. For always, forever- we'll go on beyond goodbye."

With the last whispered note, Mulidin linked his pinky with hers, and they pulled their fists up to their mouths and kissed it as a symbol of a promise they were to keep. No matter what happened, where they were, or what danger lied ahead, one thing would always be for certain- they would always be "Mulidin and Ariana."....For always, and forever.

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Passed on through hushed whispers, it is said that within the grasps of the pitch shadows cast down by the tall, forest trees evil roams freely to feed upon their ever-growing need to spread their darkness. Such vile rumors were to be expected, though, with the demon that dwelled within an ancient castle nestled quietly along the outskirts of the deadly forest Lesser Faydark. Vampiric devils and the rotting remains of those who fell within the castle's eerie walls walked amongst the brush from dusk until the first beams of sunlight peaked from over the mountaintops searching for victims upon which they were to feast upon and evoke the very fear that their lord created them for. Only the bravest or the stupidest of men dared to venture close to the vampire lord- Mistmoore was what they called him- and his domain with the foolish thought of being able to return to see another day.

The scent of blood clung to the backs of the sparse breezes as they hauntingly swept over the remains of the estate that belonged to the undead lord and awoke the nose of a foreign visitor to this devilish realm. While most beings fled at the very thought of Mayong Mistmoore's castle, this man stood alone, and unafraid as he overlooked the terrain from the hill just outside the forest's southernmost edge. Fear was not one quality this man was particularly familiar with; at least in the sense of being broken by in.... evoking it was an entirely different story. He was a dark and deadly knight raised and trained by the most sinister of men to become a murderer and advocate of the Drow Queen herself- serving as her mightiest general with the gifts of Innoruuk and the powers of the Shadow-knight to grace him. No- fear itself was unable to stop his heavy steps down the dew-slackened grass to the hell that stood before him; there was business to be done here and that is all- no reason to fear the horrid, undead beings that glowered at him from every shadow in the lust for his life, and lust for the very fluid that rampaged through his frame and filled him with mortality.

He knew long before he departed from his majesty's side in Neriak that he'd be the only sane mortal treading the forbidden grounds of the undead- walking across the soft grasses that were plagued by the touch of death upon each and every blade. As he passed around the castles hulky, stonewalls, the living who chose to sacrifice themselves to the dark and mysterious Lord starred at him with cold, glazed eyes and drooled mindlessly down their indigo chins. Few of the bravest ones crept quietly from the darkness as his back turned toward their feeble being and began to make their advance that the poison that filled their mind forced them to do. But their stealth that most mortals thought of as godly was outmatched when the man turned only a quarter of the way around and lowered his haunting, silver eyes into the moonlight so they shone brightly and formed the impression that he too were that of the undead. This however was not what terrified the creatures and caused them to throw themselves down upon the ground howling for forgiveness.... no, the brave Elf barely let the pitiful creatures see the box he wielded beneath his arm. He knew all too well that they knew of the item he carried- of its power- of its evil presence that was so unfortunately trapped inside a helpless form. The malice smile that crept upon his face since the beings fell to the ground in agony had slipped away into a snarl as his well-trained ears picked up the shriek of an immortal being just up the cold, stone-path that he was to tread.

Wearing a cape as black as the night sky behind him, the creature stopped his horrible screech and heaved quietly in the moonlight. Beneath the shade of his sinister hood was a pale, luminescent face with the only distinctable feature being his flame-colored eyes that pierced though the evening's darkness and into the fearless knights mind where he stole his each and every thought. Without the slightest noticeable movement, the creature began to speak in a deep echo that rang for an eternity within the elf's ear like a massive brass bell that had just been struck. "Virgins" was the solitary word that boomed and lingered within his mind as the hooded-creature disappeared into the shadows once again and left a frightened woman in his stead.

The frail gypsy was the exact visage of deaths lonesome shadow that wore down her evident beauty. Her features no matter how beautiful were rather too curvy for his full appreciation for a woman's worthless figure- she was too meaty, too old. Then again, she was only human...for a mortal being to be as suitable as an elf for him, it would've had to be a young girl barely blossomed into her adolescence...and that was just slightly tolerable. This woman in obviously shortly past her youth kept her neck and face masked by a wreath of her own deep brown hair that was decorated only with a dirt-smudged scarf torn horribly by the cruelty she obviously received while she had lived within these devilish halls. Was this to be a crown upon her unworthy brow- a mark to mock the superiority the gypsies used to feel in the ages before Lord Mistmoore embraced him with his deadly kiss?

"Ambassador Shadowin," the girl barely managed to say amongst her shakes that were riddled with fear. "The Great Lord and Father has been awaiting your arrival for days. If I am worthy of such, My Lord, I shall lead you to his private chamber." The fear that dwelled within her swelling eyes glistened like angel's wings in the pale moonlight and cast a childish gleam upon her face that enticed the Ambassador's ever-growing hunger. He craved not blood like the immortals, or at this moment the bread that his body needed.... he only craved the heat of a woman's body against his own- he craved for their weakness against his force. With the swiftness of a dragon, he was before her with his indigo hand running down the side of her chapped cheek as if she were a flawless marble statue. Overcome by his admiration and lust for her, he sliced her cheek with his cleanly-cut nails and leaned into her and sensuously ran his lips to the wound to kiss away the droplets before they began to fall upon her trembling cheek. As he backed away, he witnessed the life streaming out of her already hollow eyes as they bulged in fear at his cruel smile and unwelcome actions. "A deadly kiss," his voice pounded like a demon from the realm of Hatred, "Yet so sweet." His grip upon her stiffened chin gave way and like a gentleman he cleared himself aside to offer her the lead that she begged of him before.

"As you wish of me, My Lord."

Past the reek of the mutilated tombs in the graveyard and through the mansions wilting doors was nothing more than signs of an almighty empire on the brink of ruin and utter chaos. Vividly colored tapestries turned dull and became a royal feast to the moths that flocked within these once majestic halls through the crumbling stones that used to stand oh so strong. He had heard many a description of this horrible place with all its grandeur, yet he grew confused as to why such a powerful ally would dwell in an estate that was clearly in shambles. The vamps they quietly walked past mumbled chaotic madness amongst their swears at the gypsy they only viewed by candlelight. Such warped creatures these vampires were- living, feeding only for one man which so few of them have ever seen, yet still continued to worship him as a god.

Through the darkness, the two continued to tread deeper into the crude stench of rotten flesh that lingered within these aged walls and closer towards the pain ridden screams that echoed off the time-weathered walls from down beneath the Ambassador's feet. The tunnel seemed to have no evident end- nothing but a dark eternity where one does not know what lies before him, whether it be death or some other cruel fate. Like described in the stories of old, the tunnels no matter how dark always lead to some dark, mysterious door with a faint flicker of light slipping out in faint, little streams to escape from the horror that lied behind the maggot-eaten wood. It was before this legendary door the gypsy moved herself quietly aside and bowed her head as a sign for the man she lead to enter.... and enter he did.

The room altogether surprisingly resembled that of a formal elfish bedroom occupied only by the highest of nobles with its red, velvet tapestries and stone fireplace. Its elegance was rather captivating, yet like the rest of this castle of turmoil, it was in a state of utter decay. The banners were torn to shreds like a vile animal had had its way with them and the furniture broken into shards upon the barren stone floor. Horrible things had occurred in this old room.... And such horrible things still lingered in the very air that the Ambassador took in from one solemn breath. The scent of a woman and blood livened his helm-covered nostrils.

Strewn out across the beaten bed was a pair of bare, white legs that were elegantly traced by streams of blood as thin as the finest of laces. He approached her with longing and went in to feel the smoothness of her fair skin when he noticed that her entire body was horribly mangled and torn to shreds with her wrists chained securely to the wall above the carved headboard. Her black hair was tangled in a flowing main above the gouges and infected lacerations upon her breasts and onto her scarcely clothed abdomen that, like the tapestries, was shredded into blood-clotted pieces. This was how all women were to look in the malice man's eyes- worn, bloody, and beaten by the hand of a mightier man. Beaten and bloody she was, yet her wide, frozen eyes still locked with fear stood out like two sparkling, pale-blue orbs against the dark. Strange it was, that while the rest of her was obviously that of the dead, her eyes seemed to sparkle yet with a haunting life he had never before seen. His enchantment halted abruptly ended when his senses were overwhelmed yet again by the deep, morbid notes sung out as if it were coming from a haunting nightmare.

By the mantle sat yet another gypsy much younger than the one he had marked before with a violin carefully tucked beneath her pale, little chin. The curly-haired beauty dared not look up or even to open her enticing eyes out of pure, and unmistakable terror that he could smell over the dreary smell of the recently-deceased's decaying flesh. This only excited him more as the hunger grew inside him once again only stronger than before.... this girl was young and so innocent.

"There is nothing quite like the company of a woman, is there, Ambassador Shadowin?" a hoarse voice spoke from the seat of a chair towards the pitch window that was furthest from the warmth of the fire that blazed. A harsh accent emitted from this mans syllables and sent a strange chill coursing up and down the Tier' Dal's spine. The girl let out a faint cry of hesitation as her fingers fumbled over her instruments strings at the sound of the monsters dark voice that was filled with cruelty.

"Only if the company is for my body's pleasure or for death is a woman's company even acknowledged. That, Great Lord, is even a rare occasion." He returned in an equally dark and cruel tone of voice. With a quick move of his hand, he removed his horned helm and let his snowy white locks tumble down softy around his indigo face and brush the tips of his epaulets. The looks he maintained were equal to that of his prowess... though his face was cold and stern like the winter winds of a night on the expansive northern tundra.

With that, the infamous vampire slowly lifted himself up from his great throne and guided himself in agile steps towards the light of the dancing flames that swayed magically with the rhythms that the girl brought into existence with the pull of a bow. Unlike what the elf had pictured, Mistmoore had the visage of an elderly man that was surprisingly well groomed considering the condition of his once illusive estate. His white hair was tightly pulled back to the base of his neck and tied with a black satin ribbon that matched the black and midnight blue that colored his fair robe that resembled the mood of this hellish place. Nothing, however, could compare to the luminous purple of his eyes that glowed like a demon in the moonlight that slipped in through the solitary window.

"You bring devils with you, Sir Vexxen. Delightful devils which have lingered in my thoughts since the beginning of my dark ages." Mistmoore smirked demonically as his eyes began to flux red with a strange madness that caused the little girl to squirm yet again- uneasy with being around such a being. "Come!" his madness pressed on, "Show me the head of she who holds deaths blackened heart and walks with the devilries of old!" Wanting to hear no more of the vampires impatience, Vexxen placed before them a latched box carved from the blood-stained trees of Kithicor forest and etched with unholy runes of the Elder Tier' Dal language. At the very site of such a box, Mistmoore's breath quickened and his wrinkling hands trembled under the weight of gold rings and anticipation of what lied inside such a chest. Like one would heat, he felt the very demonic presence resonate with such strength that he bore his gleaming fangs and hissed wildly with insanity and pure delight. It called out to them both without the need of even the faintest of whispers- they felt it in every vein that mapped through their mighty bodies and could feel it's very breath upon their lips...their lust for its essence drove them to further the opening of the case.

As the lid flew back the flames in the room were shoved back by a strange and otherworldly breeze that stole the musicians notes away before she had the chance to even play them. With slow and careful movements as they leaned forward, their breaths seemed to stall as they saw the grotesque rotting skull with a massive polished amber stone jammed between it's dislocated skull that had been forcefully jammed onto an arms-length staff of the same type of wood. Black runes of forgotten magic were burned into the leathery flesh that was stretched at torn by the hands of time who waited anxiously for the age of its prophecy to dawn. Devil? Yes, this devil was to be renewed once again to strike its mighty fist upon Norrath and infest it with a plague of shadows that would curse all the land into a final darkness for those of dark faiths to manipulate and control.

"Too see with my own immortal eyes the villainy that you have brought to me has assured you my allegiance." Mistmoore began as he carefully ran his still shivering fingertips over the fine symbols that he attempted to decipher to no avail. This to Vexxen however was no clear assurance, Mistmoore and her Majesty had made many sinister bargains before he had not been able to uphold with just his word.

Vexxen scowled at the demon under his breath and resealed the lid tightly, " I bring you glorious tidings and much power, Lord Mistmoore....but I am afraid I must ask fore your word has failed before....what is it that you bring to her Majesty- and to Innoruuk for all that you receive in the end?" Hearing of his great mistrust, Mistmoore's pleasant attitude drifted away and death circled about in the shadows of this very chamber.

"I shall reek havoc upon the Greater Faydark with correlation from Ambassador Divinn...lay waste to the Elfish populace once and for all- and I too bestow upon you gifts of wisdom you will find most beneficial."

Vexxen's brow furrowed and his curiosity won him over to hang onto the vampires each and every word. "Wisdom? Might I ask what wisdom you hold that I already do not?"

With a vampire's unmatchable speed, Mistmoore found his way back to the posts of the broken bed and gently brushed his hand upon the dead woman's thigh. "So understandable, that the mother of the Child of Innocence be so beautiful, is it not? Her eyes are as divine as the gods..." T'was' not only Vexxen who had noticed the strange life in her eyes then.... Mistmoore has sensed it as well.

"You mean to tell me that you have found the child unscathed by the filth of darkness? Who is this Elf we have been searching for and why have you not brought her to our power?" Vexxen shouted in rage against the old vampire who merely laughed at his foolish outrage.

"Elf? She is by no means an elf- nor is she blessed with any divinity! The Child is merely a mortal being who walks hidden amongst the vile and corrupt of Norrath with only the Mark of Purity as her identity. No one is for sure where her light roams, that Ambassador is why I cannot present her here before you as a token of my allegiance. I assure you, however, that once the Elven empires have fallen we -together- will find her and taint the blood that has never been touched by evil."

Vexxen's eyes once again drifted away from the Vampire Lords presence and stared longingly at the little girl who was still shaking violently as she continued to quietly pluck out sweet notes from the violin's unpolished frame. Mistmoore smirked demonically at Vexxen's lack of attention and slowly glided over to the horrified girl whose ruby lips began to quiver as she felt his wrinkled hand glide down the side of her neck and carefully untie the bow that held her dirtied, white blouse together- she knew what was happening, and she could not help but to shed a tear because of her own helplessness.

" Such a sweet, innocent little child.... my little diamond- delicious, is she not?" Mistmoore urged as the blouse slowly began to slip away and the girl coldly stared at the flames glare upon the floor- not budging an inch to cover herself from these horrible, horrible men. " I present her to you, Ambassador, as pure as the morning dew that kisses the forests trees, to do whatever your blackened heart desires." The girl then was like an animated puppet whose strings had lifted her to her feet and brought her before Vexxen's feet where she knelt down and kissed his coarse hand with her lips and a soft splash of her child-like tears. Softly, he removed his hand from hers and once again drove his nail into the side of her warmed cheek. She trembled horribly as he knelt down in front of her hunched body and continued to kiss away the droplets of blood he had so longed for. Immediately his senses were sharpened and his urges made him savage like an untamed beast from the deadly unknown with her as his poor, innocent prey. With crazed eyes he glared up at Mistmoore with a devious smile upon his face and nodded slowly to show his acceptance of Mistmoore's gratitude and allegiance.

"A deadly kiss," Mistmoore whispered as if he heard Vexxen speak the words naught an hour ago outside of his own halls, "Yet so sweet." Violently, Vexxen thrusted the girl to the floor across the darkened room and caused her to scream in pain as she landed upon the sharp, broken pieces of a wooden table. There was no hope for her now.... he had already pinned her frail form down and began kissing her forcefully upon her bare skin while tearing away her clothes like a wolf shredding apart its first meal. During the entire rape of his precious child, Mistmoore stared darkly with a fixed grin upon his face knowing the hell he was to unleash upon Norrath within a matter of weeks. There would not be a single person alive who would not be tainted with their wrath or be afflicted by deaths malice grip.... the end was coming for all those who had fought against them- finally evil would have it's chance to reign.

The only obstacle would be the other child.

Without their noticing, life once again stirred from the corpse of the captivating woman whose death came swiftly upon Mistmoore's bed. Not only the fragile ears of the child had heard their entire conversation, but also by the newborn vamp with rage building slowly within her life-like eyes. A mother she was.... a mother she would remain. The other would stumble upon her.... the fabled daughter of Tunare was the last hope anyone had- including her daughter.

Pray her legend will rise.

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The next morning had come much to quickly for everyone. Ariana wandered the deserted city throughout the extent of her sleepless night with her things already packed and sorrow clinging desperately to her heart. Every platform she walked upon, every building she passed held some memory from her passed that she couldn't help but smile at the thought of some of the radical conquests she and Mulidin used to work their way into even when they were just playing some of their childish games. She remembered everything from the first creature she ever slew to the times where Mulidin used to race her pet wolf Juica from the lifts of Kelethin to the great marble archway of Felwithe. It was in no way fair that she had to leave her life behind and go on to face things she did not want with people she hardly knew. But perhaps it was life catching up to her from all those fantastical times she and Mulidin dreamed of far away lands and creatures when they were both too young to leave the protected forest grounds. In the end it was no use mourning now, she had come to the end of her memorable walk and stopped upon the very lift that she and Mulidin spent hours on when they were about to head out into the forest and hunt down the Orcish camps that were constantly being rebuilt in preparation for an invasion on their beloved home.

Alone, she cast down her pack, used it as a pillow upon the hard wooden platform beneath her while she laid down, and glanced up at the fading stars in the young, morning sky. Through a break in the trees she glimpsed her star yet once again- the Aaima'riox- still sparkling like a massive diamond in the twilight being the last star to shine before the Ro's fiery light would brighten the entire sky. Was this star going to be there whenever she would lay down to rest in places unknown.... Or would it be another one of her beloved memories she would only know in her heart and never see again? Where would be her guiding light?

"Why didn' you come to the Heartwood tavern this morn? "she heard Mulidin's voice ask hurt a few paces away from her still body. How would she tell him that she had purposely tried to avoid it? The pain of their goodbye would stay with them forever, and she didn't want that for either of them.... she just wanted to leave without the heartbreak of loosing her best friend. "Sophia made a big breakfast for the both of us," he mumbled again as he stood looking down over her- she tried to avoid his gaze, "I saw you look then walk right on by.... you've got to eat something." His naivety made her smile as he held out a cloth with muffins that were still moist and warm inside of it. As she looked into his green eyes, she saw the hurt he was obviously beginning to feel no matter how hard he tried to make everything into being average events in their daily activities. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid- she didn't want to loose him as much as he didn't want too loose her, but she couldn't bear to see him tear himself up inside by pretending everything was going to be perfectly fine as if she would return later that evening to their same old table in the same old corner of the tavern.

"I already ate, Muli, thank you." She replied as she lifted herself up off the cold floor and slung her heft pack back over her shoulder. Her hair was already tied back with her band or orc teeth and her sword was secured behind her back in its rebound leather sheath that she received from her father when she had first returned with her magical blade. It was the most prepared she had ever been to go and journey out into the distance.

They both stood there before one another at a loss for words for quite some time fighting back their emotions since they both knew it would not help them in the slightest. Ariana looked off to the upper platforms knowing Mulidin was still looking at her- trying to read her mind for some sort of explanation as to what to do, what to say.... but he found nothing at all except her same lack of answers. "So this is really it then?" he whispered softly in the wind- unsure as to whether she heard him speak or not.... never the less she nodded and began to tug relentlessly at the bottom of her precious ear lobes. As he watched her, he suddenly felt a wave of courage to tell her all the things he wished he could've so many years ago when he started feeling them. If he let her go without speaking a word of it, he would live the rest of his life with regret that he did not wish to have.

"Ari," he humble began. The tone of his voice was much different than she had ever heard before and caused her to turn her magnificent hazel eyes to his. She looked at him so innocently that it took his very breath away and he found himself again at a loss of words. All he wanted to say was how much he loved her and would always love her, why was it he could not release these words into the open? Instead of speaking these forbidden words, his mouth trembled open with only air spilling out until he heard the many footsteps coming across the bridge behind him. It was too late now; these words could not be spoken.

Quickly he cleared his throat and began to rummage through his pack that he too carried beside him. "You have enough food and water for your entire trip? I don't want you to run out since you might not be in a place with many harvesting bushes or lakes of drinkable water.... and...and your cloak! You forgot your cloak! Take mine, please, I insist.... in case you venture into the tundra or get too cold...." Before he had a chance to continue Ariana interrupted him and had a strangely unfamiliar look of disappointment on her face as if she had actually expected him to say something else. He quieted himself instantly and handed over his chocolate brown cloak for her to put on since it was a quite unusually chilly morning.

To their side, Drevian cleared his throat rudely from beneath his perfectly white cloak that matched the others and beckoned Ariana to hurry forward so they all might leave. Keiarra turned a harsh glare at the elf and tipped her golden bifocals down lower upon the bridge of her nose as a clear sign of disapproval. She knew how hard goodbyes were to be.

Quickly, Mulidin grabbed a hold of Ariana and wrapped her up into his arms as she began to turn and walk towards her new companions and away from her old life. She welcomed his arms gratefully and buried her face into the nape of his neck beneath his wavy, brown hair- oh how they never wanted to let go.

"Listen to me," he whispered into her ears so the others could not hear, " lead them down the hidden forest pathways- the longest one possible to the tree-haloed lake we found years ago. Linger within the forests as long as possible..." her eyes narrowed in confusion as he took a pause for breath, "Remember, I will always be able to find you." Immediately her eyes brightened as he released his grasp around her and gently placed her back upon the ground. What did he mean? The Lesser Faydark was a treacherous place, why would he want them to linger in the woods as long as possible?

"If you are done with your goodbyes then let her be off, we must be as close as we can to Ak' anon by the nightfall." Drevian spat as he tugged Ariana aside. With a thrust of her entire arm she was able to remove her arm forcefully from his grasp and glared at him with eyes full of nothing but hatred.

"Do not touch me, De'Lerick otherwise I will rip your arm right out of its socket." She growled at him before she spat upon his highly polished, silver boots. Patiently she waited upon the lift near the massive mechanical button for the others to board for the ride to the forest floor, and once they boarded, she pushed the button down with all her might and watched her beloved city and Mulidin disappear as the lift crept downward with much irritating noise.

In Ariana's mind, she tried her hardest to convince herself that it would not be long until she was able too see the city within the trees again. It would not be long until she could dance and drink at the tavern with Mulidin and smell the sap slowly oozing from beneath the bark of the tree's hulky trunk. Kelethin's beauty and splendor would not be parted from her for long.... Or so she thought. But she was most dreadfully wrong.