Princess Elf's Return (Plot) | Open |

Cherilyn's voice could be heard moaning and groaning from inside a tree, as she was finally awaking from a long deep slumber. She was still asleep, her body merged within a tree somewhere in Balbadd's streets. Strange. It is weird that a woman somehow merged within the bark of a tree, it was a long story, that was about to be explained. People had heard the woman's voice and kept their distance from the tree.

It was a dark night, with howling gales. Cherilyn was taking her usual night walk, before she had a chronic headache, she fell onto the ground in pain. She began to cry from the pain, she never had experienced such pain. Did that make her weak, for crying over a headache? Crawling she tried to reach a puddle to take a sip, maybe she was dehydrated, she just needed a sip.

She figured that however, wasn't the issue as she cough and fell forward her arms suddenly weak. As her mind flooded with her past she knew that this wasn't from dehydration this was her memory triggering, and not in a kind way. She screamed in pain as memory flooded her head, causing traumatic pain, mentally. She rolled over onto her back screaming louder. "All the lives... I took! AAH!!"

Was this punishment, as a Princess she wasn't suppose to take the lives of her people, not in such a cruel way. It just... seemed like the right choice, her family and the loyal tribe elves were dying! She tried to handle the pain her hands reaching the clench onto her hair on the top of her head. Cherilyn never imagined that remembering her past would cause such pain, with how painful it was, she wish it would stay lost in a void of darkness.

Cherilyn remembered how before she fell powerless from the spell she had used to end the war, the elves who cheered, then the ones who boo'd her. She should've found a more peaceful resolution. She was only seven as the time... who could blame her though? Although, this means she had no home to return to, even if they did allow her to go back. She would never be able to face her people again.

Memories of her mother, she had been burned to death in front of her and her butler Mr. Yagama. She gripped the dirt beneath her palms, crying into the cold chilly night. Standing weakly she leaned onto a tree, emblem's appeared on her skin, emblems that meant Golden Elves, she morphed into the tree. As she forged with the tree, her body began to change her Elven ears changed to more humanoid like ears, her breast grew and her hair changed colors. Over a year she had not only changed appearance but slowly was moving out the tree's center.

People gathered around her, seeing the outline of her body in the bark as she was slowly being pushed out of the tree. She groaned in her sleep as she felt the disturbance outside her sleep.

A gathering crowd around a tree piqued the interest of two well-dressed men that were watching from the rear of the curious bystanders. One man, standing at 6.5 feet, wearing snow white garb lined with sapphire blue trim, and long, slicked-back silver hair, observed with piercing silver eyes at the phenomenon that unfolded. The other man, a Fanalis, stood directly behind his right shoulder, standing at 6 feet tall, wearing crimson red cloth lined with midnight black, and had his long crimson hair draping down his back and over his shoulders. They watched, silently, as a young woman’s outline came into view, and only when some people stepped back did they intervene, walking toward the tree.

“It seems as though she is alive,” whispered the red head to the silver-eyed man.

“I can see that, Zayn,” he replied, internally annoyed with the obvious statement made by his Fanalis subordinate. “Make sure these people don’t touch her.”

The man with silver hair continued to watch the girl as she separated from the tree, intrigued with her story and how she came to be here. Perhaps he could gain something from her if she was a person of useful potential, but for now, he kept his thoughts deep inside, locked away and hidden behind the friendly mask he wore upon his face.

Cherilyn kept groaning, as half her body was now visible to the eye. She kept mumbling in her sleep. Providing more information on her past. A few men behind the tree walked up towards the tree to try and rip at bra. However, even so if they got to her it wouldn't effect her sleep.

She screamed again in her sleep. "AHH! Mother! No... I- father... died! I can't run this kingdom alone! I'm not ready!!" Tears slowly formed at her eyes, only to fall onto the dry crisped dirt. The sun was hot and beaming quickly drying the dirt again to a crisp light brown color. "It was... only a year after I fell to slumber..... Mr. Yagama, he had prevented them from sentencing my death. From my sleep, I had told them... they should move onto healing my mother someway. I don't know how... but they agree'd to my orders even as I slept." Mr. Yagama did his best to keep them from sending her to die. He was sort of like her butler/guardian.

She began to mumble in her sleep. Her voice changed to a much more matured lower voice, almost of a man. "I am Haru, father of this Elf princess known as Cherilyn. I am leaving her in the hands, of who ever gets to her first." With that said her body completely fell to the ground and the men behind the tree launched at her, they most likely wanted to use her for slavery-purposes. However being asleep still she was of no use and rendered defenseless. She smiled in her sleep however and tilted her face at the crimson haired and silver-black haired man, whispering. "Help."

This time, she didn't say what she was dreaming, she however was dreaming of her mother, would she be proud of the choices she made or would she be disappointed? She couldn't even get herself to awake from her deep slumber, it was like she was under some sleep-spell. IT wasn't her fault though so her mother probably understands that much. She could hear her talking to her mom faintly as a little girl, she felt like she was awake, but she knew she was only watching the past unfold in front of her own eyes, she couldn't hear her voice describing it to the crowd around her. So she knew it must be a personal-private memory. 


The little girl her had long luxurious blue silky hair. She tugged at her mother's sleeve, her face covered by her beautiful light leaf-green hair. "Momma... when can I learn magic?" She smiled at her mother. The mother patted her head. "Soon my daughter." That was all she said, the dreams suddenly ended, she woke up.

As Zayn made sure the majority of the pedestrians stayed back, the silver-haired man kneeled down to drape his overcoat over the young woman’s shoulders, listening to her screams and pleads. She seemed distressed and troubled over her past. When the two approaching men caught his attention, he ordered, “Zayn, stop them.”

The Fanalis burst into action by his master’s command; he used his natural strength to deliver a sweeping kick and downward fist-slam to stop the possible slavers. The task was executed so swiftly that the silver-haired man began to wonder why his subordinate was so strange outside of following orders. He nodded to Zayn before looking at the young woman, his silver eyes glittering with gentleness and smile radiating with kindness. The silver haired man held out a hand to the woman, saying, “It’s a bit dangerous here, m’lady. I can take you somewhere that has food, water, shelter, and is safe from the barbarians my subordinate stopped, but that is only if you wish to come with me.”

Cherilyn smiled as they laid there, on the side of her legs and her hands firmly on the ground. She felt a feeling, a feeling that told her she was safe. She quickly got attracted to the two men, she stood up, thanks to the silver-haired man helping her up. She then watched as the crimson-man fought, she smiled to herself, she was happy to feel protected. She had held his hand as she stood by him leaning onto his chest, the Fanalis, who was obvious by his height, muscles and hair was named Zayn.


As she leaned onto the man she could hear his heartbeat, it was calm and steady, it was… reassuring. If this man could be so calm in a battle, well ordering a subordinate then she knew she was safe. As Zayn, continued his barrage of attacks the silver-haired man suggested they go somewhere else. She smiled, he was worried about her safety, he offered to go somewhere safe, with food and water as well as shelter. She knew she had to follow this man, he did give her the choice to follow him, but she already saw and heard how it’d be like if she had no protection.


Plus adding her state to it she had no choice. Although she was given the choice which made her more sure of her decision. This man could easily force her to follow him. She nodded. “Yes. I wish to follow you. I am Cherilyn Rosethorn- IF you didn’t already know…” She forgot if she had spoke of her name in her slumber… so she reintroduced herself.

She stood with the silver-haired man watching as Zayn quickly finished off the weak slavers. “So sir, what’s your name?” She said with a faint redness to her cheeks, and a slight giggle.

Zayn went to his master’s side and watched, with curious and slightly jealous eyes, as the woman, Cherilyn, leaned into the magician’s chest. The silver-haired man, feeling a bit awkward at the closeness, was unsure of what to do, settling with placing his hand on her silky, blonde hair. Her warmth could have melted his slowly frozen heart if the man wanted it, but he couldn’t allow himself to feel any inside emotion.

“You can call me Neo Mortem, Cherilyn,” he responded, giving her his alias, with a warm smile as he stepped back. His silver eyes observed her cheeks turning red and wondered why she was blushing. Was it something he said? Was she just embarrassed of something? Adrastos, that being his real name, decided not to press for any questions or information just yet. It would be better to have her be more comfortable around him. Then, once the time was right, he find out everything about her.

“Follow me, then. Zayn will walk behind you to make sure nobody tries to ambush you or us with our backs turned.”

Adrastos led the way, pushing past the crowd of people that had gathered around the tree. The sun was already beginning to set, casting the vibrant hues of magenta, orange, and yellow across the horizon of the sea that stretched off of Balbadd’s coast. The wind offered a little breeze, cooling off the trio from the earlier humidity. The houses they passed changed from that of identical clay houses to that of luxurious homes belonging to the wealthier citizens. Adrastos continued to lead the way, however, until they arrived at a house that sat along the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.


The building was by far different than his last abode, the one that was in shambles, but with the money he earned from the dungeon, he bought a new place under his alias, Neo Mortem. On the outside, it would appear to be the house of a nobleman, or at the very least, an individual with some money in his pockets, but inside would be where the magician would plan his evil plots with his subordinates.

“Here we are,” Adrastos said while Zayn opened the door to allow the magician and Cherilyn to enter. The magician made his way to the dining room and sat at the head of the table.

“Please, take a seat. Zayn will get us some refreshments. In the meantime, how about we talk for a bit?"

The Fanalis entered, carrying trays of food and glasses of wine. With the food served, Zayn left quietly, closing the door behind him to leave his master and Cherilyn alone.

Adrastos swirled his wine around in the goblet, his eyes never leaving the deep blue eyes of his new acquaintance, "You made quite the scene earlier, Cherilyn. I hope this isn't too personal of a question, but how did you become part of that tree, and how long have you been there?" He raised the goblet to his thin lips to taste the dark, sweet, yet slightly bitter, liquid.

After learning the silver-haired man’s name, her curiosity built, how did his parents decide such a name for him. Her parents decided to name her Cherilyn because of her grandma, who had cherry-red hair with blue tips. So basically she was Cherilyn the second, basically an upgraded version of her saggy ancestor. Her grandmother was actually alive back when her parents had died, she didn’t know if Grandma Cheri was still alive though. If she was Cherilyn could learn from her!

She was told by Neo, that Zayn would watch her back, that was comforting. Knowing she had protection from a Fanalis who expertly showed how quickly he could finish off foes. As she walked with them she played with her fingers in a shy manner, tapping her thumbs together. She was a bundle of emotions she was happy for some odd reason, scared, excited and sad. She was a mess.

Hoping that she hadn’t walked into some big gang slaver operation. Her mother had warned her to be careful of who you trust, she remembered her words exactly, “Never fully trust people, if you do one day they might of just gained it just to sacrifice you, for their better good.” This made her a bit more paranoid, but she wasn’t like her mother, she was quick to trust, since she grew with no friends and was practically trying to lead a country out of war at the age of seven. She wasn’t a pushover though. Cherilyn knew when she had to fight and when she didn’t have too.

Following Neo past the crowds, she looked up at the vibrant colors that decorated the sky, oh so beautifully. It was breath-taking. “Oh… wow…” She whispered, she hadn’t seen a sunset in so long, it was mesmerizing to her, she kept walking forward like she was in a trance, not forgetting she was following her savior. Her hair flowed ever so gently with the cool breeze, she sighed it felt wonderful to cool off from the radiating heat of the sun, her body was being cooled slowly. She also noticed how the buildings became more extravagant looking, this was probably the nicest place she’s been too, in a city.

As she continued to follow Neo, with Zayn still behind her, they came upon a house on the edge of a cliff, she could hear the waves crashing. She sprinted towards the edge. Cherilyn couldn’t hold in her awe this time. “It’s so beautiful!!” She began to twirl around in a circle in pure happiness. This was such an alluring sight.

Quickly it snapped in her head that she was suppose to be following Neo, so she ran back, apologizing. “Sorry… this is the nicest place I’ve been too. Besides my kingdom.” She followed him inside the house, she bowed in gratitude to Zayn. “Thank you.~” Walking past the door, she looked around, it seemed so unreal, the house was so astonishingly beautiful, she was lucky to even step a foot in such a architecture. She noted how she was beginning to fall behind Neo, she quickened her footsteps to catch up, walking into his dining room. It was equivalent to the rest of what she saw, clearly this house was a fortune.

Neo asked her to sit, he had already taken his position at the head of the table, she sat at the other end of the table. Cherilyn adjusted her posture her right leg over her left, her hands in her lap, she made sure her eye-contact was direct. Zayn had placed quite the exquisite set of food with such a fine wine, it looked more rich than the wine that father would drink. How did someone like her even end up in this mess… oh right that tree. Stupid question.

It seemed Neo was curious how she ended up merged within the tree. “Well… I didn’t mean to make a scene… my apologies. I don’t remember how I fully merged with the tree. Just bits and pieces...” She tried to think long and hard about what happened that fateful night. “I think… I remember… the memories of my past returning… the pain and when I leaned upon that tree, I remember.” Her posture changed a bit, she looked like she was in discomfort, her right hand resting against her forehead, her back wasn’t as straight as moments before. “Ancient symbols from my tribe had appeared on my skin… and the tree, I remember bright lights flashing off these symbols… roots began to pull me into the tree…” She sighed, angry at herself. She didn’t remember how long she was in the tree. “I don’t think it was truly that long… but I think the tree sped up my mental and physical state as well as changing my appearance…”

She felt useless, she was of no help and her throat was dry and she began to mentally yell at herself. Cherilyn was never of any help to people when it came to pointing out her past. However she would try harder than usual to be of any assistance to Neo. She sat waiting for his response staring at the wine, she never drank alcohol, usually just water.

Cherilyn’s amusement had, well, entertained Adrastos to a certain degree, but he focused on listening to her explanation. Her story sounded like some sort of fairy tale, the type parents would tell their children just for whimsical entertainment. Roots pulling someone in? Merging with a tree? Strange symbols of a tribe glowing on one’s skin?  If not for her obvious look of discomfort, the magician probably would have dismissed her story as just that: a story.

Setting his goblet down, Adrastos stood silently, like an apparition, to walk to Cherilyn to comfort her. He placed a hand on her shoulder gently as he crouched, gazing at her with a sympathetic look. “I apologize if my question brought unpleasantness. It was not my intention, I assure you.”

His eyes then followed hers until he saw the wine. She had not taken a single sip. Cherilyn was more than likely not one to partake in alcohol, like the magician in the past. As if on some imaginary cue, Zayn returned, placing water at Adrastos’ and Cherilyn’s seat, then leaving just as he had before.

So reliable yet such a pain.

Adrastos made his way back to his seat to eat his meal. As he ate, he continued the conversation, “I apologize for any inconvenience. If something does not suit your tastes, don’t hesitate to ask. Either I or Zayn will make sure your needs are met.” He cleared his throat, ready to change the topic. “You mentioned something about a kingdom? I don’t think you’d hail from the desert country, Heliohapt, or the frozen tundra, Imuchakk, mainly because I fail to see the beauty in either country, so where do you come from?”

The magician paused, tilting his head ever so slightly as he offered a small smile. “Forgive me for asking all the questions. You just went through a rather strange ordeal, after all. I should let you rest or allow you to ask anything that you would like answered.”

Playing innocent seemed too easy for Adrastos. He’d had quite a bit of practice, however. He maintained his friendly demeanor, attempting to pull the girl into a sense of comfort and trust. Of course there were certain topics he was being dishonest about, such as his true name of social standing, but when the time was right, he’d think about revealing those to her. For now, he needed to continue this game of charades until the right moment.

She watched as he set his goblet down. She hadn’t upset him had she, maybe he didn’t believe her story. Nobody even knew about her tribe, or the elves as a race. So it’d be a lot to take in, then again how could he question her, she fell out of a tree this morning! She did her best to control her breathing, keeping it a steady rate and trying to breathe quietly to hide her nervous breathing.

His hand was warm and comforting on her shoulder, she quickly looked at him with her soft innocent blue eyes, meeting his silver orbs. She noticed how his “piercing silver,” eyes had a kinder look in them. She felt that same safe feeling she had earlier, she wanted to hug him and leap into his arms, feeling her heartbeat speed up. He reassured her that he had no intentions to cause any sort of distress to her. “No no! I promise it wasn’t you… just remembering things tend to hurt my head… and I get tired out. I am very grateful for your presence you and Mister Zayn saved me!” She smiled. “So in that case, I’ll do my best to repay you.”

She noticed how he glanced at her wine glass, she should’ve took a sip. Zayn had came to retrieve the glass and replace it with water, she had a soft smile. “Thank you…” It was a soft crisp whisper. Zayn seemed like a good man, very reliable and quick to help. A great asset to someone, surely.

Neo seemed to want to know about her Kingdom. She forgot she hadn’t mentioned anything of it. How rude of her, she didn’t even tell him where she was from, only how she was stuck in a tree. He was right that she didn’t come from either country though. Cherilyn blushed, Neo was a smart man.

She pondered how did she explain her home to a non-elf. She looked at the table thinking. “Well where I come from… it’s a country that is nothing but forest, well from what I remember as a child. It was beautiful country, glazed in green.” She smiled at the fond memories in her head. “Our kingdoms, homes and any structure was usually built in the trees or underground, never really on the ground. My castle was in a glade, built onto one big mother-tree, it was so huge I think it was the biggest tree in the world.”  She looked up into his eyes. “It didn’t really have a name for the country… I know that my tribe was known as the Golden Elves or Gold Elves of the Forest.”


She went further into detail. “It was split into three tribes though. The Storm Elves, Flame Elves and the Golden Elves. Basically my people had a civil war… my solution to ending it had killed off about two third of the country’s population.” She had a chill and shook for a second, all the people who had died… but it was the only solution, she knew of. “Anyways… the spell I had used was too much for my body, I passed out in a coma for seven years… then woke up when I was fifteen and wandered the world on my own… then the tree incident.” Cherilyn thought of all the years taken from her, it wasn’t major to her life span, but it was major to her growth as a magician.  With how long elves lived though, it’d be no problem.

Neo was really a good man, she smiled looking at him, hoping he was pleased with her response. Hopefully he wasn’t bored to death by her past… or didn’t think badly of her.

Adrastos pushed his now empty plate away and leaned forward, placing his chin on top of his hands. So she came from a kingdom not recognized on the modern map? Plus, she said elves. The magician had no idea that elves had even existed. He didn’t even know of them from fairy tales. However, Adrastos didn’t interrupt her as she explained herself. There was one mention that made him transfer all of his attention onto her. Cherilyn mentioned a kingdom, but not just any kingdom, her kingdom.

Was she perhaps saying that she owned a country or that she was a princess of some sort? Adrastos smirked inwardly while keeping his outward smile of understanding. If she was indeed a princess, then she would be very useful. On the chance that she was a princess, then he could somehow win her favor, perhaps even woo her, and become a king eventually. Of course she would need to establish her country so that it would be seen on any modern day map, and for that, she would need his help to do so. Before all of that could be achieved though, the magician needed to gain her trust and support further.

“I see,” Adrastos responded. He looked out the window, noticing how late it had become. “I’m afraid it had gotten late. It would be impolite to send you out now, so you can sleep here for tonight and for however long you need to collect your bearings. We can continue our conversation at a more lively hour. Perhaps over some breakfast and morning tea. I look forward to learning more about you, Cherilyn.”

The magician stood up and walked over to Cherilyn. “If you'll follow me, I’ll personally escort you to your room.”

Adrastos turned, leading the way out of the dining room and up the stairs. The corridors were dark, save for a few lit candles mounted on the walls, which matched the mansion exterior  appearance. Narrow windows draped with crimson curtains rested along the wall to show the sea outside. On the opposite wall, between the doors, rested paintings from all over the world, depicting each known country's unique attractions. The floor had one long navy blue rug that muffled the echoes of their footsteps.

The jaunt consisted of only silence until Adrastos opened the door to a room at the end of the hall. “This will be your room.


"My room will be down the hall at the very end if you need me. There is also a bell in case you need to call Zayn for anything. Feel free to ask for anything.”

The magician bowed his head slightly, and retired to his room. Once the door was shut, one of his hands passed over his face as he grinned from ear to ear. Out of all the people to drop into his life, it happened to be a young woman that was potentially a princess. Sure, his heart still tinged for Noir, but Cherilyn… He’d make her his in time, no matter the cost. It would be a step up in social and economic standing and would only get him closer to the leaders of other countries and their people. Despite cursing fate, it seems to look down upon me in favor… How ironic.

Cherilyn had got carried away talking of her kingdom, her home, she didn’t even notice that night had fallen on the two. His voice kind and soothing, it was like a symphony to her. A beautiful melody. He was obviously, someone of higher ranks with how polite and divine he acted. He was allowing her to stay as long as she wanted to collect her bearings, they agreed on talking in the morning over tea, her voice soft. “I think I’d love to chit chat over tea…” 


She got up from her chair, Neo was going to personally escort her to “her,” room. She also had stored a mental note to go back to the window later that night to look out the window, at the sea… the sea was probably her favorite thing, she could be by the house and see the sea from the cliff, that his home rested on. It was a bit strange how dark he kept it down here, she shivered a little but played it off, like she was cold. As she walked down the hallways she noticed the painting of all the other countries, they were beautiful, but why would he have every country. Was he planning to conquer the other countries, or was she looking into it too much?


Probably. He seemed to just enjoy the beautiful uniqueness from every country captured in a beautiful and unique painting style, that showed off each country’s differences. Plus if he was a psycho he’d just push her against the wall and take her, which he hasn’t came close to doing anything of the sort. She was just being paranoid, like her mother use too. She recollected her thoughts and reassured herself mentally and kept her pace, careful not to fall behind.


As she entered the room she could instantly tell how it showed the fine riches of Balbadd, it wasn’t a bad country to live in, if you had money. He had told her that his room was down the hall and not to be afraid to call for Zayn’s assistance. Part of her wanted to talk and hang with Zayn, but is that even a request she would be allowed to ask? She waved him bye with her signature blush and smile, as Neo walked off, setting the bell on a dresser-table near the door. Sitting on the bed she began to sway her legs back and forth, she got lucky that such a rich man with a powerful servant picked her up today.


Cherilyn saw how the room had a patio and a view of the sea. However she thought it'd be better to look through the window, maybe take a view at the stars. She was mentally planning what she would do later that night. She was lucky. A beautiful room for the night and an amazing view of the sea and a nice quiet night for herself.

She looked at the ceiling, it was such a big open space for a room. She walked around the room, with her left arm wrapped around her waist, resting. The other arm was hanging or picking up small pictures in the room. Cherilyn took a small nap for an hour, when she woke up she quietly walked to the door and opened it, she walked down the corridor. Walking back to the window that had a beautiful view of the sea. 


Staring out at the water she had a faint smile, a faint hope, this would be her home, new home. This would be her true beginning to returning back to her kingdom and becoming the Queen she was meant to be, but never did. Hopefully grandmother Cheri was alive and kicking, and hopefully the castle hadn’t been attacked. She looked back on today’s events, was it right to follow a random man? He did save her life from becoming a slave or worse… but what were his intentions with her, a man of such a high taste would have no interest in her right? She was dressed in such a skimpy collar-less qipao dress, she basically looked like a street-slut.

She walked down the corridor and up the stairs to the living room, peeking and sneaking about, she was watching for Zayn or Neo, grabbing the knob to the door that lead outside. Cherilyn did her best to be quieter than a mouse shutting the door behind her. She looked up at the starry sky. “It’s so breathtaking…” She was in awe of nature’s beauty. She was oblivious to anyone or anything trying to mess with her as she dozed off in a daydream. “One day… I will… return to the kingdom, mother. I will save the kingdom, hopefully with help.” Smiling at the thought of being able to sleep in her old bed again, the fabrics were the softest in the world, it’d be a dream come true.

Today had been quite an interesting day for the blue-haired woman. She had helped out a few dock workers early in the morning, went out for a run in nature, and the most exciting thing of all being that she saw a girl coming out of a tree. Normally she would've helped out with the situation, but before she could get close enough, or the like she was lead away. Since she didn't seem to be in any danger she just left her alone before continuing on with her own day. Though the sight would definitely be in her mind the entire time.

The rest of her day had been relaxing. She went out fishing with Hoyo, and ate a happy dinner consisting of fruit and the delicious fish that they caught. After they had a good dinner Ani helped out at the docks once again before returning to her room at the inn. While she was only staying at this inn she was planning to return soon enough to her home in Heliohapt. The young imuchakk had a lot to do and if she started anywhere it was going to be there. Though soon after returning home she fell asleep on the couch in her room.

However, her rest did not last for long. Ani's sleep was plagued with nightmares, and a feeling in her gut that wouldn't let her calm down. Every now and then this would happen to her, it began when she was a kid after the incident. Though they dissapeared after she had become settled in heliohapt with Hoyo. Unluckily for Ani they had returned, albeit less then before, after she completed the dungeon. While she as satisfied with the fact she made it through she still felt bitter and somewhat weak. The same feeling she had back when she was a kid.  Though this wasn't enough to get the young beast tamer down.

She was unable to go back to bed after waking up so Ani had decided to go out for a walk alone, so Hoyo could get the rest her wonderful beast deserved. Instead of getting dressed the blue-haired beauty walked out in the attire she had passed out in. A thin white dress that fit her form that stopped just an inch above her knees, She was walking in her sandals since she was just going out for a short stroll to calm her mind. At least that was the plan, but soon enough she was far from her place of stay and somewhere else . hough soon enough as she was strolling she saw something that she didn't expect to see on her walk.

She saw the girl whom came out of the tree earlier in the day. Though for some reason she seemed different to Ani, but one thing was the same to Ani. She was absolutely stunning, at least to her. Seeing her looking at the sky made Ani curious, especially with the home she saw behind her. With soft footsteps Ani walked closer to her daring to engage in conversation with her. "Hello." She said softly to gain her attention. " I wasn't expecting to see someone while I was out for my walk." Ani stated with a soft laugh while running her hand against the back of her own head. "Oh my name is Ani by the way." She introduced herself with her carefree tone showing that she was simply socializing to socialize.

After having his seemingly brief  mental planning, Adrastos collected himself once more and straightened his clothing only to try to turn in for the night. His attempt, however, was interrupted by a knock at his chamber door. He wondered, for just a moment, if it was Cherilyn in need of something, even if it was to talk, but when he opened the door, his silver eyes gazed not at a beautiful woman, but his Fanalis subordinate, Zayn. “What do you want?”

“Well,” the Fanalis said nervously, “Cherilyn, the young woman from the tree, left the mansion just a few minutes ago. I thought it only right to inform you.”

Left the mansion? Adrastos stared blankly at his follower. How could she leave without telling me or Zayn? Sure, she is under no obligation to do so, but after this afternoon… Night is even more dangerous than the day; many more predators lurked the streets, stalking for prey. If two men were bold enough to attack in broad daylight in the middle of a crowd, then… Damn it all!

The magician slammed his fist into the doorway. “Stay here in case she returns. I’ll go find her. I have to make sure she’ll be safe.”

Adrastos then, forgetting to put on his overcoat to protect himself from the chilly night air, ran out from the mansion and into the streets. He wondered why he pretended to care in front of Zayn, a man who knew of his dark side. The feeling in his chest was similar yet very different from that when thinking of Noir and his previous lover from long ago. Could one meeting really have had such an impact on him? Or was he drawn to her mysteriousness, her strange beautiful appearance?

As he thought back, he imagined seeing her pale skin covered in that skimpy dress separating from the tree. Her wide eyes were cut from brilliant sapphires unattainable by conventional means, and her blonde hair spun from delicate light gold. He wondered what she looked like before being merged from the tree and how much she possibly had changed. Why was he thinking so much about her?

Adrastos shook his head. Don’t be a fool. You just met her. To her, you’re just a kind gentleman with a lot of money. As long as she believes that, you’re fine. Or am I? You can’t possibly be falling for every girl you see like King Lagi of Reim has rumored to have done.

Seeing two figures in the distance, the blue magician ran faster to catch up. He saw the moon light bounce off of Cherilyn’s hair, causing a form of relief to wash over him as well as anxiety over who she was with. “Cherilyn!”

When Adrastos slowed down to a point he would be able to stop beside Cherilyn, he recognized the other individual that was with her: it was the Imuchakk, Ani, whom had gone into Dantalion alongside the other Imuchakk male in order to obtain the power of the djinn. So she was still here? He had thought she left along with Noir, but apparently not.

“My apologies,” he said, excusing himself for interrupting any conversation they had and for following Cherilyn, “I was concerned when I was told you were no longer in your room after someone went to see how you were doing. After what transpired earlier in broad daylight, I wasn’t sure what would happen in the dead of night.”

“It’s not that I doubt you can protect yourself, but I feel as it is my obligation as a gentleman to see that you are unharmed as long as I am able to,” he added, defending himself in case he might have offended Cherilyn. Adrastos looked at Ani and smiled kindly, “Good evening, Miss. Ani. I wasn’t aware you were still in Balbadd. How have you been?”

The response she got from the blonde was quite amusing, especially her blushing face which made Ani's core tingle slightly in excitement. It made her feel a little warm, she wasn't sure why, but she knew for sure that she wanted to talk to her more. Her soft stuttering voice was one that Ani thought matched her appearance quite well. Hearing her name as she spoke with more composure made her smile warmly back at the girl whom had attracted all of her attention. She found it relieving that she seemed friendly and wasn't put off by her own friendliness.

When she took her hand she gave her a firm, but friendly handshake. Ani's hands were softly, but it could be told from the small cuts and scars on her hands that she was someone who worked hard. She looked into her eyes with her crimson orbs as she enjoyed the feeling of her warm hand while her own gave of a comforting coolness just like the night, or a cold drink on a hot day. This girl seemed quite wonderful to Ani, and everything she saw and heard made her more excited to get to know the woman. "It's all my pleasure."

Though what happened next surprised her quite a bit, the appearance of an acquaintance, Neo, At first she was curious about why he was inside of the home, but soon enough the blue haired girl was able to come up with a rough idea of the situation. Neo must've been the one who took her away from the crowd earlier and brought her to this place, his home for safe keeping. Ani knew he was Riku's mentor so it wasn't surprising to her that he was helping her out.

"Hello Neo, it's nice to meet you once again." She said bowing her head softly as her hand was still embraced with Cheri's. "I'm going to be here for a little while longer." She stated since she had planned to stay a few more days, or weeks before going back to her home in Heliohapt. "I'm doing quite well, and it pleases me to see an acquaintance doing well." She said with earnest emotion before turning her head back to the girl whom she was standing  with at the moment. Since this girl was the one she had engaged conversation with at first.

The Imuchakk grabbed one of her hands gently and kissed it softly before letting go looking into her eyes smiling softly. "I hope you don't mind if I call you Cheri." She said her own voice being deeper, but it was calming and beautiful. "Though I do have to say that your flushed face is beautiful." She stated with a slight chuckle before rubbing the back of her head wondering if it was alright for her to say something like that to someone she just met. Though it was the truth Ani found this girl, and the reactions she has seen quite far very attractive. It made her want to see more of them.

Adrastos noticed the duration Ani was holding onto Cherilyn’s hand. If they already shook hands, then the Imuchakk should have let go by now, yet there she was, still holding on. There was only a brief moment of communication, enough that allowed Ani to answer Adrastos, but soon returned her attention on Cherilyn.

When he saw Ani kiss Cherilyn’s hand, much like a gentleman would do to a lady in greeting, he felt enraged. He didn’t allow his anger to show and instead remained silent. Ani only further fed the flames that rose up by flirting with the girl he wanted to have for himself. He felt as if it was rude to flirt in such a manner after just meeting, or what he assumed to be their first meeting. Perhaps that was how the gentleman Adrastos felt. On the other hand, the dark magician within wanted to burn Ani alive and watch her suffer for having dared to touch what was his.

The magician cleared his throat after a few minutes of watching Cherilyn’s reaction, not wanting to overstep his own bounds and defend her when she could do it herself. “It is quite late, but since we’re both here, I had a thought that occurred to me after we departed to our chambers, Cherilyn,” he said with a dazzling smile, hardly acknowledging Ani’s presence anymore as he spoke, “I have a feeling you don’t have any other set of clothes other than what you wear now, so perhaps I can take you out after breakfast to buy you new sets of dresses and outfits to put in the closet. You can pick out whatever you want along with any accessories. If tomorrow doesn’t sound feasible, I’m open to another time.”

She wanted to laugh, not because she thought everything she did was funny, but because the girl amused her. The way she spoke and acted was extremely cute, and made Ani want to give her a big tight hug. Her blushing face was a wondrous sight, and it made her wonder if Cheri knew how cute she actually was. Most likely not she thought, since in her experience most of the time people didn't notice their own charming traits. Though Ani did begin to wonder if she went a little far for someone she had just met, but despite her blushing face it didn't seem to Ani that she was bothered by what she did.

When she had accepted her compliment Ani's lip twitched slightly as it curved up into an amused smile. She couldn't tell if she said that as a joke since Cheri sounded like cherry, or if it happened to be a slip up of some sort. Either way it made her smile and the conversation soon enough removed all the worries Ani had been suffering from earlier in the night. How could she feel down when such a cheerful, and adorable girl was standing there in front of her emitting such joyful feeling.

She saw the girl getting excited after Neo had offered to buy her clothing, and her excited expressions told Ani that this girl would definitely be amusing to hang out with and get along with. However, when she asked Ani if she wanted to join her she was a bit surprised. It made her feel happy, the warm feeling in her core got a little stronger as she nodded softly. Neo had been nice to her every time they had met so she assumed he was fine with her tagging along. "Oh I'd love to join you!" She said with her own excited tone.

As Ani began thinking of the activity she thought that she shouldn't let Neo spend only his money on the girl. Ani still had quite a bit of money left over from the dungeon, so why not lessen the stress on Neo's wallet and help out her new friend at the same time. "Since I'm going along with you I'll also buy you some things." She said nodding to the both of them while clasping her hands together meaning it earnestly. "And I won't take no for an answer, I want to help out my new friend and lessen the cost for an acquaintance." She said pressing her clasped hands to her slightly pursed pink lips. It was obvious that she was determined to do this, and nothing would persuade her not to.

Adrastos craned his neck back to gaze at the twinkling stars above. He would have preferred if Ani didn’t come along; it wasn’t even her that he invited, but Cherilyn asked for Ani to accompany them. How could he simply say no to her request? Maybe he’d be able to distract Ani, keep her away from Cherilyn, but even if he could, how would he accomplish that? There was no way out unless he went to an area of the city where the stores would be too expensive for her. Even then, he doubted that would work.

“Cost if of no concern of mine. I’d happily buy whatever Cherilyn needs or wants. It’s the least I, as a gentleman, can do for her, after all. However since it’s so late at night, there are no decent shops open. We’ll have to wait until morning.” He looked down at Ani. “Tomorrow will be a rather busy day so rest will be required. You can meet us here after breakfast,” he said, shrugging off his long-sleeved shirt to cover Cherilyn’s shoulders. He should have done so earlier, but Ani’s appearance distracted him. “There. It’s not much, but it’ll give you a little protection against the chill of night in case you decide to stay out here for a few more minutes.”

Adrastos wasn’t going to leave Cherilyn’s side, not when someone like Ani, a person that was openly flirting with a woman of his own desire, was near.

The magician placed his hands in his pockets, feeling the cool air of the sea gently caress his skin. The moon exposed the scars on his back and upper arms from his time being whipped long ago, but he acted like they didn’t exist. The years of training was also obvious; his muscles were defined, but not too much that heavily contrasted his skinny frame. He once again gazed up at the sky, not having anything else to say for the moment.

Ani was excited after all the talking had finished and she nodded goodnight to the two. "See you both tomorrow, and have a good night." She said bowing softly before taking a quick turn on her heel making her way back to her place of stay, slowly but surely. She was so excited and hoped to enjoy a few weeks of fun with Cheri before she would leave to go check on her own home. Though her dreams were dashed when she made it back to her home. Once she was the blue-haired beauty found a letter. One that stated that she needed to leave tomorrow,  or she wouldn't be able to get there by the time she needed because the captain who was taking her wouldn't be coming back to Balbadd for awhile. Though she'd have to leave tomorrow she would say a proper goodbye to her friends in the city.

When the morning came Ani made her way alone to Neo's house since her friend took Hoyo and her things to the ship so she could leave quickly after she had taken care of her business. The only thing she was carrying was her bag which held her mask along with her money so she could buy things for Cheri like she had promised. She thought about buying something for Neo, but she wasn't sure what he'd like to own. Though once Cheri made her way past Ani she followed waiting for the opportunity to  say goodbye properly.

Ani bought a few bags of things and carried them over to Cheri before seeing what she was asking about it making her giggle softly. She walked over to her and grabbed on of her hands for a moment before slipping a bag into her hand it being the clothing that she had bought for her. Though she was still holding one smaller bag in her hand. "No Cheri, that isn't perverted what they are doing is showing affection to each other by walking with their hands together." She said while opening the bag in her hand to let her look at the contents which were a variety of clothing. There was sundresses, athletic clothing, pants, sweaters, and a few stylish cloak. Each outfit designed to enhance her natural features like her eyes, hair, and face. Though while she looked at the clothing in the bag she finished her explanation. "It's usually done between people with romantic feelings for one another."

Once she was done talking she opened up the small bag looking at the people who were part of their time together. "Though I have something to tell you." She said with a soft nod before gulping slightly. Her face was slightly contorted into a melancholy expression. "I have to leave  for my home Heliohapt by today." She stated as she pulled two gifts out of her bag. She handed Neo an orange leather bound journal, and handed Cheri a box which had a nature themed bangle which she thought matched the girl wonderfully.

She waited for them to say goodbye, or say anything that they wanted to her. Once they were done with whatever they wanted to say or do she decided to say her parting words. "I hope to see you both soon, and if you need to send me letters, or anything talk to the people at the docks." She stated walking over to Cheri and kissing her on the cheek a bit long and softly before pulling away. "Next time I see you i'll take you out for a meal, hopefully i'll return with exciting news." She stated a bit happily before turning away walking a bit sadly as she made her way to the docks.

[Exit]

The bangle:

The journal:

When Adrastos went after Cherilyn, he found her collapsed on the floor, asleep and mumbling words he didn't quite understand. Who was afraid to kiss her? The woman was a strange one alright, and though he wondered who she was talking about, he didn't ponder. He sighed, thinking Cherilyn was quite helpless at time, and picked her up to place her on her bed. That was the last time the magician saw the little princess that night before their little shopping excursion in the morning.

The shopping spree Cherilyn went on wasn’t completely unexpected to Adrastos, but he didn’t quite expect Zayn to be used as a Fana-hanger for everything Cherilyn could get her hands on. There were times when the magician would catch the emerald eyes of his follower that pleaded with him to save him from such embarrassment, but Adrastos, as usual, would respond with a sly smirk, as if to imply, ‘I’m too amused to help you.’

A couple holding each other's hands piqued Cherilyn’s curiosity, but what she asked surprised him. Did she know anything about relationships? He opened his mouth to answer, yet didn’t get the chance because Ani beat him to the explanation. “It’s as Ani says. It’s a way two people show affection in public. They also kiss and hug at times as well. Of course there’s more to a relationship than just that, but that’s just a piece.” Adrastos shrugged, not sure of what else to say until Ani mentioned the news of her departure.

Outwardly, Adrastos wore an expression described as slight disappointment, yet that was only to hide the glee he felt within. With Ani gone, then he would have Cherilyn all to himself without worry of outside forces pulling her away. The leather-bound journal which he received was a surprise. Adrastos never gave Ani any reason to bestow a gift on him. Sure, he was kind in the past, but why did she give him a journal? Did she think of him as a friend? The kiss Ani planted on Cherilyn caused Adrastos to mentally want to kill her, but he restrained himself, saying in a calm voice, “Thank you, Ani. I hope you have safe travels.”

After Ani left, Adrastos turned to Cherilyn with a smile, “You get whatever you want, Cherilyn. It’s my treat. Then, after you’ve had your fill, we can go get something to eat and figure out what to do with the rest of our day.”

After the trio enjoyed their meal, Adrastos paid the bill and stood, offering a hand to Cherilyn. “I’ve had the most wonderful time with you, my lady. Although, I fear I must be leaving the borders of Balbadd and venture to Kou. I would greatly appreciate it if you were to come with me or if we could meet there. If you still have business to take care of then I’ll let you see to it. Take your time.”

The magician gently stroked the side of the young woman’s hand as he smiled. “Don’t worry about how to find me. I’ll find you, no matter where you are.” With those words, he leaned forward and planted a delicate kiss upon the back of her hand before turning, signaling Zayn to follow. Adrastos wasn’t sure if that would be the last moment he’d see the elven princess or not, but he held a small bit of certainty that they’d cross paths again.

[EXIT]

OOC Note: I apologize for never responding to this thread. I had been in a writer's block for such a long time and had forgotten that I still needed to post here. I hope that if you see this, we can continue to plot more.