The wind was a soft caress....

[Camel of Chaos]

... slipping in and out between the strange gardens that seemed to float on top of the world. In a land of ice it was a sanctuary of floral extravagance, all sorts of blooms and plants causing the air to have a crisp scent that could soothe any anxious mind. Yet at the heart of this haven sat a young woman, with tumbling curls and soft eyes the girl sat within the embrace of gnarled roots at the base of an ancient tree. It was her favourite weeping willow in the entire garden and as such had found herself resting beneath its shade. As always a delicate notebook lay in her lap, the sound of a quill scratching its way across the page the only sound to shatter the quiet.

The slender hand paused, the young princess shifting her wings into a more comfortable position with a mild frown. They expanded, tips stretching out and catching the rays of the sun in a shimmer of golden brilliance before they were dropped to the ground, becoming sprawled out in a rather lazy manner that she knew she could be heavily scolded for. No princess would ever treat her delicate wings in such away, but they could get tired too! A small smile crossed her lips as she leaned her back against the tree and began writing again.

<I>As I said, life is too quiet these days. I was standing at the highest spire today and I felt the winds shift in such a way I had never known. Perhaps it is because I am still young but the experience disturbed me. My tutors had pounded the ways of currents into my head enough to know when something isn’t quite right, I can at least give them credit for that…I think Andy’s been feeling it too….Gosh I haven’t seen him in forever, at least it feels like it! I miss him a lot…but the last time I saw him he seemed so out of it….I guess this is why I am so worried, he never gets disturbed by anything! He’s always as cool as a stream here, even in a really tough situation…when he’s worried you know you gotta be too….I wonder what it can be…</I>

The sound of writing died away as her gaze lifted, a small strand of hair being caught up in a peculiar breeze and played about. A small frown knitted her brow as she carefully set the book and quill down, sheltered in the curve of a root as she slowly rose. The sound of wings brushing against the earth whispered in the air as her forest green dress fell about her toes once more. Bare, dainty feet began to carry her forwards as she followed the direction of the wind, its push to her back urging her ever onwards. It barely gave her a chance to slow as long fingers picked up her dress and her pace quickened, the soft pads of her feet breezing over the lush green grass of the spring garden. Soon the world blurred around her in her rush, something akin to panic filling her hear and pushing her ever forward.

Her breast heaved by the time she approached the edge and drop of the garden, skidding to a halt just before the edge. The dizzying drop away would leave most breathless and faint. The green sanctuary had been placed on top of one of the highest points of the Winter Palace, where its towering heights would leave most in awe. The nearest rooftop or platform was more than over a hundred feet, it was like stepping off the end of the world. But for her race it brought a rush as the wind swept up and pressed against her, its urgency alarming. Her eyes were wide, her breathing ragged as her fingers dropped her skirts. Confusion darkened her visage as her eyes swept over her lands, the kingdom stretching out before her and she felt a small tremble enter her limbs. Something was wrong….very wrong….

In a blink of an eye the wind stopped, leaving the air dead and lifeless and she inhaled sharply in shock terror filling her eyes. It went against everything she had learned and in desperation she spread her wings, hoping to catch any kind of current or breeze, only to receive absolutely nothing. A small step was taken forward, her eyes searching until a rush rose up, hitting her hard with a fury she had never felt before. She chocked and gasped in disgust, recoiling as if she had been struck. That <I>stench</I>! Death was upon the winds and it gripped her throat in a strangling hold. Nothing but blackness consumed her, pushing all coherent thought down into the depths of her mind and leaving her absolutely helpless.

The girl lurched forward with a groan, her musical voice making it ache and hitting their in a pleading tone as she struggled to the breath. Why couldn’t she breath?! She swayed, consciousness slipping away as the dark wrapped its loathsome grip around her mind and smothered her. With a soft sigh thick lashes fell against her cheeks and she swayed, wings trailing limply behind her as she fell forwards and off the end of her small world.

Screams erupted into the air as they saw the figure fall past, wings limp and useless as the girl remained unconscious, the grip holding her impossible to break. Looking up a personal guard of the royal family acted quickly, his face becoming pained upon seeing any royal member in peril. His magnificent wingspan spread open as he rushed forward, leaping off the platform after the young princess. They dropped at an alarming rate, and he folded his wings against his back, the wind whistling past his ears as he dived. The next platform was rushing up to meet them at an alarming rate and with one final push he reached out and grabbed the girl, giant, powerful wings snapping open to catch them with a sharp crack. The girl carefully cradled in his arms he lowered himself into a crouch, having just missed complete impact by mere seconds.

Slowly the darkness receded and with a groan she opened her eyes, blurry eyed and frightened, her muscles tensed and her breathing quickened but the guard was quick the calm her. His voice brought her back and looking up she found a friendly, familiar face.
“Corian?” A small nod was given and she relaxed, her breathing finally deepening to a normal pace. The man frowned with concern as he stood and began to carry her to the healers of the palace. There was no need for conversation, her shivering was enough to be a cause for concern and being a man of very few words he simply carried her, keeping her close to reassure.

[Anubis Alame]

-In Dorein of Gevadoran-

Sound waves bounced off the walls of the building’s hallway, an echo being created as the sound of footsteps followed as he paced down the hall. It was a slow walk, one that was peaceful. The only sound truly breaking the silence of him and his echoing footsteps were the birds chirping only meters away, and children running after each other, the sounds of their sweet, young, innocent voices chanting, ‘You’re it!’. It was a sight that could bring a smile to the darkest of hearts, and it was pure. Nothing could corrupt these children as they joyfully played amongst the flowers and meadow of grass.

Dark green eyes had settled upon the little figures, running about in their little cute clothing, the girls with long following blonde hair and the boys with equally lengthy dark brown. The little girl’s all in dresses, trailing behind them in a rustle as they ran through the hall way, cutting in front of him. Ceasing his footsteps, a smirk curled onto his lips as the little boy ran along behind the girl in a desperate chase to catch her. Once they had run through the marble flooring, he continued on his way.

There was no destination, he was just walking along, and there was nothing better to do anyways. He enjoyed the outside, his skin is a tan color though hidden behind white clothing. A long sleeved white shirt and a matching white vest tunic, though the matching did not end there. His pants were also white, but his boots were a light brown and his pants neatly tucked within the top. He looked neat, presentable, and yet he didn’t have a choice. He was expected to look his best at all times, no matter where, he had to look his best. His mother would want that, no, his father more than his mother.

He had a lot of time to think about his life; about the past, the present, and the future. There was a father who wasn’t around any longer, a mother whom is deathly ill, and the chance that there may not be a future for his country if another country has its way. It was a lot for a prince to think about, and as he proceeded through the hallway, hands clasped within the other behind his back, he sighed as his eyes fell to the marble flooring beneath him. Following the vein line run of green and black through it he wondered how long they could go on for until the strand he followed came to its inevitable end.

It was much like his life, and he was linking the two. So much tragedy in his life, he simply wondered when it all would end. Would it end tomorrow or perhaps today? The near future was a possibility and yet, he prayed that it didn’t come too quickly. Mixed emotions were lingering in his head, and he couldn’t take it much longer. Looking back up a head of him, he caught the eye of one of the maids to the castle, they exchanged a smile, although his was hidden behind the black hair hanging in front of his face, she acknowledged it. When only feet away, she stopped and dipped taking a bundle of her dress in each hand. “My Prince…”

How he hated that, but there was nothing he could do. Changing the way a royal was to be treated and addressed would not settle well with his mother and the last thing he wanted was to upset her. Another sigh passed through his lips as a second pair of footsteps came to his ear, and broke the rhythm he had built within his own mind. The corridor went straight forward, not a curve in its path. So when a figure came rushing down the hall, there was no doubt in his mind as to who it was. Stopping in mid stride, the young prince stood at tall, hands still behind his back as he tried to appear taller than he truly was.

“My Lord Anubis.” The solider quickly fell into a bow as he attempted to catch his breath. “Urgent news from Sonorian…” In Anubis’ mind, a rush of thoughts flooded in as unpleasant thoughts crossed through his mind, not a single good one to be found. Sonorian was the land of Olivia and her family, were cold weather was pleasant and embraced through the race of Silver Phoenix’s. Something had happened to her, and despite the worried thoughts desperate for an answer in his head, he remained calm on the outside. “Princess Olivia has fallen unconscious; the King of Sonorian has requested your presence.”

It was like he had worried, Olivia had been injured, or hurt, she was unconscious and she needed him now more than ever. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation, Anubis had nodded his head and set forward. “Is the airship ready?” He asked, still in perfect composure as the two walked side by side at a quick pace, completely different from the one that Anubis had held only moments ago. The solider nodded his head vigorously, his helmet slipping down before his eyes and he quickly pushed it back up. “It is sir. We leave as soon as you are settled inside.” There was another nod of Anubis’ head as he confirmed the soldier’s words. “Excellent. Thank you.” He replied, always managing to be polite at the best and worst of times.

It hadn’t taken much time to reach the giant airship, dark red in its colors. Anubis loaded onto the large ship, and within seconds, it had taken flight, Anubis standing on the deck as he watched his lands rush past him. Only after they had gone quite a distance had he thought of asking the soldier to relay the message to his mother that he had left the land to seek answers of the condition of his friend. Sonorian and Gevadoran were neighboring countries, so the length of time it took him to reach Silver City, home to the castle of Sonorian was a short length.

Once they had landed, Anubis rushed off the air craft. Headed straight for the castle of ice, he rushed inside, not a guard moved as they knew to why he was here and who he was. Anubis came often, and this was just another one of those times. Rushing up the many flights of stairs, he rushed onto the floor with their bedroom chambers and down the hall where he slowed down upon reaching her room. Opening the door, he looked inside to find Olivia saftely tucked beneath the sheets of her bed, eyes closed and resembling an angel sent from the god and goddess above. A small smile formed on his lips as he slowly and silently closed the door behind him.

Approaching the bed, he sat down on the edge, slipping his hand into her own. “Olivia…” He had bent over close to her ear, his voice a soft gentle whisper. “Andy is here…” he replied with a smirk on his face. How he hated the nickname but she seemed to love it. “Wake up angel of mine…”

[Camel of Chaos]

She simply could not comprehend what had overcome her, couldn’t understand why she simply could not come out of the darkened cage. After she had been carried in by the guard she had fallen into a comatose state, to the worry of her father and the healers, yet other than that she was perfectly healthy. They murmured to themselves that it was nothing but stress and she was soon placed within her room for rest. And it was there where she remained trapped, unable to respond and slowly she had finally drifted into slumber, her body taking its own precautions in order to restore her body to functionality.

When it seemed the effects of her trauma had been alleviated, it was then she could feel the hand slip into hers, the grip warm and familiar. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks as his name was whispered against her ear and the gentle command that she open her eyes given. A soft groan escaped parted lips as her body shifted slowly, as if weighed down by some invisible force as her limbs finally responded to her will. The much smaller hand wrapped around his in a subconscious need for reassurance. Slowly her silveric eyes were bared for the world to see and with a startled gasp she twitched, hastily moving to sit up. Her whole body convulsed with a repulsed shiver and the grasp around his hand tightened almost painfully.

Her beautiful voice rose up, stunning as it always was but it was so weak it was barely audible. “A…Andy?” Slowly her gaze turned to his, her much lighter gaze locking with velvet green and there was a small pause of silence. Swiftly a flow of tears gathered in the corner of her eyes and overflowed as she fell forward, her arms automatically wrapping themselves around him and pulling him to her in a desperate embrace.

“Andy, Andy, Andy, thank heaven’s you’re here, Oh Father above it was so awful!”

Her voice took on a keen note, almost a wail as she buried her face into his neck, every inch of her a trembling leaf. Her words were barely discernable from her soft sobbing, the young woman lapsing into her native tongue as she switched between elvish and Cantaria. Her wings fluttered about in distress, opening and closing and coming to rest once more against her bed as she clung to him.

“I couldn’t fly! I couldn’t fly and I couldn’t breathe! The stench! The stench was so horrible Andy! Not even you could have kept a straight face! It took me Andy! It took me and it wouldn’t let me go! And then I was falling, I was falling and I couldn’t make my wings move! No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t make them move! If it hadn’t been for Corian…”

And with that all semblance of coherent phrasing crumbled and she simply begun to cry in earnest. Never had she been so terrified in her life, and her very being felt perverted, perhaps violated in someway. It was like that for any phoenix that was robbed of their flight, even for a moment. She could feel the darkness crawling over her skin, leaving its disgusting trail and scent behind. At least now she could function! No longer trapped and blind in her own body! But the experience had disturbed her to the core so deeply that it wasn’t a surprise that she had broken down in such a way, of course she would have only done so in the presence of Anubis. His calm ways were a haven for her, one she sought desperately now.


((sorry for the shortness....-_-))

[Anubis Alame]

“Ahh…” Before she had said a word, the noise escaped through his parted lips, a gentle smile forming upon his rose coloured lips. It was good to see her awake, to see her eyes open and feel her hand form a grip on his own. She was alright, uninjured, not hurt, he could finally feel at ease that she was going to be alright once she got her much needed sleep. Those silver eyes seemed like a blur to him as he watched her attractive features blossom into joy at the sight of him in her bedroom. Anubis couldn’t help but wonder why she was so surprised to see him, would she not think he would come? They hadn’t seen each other in so long… he just hated how they had to meet on this reason.

It had caught him off guard when Olivia shifted her position a couple of inches before pulling herself slowly up into a sitting position. He hadn’t expected it, he thought she should be lying down, it was bad enough he had waken her up, but now that she was sitting up as well? Sighing, he just had a smile plastered on his face with glazed eyes. She was truly alright if she was sitting up. But just as Olivia had given him reason that she was alright and over whatever had happened, she gave off a violent shiver but the tight grip on his hand showed to him that she indeed had her strength back.

That’s when her lips parted, and she began to talk. She had this easing tone, like all the silver phoenixs. Olivia’s voice always held a melody to it, a sweet sound that warmed his heart every time she spoke. It didn’t matter what she was saying to him, angry words or ones of great joy, her voice would always bring warmth to him. But at the moment, her voice was so low he could barely hear her, even with his enhanced hearing thanks to the inheritance all elves received. He could make out his name, his nickname she had given him so many years back because she couldn’t pronounce the whole thing. How he hated the name, or just didn’t care for it much, but it had been his for years, and so he dealt with it. Like learned from his father, just because he was a prince, he would not always come first in life.

Olivia’s eyes quickly caught a built up of tears and released upon her blink down the sides of her face. Before there was even time for him to react, she dropped forward into his chest, her arms coming ‘round his mildly built frame, clinging to the white cloth he bore. Her tears had been soaked up by the tunic, and where it touched, the color seemed to fade as you could dimly see the color of his skin shine through the white material. Anubis seemed not to care either as the damp spot went noticed but ignored, he too caught up in the fact he should be returning the hug, and yet couldn’t due to the fact she was immobilizing the movement of his arms.

For a sentence, she had buried her face in his neck, with each opening and closing of her eyes, her eyelashes brushed up against his tender skin, a chill rushing through his body as it tickled it slightly. A smile crossed his face once more, brightening his facial features. It always felt weird to smile so broadly though, with the scar feeling rough it was quite the challenge to not feel some discomfort. Almost like a habit now, after his smile had come and gone, he would wiggle his nose to rid himself of that discomfort building up in his face.

Finally he realized she would be on him from some time, and his face went back to an emotionless one as he slipped his hands onto her hips and slowly around to the arch in the back where he simply held her to his chest. Allowing her to tell her story while resting on his chest, most likely able to feel the rise and fall of his chest, and hear the beat of his heart and be able to calm herself down back to what his normal feeling was. As Olivia told her tale, he hadn’t known what to say, what could he? He knew nothing of this stench, or not being able to save herself from the fall. Anubis had no clue what it was like for her, but he could imagine. It would probably have been like that night…

Now was not the time to think about it however, it always brought his emotional mood down quite a degree. So he just tried to level with her, understand what it must have been like. That’s when he heard that man’s name, Corian. Anubis would have to visit him after, or at least send word that he was gratefully thankful for what he had done. That fall would have been the end of his childhood friend, and without her going to be reining the country bordering his own, he wouldn’t know what to do. Already having lost his father, and soon to lose his mother although he hates to admit it, he just didn’t think he could bear to lose a third, not someone so close. He owed a lot to this guard, and he would let Corian know how much his deed means.

There would be plenty of time to do that though, Corian would be around for years to come and many more. Right now, Olivia needed him, to be a comfort and security blanket. Bowing his head slightly, he tried to smile, get a glimpse of her face. “Olivia… Olivia…” He whispered lowly, his elvish accent stinging the words bringing a whole different sound to the end of her name. “Do not fret my dear mellon*.” As he spoke elvish words slipped among his English, and yet he knew she would be able to understand him, follow his every word like he could hers in either her English, Cantaria, or not so great Elvish. “Oio naa elealla alasse’*. Though you may have tears streaming down your cheeks… Lle naa vanima…ten'oio*.” Smiling once more, he brought his head up high again, staring at the wall.

“You are alright now… everything is okay. I do not know what you went through, but you are okay now. I will watch over you. I promised you that when we were small, and I will hold true to that, for eternity…”



Translations:

Mellon : Friend
Oio naa elealla alasse’ : Ever is thy sight a joy
Lle naa vanima…ten'oio : You are beautiful... forever

[Camel of Chaos]

The arms wrapped around her were remarkably comforting as she turned her head slightly, her cheek pressing against his chest as she held onto him. His tunic was soft against the apple of her cheek, the slow rhythm of his heart and breathing a soothing lullaby to the young woman’s anxiety. She breathed in deeply, taking in the scent that encompassed Anubis every time he came to her. The wild woods and magic, one entirely unique to him and it quickly calmed her tears, rendering them to a silent trail instead of heart wrenching gasps. She snuggled in a little deeper into his comforting embrace and allowed herself to quiet.

It was then she felt soft words brush against her cheek, the grip around her tightening and tickling the feathers that graced along her back. A minute shudder was hidden as she slowly closed her eyes, seeking solace in the embrace of her best friend. His words were reassuring and kind, despite their frivolous connotations. In most cases she would have rebuked him, as she had always done and that same slow smile would always curl his lips. This time she remained silent, allowing his words to wash over her like the soothing rain of his homeland and she slowly closed her eyes, shifting her position so that her cheek rested upon the hollow of his collarbone. With a gentle ruffle her wings shifted and curled slightly around him, much as she always did out of habit. She sniffled a little and coiled in closer towards him, streams of silver tresses tumbling around her shoulders and about him. Idly her fingers trailed the patterns of the embroidery upon his chest as he continued his words of reassurance and she frowned slightly, her lips pursing a little. Normally they would have worked, but just as he had stated he had not felt what she had, and because of that her fear grew still and slowly she pulled away a little.

The tears glistened upon her cheeks as her expression grew dark. The silver blue of her gaze swirled with the memory of the strange attack and her grip upon the clothing of his tunic tightened. Her visage inches from his her musical tone, the pitch of her voice enough to cause even a hardened man to shiver; circled around them ominously.

“You know not what I speak of….dear guardian. A mor’sul* had overcome me Andy…It had killed the one I knew so well….something is amiss upon the breeze….Oh it was so awful, I have never known such darkness…”

Her voice fell to a tremulous note, her grip increasing as she fought to remain calm, keeping such memories at bay.

“It was so awful…..I fear to say this but not even you could have saved me….something is coming Andy…I don’t know what it is but…”

Slowly she shook her head, causing a shimmer to race down the pale curls in soft blues and violets, catching the dim light that filled the room. Her brow rested against the line of his jaw as she fought against trembling of her shoulders, her hands firm upon their grip. At least she was far more coherent this time around, her words clear if not soft. The light shifted around as the sun shifted its position, bathing them both in its warm, soothing caress. The heat upon her back eased the tenseness of her muscles as her mind began to refocus itself. She tilted her head a little, her palms coming to rest on his chest as the memories began to fade, replaced with the realization that her best friend was indeed here.

“I’ve missed you Andy….why were you away for so long?”

The words were demure, perhaps afraid that he had done so out of anger. She leaned back again, her gaze that of concern and worry. He had been acting very strange as of late, as his duties had increased. Something cold had overcome him and it had worried her, perhaps that had been why she had been so surprised to find him here, as much as a comfort it was to see him in her moment of need. It was then her eyes searched his, her ever shifting depths delving deep into the shadowed forests of his own. A little timidly she gave an innocent smile, one that was uniquely her own. Despite the strange, ancient wisdom she held within herself, her innocent was remarkably childlike in its purity, but with an underlining current that was entirely feminine, a true indication to the woman she was becoming.

“Did you miss me?”

It was a light tease, somewhat traditionally. It was the question she always asked upon seeing him since the tender age of four and she was relieved to find that over time disdain was no longer the answer.


Translation* Black wind

[Anubis Alame]

She was quite the snuggling type, she always had been though. Anubis could recall right from early years, that whenever he’d fall asleep, she’d lift his arm and snuggle underneath it, resting his arm around her shoulder and placing her head gently onto his chest. He found this out one day pretending to be asleep, and he just watched as she looked up to him with these big eyes that reminded him so much of the back of his spoon. When he looked into her eyes, he could see himself, as clear as a bell, and here eyes just reminded him of spoons then. Now, they reminded him of goods time, for each time he gazed into them like he was at this very moment, every problem within him was at ease and dissolved away.

Olivia brought him comfort, like the sunshine on her back eased her tense muscles, and warmed his chilled hands; she was his sunshine, his rays of light through cloudy skies, his guiding light in the darkness and angel sent from the skies. Holding her now, he didn’t know what else to say, just tell her that everything was over he supposed, that everything was going to be alright now because he was here. It was true that he couldn’t have saved her even if he had been there, and that’s one thing he hated about being so different from her. Anubis knew well enough, he couldn’t always rest at her side, watch over her, and protect her from harm. He couldn’t always be the one to wipe away the tears from her cheeks or sing her to sleep. Liking it or not, Anubis couldn’t be her guardian for much longer.

That’s when he had sighed out loud, he hadn’t meant it, and once it had left his newly parted lips, he wished to bring it back in. But maybe she hadn’t noticed it? There was a slight chance that she hadn’t, and Anubis found himself wishing to the god and goddess watching over him, that she hadn’t heard it. If she had, he would be stuck in an unwanted situation, where she was only looking for the answer of why he had sighed, but he was sure he would tell her of the meetings and much, much more. Her wings had taken their curl around him, and his claustrophobic had found itself sneaking, but he closed his eyes in turn, and relaxed telling himself Olivia was the cause and she was not to be feared. Sharing a tight space with her was wanted. Only would Anubis enjoy being so close to Olivia. If one had watched him at home, he stood far distances apart from everyone.

That was about the time that she had tucked in closer to his body, and her fingers began to trace the gold lining on his tunic. The soft, tender touching upon his chest tickled him slightly, and he would have given a shudder if he had not held it back. Just as he had felt so close, she pulled away. It wasn’t much of a distance, but it was to him. Anubis’ hands went from resting on the arch in her back to sliding along to her sides as she had tugged away from up against his chest. As Olivia had talked, he knew she was right, just about ready to tell her everything about the meetings, but he held his tongue. He couldn’t tell her. He wouldn’t and shouldn’t. To protect her and to keep to the rule of meetings; what is said there, stays there.

A deep inhalation was slowly brought in, followed by the inevitable long exhalation, though Anubis let it go off to the side away from Olivia. That’s when his body suddenly tensed with her words, as she asked the question he wished she wouldn’t. “I’ve missed you Andy….why were you away for so long?” How could he answer that? He couldn’t, he didn’t know where to start or if he should start at all. Olivia knew why he was away, how couldn’t she? Hanging his head off to the side, his hair curtained in front of his face, black blinds hiding away the hurt look upon his face. He didn’t want to talk about it, his mother was ill and Olivia knew that, and yet, she asked him why he had been away. Of course it was because of his mother, she was ill, she needed him, his country needed him. His people were relying on him, and just moments ago when he rushed upon his airship, he had turned his back on them all.

“Olivia…” Anubis had started out and his emotions rang clear within his trembling voice. However, with the clearing of his throat, he looked up to her and shook his head. No longer did sadness reek upon his facial features, he was emotionless, and yet his eyes dazzled with a glazed view, blurring her saint-like looks. “You know well enough why I have been away. It is not by choice, but forced upon me. My mother is still ill, her condition increases and never goes down. She needs me Olivia, my people need me. Although I want to be here with you, I must look out for my country first, because that is what my god and goddess have set out for my life. And as the Prince of Gevadoran, future ruler of the lands, I must look out for them before my own personal life.”

The words stung him, his heart burned as he knew he had just hurt Olivia. But the words, he believed, would hurt him more to say than her to hear. Closing his eyes, he hung his head once more. Her questions were hard to answer; they pained him to hear and have to respond to. But this one he felt he could answer better, bring the mood up, lighten her spirits and assure her nothing was wrong. “My dear Olivia, my best friend, I have missed you terribly. Words cannot explain how much I have missed your smile, and simply being able to hear your voice. I looked at the clouds just an hour ago, and I seen your face in the clouds, and heard your voice in the winds. It pained me to hear it, and see it, because I knew I couldn’t see you. My duties have increased dramatically, and if I could, I would hand some of them away, just to get a little spare time to come and visit you.

“Not a day goes by where I don’t wonder how you’re doing, what you look like, what you have done. Not a minute goes by where I don’t wish that I could be here, where I sit right now, with my hands around you and yours around me. I may be crazy from all the stresses of learning to become a proper ruler, but Olivia, if I could, I would choose you over it all. I do not wish to take Kingship so early in my years, I do not wish to have this all. All I want is your friendship. I wish I had been here an hour ago instead of just seeing your visage in the sky and the winds whispering in your voice. I could have been here, protecting you, and then I wouldn’t be here or have worried. I missed you too much to express that now I am rambling on…”

Smirking, Anubis shook his head, already his emotions had taken him over and already he had found himself saying things he didn’t want to. Opening his mouth, he closed it quickly. “I am just over whelmed that you have a new guardian who can be by your side. I want to be here for you always, but distance is what prevents me from holding my childhood promise. I am sorry for that Olivia. I will try to visit you more often as well.” Anubis’ answer had been anything like what he had expected, and completely different than the child he used to be. As a child, he would tease, lightly push her and say he had the best time of his life while she was gone, yet now, he took it seriously, and answered from the heart.

[Camel of Chaos]

She had watched him very closely, shimmering orbs staring into his until he looked away, hiding behind his hair once more and she suppressed a sound of frustration. He always did that when he didn’t want to reveal something, she could tell, could feel it in the way his hands rested upon her sides. Almost instantly she could sense she had said the wrong thing as a feeling of grief flickered behind the dark curtain, the young woman one of the few who could see right through the façade for what it was. Her back tensed slightly, worry and concern flitting across the expressive orbs of her gaze as she waited for him to speak.

His words did hurt, but more or less for the reason that she was being so selfish, when it was he that needed the support. Her experience had been terrifying yes but only temporary where as for him he had to face his duties head on. Olivia was still in the process of learning, was given time to develop slowly due to the fact that her father was still a robust man, young in consideration of phoenix years. He had murmured her name so softly and now she was truly frightened. Something had happened to her friend, a deep rooted pain obviously lodging within his heart that he would express it so obviously. Her breath hitched in her throat, finding him to be in such a state unbearable. And then the vulnerability was gone, and that one note of agitated apprehension for him almost escaped. His eyes were glazed, almost unreadable and she loathed it when he would withdraw like that. He was guarding something, and it put her in a state of unease.

The talk of the pressures that were being placed upon him only made her feel even more terrible for being so self-centred. He was working so hard and here she was complaining about his lack of presence. Not even his overly flattering words aided in uplifting her mood this time, only making her feel more wretched. She had to admit, she was a glutton when it came to his presence and attention, had always been since that tender age she had met him. But she was growing up now, and knew that it was impossible to demand anything from him, it was no longer her place, and he could not afford it. That in all basic truth broke her heart to realize this but she hated seeing her Andy in such a state, and as such she rushed to his aid, hoping to ease the burden at least somewhat.

“Hush now, you will always be my guardian….but I’m a big girl now, I can start taking care of myself.”

Her voice was a soft croon, the notes melodious and soothing. It was an effort to ease the weight of worrying for her, and it hardly seemed fair that he would disrupt everything, even if the thought of him caring so much about her brought up the want to preen. How could she not? Knowing she was loved so by her very best friend, but if anything she was not a selfish creature, and would never place her friend in a position that made him unhappy, never.

“Forgive me Andy, I have made you unhappy.”
Sorrow filled her voice as she reached out and with a delicate finger parted the dark, soft mane of his hair, in an attempt to get a clearer look at his eyes.

“I did not mean to be so callous with my question, I should have been more considerate to your situation. It is so hard to remember at times….the longer you are away….my thoughts rest solely on when I get to see you again….it makes me selfish….”

A very sheepish and timid smile curled her lips as her head cocked to the side in its usual fashion, curls tumbling with the movement and catching the sunlight that filtered in through her window.

“But there is more to your plight, there is something you are not telling me….”

Her song filled voice dipped away before rising once more, the tips of her fingers innocently brushing against his cheek as she kept the hair out of his eyes. Her eyes softened with resignation, knowing that to push would only cause him to withdraw further, which was the last thing she wanted.

“Your burden must be great my beloved friend….that you would keep its dark secret from my knowing……as much as it pains me I fear it would be unwise to attempt to convince you of allowing me access to it….”

A waver filtered into her voice and she bit her bottom lip, his cheek given another small brush of affection before she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, pulling away a little further this time around and removing the curl of her wings about him. Delicately she took his hands in hers, giving him a most genteel look of sympathetic support, even if she was not aware of all the details of his hurts right now.

“But….I am feeling much better…perhaps we should take advantage of your time here and we can walk through the gardens. It will clear your head and that way you can return to your duties with a nice, refreshed state of mind.”

Her much smaller hands give his an affectionate squeeze, a surprising amount of strength demonstrated in such delicate digits and she began to remove herself from the bed, pressing her wings to her back to keep them out of the way. Suddenly she paused, the mention of the beautifully green sanctuary bringing back memories of what had occurred earlier than day and a high note of dismay was struck, its lovely sound reverberating through the room. “OH! Andy! I left my personal journal there! I had totally forgotten about it due to my fall.” Her heavily lashed orbs were wide with horror, her cheeks instantly turning a bright red knowing that there was very personal information in that book and that just anyone could read it.

[Anubis Alame]

No matter how much he liked the thought of being by her side, protecting her from evil even if it meant his immortal life in return, he knew well enough it was not possible. How could it be? She was a keeper of the sky and he was a man of the earth, the two could just not be the same like they used to. While she could watch from over head, he had to watch her from the ground, and being of no use to her where he stood. She seemed to think he still stood a chance in watching over her, but he knew well enough it was all lies to make him feel better. It wasn’t working either, so he seen no point to it all. These lies were only skin deep and wouldn’t sink any further, completely pointless.

“Yes, Olivia, I know you are growing, and so am I. But as we grow, I fear we are growing apart and the only way to remain close to you, is using protecting you as an excuse. But no matter how hard I try to make my mind believe that, I cannot, and I fear we are growing far, far apart. But the equation all sums up to me not being able to lose my childhood friend.” Hanging his head a little, he sighed, a slight shake being added into the mix as he somewhat rested his head on the edge of her shoulder. It was only a brief moment before he raised his head, and looking straight into her eyes, a smile escaped onto his face.

How couldn’t a man smile when he was being watched by an angel? Being stared at in the face and all as she apologized, and for what? Nothing, she hadn't done anything wrong and yet she apologized. Shaking his head, he opened his mouth in an attempt to silence her, and yet, he didn’t speak and just listened to her for she hadn’t stopped. Olivia wasn’t going to and Anubis was well aware of it. Closing his mouth, he simply shook his head, barely listening now to what she had to say to him. Once she had paused though, Anubis jumped right in with his own words, making sure she heard what he thought about what she had to say. "I am not unhappy Olivia, just..." Pausing for a moment, he tried to think of a better word, and yet his vocabulary began to fail him.

"I am stressed out is all. I swear to you, the feeling is merely temporary. I shall return to the good old me real soon. I promise." Smiling, he scooped up her hand in his own, placing his lips on the back of her hand in a soft kiss and his smile faded into a charming grin. "As for secrets, I hold none against you. My secrets are yours, as yours are mine. I will hold nothing I know from you." Yet behind his smile was his uncertainity on wheither or not to tell her. He hid his lies well throught he stable smile and positive voice, but deep inside his heart ached as he felt he was lieing to her for the first time. Hitting himself mentally, he tried to convince himself that he was protecting her, and soon, that feeling over came the one of guilt.

Rising from the bed, he helped Olivia up from off the edge. Standing at full height, he stood a lot taller than she did. Smirking, he nodded off to the direction of her door. "We should hurry than. We don't want anyone reading your personal secrets." Sticking his arm out in a bent motion, he awaited Olivia to link arms with him, and she did with that wonderful smile she always carries. Together, they walked to the garden, little conversation occured, but it didn't matter since the walk was short. Reaching the location where she lost her journal, the two arms unlinked and they looked around for the bench she had been at. However, they couldn't quite find it, and so the two divided up and with much luck, after about fifty paces, Anubis landed upon the cloth book.

Smirking, he walked to the bench, bending over and his fingers just grazed the books material, managing to push it off the side and not grasp it within his hand. Frowning, he watched it hit the ground, landing open on the last entry. Anubis could only tell because the next page was bare. Bending over once more, he had only looked at it for a moment but he managed to spot his name on the page.

"... I can at least give them credit for that… I think Andy’s been feeling it too….Gosh I haven’t seen him in forever, at least it feels like it! I miss him a lot…but the last time I saw him he seemed so out of it….I guess this is why I am so worried, he never gets disturbed by anything! He’s always as cool as a stream here, even in a really tough situation…when he’s worried you know you gotta be too….I wonder what it can be…"

Shaking his head, he couldn't believe he was reading her diary. "Arh." Picking up the book, he snapped it shut, turning and heading to find Olivia. "Olivia! I found that diary you spoke of." Smiling, he held it tucked under his arm as he tried to spot the large wings of the Silver Phoenix.

[Camel of Chaos]

The young phoenix studied him as he dipped his head, sighing a little as he kissed the back of her hand and did his best to reassure her. Still, the girl knew better and felt that something was off, despite his easy going smile and the characteristic twinkle in his eye. Giving a small smile in return she was eased off the bed due to Anubis’ gentle guiding hand and always the gentleman he held his arm out for her to take. Feeling flattered even it was customary she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and away they went.

The girl watched Anubis walk in the other direction, her eyes following his motions raptly as she paused in her step. His stance was as easy going as always and she cocked her head to the side. From her vantage point she once again noted with amusement his height had certainly increased over the years. Instead of it being a source of frustration for her, since he was always taller and loved to point this out to her, it had become a thing of security. He was much broader than she was, in shoulders and practically towered over her that it made her feel safe, protected. The shimmering irises of her eyes softened considerably as a small curl overtook her lips. Making a soft sound in the back of her throat she turned, the tips of her wings brushing against the pathway of the gardens as she made her way in the opposite direction.

The silence of the gardens was strange resonant, and the young woman wondered if perhaps it because of the black wind that had passed through. She frowned a little as she stepped off the path. She knew she had come this way at some point, but when during her walk she could not remember. The grass felt wonderful under the bare pads of her feet and with another whisper of feather’s and cloth she was making her way deeper into the plant sanctuary. If only she could recall where it was she had actually sat down…

Her mind backpedaled, and soon the process led her to fall into deep thought. The steps the young woman took were mindless, going nowhere as a few fingers brushed across the dewy leaves of strange tree, that looked to be a mix between a weeping willow and a cheery blossom. She seemed to fall into deeper into contemplation, the past few months being brought up to the surface of her mind. Once again she was disturbed by the inner workings of her thoughts, finding them to be very dark indeed. Something ominous was afoot and although everyone else believed they could ignore it, she most certainly could not. It resonated deep within the marrow of her bones, a sense that she had been told once derived from the sleeping power of the Bearer within. As she should be as future queen, the other races look to the phoenix’s leader to give warning should any danger rise up to threaten the others. The issue was though, that no one would believe <her>. She was young, hadn’t even reached the age of passing and amongst a race that highly valued wisdom that came with age her words would be waved off as the frivolous thoughts of a child with an imagination too wild to tame…but something was coming, and it absolutely terrified the girl.

She was rescued from her dark musings by a voice on the wind. Her head lifted, curls of silver bouncing with the motion with the sharp gesture. Her head tilted to the side, a half step, turn given as she attempted to pinpoint its sound. A small note escaped her throat in surprise, for judging form the distance she had wandered quite a ways off the main path of the garden. The words were muffled, but she was able to discern from the tone that the object they had been searching for was found. A smile appeared on her lips and she sighed in relief as she stepped once more, her wings ruffling and then pressing against her back while she took the few steps forward in order to make her way back.

[Durion Arcamenel]

There was no point in trying to spot him within his bedroom chambers; his figure was hidden well within the deep colors of the room and shadows that rested due to no light source being present. It was always like that, no color and no light. The shades for the window hung in front in a thick mass, covering the light from outside from coming in. The window was pointless as most would think, but it wasn’t always covered with the heavy drapery, it was open during the night, and then closed long before the sun seen the edge of the horizon. He hated the light, as did most of the people in his country; they remained tucked within their houses hiding in the shadows covered in heavy dark clothing. But people of the other countries would expect nothing less from them, for they were dark elves, living in the shadows was what they did, it was their way of life.

The sound of his heavy boots on the floor echoed through the empty room. They held a rushed and yet paced sound to them. It was a thump that started the rhythm and then followed by about a dozen more; a turn on his feet could be heard creating a pause in the beat. It then repeated, and it wouldn’t cease as there was a restless feeling about him, one that could only be explained if you happened to take a trip through the thoughts in his mind. But he never shared them, they were his own, his personal thoughts and feelings and being his own, he had the choice of whether or not to share them, and he didn’t want to, so he did not. One would have thought with his mother, for he had respected her most of all, one may also think his advisor as well, and yet, not a soul knew of any personal thought that crossed his mind.

They were his own, like the room he paced ‘round in, or the castle that this room was located in, it was all his own. A low toned exhale escaped from behind closed lips as the pacing simply continued, no sign of them stopping being given. Soon, there was a sound of something clasping together. At first, you couldn't tell what the noise was, it could be mistaken for plenty of things. But, once thought of for some time, you would come to the realization that it would have been his hands. His left hand a fist, his right over lapped it in front of his chest. Slowly pushing down upon the left a sound erupted. The knuckles on his left hand cracking as pressure was applied, one by one, from his left most finger to his right most one. Switching his hands, his left hand followed through with the same movement as the right hand had seconds before, cracking the knuckles with simple ease. The sound would make some uncomfortable, and yet for him, it was relaxing along with the thumping still continuing at its steady swiftness.

But alas, relaxation wasn’t coming easily to him at the moment, for he was restless within and dieing to leave this room. He had to wait though, his airship had yet to be readied and that was his only source of transportation from here to his destination point. They seemed to be taking forever, it felt as if years had passed him by and yet barely minutes had hurtled by him. He was anxious; the pacing proved to be his waiting for the moment there was a knock upon his heavy bed chamber door. That would be the ready sign, that he could leave his land and take off for his friends, his secret love. Just thinking about her warmed his heart of stone and sent chills down his spine. A shiver accompanied by goose bumps always managed to find their way coursing through his body as he thought about her in all her beauty and majesty. The long curls of silver that shine a white with the slightest ounce of light to hit them, her eyes how they dazzled whether shaded in the darkness of night or radiating in the shine of the brilliant luminosity.

The silver blue reminded him of the sea as he would soon be flying over in order to make his way to her. No one had told him of the happening, no one ever told him anything. Being on another land mass, times were hard when it came to the well being of her and the man she seemed so fond of. He couldn’t see it, no matter how hard he tried to work out what she seen in that male whom was two years younger than him and one inch shorter. He had words, he could give Anubis that much, but Durion was the better looker in his book. Being handsome came with your years, your height, your race and title, and he outranked Anubis in every category. It was dusting how much she loved him, and he loathed how Anubis could be so near to her and how he was a sea or ocean, whatever name you gave the mass of water, apart. It sickened him to see her with such a creature such as him.

A frown soon took place on his face, but that wasn’t apparent through the gloominess that his bedroom chamber had taken on. That knock seemed like it would never come, it was leaving him with too much room to think, too much time to decide what he was going to do and say. But he hadn’t even thought of it, not the slightest thought crossed his mind and it proved it wouldn’t for some time either. His right hand had risen, coming to the hairline at the front of his head. It rested there for some time through the pacing, but soon pushed back moving the strayed strands of hair in his eyes back behind his ears. Time was fleeting slowly, and as the seconds passed by like hours, he grew far angrier than he had been to begin with. These men whom worked for him were going to pay because guilt was being to rise within his gut, and he was not one to feel such an emotion. He was the one to cause this trouble, this fall she had taken, it was entirely his fault and he was beginning to feel awful.

Clenching his fists, he stopped his pacing, finally, a knock rung through his ears replacing the tired sound of his boots upon the wooden floor. His walk to the door was more like a storm as his feet dropped heavier and the sound emitting from the landings were far heavier than should be despite his tall height, all elves were light on their feet, there was never exception. Taking hold of the metal knob to the door, it was cold to the touch, one would say it froze their hand, but to him it was warm, searing even. Pulling open the door, he didn’t even wait for the sound of the male’s voice that stood in his door frame, he just stepped out and pushed past him, you would think he couldn’t do it, he had no authority, but there was no one higher than him in all this land, for he was the King. King Durion Arcamenel of Nythora, and no one stood higher than he did in royal rankings in all of Nythora, however, outside he was even matched with others.

Quickly rushing down the corridors, he pushed open two large wooden doors, heading outside to what they referred to as the landing dock. It was outdoors, barely anything was inside, and in order for it to be indoors, the castle would have to be massive, and something they couldn’t have. It was night outside, the sky a dark blue abyss with little silver balls twinkling every now and then. Though, little attention was paid as the moonlight shone off his dark colored skin and reflected off his hair causing the effect of his hair glowing. It was short lived as he climbed aboard the massive machine, his airship called Silver Angel. It wasn’t hard to figure out where he had come up with the name, and everyone knew why he had named it that, but no one said anything to him, no one pestered him on the matter, not even his advisor.

Once safely aboard, the airship sped off toward Sonorian in haste, inside, Durion tapped his fingers and foot, rather impatient as the seconds ticked by. But guilt had him by the neck, forcing him into playing cards he wasn’t ready to or willing to either. Sniffing, he pushed his hair from his eyes, staring out the front window as they rushed over the waters below them. He could see Sonorian’s and Gevadoran’s coast lines, and narrowing his eyes to the Southern part, he shook his head, even spat in complete disgust. Anything dealing with Anubis sickened him, and going to Sonorian to see the lovely Olivia, he knew Anubis would be there was well. Almost immediately, he began to think of a way to push him aside, get Olivia to hate him just a little, just enough to make room for him any ways.

The airship landed and Durion had a smirk spread across his face as he stepped off the airship into the bright daylight. At first, he squinted, not used to the sun since it was night in Nythora, but he soon opened his eyes, and blinking a couple of times his squinting faded. Now that he was on the land, it was a simple matter of finding Olivia, and who better to ask than the guards? Walking over to the ones by the step, they rushed their hands to their foreheads in a salute, and once Durion stood before them, they followed through. “Tell me guards, where is your Princess Olivia at the moment? Do you know of her whereabouts?” The guards shook their heads, a no sir being mumbled once by each of them. Nodding his head, Durion headed for the garden, he could hear a male’s voice from within the ranges of plants. Knowing exactly who it was, he straightened his tunic out and held himself higher, making sure to be intimidating.

Walking into the assortment of plants, it hadn’t taken him long to stumble upon Anubis, holding the diary in his hands, closing the book as he called out for Selena. Raising a brow, he shook his head. “Reading her diary? Anubis, my dear friend, you are sinking to an all new low.” Shaking his head continuously, he stepped a few paces forward. “Can she not trust you with anything?” But before he could say more, the beauty herself had arrived on the scene, “Olivia!” His voice picked up a note, and it was odd to hear such a man of physical appearance to be so joyous for such a cold race. “I am delighted you are alright.” A few strides forward and he wrapped his arms around her, dipping his head. Taking in a deep breath, all he could smell was her aroma which sent a smile onto his face. “I came as soon as my airship was ready, I left busy work for you.” Durion still held her tightly, not really wanting to let her go or allow her to get over to Anubis and away from himself.

[Camel of Chaos]

Returning to her friend Anubis had been swift, but upon seeing the second figure standing in the garden she froze, her silveric orbs growing wide with surprise. A small step was taken back, curls tumbling over her shoulder with the sharp motion. Before she could even properly respond she was enveloped completely and she released a small gasp. Her cheek met a firm chest and quite suddenly she was being squeezed.

“Durion…”

She murmured, the soft velvet muffling her harmonic voice although it did not hide the surprise nor the mild discomfort that weaved delicately into her tones. Her cheeks burned brightly as he pulled her in tighter, leaving her to wonder what exactly she should do to neutralize the situation. He had been acting so peculiar these last few years that she wasn’t quite sure on how to react or speak with him anymore, but she did her best, for he was one of her best friends, and he was always there for her. He murmured his relief of seeing her safe and she smiled a little sheepishly as she tilted her head up, unable to really move due to his tight embrace. Carefully she placed her hands upon his chest and placed a bit of space between them. Almost nervously she glanced at Anubis before turning her gaze back to the dark elf that held her.

“You should not have gone through such trouble to reach here, it is much farther than Gavedoran. Let alone the fact that you are king down…I seem to be disturbing much of your lives as of late…I am sorry…”

The young woman bowed her head, hiding her strange eyes behind thick lashes and she sighed softly, her wings shifting beneath the young man’s arms, seeking a more comfortable position against her back. The wings whispered against the earth as she looked to her friend Anubis, and then back to Durion. It was that moment that the girl noticed tension in the air, the delicate fibres of her wings standing on end with the electricity that seemed to be resonating around the two. She shrunk away a bit, feeling deeply disturbed by this and having been so for quite a while. Something had happened between the two young men, and she was sure that she did not like it. Sighing softly she shook her head, causing the cascade of silk to shimmer in the bright sunlight. Her eyes flitted upon the leather bound book being held in the tall Anubis’ hands and her visage lit up. Delicately, like the wind she traveled upon she slipped out of Durion’s arms and glided towards her elf counter-part, relief filling her visage. Reaching out with long, delicate fingers she took the book and grasped it to her chest with a soft sigh. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply and looked up her best friend and stood on her tippy toes, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before taking a step back.

“Thank you Anubis, I do not know what I would have done had I lost this.”

Giving him a small, sweet smile she half turned to Durion, her eyes flickering with curiosity as she tilted her head to the side, taking another graceful step back. Her wings extended a little, catching the delicate rays of the glowing orb above with a flash of light before they settled once more against her back. The movement dislodged some of the plumage and she glanced down as it brushed against her bare feet, and she gave a soft murmur.
“I’m loosing feathers again…I hope papa was right about it being normal…”

She murmured more or less to herself before returning her bright gaze back to the dark elf.

“Have you had the chance to eat Durion? Anubis?”

Her head turned to look at the younger, ebony crowned man, her head cocking to the side. Making sure to include her other very close friend she glanced back to Durion, a small, friendly smile curling the corner of her lips.

[Durion Arcamenel]

Her sent really was intoxicating; it brought welcomed memories to the surface of his mind. The smell was of spring rain falling on a field of lilacs mixed with the scent of a fresh snowfall. It beckoned to him. She was like an angel just imploring to be admired for her beauty in every aspect of the word. He couldn’t help but get lost in that scent, it pulled him in and he closed his eyes and his embrace grew stronger. For a few moments the best memories rose to the surface, but soon Anubis infiltrated his daydreams, like he had so many times before, and Olivia protested to his coming, saying that she was not worth the trouble.

Durion couldn’t help but smile slightly; the idea that she could ever be an unwanted encumbrance was absurd in his mind. “Oh my dear Olivia,” he said to the young woman as he continued to hold her in his arms. As he said this he could feel the girl shift the position of her wings under his arms, a clear sign that she was not completely comfortable, but he was not content with letting her go just yet. “You mustn’t be sorry, for you’ve done no wrong.” He paused for a moment and chuckled softly. “I am just happy to see you safe and sound.” But just as he finished his sentence, the young woman slipped out of his grasp.

The girl made her way elegantly across the garden’s earth and over to Anubis. She embraced the elf with a passion he had not received. Without realizing it, Durion clenched his jaw and grinded his teeth together. He was imaging all the ways he could separate the two, but as close as they were he could only think of ways that involved a lot of pain for Anubis; he could live with that. Olivia kissed the elf on his cheek and Durion’s own hand was drawn to his face. He delicately touched the spot on his cheek that corresponded with the spot where Olivia had kissed Anubis.

That should be my cheek, not his. He thought as he helplessly watched her displays of affection being showed upon his “friend.” She should be mine.

Durion dropped his hand back to his side just as Olivia turned to him and tried his best to smile in light of the fact that his jaw now hurt. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. As he did so, he looked down at his boots and the earth underneath him that crunched and compacted under his weight. He was getting a bit uncomfortable; he was beginning to feel like a third wheel who was not entirely sought after. But he tried to make peace with within himself and pushed all of his negative thoughts aside for a moment.

When he once again looked up he saw Olivia, saying something to herself about her feathers. He wanted reassure her that she would be fine, but of course he would have been just guessing as he had no real knowledge of the anatomy of a Silver Phoenix, but it would be nice to be able to comfort her like he did. He would have given anything to be as close to Olivia as Anubis was, and yet the stupid elf didn’t even seem to think of her as anything more then a friend.

What an ignorant man. Although, I am sure I should be thankful of that stupidity. If Anubis realized how beautiful Olivia really is, he might take her as his own and I would be left behind. We can’t have that…

Before he could get a word out however the young woman looked to him, and then to Anubis and asked if either of them had eaten.

“Actually, I haven’t had much of anything to eat in a while. Very busy, as I said, I just… haven’t found the time. It would be very nice to sit down and have a real meal.” Durion replied as a sly little smile made it’s way to his face.

[Anubis Alame]

The footsteps could be heard, but his reflexes were slow as he made sure to close the diary just as he had found it. Biting his lip, he turned only after hearing the deep voice that spoke out, talking to him for his name had been said and he was being addressed. The voice was all he needed to attach the sound to a face, Durion of Nythora. Gritting his teeth together, he looked up to the slightly taller Dark Elf, the complete opposite of everything Anubis was and stood for. Durion came in with this accusation of Anubis reading Olivia’s diary. It wasn’t false; actually, it was darn right correct no matter how hard Anubis wanted it to be incorrect. Frowning, he narrowed his eyes slowly, hating every second of this Dark Elf King’s presence.

“Dear friend? You are nothing more than a thorn in my side, the largest fiend known to Latira-“ Anubis was cut short however, for Durion spoke, speaking out the name of whom Anubis had just called only moments before… Olivia. Swallowing his words, he prayed the gentle breeze hadn’t carried his flat tone of voice to the pointed ears of his beloved Silver Phoenix friend for she would disapprove of his words and scold him with her own. Anubis stood aside from the scene that Durion had created, simply watching as he scooped Olivia’s small frame up within his own rather large arms. Looking downward, he sighed lightly, shaking his head listening to every word that Durion spoke. Was he trying to upset her with his words?

But Anubis and all others had to remember, Durion was never blessed with the talent of using his words properly. He couldn’t make a woman swoon over the utterances of his mind. Anubis on the other hand was blessed with this talent and he used it often to make Durion jealous. However, Durion seemed to be trying to play that very same card on Anubis as he held Olivia closely to his body, but he went unaffected. Olivia spoke up, apologizing once more, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately and most of the admissions of guilt were not necessary; this request for forgiveness was just another unneeded one. Though, he didn’t reply, he just closed his mouth and listened to their conversation, staring downward at the leather book within his hands. Rather tiny, and yet in Olivia’s it was large. Smirking, he hung his head a little more, hiding behind his black hair not wanting the pair before him to question his sudden grin.

As he watched the book, he noticed Olivia’s fingers reaching out and taking hold of the book. Slowly, Anubis looked up, releasing the leather book from within his own grip, allowing Olivia to pull it away and to her chest. Slowly he smiled once more, happy to see that she had it once more, a look of relief passing her face and all. But now Anubis couldn’t help but wonder why she had written about him, and how many more entries held his name and secrets about what she thought of him. Wanting to take back the book and read more was rather tempting but he pushed away the thought knowing well enough it was an intrusion of her privacy. A nervous happen then over came him as he brought both hands behind his back, joining his hands together, right placed within the left. From there, using his left index finger, he scratched rather roughly the back of his right hand, trying to replace all thoughts with the pain he was feeling in his hand.

As he swallowed he watched Olivia, everything happened slow, and yet he didn’t pull away. As he stood there, she pressed her lips against his cheek, having to get on her tip toes in order to reach his cheek to begin with. Once she pulled away, Anubis looked away from her, straight ahead of himself in a blank stare, and without being able to control it, a red blush, light and extremely hot, spread across his cheeks. At first he looked okay about it, but soon he shook his head as his eyes grew slightly wider. His hair jumbled up in front of his face, covering most of it and he turned away, placing a hand over the his eyes and the top of his cheeks. Breathing slowly, he tried to calm himself down, get rid of the blush, but it was hard since it wasn’t everyday a friend, or even a female as a matter of fact kissed him for doing something so simple. Keeping his back turned, he nodded his head to Olivia in reply to her thank you. “Y-y-you-your welcome.” He stuttered as he removed his hand from his face but continuing to hide his face from her and Durion.

Clearing his throat, he stood up straight once more, no longer hunching over. Exhaling once, he turned back to Olivia and Durion, wiping his hair from his eyes. “Have I eaten?” The question hadn’t processed until he repeated it and he shook his head slowly. “No, I haven’t had the chance to. But my dear angel, unlike Durion here, I am not hungry.”

( This is on the short side. Terribly sorry. )

[Camel of Chaos]

Regarding the two the young woman shifted her stance, tapping her chin thoughtfully before she put her hands on her hips.

“Well that won’t do, you two are very silly not to eat.”

She turned to Durion, wagging her index finger in a half teasing, half serious manner.

“Even if you are busy, tis a poor excuse.”

Once again slender fingers came to rest on her curvaceous hips, her stance and posture straight and assertive as she turned to Anubis, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“As for you Anubis my beloved friend, you are far too thin, you will eat with Durion and I.”

With that she grinned charmingly, eyes glittering with the knowledge that even her best friend would not deny her this. As innocent as she may be, she knew that the young man could not say no, which in this case was for his benefit. Her melodious words rang true, for Olivia’s eyes were sharp and she had noticed his rather gaunt appearance and she was deeply concerned, although on the one hand Durion seemed to be prospering immensely The difference was a little startling, and for the girl something to worry about. Nervous by the silence the young woman shifted the position of her wings once more, a true sign of her discomfort as they extended, stretched and then tightly folded around her shoulders. Still she tried to safe face, knowing that both men knew her habits and were incredibly perceptive to her moods so a cheerful but soft smile flitted across her lips. Reaching out she grasped Anubis’ hand in one and grasped Durion’s in the other. Her head tilted back to gaze at one then the other, silveric curls trailing against her cheeks with the soft, subtle motion.

“Well then, shall we be off? I am famished!”



((This....is pathetic....I'm sorry....-_-'))

[Durion Arcamenel]

Durion couldn’t help but smirk. Her pose, her pout, her figure, her- he was going out of his mind. She was perfect in his eyes, her every action a tease and every glance that lasted a life time made a longing to what could be if he could just get his arms around her in a sweet embrace of love. Not one friend to another, but love between two people that allowed them to be lovers. The tapping of her foot sounded like wedding bells within his ears as he gazed lovingly toward her, but it wasn’t through his facial expression, but all emotions lingering within his metallic grey eyes. Olivia was all he wanted, and he would have her all to himself in due time. The only thing that stood in the way was Anubis now, but he was an easy opponent and if he didn’t back down, Durion would make him.

Right now though, he had to try and push Anubis away, and so, Durion began to try and come up with some sort of way to push Anubis away. If not for good, for the time being so that he would be able to think of a way to get Anubis away from Olivia… permanently. But there was no moment at this present where his thoughts could drift away to framing the helpless elf prince into hurting Olivia in order to cause her pain and the neglecting of him, Olivia was now wagging her finger toward Durion. Now he wasn’t exactly sure if she was being serious or if this was another tease to make his longing for her worse, but it was pushing him to the middle of a balancing act and he didn’t like it very much. Biting his lip, he smirked and exhaled with a puff.

That was all Olivia did to him for the instant, for then she turned away from him, casting him aside like she always did for Anubis. Now she stood with hands planted on top of her hips and she smirked with narrow eyes toward what he could no longer call his friend. The King tried not to pay so much attention to Anubis however, more concerned about his lovely Princess that would one day be his Queen. Her wings had stretched out then come to a hold around her shoulders, a sign of worrying, a signal in which she had since a child. Nothing seemed to change either, Olivia managed the nervous habit the same as well as managed to keep the worrying over the same person, Anubis.

Soon a warm hand touched his own, fingers lacing between his numb ones and as it slowly happened to his own hand, it happened to the Gevadoran Prince, Anubis. Olivia seemed to be planting more hate seeds within his mind, but she didn’t know that, and she wouldn’t. Looking up to her angelic face, he smirked lightly, something he only did when she was in his presence. “Well then, shall we be off? I am famished!” Her soft voice rung through his head like a siren’s song, a gentle melody which soothed his uneasy nervous and eased his mind. Although his stomach did not feel the same as Olivia’s, he nodded his head with agreement ready to join her in her dining area for the morning meal.

“Let us go then. Let us fill our stomachs and be full.” Smirking, he looked from Olivia to Anubis the smirk disappearing within an instant, looking as if it hadn’t been there at all. Though his eyes said it all, drenched in emotions of hatred toward Anubis and all he stood for. Now, although Durion had been to the castle many times, he never learned his way around. “Umm, my dear Olivia, you should lead the way for I know not which direction the dining area is.” Raising his free hand to his mouth, he made a fist, holding it in front of his mouth as he cleared his throat. “Lead the way my dear Princess.”

(Oh, its short. >< I took forever and it is still short. Sorry.)

[Anubis Alame]

(Sorry about the long wait.)

Anubis smirked and shook his head slowly. “My dear, dear Olivia… it is not the fact that I do not eat, I just am not hungry. Besides, I should be making my way back to Gevadoran soon enough.” Anubis had talked to the back of Olivia’s head, but soon enough she turned with much elegance and stared him right in the eye. Soon they came to thin down to mere slits; this sight seemed to be nothing more than another one of her looks, one in which suited her and made her appear far cuter than she actually was. Olivia was still cute, in appearance and personality, but this face made her all too adorable. As Anubis went about to telling her that he indeed was truly not hungry, she spoke once more.

’ “As for you Anubis my beloved friend, you are far too thin, you will eat with Durion and I.”’

Frowning, his eyes lowered onto his body, mainly looking upon his frame. His arms indeed were on the thin side, and so was his chest, and legs, but he was not too thin. He was muscle, and flexing his arm could prove that to her. Raising his shirt would allow her to see he was no thin man. Yet, those were not options, they were too… revealing. Then again, Durion was here and surely if he had shed some clothes, so would their King friend. Exhaling, he looked upon his friend’s figure and then back to his own. ’So I do not match his stature, but what does that matter? He is of difference race! Where I lack muscle, I gain in intelligence and charm. Where he has muscle, he lacks every where else.’

Smirking to himself, he looked to Olivia. “Must I eat? Could I simply just not sit there and watch as Durion and yourself eat? I truly am not hungry my love.” Anubis insisted on not eating, he was hungry, but he would not allow himself to eat their food. Sighing lightly, he looked to her face, watching as her lips turned into a charming grin. Her eyes lit up and sparkled within the sun’s light, her hair blew and Anubis’ heart melt. Grumbling slightly, he shook his head slowly. “Fine Olivia. I suppose I cannot deny you of your request. I shall accompany yourself and Durion for a meal, but nothing more Olivia.”

Anubis tried to be stern by narrowing his eyes and wagging his finger at her. Olivia’s wings shifted position, a nervous habited she owned, or Anubis had noted. Dropping his finger, his stern frown turned into a concerned smile. “Olivia… my dearest. Do not worry of me. I am fine. We elves are supposed to be small framed.” Raising his arms, he opened them up taking her into them for a short, but reassuring hug. “I am perfectly healthy. Besides, I rather be lacking body weight than lacking intelligence, or charm.”

But she smiled, and held herself together. Pressing a smile upon her face, she took his hand in her own and began to guide him over to her palace or castle. Declaring she was famished, Anubis walked along behind her, what else was he to do? She dragged him along often, and he didn’t mind it, truly he enjoyed it. However, as he looked to the corner of his eye, spotting the silver haired body builder king of Nythora, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of jealousy. Closing his eyes tightly, he rose his free hand to his face, covering his eyes behind his hand, gently massaging his temples with his index finger and thumb.

’You don’t like Olivia… you are nothing more than her best friend. That’s right, her best friend. Your jealousy is nothing more than a cry for attention, because… you’re friends. She is stunning, beautiful from every angle, graceful and so pur- you’re friends. I need to stop thinking about her… but I can’t.’

Grumbling, Anubis pulled his hand from Olivia’s hand. “I’m sorry Olivia, I do n-“ Anubis paused for a moment in mid word, looking from Olivia to Durion. Despite the fact he didn’t want to be around Olivia in order to give himself some thinking time, he didn’t want Durion making a move on her. “I don’t like you leading me like this. Dragging me along behind you. Come now, let me walk along side of you.” Instead of taking her hand, Anubis wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Lets carry on now.”

[Tabasco]

Heavy dips of her immense wings had carried the Dragon queen's frigate, yet lithe, form across the sea of 'bergs and frost. The caps upon the diamond blue water had entranced her many a time while she graced the sky above them, and allowing her talons to drag atop the surface had become a habit, if not a cold one.
Once, she had even dropped her muzzle, while flying, into the sub-zero sea to catch a fat salmon that was seemingly dozing beside the submerged side of an iceberg.

She had left the Fishing town the morning before, when an early morning fisherman, despite the cold and drizzle, had come to check upon his troller. Finding the forty foot serpentine lizard sleeping fitfully beside it was unexpected with no doubt, and the elderly man had sprinted away down the docks screaming with a hoarse voice.
Raisuke awakened then, and left agitated before any more disturbances could ensue. Now, as she approached the looming buildings and structures made of ice and snow, the wind dragon realized once again the importance of her mission. Violet streamers of hair haphazardly whipped around her muzzle and neck, as the wind drifts carried off the cliffs of ice and onto the water and surrounding air currents. The scent was clean, fragrant.. like the scent of her home sands during the spring. She reveled in it, and the amazing detail carved into the clear, spotless ice sculptures that surrounded the kingdom as she neared closer to it.

The castle perched high midst turrets, spires and landings, constructed of ice like everything else. Some sections of the castle seemed invisible; blending and blurring with the surrounding cliffs and waves of falling snow. Despite this; it was not cold. Rasiuke came to see this as she approached one of the larger landings. It was decorated with many sculptures and even pots containing flowers; carved out of ice. The warmth that seemed to circumference fell like a blanket about the dragon's purple scales and tresses. Angular eyes of the same shade caught movement near her right back flank as she touched down; talons and feet pads gripping against the frosted surface with ease, whilst great feathered appendages folded at the joints and streamlined themselves against her bodice.

A full-throated, deep baritone sounded out from said flank, and the queen of Nualu arched her scaled neck 'round to catch sight of a tall, sharp faced man with wings attached through the shoulder blades of ornate armour.

"Lady Dragon, are you in need of any assistance?"
It wasn't an icy tone, but neither was it one that held any start of a stutter or jerk. It warm and steady, like the air around her.

"Era'th*, Sir Inthya*. I wendsa* to be meeting with someone by the name of Olivia Inara; your Princess, I believe."
Her eyes blinked softly and slowly as she stressed the first few words.
The word Inthya was stressed more so, as this meant 'Winged one', and referred to the guard's self.

The ornately decorated sentry bowed, and alothough he didn't understand Elurian, he got the drift of what most was said. "Lady Dragon, I will see to it that the Princess of Sonorian gets your message." And with that said, he bowed again and flicked his wings while he sauntered off inside the castle.

Now the only thing that the Queen had to do was wait; though she didn't mind. It gave her time to work upon the things making patterns in her mind.

Era'th- Greetings
Inthya- 'Winged One'
Wendsa- Wish

[Camel of Chaos]

There was a small shifted within the eyes of silver as Anubis withdrew for a moment, stating that he had no wished to be dragged and this surprised her. He had never expressed displeasure of such a gesture before and she wondered if he was truly all right, for he had been acting very strangely and in worried the young woman deeply. A soft sigh escaped her lips then and as his long arm wrapped around her slim shoulders she couldn’t help but get the sensation that something was off. Could it be that he was not enjoying her company anymore? But he had put his arm around her, surely that meant something. A faint blush coloured her cheeks with the intimate motion and she made no protest, simply kept her hand tight around Durion’s as she guided both men out of her gardens, the wings ruffling once before lifting upwards to settle low against her back, the woman assured that the floors were clean and would not sully the purity of her feather’s as they dragged across the floor.

Father always scolded me for that.....after they had accidently gotten stepped on

Still lost in her thoughts she subconsciously curled into Anubis’ side, his embrace familiar and warm and never could she resist such a pull. Still remarkably her hand kept tight around Durion’s hand, not wanting him to feel left out despite she felt uncomfortable with him nowadays. He always had this intense air about him, and it only increased when he looked upon her. Being the girl that she was she refused to think negatively about someone who had been such a dear friend for so long, but somehow this did nothing to calm her nerves, and perhaps that was why she had drawn so deeply into her childhood friend’s side. She felt safe there, and familiar and she clung to that feeling, even as she attempted to treat both men equally.

They had almost been upon the banquet hall when a guard appeared before her. Olivia made a soft trill in the back of her throat in greeting, concern reflected upon her face as she stood to attention, noticing that this man was obviously seeking her out. Slowly she released the king’s hand and stepped out from beneath the prince’s arm, eyes becoming filled with authority.

“Falath, what is wrong?”

The man, although hurried, was not distressed and respectfully he bowed at the waist before looking to her again.

“There is someone here who must speak with you Princess, a Lady Dragon, judging from her markings and ornamentation her standing is very important.”

A thoughtful look reflected upon the young woman’s delicate features as she tugged on a small curl out of habit. She was trying to remember who on earth would come to speak with her, let along a dragon. Of course, the Sonorian people were in good standing with the dragons and considered them kith, due to their connection to flight. A great respect was held between the two races and looking at the guard she gave a faint nod.

“Thank you Falath, I will address this issue immediately…” bow once more he departed, in order to inform the Lady Dragon that the Princess had heeded her request and she was on her way.

Inwardly Olivia groaned a bit and her stomach vocalized its distressed. She was starving, quite literally but as a Princess, duty came before comfort and she sighed softly, before turning to her two male guests. Smiling a little sheepishly she said softly,

“Forgive me my dear friends, but if a dragon sits at your doorstep you do not ignore them. Would you like to come with me? The issue may involve you as well, if such a creature has left her realm in order to speak with us.”

She turned then, her wings sweeping across the glistening floor in iridescent colours before she paused and smiled sweetly,

“perhaps she would like to dine with us as well, I have not seen a dragon since I was a child, they’re such delightful company, and they have so much to say.”



((Sorry once again for the crap....-_-))

[Durion Arcamenel]

Anubis had become a humorous sight. As Durion’s eyes of light blue, or grey depending on those whom looked upon his dully coloured eyes, remained focused on the small frame of Anubis. This male elf was checking himself out, seeing if he was truly underweight like Olivia and himself kept telling him he was. He was tiny, thin, light, and far from a threat to anyone in any kind of battle. Anubis needed more muscle, and more weight if you consulted Olivia and himself about it. Slowly, they were feeding him this tale, slowly killing the self image that he had set up for himself. In due time he would be uncomfortable with himself, absorbed in the thought of changing his appearance, vulnerable to insults and hopefully too busy to spend time with Olivia. A master plan made up within minutes thanks to Olivia’s words.

Upon hearing that Anubis would be attending the meal with them, Durion frowned. His eyes narrowed to mere slits and his face took on a sour look where it was obvious he was displeased. So turning his head away, he released his frustration through facial expressions and balling his hands up into tight fists. His veins may have even popped out while his muscles were flexed, but he wouldn’t know since he closed his eyes tightly. Exhaling, he calmed himself down, turning to look toward Olivia and Anubis once more. A smile replaced Durion’s frown and he placed a hand on Olivia’s shoulder as he spoke out to Anubis.

“Wonderful. It’ll be simply magnificent to spent a meal with my two friends once more. We haven’t spent days together since our early years, and being able to re-hatch some childhood memories will be fantastic.”

Durion’s enthusiastic tone of voice was, well, horribly fake. Though one wouldn’t be able to tell, not Olivia any ways, Anubis will have known. Sending Anubis a glare far out of the sight of Olivia, he shook his head and watched as Anubis seemed to stagger back, taken away by Durion’s actions. However, they were anything but unexpected, being from a man whom was thought evil and all. Seeing Anubis stagger was an accomplishment, so standing up tall, Durion smirked and flicked his hair over his shoulder, tying his hair up. Though jealousy soon struck him as his two friends embraced, holding each other close in a hug.

Once more his eyes narrowed to slit as he pondered this act of friendship, or love, whatever it was.

I do not get this. What can she possibly see in that toothpick? I am a King. Built and tall, strong and beautiful. All this man is a skinny man who has done nothing to prove his love to her. I, on the other and, have done so much. I send her roses, I kiss her hand, I give her everything her heart desires. Yet, she crawls to him instead of me. This will all change…

By the time Durion had came around to stop thinking about how he was in a tragic situation, he noted that Olivia and Anubis had started on already. Frowning, as Olivia’s hand tugged him behind, he noted Anubis’ arm, and Olivia’s blush. This had to be ended… immediately. But what could he do? With Olivia’s tight grip on his hand, but her curling in under Anubis’ arm, she had to stop playing with the dear Anubis’ feelings. Just as Durion began to speak, he had been stopped, for this guard, Falath, as Olivia called him, came to speak with this fair Princess. Soon, her hand was gone from his, but more importantly, no arm was around her shoulders now. This was very pleasing to the eye and mind.

Apparently, a dragon was at her doorstep, and Durion smirked. Dragons, most of them he knew personally, a lot worked for him since most were often linked to hatred and evil. Smiling, Durion nodded his head in acknowledgement of what Olivia had just said. “I would love to come along. Perhaps I know this fine Dragon. Another to dine shall make the food far better. Perhaps Anubis may get distracted and eat plenty, gain some weight.” Making a fist with his hand, he lightly punched Anubis’ arm. But Durion’s light was rather rough, and he probably hurt his arm rather than be playful. Pacing toward Olivia, he wrapped his arm around Olivia, looking to her, delighted that he had beaten Anubis to her. “Let us carry on then. To meet your dear guest.”

[Camel of Chaos]

Quietly Olivia studied the two, uncertain on how to judge the relationship between them. The whole buddy air was a little unsettling for even though she was rather naïve of such things, it was evident that something was off. A small, minute sigh whispered past her lips, concern reflecting within the silveric depths. Still there was a pressing matter at hand and a sweet smile curled her lips, glad to see that both her closest friends and allies would go with her. She looked too both men, admiration and affection glowing within their depths. Once more she linked her arms with theirs, one on either side and she gave a bit of a sheepish smile. To be honest Olivia was a little intimidated by the thought of facing a dragon. Really she had not seen one in years but had heard much of them and held them with a great deal of respect. Still it brought a sense of security knowing that these two men would be there, guarding and protecting her.

“Come my friends, we have a guest to greet.”

Their footsteps echoed loudly within the chambers of ice, their reflections flickering in and out of sight as they passed the towering walls. With Olivia safely placed between both royal bodies she stared ahead, light shining through the giant glass panes where no doubt the dragon awaited. A great shadow shifted across the floor and she drew in a sharp breath, her small body tensing slightly. What did the dragon want? Was she displeased? Content? Or worse….

The memory of what had drawn her friends to her side caused a deep shuddering ripple to make its way down her spine. What if the dragoness was here because she too had felt a great disturbance? Was it possible? What if something was truly occurring and it had not simply been her imagination. The very thought terrified her and her features became wane and pale. Certainly it couldn’t be that, for Olivia was sure she had simply over-exaggerated, or other such thing. Yes she was sure of it.