Aftermath (Fairies, Suko, Open)

[Jotari]

Helpless

The ebony Friesian mare trotted steadily, easily bearing her two riders. One was a man in strange black armor. The other was a beautiful woman, clearly weak, sick, and starving. The man guided the mare with one hand while supporting the woman with his other arm. She was unconscious and breathing shallow breaths. Though it could not be seen through the helmet, the man was worried about his precious burden. They had been traveling through Celeste Falls for about an hour in the early morning light. The man, Dread Lord Siarles, finally reined the mare to a stop and carefully dismounted. Carrying the unconscious woman, the Guardian Jahanarwa also known as the outlaw Black Star, and gently laying her on a bed of moss. Removing his heavy dark cloak, Siarles covered the trembling Black Star. Just hours before she had done tremendous things, using extreme power from the Sky Gem at her side, Kai no longer rested underneath Dirya’s waves and it now had a king, but there was a price to pay. Black Star had been weak before from starvation, imprisonments, and torture so using that power had nearly killed her.

But she was still alive, which strangely gave even the dark master hope. He actually cared for her. It was clearly seen as he gently but firmly forced water down her throat. Running a hand across her cheek he stood and whistled to the mare. The giant horse obediently came to her master. Siarles had to find food and someone or something to help his love. He knew that if she was not helped, that she would not last much longer. As much as it tore him to leave Black Star, Siarles knew very well that the only ones here were the fairies and maybe a stray traveler. Both were mortal in one way or another and harming Black Star would be a fatal mistake. He turned the mare and galloped away. The Dread Lord would return very soon.

Black Star lay quiet for some time and then the blue eyes slowly opened. Laying quietly she felt the cool moss beneath her fevered body. Slowly, she sat up, only to be hit by a wave of nausea and dizziness. Reaching out a trembling white hand she took water from the pool next to her and drank. Then she limply, weakly, fell back into the moss. Her eyes flickered blue and then dull lifeless grey, back and forth. Black Star could do nothing but be still. She hoped that Siarles would return soon, especially as they were in Celeste Falls. Queen Titania would certainly feel the immense power shift with Kai’s rise and would probably be able to tell exactly where Black Star was, not to mention there were many other fairies here also. There were also many travelers, not always friendly to other mortals. But no matter what came, the raven-haired woman was completely helpless.

[suko]

Suko traveled at a brisk jog that ate up miles without tiring her. It had been months since the world had been torn apart with King Kraven had been killed, Black Star nearly hanged for it, and Magrej took over both kingdoms. It took her a wile to adjust to the new system and learning who to approach and who to avoid. She slowed down to a walk as she neared the falls, thinking back over the months. She had lived in what was left of the forest for long enough now that she could transverse it blindfolded at night. During that time, she also learned what one can and can't eat, what will treat most wounds, and what is poisons and can be used on a weapon.

Suko heard a slash of water nearby. Reacting on instinct, Suko ducked behind some trees and waited for it to stop. Then, hand on sword hilt, moved from tree to tree without making a sound. When she got close enough to where the noise originated from, she claimed the nearest tree and moved along the branches. As soon as she came into view of what had made the noise, she nearly fell out of her tree. It was Black Star! Suko had lost track of her on the night of her hanging and had not known whether she was alive or dead in all this time. Relief spread through her frame as now she could repay her debt to the leader. But as she looked at her, it was clear that she was weak. Black Star hadn't moved since she had been watching her and Suko was concerned. She backed up quietly and ran back through the forest. She didn't know what ailed Black Star, but there was a plant that gave strength to the consumer when crushed with water. Suko found where the plant was growing and after picking a few, ran back to where Black Star was laying. She slowed to a walk as she got close, not wanting to startle her friend. Suko entered the clearing and made her way over to the water with a mortar and pestle in her hands and leaves resting in the carved out bowl. She added just the right amount of water then moved over to Black Star. Propping her up slightly so she didn't choke, Suko offered her the bowl saying "Here drink this, it will give you some strength back."

[Jotari]

Grey eyes fluttered open and the former outlaw queen accepted the strange greenish liquid. She choked on a bit of it, coughing for a moment. She said nothing, but a pale hand moved to rest on Suko’s hand in silent thanks. After a few moments, the plant seemed to help. Slowly she sat up and rubbed her head. Black Star did not attempt to stand, that was not yet possible. But she did manage to fold her legs under her and sit up. “Thank you Suko, I owe you.” The ebony-haired woman bit her lip. Siarles was extremely protective and violent. Even though Suko had helped, Siarles would probably kill first and ask questions later. “Suko, if you hear hoof beats, you need to disappear. My fiancée is rather jumpy right now and will not appreciate anyone being around me.” The outlaw had changed drastically in the last six months, but Suko was still someone she cared about.

“So tell me, what have you been up to for the last several months? I personally spent most of my time in prison, but obviously that has changed.” As it was winter, there was snow all around them, lightly dusting the landscape. It made Black Star shiver and be grateful for Siarles’ thick cloak. He would return soon. But her senses were not dulled so much as to not hear the rather noisy footsteps suddenly coming from their left. Eyes narrowed as the outlaw waited silently. Abruptly, a small form leaped from the snow covered bushes and clung to Black Star’s neck. It was Slink, a four foot tall man who was a greasy little monkey. The little monster had been rescued by Black Star once and now he had undying loyalty. Black Star attempted to shove him off, unsuccessful. “Oh the great master is back! I thought she was dead, yes Slink thought she was dead. But the tall dark scary man saved you and Slink has been watching, yes he has. I know that the master is to marry the tall scary Dread Lord, Siarles. Slink is very happy that the master loves someone, even if he is the Dread Lord and he does want to rule the whole world.” Black Star snarled and yanked him off her, “Get off you little slime ball, I would like to breathe!” Slink rolled out of reach and scrambled like a squirrel to perch in a tree limb above them. “Hello pretty Suko!”

Black Star sighed and leaned back against a large rock. She rolled her eyes as Slink began to chatter again, “ I saw the wedding yesterday, yes, the wedding between Magrej and Princess Abbie. It was nasty. Abbie was a horrible girlie and killed her own mother in front of everyone. The princess Faelynn left crying.” To these words Black Star was more attentive, “I admit I do not feel regret that the former queen is dead. But I know little about Magrej’s daughter. She may be useful.” Slink jumped up and down, amazingly keeping perfect balance. “So when is the wedding? I know Siarles and master are going to wed and then take over everything.” Black Star’s eyes narrowed dangerously, how did Slink know that Siarles and she were going to overthrow Magrej and Abigail? But Black Star chose to ignore Slink, attempt to anyway. “Suko, you wouldn’t have any food about, would you?”

[suko]

Suko watched as she drank the liquid she gave her then sit up as it took effect. Suko shook her head at the thanks.
"You don't owe me, i still owe you a great deal."
She told Suko to listen for hoof beats, she could do that, she had good hearing. She listened and as she was about to reply, a small man came out of the bushes and hugged Black Star. Suko didn't recognize him but knew from the way Black Star treated him that he was an acquaintance. She listened to him chatter, thinking how annoying he was and didn't like him around. She listened to him report the news and learned of Black Stars fiance's name. Siarles. She heard it from numerous guards that she avoided that talked as they passed her. A high Murate officer. She would hold her judgment till she met him, but she hated murates with a passion. It was their king that took out her village and followed her brother as he betrayed them. When Black Star asked for food, Suko dug in a mini-pack she used just for this purpose and pulled out some dried meet. After softening it with the mortar and pastel, she handed it to Black Star and started talking.

"Since the little chatterbox has stopped its mouth for the time being, ill tell you what Ive done since the day of the thwarted hanging. I had heard about the hanging and was on my way to save you, but by the time i got to the square, you where no were in sight and the place was seething like a kicked ants nest. I wasn't sure where you went or if you where still alive so i made my way into the forest where i have been living since. I was lucky and found lone travelers that taught me about the plants of the forest and after that it was pretty much trial and error for me to learn. The plant i gave you earlier will give a bit of strength to the consumer for half an hour and is poisonous if taken in large quantities to close together by someone not used to it. I gave you enough to sit but you will need to lie back down before it wears off. I have spent these months getting used to herbs like that and others so i can consume more without killing myself. I move my nest every three days to avoid detection and never sleep in the same spot twice. I rarely head into town and when i do, i sell carvings of the goddess for good luck and protection. I don't know if they work or not, but at times like this, people will believe anything. Thats pretty much it. Nothing exiting, but I'm still alive."
As she finished, Suko heard a noise coming closer that she had been listening for. Hoof beats, heading this way at a steady jog. With a hasty "Got to go!" She bolted up the nearest tree and blended into the branches out of sight, but in hearing distance in case Black Star wanted to introduce her or it wasn't who she thought it might be.

[Desperanza]

Titania

[/size]

The day was turning out to be much better then the days had been turning out recently. She had been bed ridden for weeks, struggling to raise her daughters from the confine of her bed. It had frustrated her and yet the Queen had maintained a rather positive attitude over it all. Asteria was growing like a weed and for the first time since before the little one had been born, Titania was feeling a bit better. She was able to sit up and stand and she was able to consume handfuls of berries here and there without swooning and heading right back to bed. The side of evil was not coursing through her quite as strongly as it had been and she knew why. There was a chance, now. There was a chance for the balance to tip and maintain itself once again. She sighed with relief as she ran a brush through her golden hair. Her eyes were settled into a dark emerald green at the moment as she gazed into the mirror as she sat at the vanity table that was carved out of polished wood and decorated with ivy. A female fairy drifted into the room to tuck a pink rose into her golden tresses, weaving it in to sit just above Titania's right ear. Today she was wrapped in silks of jade that lifted just above her thighs. She had not seen Kaori for weeks and she felt the enticing tug of bitterness at the creature for not giving its young a father but none the less it did not matter. She was able to raise her own daughter and did not need him.

Lifting herself from the mirror, she turned to the sound of a flutter of wings as sprites darted in with Asteria fluttering about in tow with a ring of weaved ivy and floral wrapped around her neck. Smiling with amusement the Queen held out her arms for her daughter to reach her and perch in her arms. She stroked those beautiful silken scales. The fairy-dragon was developing nicely. Her golden olive scales and wings of olives and translucent forest greens and pinks were enticing and Asteria with her fiery crimson and golden eyes was quite the sight to see. She was an impressive and beautiful creature with a personality to match but she was all wild. This far she had had no sign that she could speak English yet, or that she wanted to at least, and she acted the way she wished, not the way she was taught by the sprites and on more then one occasion the Queen had had sprites at her door, dazed and thoroughly euphoric accidentally because Asteria had taken it upon herself to gas them with her shimmering euphoria gas. Titania now kept a vial of smelling salts to help bring the effects of the gas around a bit. It didn't cure it entirely but it helped to get over it faster.

Stroking the divine scales of her daughter, she trailed from the room and out onto the entrance of her open palace. Her bedroom had been enclosed since she had fallen ill but the rest of her castle had remained open for the sunlight to filter in on the floral that sprouted here and there and the fine marble checkered floor. She inhaled slowly, thoroughly appreciating the fresh air that remained here. Her room had been kept clean and such, but there was nothing like the freedom you got after recuperating. The room had begun to feel stuffy by this point. As she stood there eying the landscape before herself she nodded slightly to the effect that things seemed to have remained in tact for which she was thankful. She smiled softly and glanced down at Asteria for a moment. The fairy-dragon was indeed growing quickly but she still easily fit into Titania's arms and would still fit easily into the palms of a human's cupped hands. She was slender and swift, sleek in all her ways and Titania adored her only child though she had hoped that it would have come out as a fairy but that did not matter now for she did take after both of her parents. She inhaled slowly and sighed softly as she glanced out across the landscape, pondering for a moment before she drifted forward once more.

Making her way along the path, she allowed Asteria to lift into the air and flutter along with her close by as she made her way along the path and out across her landscape. As she looked upon her world with thoughtful eyes she quite suddenly became aware of the presence that was emanating from the entrance of the falls. Something was stirring outside and if she thought correctly, Black Star was close by. She took a slight breath and lifted her head, her golden tresses tumbling along her back as she glanced to the entrance of the Fairy Realm. She narrowed her eyes briefly before letting them closed as she focused for a moment, focusing on the energy that the former guardian put out before she sighed, her eyes drifting open once more and now she changed direction. Making her way towards the entrance she paused and made her way out, letting Asteria out behind herself before sealing the entrance and drifting out towards the pair that sat out at the edge of the falls. Her wings flitted behind her back, the soft glowing trail that was always left behind drifting out into the air to linger for a few moments before disappearing once more as she drifted forward. She heard the soft and inquisitive growls of her daughter as they approached closer before she came to perch on a rock, her feet touching the slick stone before she hopped lightly to the ground. She glanced after Suko, peering into the tree for a brief moment before turning her gaze back to Black Star once more with a light smile as Asteria landed and marched up to her side, "The great Black Star, a surprise it is to see you outside of my home." she stated with her typical soft spoken and melodic tone.[/center]

[Deidra]

Danae had been stationed outside the fairy realm, her job? Guard the entrance. It was really one of the most boring jobs she had ever been given. All she did was sit there watching the pitiful sight of the once beautiful landscape. She had begun to pace back and forth, bored and restless. She was a hunter, she did not do well with sitting still for long periods of time and the boredom started to get to her. Her purple white striped fur was minimally dressed in blue garments, her bow and quiver slung across her back. She finally sat upon a small rock, elbows on her knees and chin resting on her palms. She hated guard duty and was now beginning to regret volunteering, until things began to come to life before her.

Danae quickly took cover in to tall dead grasses as a man and woman rode up on a horse. The man she didn’t recognize, the woman however, that was a different story. She had seen her with Titania before, her queen. For a moment Danae wondered what was going on, wondered if she should help the woman, until the man set her down, laying her to the ground and then rode off. Confused and cautious she started to come out from her hiding spot then thought better of it, contenting herself with watching the woman.

Some time passed and she still did not move and Danae began to wonder if she was dead, but she was kept in hiding as another woman showed herself, moving to Black Star’s side. Offering her a drink of something she had just concocted and Danae once again concealed her curiosity to remain hidden and just watched wondering what was taking place before her. The raven haired began to show some life, and then yet another being came into the scene, this one acting strange and annoying. He disgusted Danae, his looks were odd and made her want to dart back into the fairy realm but she was riveted to her spot, unable to move. Black Star ignored the strange creatures banter and talked again to the other woman.

They chatted some more before the other woman ran off into the woods again, just as the the fairy realm opened, none other than her queen came out with Asteria following closely. A smile crossed Danae's face at the sight of her queen up and about and she finally emerged from her hiding place as Titania addressed Black Star in her soft way. Flicking her pink wings at her back she walked closer to Titania, in order to offer her whatever protection she could give her against the humans, if they at any moment posed a threat to her queen.

[Jotari]

Slink darted off into the trees, screeching like a hellion. Black Star leaned back against the rocks and sighed, starting to feel dizzy and tired again. She smirked at Suko, “Oh yes, let us worship the mighty goddess who cares nothing for us mortals.” She spat out her words. It was clear that the Guardian no longer wanted to think about the precious goddess. Black Star had been stabbed in the back one too many times for that any more. But Suko did the right thing, darting into hiding. Black Star could faintly hear the hoof beats but her attention was grabbed by another being.
It was Titania, someone Black Star had not seen since the fairy queen’s wedding some time ago. The former outlaw queen’s eyes softened slightly at seeing the young creature in the fairy queen’s arms, but otherwise there was little in the way of friendship in those blue eyes. Instead Black Star’s eyes screamed distrust and animal-like wildness. Warily, Black Star quickly searched for any other lurking fairies and spotted at least one. Another wave of dizziness hit her and Black Star was forced to lie back once more. Who was she kidding? There was no way she could hurt a flea right now. “I am hiding Titania.” That was all she could say right now.

But what she lacked in strength, she made up in allies. The hoof beats were very close until within moments, Siarles galloped into the clearing. Reining in his ebony mare hard, he dismounted in one deft and balanced movement. His strangely crafted midnight colored armor gleamed as he stalked between the fairy queen and Black Star. For once, the Dread Lord did not attack on sight. Instead he crouched once more and supported the weakened damsel of distress he seemed to adore. Siarles carried his preferred weapon, a knifed hand gauntlet. Ever aware, he quickly spotted Suko, Slink, and Danae as well as Queen Titania. “I leave you for an hour and you manage to get surrounded.” He growled. Black Star laid a pale hand on his right forearm, “No my love, Suko and Slink are two of my Grellon. Titania is queen of the fairies and that is her daughter. I do not know about the other fairy, but I do not wish to start a war with the fairy folk. We have other things to attend too.” Siarles nodded but he stayed stationary. He would wait until one of the others made a move before he would move. If they dared harm Black Star, he would cause some serious damage. “What do you wish with her?” He left the question for any and all to answer. The dark one wanted answers and he wanted them now.

[suko]

Suko climbed slowly out of her tree. She was taking a dislike to this man already and she just met him. She would hold her judgment till later, after she knew him better. She stood to her full hight and addressed the man,
"I am Suko. Black Star took me into her group and supported me when my world fell apart and i am indebted to her. I will continue to follow her even after i repay my debt as she has also won my respect. Other than that, you need not know anything else unless Black Star says you should know."
She then retreated back into the branches, this time within plain view stating clearly that he can't run her off and waited for him to speak or leave. She didn't like this man but she was going to make it plain to him she would stick to her leader with a passion until she died or resurrected her clan though that is on the back burner.

[Desperanza]

The queen's eyes darted to the sight of the creature that rode in on the ebony mare. The dread lord indeed. She eyed the man with thought as her arms wrapped a bit tighter about her fairy-dragon of a daughter. Her eyes flashed gold as she eyed the man. He came between herself and Black Star and Titania backed a few steps before pausing once more. She was merely a hair beneath a foot tall, she could do nothing to him and she was a mother. She would not allow the man to harm her young. She sighed and cast a glance to Danae, nodding briefly in her direction before glancing back towards Siarles and Black Star once more, "You left your prize on my doorstep. I came to investigate." she stated. It was an honest and simple answer, she doubted there was really much else to say, "Did you expect charity for the lovely Star? Or did you come to claim something else?" she inquired with a slight tilt of her head, "Because it seems that the question is not for us, but instead it is for you large sir." she replied with a nod in his direction for indeed it seemed true and she fell silent once more as she awaited the reply from Siarles. The sight of him would intimidate many of her own kind if not more of his own kind but she held strong. If he killed her, then let him, if he could do much in the ways of getting to her before Asteria did something silly and blew euphoria gas to him. She glanced down at Asteria at the thought. The fairy-dragon growled softly before giving a rather sudden yowl, curious at the situation and yet she remained perched within her mother's arms at the moment as the Queen awaited the reply from Siarles.