Lycan Prairies

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

Aliea relaxed a little when they were finally out of water. Her dress was soaking wet and the temperature was pretty cold in here but that was okay. She shot Wulren and Cupid a thankful smile. She followed Wulren inside and saw for the first time the Queen of Wolves. She wished she hadn't.
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Lupa felt a chill go through her when she say the human girl. What could be the meaning of this. She took in the faces of the others and concluded that they didn't know about this. Her eyes locked with the girl, but she made it move away and onto others. She stood up and smiled at them, without a break in the stride. Giving them no reason to think something was wrong. "Wulren! Cupid! I'm glad you found safe passage. Where's Matthew? Did something keep him behind?" She asked looking at them with her sharp piercing gaze. "And who would be this young lady?"

[Aurora]

Wulren and Cupid bowed before Lupa. "Yes, Your Majesty, he kept some of Lycaon's spies away so that we could get here safely without compromising your safety. And this is Amber, an apprentice to the herb witch," came Wulren's reply.
Cupid rose and stood in front of Lupa, "And one of those spies is one of the reasons why I'm here, Your Majesty. It's more serious than we realized, but, if you don't mind, I would like to wait till Matthew gets here, he might have more information having been able to get a good look at those spies. Well, at least I hope he got a good look at those spies." But, as he spoke, he also glanced at Aliea, he wasn't sure how to tell Lupa about Matthew's behavior around Aliea without alarming everyone.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

Aliea dropped a curtsy to the queen, her mind running a mile a minute. She was Lupa? how had that happened. She should have been dead twice by now and decaying in the grave. She was pretty sure Lupa recognized her even though she didn't give it away. If that was the way she wanted to play, she wouldn't be the first to break the rules. She knew it would look a little awkward if she didn't speak, especially as everyone present here knew her as a big mouth. But she couldn't think of anything to say, so she kept her eyes down and her mouth shut.
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Lupa smiled convincingly at 'Amber' and decided to ignore her for now. It would be better if they didn't know who she really was. Best not to call her to attention. She looked at wulren & Cupid and smiled fondly. "I see. I don't mind, and I suppose we could catch up to each other till ten. Do tell, how is your uncle Apollo. It's been ages since I last saw him!" She said, realizing the need to not let thing get out of hand. Thankfully she had lots of experience with this!

[Aurora]

Cupid could only look back at Lupa grimly, "He has been very busy lately, not just because of what has been happening to Lycan Prairies, but with reports from everywhere else. There have been attacks on just about every friendly species, the talking animals, the talking birds, the sirens, the mermaids, the centaurs, the tiger-shifters, the bear-shifters, the dragons, the unicorns, fairies, everyone. There has even been a few attacks on the underworld, Hades is furious. Being the king of all seven pantheons is a mighty task, but Uncle Apollo has managed to pull through," smiled Cupid weakly. "And then, I've been nominated to take over Uncle Apollo's duties as king when he sees fit. Oh, and Matthew found out something about dove wings, but he hasn't told anyone what that is yet."

((The seven pantheons Cupid is talking about are Greek, Roman, Japanese, Polynesian, Egyptian, Hindu, and Mesopotamian. Though Apollo is technically the king of the Greek pantheon, he is the king of all seven only in times of all-out war.))

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((Uh-huh. Got it! sorry, I couldn't reply earlier. got a hell lot of stuff going on.))

Aliea just watched the exchange, completely lost. She looked on as cupid talked of things as if they were day to day stuff. It wasn't that she didn't know of them. She just didn't know them as cupid was describing them. She gave up trying to keep up and let her thoughts wander.
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Lupa was not stunned really, but she was disappointed. She had guessed as much but still to have her fears conformed was not exactly comforting. A frown creased her fore head. "Things just keep getting worse. If this continues, there will be a full out war soon." She looked up when cupid mentioned himself being nominated as Apollo's fill in. She smiled "A wise choice. You most definitely are responsible enough. Dove wings you say? Well, I gusss we'll have to wait for him." She sighed tiredly. There was too much happening, too fast. She wouldn't be able to keep up.

[Aurora]

((That's alright, glad you were still able to post!! :))

Cupid nodded grimly, "That's what Uncle Apollo is afraid of. Oh, uh, thanks, your Majesty," grinned Cupid awkwardly. "Yes, I want to find out what he's learned as well, seeing as how he wants me to earn them. I would need to know what I have to do to earn them."
"Well, that's actually the hard part," came a voice from behind them.
Cupid swirled around. "Matthew!! Well, what happened?"
"Oh, so no 'are you alright, are you hurt'?"
"You are always alright. You are a genie, so you can't be killed and can only be hurt if you want to be," replied Cupid.
Matthew paused, then grinned, "Good point. Well, that vampire was no ordinary vampire, as we suspected," began Matthew.
"Besides the fact that I couldn't sense him when I should have been able to, how so?" asked Wulren.
Matthew sighed, "This was the handiwork of one of the rogue genies. Only another genie, a god of the dead, or a necromancer could ever sense those things." Matthew glanced at Aliea before continuing, "And only those who can sense them can destroy them."

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((xD thanks!))

Aliea snapped out of her stupor when Matthew came back. She listened as cupid and Matthew bantered. A sudden pang of longing shot through her. She could never have friends like that. But then, wasn't that why she'd chosen this life? It was slap to her face when she heard what Matthew had to say. It was another bucket of water on her head when he mentioned only those who could sense them could destroy them. Her only reaction throughout was to blink once because it would be awkward if she didn't. This would mean big things.
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Lupa stood up as Matthew entered. "Matthew! I was starting to wonder if something had gone amiss." She said. She listened intently as he spoke of his encounter, neither did she miss his subtle glance at 'Amber'. So it's true. She has become one of them after all. and the genie knew of it. She had been hoping she was mistaken. She sensed it was time to break out the truth. They couldn't go on pretending much longer. She sighed tiredly and addressed the not-so-human girl. "Amber. Is there something you would like to tell us? There is no space for secrecy anymore." She looked directly into the girl's eye when she said this.
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Aliea froze, she turned her head meeting the eyes of the She-wolf.

[Aurora]

Cupid and Wulren glanced at the other three, blinking in surprise.
"Uh, could someone please explain what's going on?" asked Cupid.
"Why don't we let Miss Amber take care of that. You can start with telling us your real name, my dear, and then explaining what it is you really do," said Matthew, turning to the girl.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

Aliea raised her head, her eyes hardening. "Fine. But before anything, lemme tell you, I didn't mean any harm and I'm definitely not a spy -though there's little chance you'll believe it anyway. My real name is Aliea. I'm a necromancer, well, I'm still owe 3 more years of service to Gracian so I'm not free of his line yet." Gracian was the most well known, and feared Necromancer in this kingdom. This was not the girl they had known till now. "I've been practicing the Art for several years now, and have Resurrected many, but swear that the Vampire was not my work, or anyone I know of. During the great war, I chose necromany over the...death, of a friend." She said looking everyone in the eye. She was not going to chicken out or be shamed of her work. She would answer their questions, as she knew they would have questions.

[Aurora]

Cupid's and Wulren's mouths dropped in shock, but before either could say a word, Matthew placed his hand upon Aliea's shoulder. "I never accused you of being a spy and I knew all along that you never meant any harm. It's just that when one is at war, one would like to know who their allies and enemies are, and lying isn't the best way to accomplish this. Gracian, eh? I wonder if he's joined forces with Lycaon. I hope not, for your sake, as that would put you in quite a bind." Matthew then chuckled, "Were you not listening to my report, little one? I had said that this new vampire was the work of a rogue genie, one who is jealous of the power of necromancers and wants that power for themselves."
"Necromancy over the death of a friend?" Cupid said, in a half whisper. "So, you weren't out for a leisurely stroll when we met?" he said a little louder.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

She glanced at Matthew, surprised. "Oh." was all she could manage. "yeah, you're right. No, Gracian hasn't joined Lycon...nor will he. He'll never join any werewolf forces." She said looking away. It was his hate of wolves that got her in this position in the first place. She nodded. He was right, people always wanted the power of necromany. "But how did he manage to create a vampire of that kind?" She wondered aloud. then she turned to Cupid, taken a little off guard by his question. "I didn't lie about that. I come here often, just to hang out." She said.
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Lupa listened quietly throughout the whole confession. She had know most of it. She was relieved that Aliea didn't go in detain into 'death of a friend'. Now she straightened in her chair turned throne "Now that it's cleared up, we should move onto other things. First of all, Matthew, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" she asked.

[Aurora]

Matthew grinned, "I know I'm right, I'm always right." He winked at Cupid who merely rolled his eyes. Matthew's face became grim at Aliea's question, "I don't know, but we've got to stop it. They'll have the advantage if the main forces can't sense them coming."
Cupid only nodded at Aliea's response to his question, then turned to Lupa. "I've actually told you about some things, your Majesty. The attacks upon all friendly species, Uncle Apollo electing me as his successor, and Matthew just told you about the new species of vampire. But there's also a new kind of dragon emerging, one only mentioned in tales. I'm not sure if you have heard of this . . . monster, but . . . it was a species long thought destroyed by the drakons eons ago. Now it's seems that some of these monsters have survived and are coming back. The bulla, a cunning, foul, malicious creature with seven barbed tongues and quick reflexes. They hide underground, and if anyone happens to walk by their hiding spot, they'll grab at you with their tongues, much like a frog at a bug. They would only come out on the darkest of nights when there is no moon, and they really enjoy it when there are no stars. They absolutely hate light and fire."
"Yes, and now that Apollo has named you the official guardian of the wolves, the swans, and the drakons, they should come after not only you, but all of them as well," said Matthew, grimly.
Wulren's eyes grew wide," What are we to do?"
Matthew looked at him, "That is where the power of the dove wings come in. If Cupid were to attain dove wings, he would have the ultimate power over both fire and light, the power needed to destroy bulla."
((Actually, it was Cupid who had something to tell Lupa. And to get you up to speed, there are three kinds of dragons known, the hydra (evil), drakon (European-style, good), and ryuu (Asian-style, good). :D))

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((...
woopsie! messed up! >.<))

Aliea looked up on as the tale un folded before her. she couldn't help chiming in "you mean those dragons?" she asked eyes wide. This was sounding more and more like those horror tales they used to share around camp fires when they were little kids. "and how exactly can Cupid attain those wings?"
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Lupa only listened grimly, her question already voiced.

[Aurora]

((lol . . . that's OK :D))
Cupid nodded grimly, "And there may be more horrors on their way that we haven't heard about." All eyes were upon Matthew when Aliea asked the next question.
He shook his head, "I can't say exactly what Cupid must do, I've been sworn to secrecy. But what I can tell you is that Cupid must go through many trials, and not a single one will be easy. I can also tell you where to go for the challenges."
"I never thought they would be easy. With something powerful like that, you would have to go through alot in order to attain them," remarked Cupid.
Matthew smiled, "I'm glad you understand, however, some of those challenges may require more than what you're used to giving."
There was a slight pause. Cupid's eyes grew wide and he rushed to Matthew, grabbing his shoulders. "I will undertake the challenges, as long as you promise me one thing, no matter what happens, you protect Psyche. I don't care what happens to me, you protect Psyche. Promise me!"
The two stared at each other for a few minutes before Matthew spoke, "Densi kaneri lemar, I promise to protect Psyche." A purple glow appeared around Matthew as he spoke.
A sigh of relief escaped Cupid's mouth. "Thank you, Matthew."
Matthew smiled, "You're welcome. Now, I think we should be off to get you those dove wings. Anubis is on his way, your Majesty, and will be able to help you with the battles," continued Matthew, turning towards Lupa.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

"so these trials...I suppose he must take them alone?" She asked. She decided not to ask about the purple-glow-protect-psyche thing. She supposed Psyche was a person, or Cupid was asking matthew to protect his psychology which just didn't make any sense. She looked at lupa, wondering what her move would be next and weather she should hang around long enough to find out. There was so much she didn't understand and since Anubis was comming, it might be a really good idea for flight but she doubted she would be allowed to go just like that, so she decided to wait for the time being.
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Lupa nodded her head to Matthew. "I understand that time is of utmost value. But before all else," She turned to Cupid "are you ready for the kind of power the Dove wings will bring?" It wasn't that she doubted cupid's ability, she just wanted to make sure she knew the kind of risk he was taking. "If your heart is true and strong, go then, and with my blessings." She said gazing with her blue eyes. Then she turned back to Matthew, "Anubis? My my, Then I suppose the Gods are having some major troubles too." She said, mostly wondering out loud. She already knew there was more to it than the gods were letting on, specially in the underworld. Maybe she could coax something out of Anubis.

[Aurora]

"Yes, he has to take them by himself . . . but that doesn't mean he can't have a support group," Matthew grinned.
Cupid rolled his eyes. "And you wouldn't qualify," he mumbled. He turned to Lupa when she voiced her question, "I hope so, your Majesty, these challenges will let us know for sure."
Matthew smiled, "Good answer, but I wouldn't have suggested you for this if you weren't ready, Cupid. Yes, Anubis," he continued, turning to Lupa. "When I heard about these new vampires, I figured it would be best to have a god of the dead around to sense their presence. Yes, lots of problems, and I think it's all due to the fact that Baal is furious at losing to a youngling like Cupid in succession to the throne."

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

"So we are dealing with attack on all fonts? If Lycaon has already teamed up with those Vampires or genies who created them, is it possible that he could have teamed up with..." She let her question hang there. Everyone knew what she was talking about. She didn't exactly like getting entangled in a full blown war, but she didn't seem to have much of a choice here. She was in it now, and deep. But still, if she ever wanted to back out, she supposed Lupa owed it to her.
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Lupa nodded at cupid, giving him a proud smile. Then she frowned. "Baal has always been egoistic. I hope he won't be stupid enough to go against Apollo's wishes." She rubbed her temple. Things were going very wrong and nothing was certain in a war. She looked at matthew. "My history's a little rusty. So tell me, were there any documentations of the Vampires in the Great War?" She asked.

[Aurora]

"He could have," Matthew answered grimly. He turned to Lupa, "Knowing what Baal has done in the past, he would. Well, at least he would try." He thought for a bit after Lupa's question. "I'm not completely sure, I'll have to ask my sister, Charlotte, she was in charge of that. Anything in particular you were looking for?"
During the conversation between Matthew and Lupa, Wulren moved a little closer to Aliea. "Could you tell me what you meant by that last comment? I'm afraid I can't read minds," grinned Wulren sheepishly.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

"Huh?" She turned towards wulren. "I meant the Bulla. Weather lyacon would have struck a deal with that thing, maybe found a way to control it or you know...lead it to us or something." She said. "And I'm glad you can't read my mind. I've had enough of that already." She shook her head with a dry smile. She frowned at Matthews reply. A weird question had struck her and she wasn't sure she should voice it. It was off topic after all. But she leaned towards wulren anyway and asked in a low voice. "Say, how can a genie have a sister? I mean...they are not born like us are they?" She felt a little sheepish for asking that.
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Lupa nodded slowly, already forming plans, and discarding them. They were in no position to take offence right now. Even if they did attack one, the other could easily pick them off. Their numbers were considerable but still less compared to their enemies. She was ticking off all potential allies. They would need all the help they could get. "Well, not exactly. It was the only time that the impossibles had happened and seeing as right now, we are quite blindsided, I was hoping that maybe I could cheat a little."

[Aurora]

"Oh. Yeah, it can be a bit annoying at times" chuckled Wulren. He glanced at Matthew before answering, "No, they're not born the same way we are, but genies can have more than one child, though not more than seven."

Matthew grinned at Lupa's comment, "It's always a good idea to know your enemies. Hang on a sec." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and grinned at Lupa. "Charlotte is gathering all the information she has and is on her way, she should be here in a few minutes."

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

Aliea nodded and decided that aksing anymore questions would only confuse her more. She spaced off again, thinking of all the times when she and lupa were together, before everything happened. She didn't know hoe to feel now that she knew her efforts had gone fruitless. She couldn't step back either. A bitter regret wormed it's way into her mind. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear a bit of what anyone said.
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"Oh, she didn't need to bother herself. Though, I do appreciate it if she can provide me with information. I do wonder...you said only those who can sense them can kill them? I suppose if necromancers are included is there absolutely no chance of any of them becoming our allies?" She directed this towards Aliea and raised an eyebrow when she got no response.

[Aurora]

"Oh, no biggie, Charlotte figured she could go over everything in detail with you. It'll take a while and I do have to get Cupid to his challenges. I did say that," replied Matthew. He turned to look at Aliea, then started grinning.

Wulren saw Matthew's look and nudged Aliea. "I think you'd better snap out of it or Matthew's going to start reading your mind again," he warned.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

Aliea started when wulren nudged her. "Huh? Oh, sorry." She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. She shook her head. "I gotta go back, I"ll see if I can pull a few strings for you while I'm there" She said.
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Lupa smiled faintly. "Then I think all of you should be on your way. I'll contact you if necessary." She didn't bother telling them how.

((oh gods! I'm sooo sorrry. I didn't receive a notification and it took such a long time to reply. >.<))

[Aurora]

((That's OK, I actually haven't been getting notifications at all myself, so I check it everyday. :))
Matthew grinned, "See ya around then. Need a ride back, Aliea?"
Cupid nodded and bowed. He noticed the expression on Wulren's face as he turned to go. "What are you thinking about?" he asked his friend.
Wulren answered, "Just had a thought. Why haven't you two told us about what Zephyr and Mithras are doing?"
Cupid paused, "Zephyr and Mithras? What are you talking about?" He glanced at Matthew, who only shrugged his shoulders.
"Guess I could ask Phillip and Mark, if you're so worried about it," replied the genie, noting the look on Cupid's face.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((xD))

"Uh..." She stood awkwardly, half turned. Her mind was already spinning and she was just about ready to let them discuss whatever they wanted and take her polite leave. She had taken contract for three jobs today and there was no way she could miss it, but for some reason the names rang a bell which left her in a really awkward position.
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Lupa looked up slowly and said "Matthew?" Her voice was controlled and calm and left no space for any emotions.

[Aurora]

There was a long silence as Matthew closed his eyes yet again to communicate with his friends. His face became grim when he opened them. "Zephyr is going for the leafbird wings and Mithras is going for the nightingale wings." He glanced at Cupid's pale face before continuing, "They apologize for not letting us know earlier, but they weren't sure if they were going to do it or not. Leafbirds have the ultimate power over air, electricity, wood, and life. Nightingales have the ultimate power over water, ice, earth, and music. Doves have the ultimate power over fire, light, metal, and dream. Crows, butcherbirds, and grackles are the exact opposite of doves, leafbirds, and nightingales." He paused for a little. "I just received word that Kama, Vasanta, and Krishna are going for crow, butcherbird, and grackle wings. We'd better get a move on." He then glanced at Aliea, "My, my, you're just full of surprises today. Why did those names ring a bell to you?"

[Aurora]

((I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Apps, could you please post soon? I''m dying to continue this!! XD))
"Matthew, I-i think they didn't tell us because I didn't want them to go," stammered Cupid sheepishly.
Matthew turned from Aliea to glance at Cupid, sighing, "You know we need all three bird wings active to bring balance back into the world, and to be able to defeat our enemies. If Kama, Vasanta, and Krishna are going for the crow, butcherbird, and grackle wings, then we'll definitely need all three of you to stop those three. Don't make this harder than what it is already, Cupid. Same goes for you, little lady," said Matthew, turning back to Aliea, "Please answer my question."

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((Huh?!?!?! Shit!!! I'm soooooooooooo SORRRYYYYY!!!!! Man, I really shouldn't be accepting all those group invites!! I'd totally forgotten about this!!! >.<))

Aliea stared flatly at him. "I can't remember." Well, she was trying not to remember anyway. She was feeling really pissed for some reason. Then she sighed "Fine! Fine! I'll spill!" Damn, did she mention that mind readers pissed her off. "Well, you see, this Zephyr and Mithras had a run in with me before. Well, kind of anyway. I wasn't a necromancer that time, just a random girl trying to survive, and it was because of their idea of mischief that I received this." She tilted her head to reveal a circular scar. She didn't want to travel down memory lane once again, especially not those memories. "And then once I became a Necro, I tried experimenting with a few stuff, you know try and track them down and all, but instead I liked them to me." She looked down and shuffled her feet. She didn't really like talking about this. It hadn't been a complete accident, she had achieved half of what she had intended, but the part where she was supposed to establish her will over them didn't exactly work. She ended up having a one way telepathy link with them, though this had been long ago and she had almost completely forgotten about it.
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Lupa just didn't know what to do. This were spiraling out of control, and she knew enough to realize that these matters were out of her hand, but she decided to listen to them anyway. You never knew when some bit of information could prove to be a life saver.

[Aurora]

((lol . . . that's OK. Glad you're back!! :D))
Cupid's eyes grew wide as Aliea revealed her story, "That doesn't sound like the Mithras and Zephyr I know, they would never hurt a girl! Especially Zephyr, he's something of a romantic himself!"
"Aliea, when exactly was this? What did they look like? And, could you find out what the two of them are doing right now?" asked Matthew.
"Matthew!" shouted Cupid.
"What? These are your friends, we need to know every little detail. She is accusing them of something that apparently you had no part in, despite the fact that the three of you always stuck together, mischief or not," came Matthew's reply. He glanced at Wulren, whose face began to look worried.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((yay!! um...so where exactly is the story going??
oh, and can we have a change of scenery? I got bored of rping in this topic...))

Aliea gave cupid a flat stare. "Exactly. I didn't say they did this to me. I said, I got this because of them. It was about five years ago. I was a kid back then and I doubt Zephyr is a pedophile. They were actually after-" She broke off, looking at Lupa. She hadn't know about it then, and she doubted Lupa knew about it now. If she didn't, then all the better. "They were actually chasing another person, a friend of mine. I didn't know why they were after my friend, probably under orders from higher up, but I tried to stop them...and well, it's complicated. But suffice to say, I was lucky to get away alive. Half-alive anyway." She shrugged. She was silently pleading to Matthew not to ask anything else about it. At least not here. "As for finding them, I think I can. I haven't even checked the link for ages."

[Aurora]

((Trying to find out what Zephyr and Mithras were doing behind my back. ;) They really do hang out with Cupid a lot, the three of them have done everything together. I was actually going to introduce Charlotte, and then they can take their leave. :D))
Matthew burst out laughing, "You really do have to know all the details before making any accusations. Cupid meant that neither of them would have hurt a girl because we have instilled in them at a young age, a respect for females. Also, Zephyr is a romantic because he enjoys giving presents, especially flowers, to his girlfriend. Neither of them are pedophiles. But, please, do find out, I would like to see how this goes." He grinned.
"Then I think it's a good thing I arrived just now, my mischievous little brother, otherwise you would have tormented these poor people to no end!" came a female voice from the darkness.
"Hi Charlotte!" called out Matthew, rushing to hug a sandy-blonde woman with golden-green eyes. Her greenish-brown dress reached the floor, and under her left arm was a box.
She chuckled as the two siblings embraced, then turned to everyone else, "I hope he wasn't much of a nuisance, Your Majesty, and I've brought everything you'll need to know. I hope you get the wings, Cupid. I hope your family's well, Wulren. And I do hope that you will not base the actions of many upon those you've experienced of the few, Aliea." She smiled at each of them in turn. Then turned back to Matthew, "Speaking of wings, don't you and Cupid have somewhere to be?"
"Yes, but I was waiting for you, I didn't want to leave Queen Lupa without some Densi protection, if you catch my drift," came Matthew's reply, the smile disappearing from a his face for a second, then returned as quickly as it left.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((oh, okay. cool. xD))

"I didn't accuse them of anything...oh, forget it. You should really stop reading my mind, or if you do at least stop publicizing everything." She tried glaring at him but then thought better off it. She shook her head. hopeless genie She thought, knowing he would hear it. She watched with amusement at Matthews brotherly love. She rolled her eyes at Charlotte "Yeah, nice to meet you too." Aliea didn't miss the falter in Matthews smile, but didn't let anything show in her thoughts.
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"Charlotte!" Lupa smiled warmly at her. "Nonsense, you know you are always welcome, especially when you are here to help." Lupa turned towards Matthew, "You don't need to worry, I am capable of protecting myself, but your concern is touching."

[Aurora]

Charlotte laughed, "Yes, he may be the most annoying person in the whole world, but he does have a heart of gold." She turned to Aliea, "Well, well, this is here is a girl after your own heart, Matthew. She has quite the attitude. But do take my warning to heart, child, do not trust appearances, or you may regret it." She patted Aliea's shoulder before gliding towards Lupa.
"Well, I have delivered my message and Aunt Charlotte is here, let's go," said Cupid, heading for the exit. He stopped when he realized Matthew had moved in the opposite direction.
"Wulren, would you like to come with us?" asked Matthew.
"Yes, I would. Your Majesty, may I go, and may I bring Lorel with me?" Wulren asked his queen.
((P.S. FYI, Lorel is a guy ;D))

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((Wow, you really do have a talent for managing lotsa charries at once!))

Aliea sighed, but didn't bother thinking anything, lest it get her into more trouble. She used to think it was her tongue that got her in trouble, but the irony, she couldn't even think now. She nodded to Charlotte, and then started when Cupid called her aunt. She just couldn't get used to this. She shook her head. She was glad when she got to know that wulren was comming along. She liked him, he was quiet and minded his own business.
________________________________________________________________

"Of course! But be careful, Wulren. There are many out there who would go to great lengths to hurt you, or anyone close to me." Then she gave him a reassuring smile. "Same goes to everyone here. Be careful, please. I hope you all succeed in your quest, and thank you. For everything." She gave them one last hopeful smile and then turned to charlotte. "Now, then, shall we get down to business?"

[Aurora]

((Really? Thanks!))
Wulren bowed, with a huge grin on his face, "Thank you, Your Majesty." He then turned to Matthew, "I'm going to get Lorel, can you wait for us at the entrance?"
Matthew laughed, "Sure, Cupid was heading that way anyway." He winked at the young god, who merely rolled his eyes. Wulren laughed, then changed into a wolf and bolted down another hall. Matthew turned and waved to Charlotte, "See ya, sis! Farewell, Queen Lupa, I'll have your boys back here safe and sound."
Cupid took a bow, "The best of wishes to you, Your Majesty, and thank you for letting Wulren and Lorel come with us. I'll see you around, Aunt Charlotte."
Charlotte smiled at them, "Good luck to all of you, and Cupid, be sure to let me know if Matthew is up to his mischief again."
Cupid laughed, "Will do, Auntie."
Charlotte nodded, then turned back to the queen, "Of course, Your Majesty, what were you looking for?"
Matthew floated towards Cupid, "Well, Aliea, shall we be off?"

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((Really. So um, where to now?))

Aliea nodded and moved over to them, then cast a single look over her shoulder. She met Lupas eyes, and all the things that could not be said in words was conveyed in that glance. She didn't really know how she felt about this. Cheated-yes, betrayed-no. She didn't know what the difference was between the two and she didn't care. She was glad to get the hell out of here. She felt sudden anger stirring in her, all these people going around grinning and laughing, how could they be so happy even under all this pressure? She took a deep breath and buried these feelings deep down, she didn't want genies to pick up on them.

[Aurora]

((Let's get outside first ;))
A few minutes after they reached the entrance, two wolves came up, a brown & white wolf and a grey & black wolf. Both changed into human form.
"Aliea, this is Lorel, Lorel, Aliea," Wulren sad, introducing the black-haired, grey-eyed young man standing next to him. "Of course, you know both Matthew and Cupid." Lorel nodded.
"Well, then now that our party is complete, we shall be off. Don't worry Aliea, you won't have to be in the water," said Cupid, glancing at Matthew. Matthew grinned and took a leaf out of his pocket.
Once it was large enough to fit everyone on it, Matthew shouted, "All on board!" and jumped onto the leaf, followed by Cupid, Wulren, Lorel, and Aliea. "Now, lady and gentlemen, keep your arms and legs inside the leaf at all times, cuz we're out of here!!!" And with those last words, the leaf shot through the hole, ending up in the forest. Turning to Aliea, Matthew said, "Would you like us to drop you off at your house, or would you like to come with to Coluvimba, land of doves?"

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((okies!))

Aliea turned towards the black haired guy. "Nice to meet you lorel." She smiled, her cheeks dimpling. Damn, so many names in one day, she was sure she was gonna mess them up in one night. Aliea let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She got on board the leaf and sat cross legged. Home. That was all she wanted right now. Or was it? It had never felt like home to her. What the hell?! "Um...I guess I'll tag along if you don't mind." She said. She didn't know what she would do there, but she was suddenly feeling very rebellious.

[Aurora]

Matthew grinned, "Alright, to Coluvimba we go!!" And the leaf took off in the opposite direction that they had come.
"How long will it take us to get there?" asked Cupid.
"Not long, actually, the doves tend to stay close to the wolves," replied Matthew.
Cupid looked at Wulren and Lorel, "Why is that?"
Wulren shrugged, "We're not completely sure ourselves, we've just let them tag along. Maybe we'll find out for sure when we get there."
"You mean you guys don't know?" asked Cupid incredulously.
Wulren shook his head, "Not really, and if anyone did ask, they never gave the answer."
Matthew looked concerned, "When was the last time you had contact?"
"Last month, right before we took Her Majesty into hiding and we went quiet. Why?" asked Wulren.
The leaf seemed to go faster. "Things might be more dire than we realized," was the only answer they got.

[Aurora]

The leaf came to a stop at another castle, this one seemed more elegant than the wolf castle. It was as quiet as the wolf castle, though, and there was no one to be found. When the group met back up at the leaf, they discussed their next step.
"Matthew, can't you find one of the dove ambassadors like you found me?" asked Wulren.
"But Queen Lupa knew that we were coming, King Callum didn't. And it will be harder to find as doves leave less of a trail compared to wolves, but I'll give it a try. Camp here tonight, I'll be back in the morning," said Matthew.
"Alright, but please keep the connection between you and Cupid open in case trouble arrives," said Wulren.
Matthew chuckled, "Sure, knowing this bunch, it'll arrive before morning. See ya!" He flew through the trees and disappeared out of sight.
"Well, I guess we'd better get inside and get a layout of the place before dinner so that we can be prepared for trouble," remarked Cupid, leading the way into the castle.

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((I'm BACK!!!!!!! Mwhahahahahahhahahahhahaah!!!! happy new year Amy!!))

"Your right. Especially knowing our luck, trouble shouldn't take long to find." She said echoing matthew. She looked around for a while, then she realized something. "I'm hungry." She said half surprised herself. She didn't know if anyone here other than the wolves ate anything, and she didn't really want to find out what the wolves ate. "Can we find something to eat around here?" she asked drifting over to wulren. For some reason, she preferred his company the best.

[Aurora]

(YAY!!! :D Welcome back!! And the same to you Apps!!)
"Sure, how about Lorel and I go looking for food while the two of you find a good place to camp," remarked Wulren.
"Sounds good to me," responded Cupid. "Just remember that Aliea and I won't eat just meat."
Lorel burst out laughing at that, the first sound he made during the whole trip, surprising the rest of the group. He then paused, looked at everyone, and started turning red. "Uh, Wulren, let's go find some food." Before Wulren could respond, Lorel had already changed into a wolf and dashed into the forest.
Wulren sighed, "He's rather shy, as you might have guessed, but he enjoys a good adventure, and I can't blame him. Whenever there's a god and/or a genie involved, it's usually good."
Cupid chuckled at that statement, "And I agree with you on that, we always make things so interesting."
Wulren grinned, "Yeah, well, I'd better get going before anything happens. See you in a bit. Hey, Lorel, wait up!" Changing into a wolf himself, Wulren dashed after his friend.
Cupid sighed, then turned to Aliea, "Well, let's find ourselves a good spot to camp. Any spots you saw that might be good?"

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

((soo, wassup??))

Aliea's eyebrows twitched. She stared at the wolves as they dissapeared. "Okay then, let's go find some spot. I think I saw a clump to trees a little back. If I'm not wrong, it should have a clearing in the middle. There's a creek a little off too, though I'm not sure if it's usable." She said absent mindedly. Then she turned to cupid "You eat?" She asked rather surprised. All of a sudden she froze. She turned around slowly. She had sensed it. It was close by. "That thing...it's here, around the bushes." She said to cupid in a voice no louder than a whisper.

[Aurora]

Cupid nodded, "That sounds like a good spot, let's take a look." He chuckled at Aliea's question, "Yes, I have to eat, being part human and part genie has its ups and downs. I may have powers like the genies, but I have the stomach of a human."
He guessed what it was before she spoke, and armed himself as he peered at the bushes she indicated. Something jumped out at them. Cupid pushed Aliea to the side as he met the creature's attack. The two opponents kept apart for several minutes, Cupid avoiding the fangs and the creature avoiding the sword. Finally, Cupid found an opening, and thrust his sword into the creature's heart. No sounds came from its throat, though it looked like it was going to scream, as it melted into dust.
Cupid glanced around, panting, "Do you sense any more of them, Aliea?"

[Apps *ąþþℓεş щïŧɧ şþℓεεŋ ïş şҩųïşɧγ*, Nooodles in Evilness!!]

She nodded. "Bad news, we are surrounded. At least seven of them." She said. Aliea crouched in a defensive posture and stood with her back to Cupid. Gleaming knives appeared in her hand. "This is gonna be bad, real bad." Remind me again why she had decided to tag along insted to going home and sleeping? She thought to herself. She grit her teeth and launched herself into the fight.
_______________________________________________________________

Two creatures emerged, their eyes black as dark pits of hell. They made no sound as they moved at blinding speed. One of them launched itself at Cupid while another one came at Aliea. The other five were waiting in the shadows. They had strategy, or rather, the one controlling them had strategy. The one battling cupid made a low swipe at his thighs and then proceeded with a fast lunge at his neck.

[Aurora]

The creature paused, then fell into dust as a knife followed his ashes to the ground. Then Lorel burst from the other side of the forest and lunged at the creature attacking Aliea. Meanwhile, Wulren joined Cupid and they met the next two creatures head on. Another creature glided to his comrade's aid against Aliea and Lorel.
"Good grief, I can't leave you kids for more than five minutes!" came a voice from the bushes when the skirmish was over. The owner of the voice came out.
"I'm just glad you were able to get here so fast," remarked Cupid, still panting.
Matthew rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, considering I didn't get too far in the first place."
"Have you found a trail?" asked Wulren, as they regrouped.
"Quite possibly, it's so faint that I can barely tell. It might be easier to see tomorrow, the doves always work with sunlight. Now, let's get inside that castle, get you some food, and some rest. You're going to need it," remarked Matthew, as he lead the way towards the gates.