Fantasy World of Arstider // Closed

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Ember Siegfreid

"Well, about that." How did she even begin to explain the situation? It made her feel so ashamed. Anything she said wasn't heard, they didn't care if she was so opposed to the wedding. She was doing it because Aldrich said, and what he said was absolute. That was the new world 'order'. "Aldrich wants to give me a chance at life, he doesn't know where the powers will go to next basically. He wants to stay here and, um, marry Fern. He'll 'watch over' me and makes sure that I'm on board with whatever they have going on here and I live. They say I should be grateful. So in a few days time I'll be forced down the isle, or executed for treason. Execution sounds far more pleasant at this point though." With a heavy sigh she stood and walked to the window sill once more to gaze out of it. "I'd thought to jump a few times to escape but it's such a high fall. But at least you'll be able to keep me company until I'm actually forced to marry your brother."

--

A weeks time had come and gone, and with each passing day Ember was ready to crawl out of her skin. They had forced her to get measured and fitted for her dress, the dress that Fern chose for her. She had no say in anything and wanted nothing more than to leave. Meanwhile, it seemed her uncle and Fern really did trust Ash. The way he made them believe him was scary good. Thankfully Ash was with her most days to keep her company. It made her appreciate Ash more than she already did, thankful that he was there with her and that she wasn't alone. Part of her wished she could have just married Ash and have that be enough for Fern and her uncle. At least she would have had a chance at happiness.

Still, that didn't prepare her for the actual wedding day. Her hair had been curled, her makeup had been done, and the fitted lace white long sleeved wedding gown was already on. Inside she was panicking and pacing the wooden floor of the chapel room. Loud bells were tolling outside to tell people the wedding was starting soon and she felt like she was going to pass out. Outside she could hear the heavy wind smacking against the stone walls which made her panic even more. "I can't do this." Ember walked to the windows once again to check and see if she could open them. Nope, still impossible to open.

"I'm not making it out of this Ash, but at least you can get out to the others. While I'm walking down the isle you can slip out the back of the church. Find the others and get out of here. Just don't forget about me when you guys figure out how to recapture the kingdoms, okay?" Ember did not want to marry Fern at all but she also did not want to die. They were running out of options and quickly running out of time.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Asher Forrest

The week in hiding was surreal. Asher didn't like living like this, he wanted to run to the rescue whenever he heard the guards heckling people outside. Doing so would get them caught, so he continued to bite his tongue and live under the radar with Giovanni and Astoria. He could see how important to her he was and Asher was very thankful that good people like him were still around. They quickly found out about the wedding of Fern and Ember when Asher went scouting around town. That would be when they had their opportunity to swoop in and save her, he couldn't see any other chance to get her.

After a long discussion with Astoria they decided Asher would make a trip back to the tower. The others had no way of viewing the kingdom or knowing they were okay, so every other day he traveled back to let them know of their progress. Not that Asher and Astoria progressed much, but from his travels he learned that Ash was welcomed into the kingdom by Aldrich and Fern. He was happy to be able to tell everyone that Ash was successful. Having someone with Ember on the inside when they rescued her would make things much easier.

"You ready? Today is the day we get Ember and Ash back." Gods willing. Asher shook Giovanni's hand firmly and gave him a salute. "Thank you for letting us stay with you sir, it's great to know Astoria has people supporting her still. We'll try and be back soon." Asher pulled on his cloak and hood before holding the door open for Astoria. The marketplace was more empty than usual as the bells began to toll. Everyone was invited to see the union of Fern and Ember, and while he was sure most of the nobles would be in attendance it seemed most of the common folk were staying inside. The attack was still too fresh, he couldn't blame them for not attending. Still, getting inside the church would be a good thing. That way they could see if they could help. He had no clue why the pair were getting wed, but he was very sure it wasn't a willing marriage.

"If things get crazy we'll just meet Ember and Ash at the meeting spot. That way we can get the horses and get back to the tower." With a gentle smile he looked over at her and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as they approached the large church. "You doing okay?" Asher was sure of what they had to do but he felt terrible for putting Astoria through all this. Seeing her kingdom in such shape, seeing her unable to make her people feel safe, she had so much on her plate right now. All he could do was reassure her that things will be okay. And, well, make sure things turned out okay.

 

[Sir Damien]

River Siegfreid

River had felt useless all week. He was finally recuperated but now he felt more useless than ever. Patrolling had been easy, but now with the task at hand being to research the pillars he was in a slump. Most of the books that they found that might have been of some use were in a language River didn't understand, and a language apparently Aspen of all people could read. Not that there was anything wrong with Aspen, but...River dedicated most of his life to his studies and apparently that knowledge was all useless. The most he was able to do was go through the library and find whatever other books were in the foreign language. That is, until Asher came back with the update on Vasna. Aldrich was obviously forcing Ember to marry Fern. She was a royal through and through, her father was an advisor and she was River's advisor. She knew how to govern, where as Fern knew nothing. This was most likely to make sure the kingdom didn't completely crumble and a good way to keep Ember under control.

At this stage in the game he was completely useless. Swooping in and saving her was a fools dream so they had to wait until the day of the wedding before they could even make a move. Ash was their inside man, Astoria and Asher would go in and be the back up, and River was forced to stay here and assist with inspecting the tower. The pillar room freaked him out, there was a prophecy crystal ball the were advised not to touch. He was just grateful to be able to be by Marxine's side, she was the only thing motivating him to get through these days.

"This is ridiculous and Ember needs to get back here so I don't have to do this anymore." Usually Ember cooked and cleaned, she loved doing it. River wasn't the best cook and an even worse dishwasher but he was determined to at least do something around the tower. But the food he made half the time was barely edible. Today was the day of the wedding and River was on pins and needles waiting for the others to come back.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Astoria Primrose

Staying trapped inside while her people were outside struggling was killing Astoria over the past week, it was hard to stay still knowing that guards who didn't belong in Vesna were out there hassling the people and causing the kingdom to fall into further disarray. It was also difficult to keep her nose out of the wedding that was being planned in her literal home, it creeped her out knowing that yet again Fern seemed to weasel his way into a relationship he had no business being in. Astoria felt horrible for Ember, the girl was stronger than Astoria was but still it had to be awful to be in her situation. Plus since Aldrich was HERE... she had to stand up to family... that was hard sometimes.

The only good part of the week was being able to see Giovanni again, though under unfavorable circumstances. It was also nice to be here with Asher, show him a part of her life that wasn't all chaos and royal drama. Though she supposed this was still a part of all that drama... Still, for a few days at least things felt slightly normal if she could forget about the happenings outside these four walls.

"Yes!" Astoria hopped up from where she had been sitting to tie up her boots before clapping her hands together and giving a nervous smile, she was trying her best to present strong and confident but she was far from it. Astoria turned and gave her old family friend a hug before thanking him and heading out on their way. She made sure to pull her hood up around her head, using Asher's guidance as most of her vision was blocked by the cloth.

They approached the church and Astoria nodded as Asher spoke, "Also remember that it is normally quite common for the people of Vesna to attend public events, at least when it's something to be celebrated. There isn't a lot of people seeming to go this way today so they might look at us strangely but if anyone asks... we can always just say we were looking for normalcy." She peeked out from under her hood and smiled up at him for a moment. "I'm okay, really. Getting Ember and Ash out of here is going to put a big thorn in Fern and Aldrich's side. It doesnt fix the hurt from what they've done from my home, but it sure as hell will feel good." Astoria glanced around quickly before standing on her tiptoes and brushing a soft kiss against Asher's cheek. "Let's do this I suppose."

Astoria took Asher's arm and made their way into the chapel with her head down, quickly finding a pew in the back and sliding in on the edge before pushing her hood back an acceptable amount and peering around the space. It seemed acceptable for a wedding she supposed but this was obviously an event planned by men which made her scoff slightly. If you are going to force a woman into marriage at least get her expertise. "Do you see either of them yet?"

 

[KAYDEN]

Aspen Rift

"Of course I wont, what you saw back there was private for you. I understand that, but like I said, don't let it bother you too much. I won't accept that that is your only possible future, there has to be something we don't understand fully... or something we can do to alter it." Aspen gave her a reassuring nod as they returned to the main area of the tower. He had sat down to begin analyzing the book more however it seemed that Neve had other ideas in mind. He raised a brow and looked up at her as she moved over to a brewing stand. "Oh gods that is a very welcome sight." Aspen chuckled lightly as Neve sat down and poured them each a glass before he reached out and took his.

"The book says a lot, a lot that I cant really read fully. I'm just getting really vague terms out of it so far.. but we will get there." Aspen returned his attention to the book for maybe a half a second before suddenly Neve was talking once more and bounding from her seat across the room. "H-hey! Maybe we learn our lesson and not touch anything until we understand it fully!?" Before he knew it Neve was opening up yet another hidden room and causing Aspen to let out a long sigh. He stood and closed the book before making his way over to the new room and peering around Neve as she stood in the doorway.

"I have no clue. So how about we take a second and tackle one creepy magic thing at a time okay?"

-

Over the week Aspen read more than he ever had in his life, he learned a lot more about the crystal ball and how it works. The futures that they saw were the current most likely outcome, at least in the way that had used it before. Another thing the ball can do is read prophecies like what his mother had used it for, prophecies were near definite, they were fated stories about a persons soul and less about timelines. Though, he didn't know how to use the ball for that yet. It required vast understanding of their powers, which they didn't have yet. It also required the council as one... and they were technically dead.

As for the pillars, that was another thing entirely. Apparently every kingdom had its own patron saint, though none of them were anyone that Aspen had ever heard of in his life. They could be summoned using everyone's power simultaneously on the staff positioned in the center of the room but currently they were down quite a few members of their ragtag group.

Soon that would be different though, Asher had been able to return to the tower and let them know that they would be breaking Ember and Ash out today. Well at least provided that everything went well. "Neve I just honestly don't think there is anything else to do until everyone is together again... I mean we can look at these books a million more times and find something new but without us all together we cannot progress." Aspen groaned as he gestured to the seemingly hundreds of books stacked up across the table that the two of them sat at. "My brain just needs to rest."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Ash Maidenhair

The past week in the castle had been absolute hell, this place wasn't Ash's home but it may as well have been and he was being treated like a prisoner in it. He had been a fool to think that his brother would ever fully trust him, whenever he was walking around the castle there was always a guard within eyeshot, watching his every move. The few times he had been able to get out of the castle and into town he was heavily escorted and watched, no matter what he pulled he wasn't ever able to get out from under Fern's watchful eye. Ash just had to hope that wherever Asher and Astoria were hiding that they were able to figure out what was going on here and make a plan.

When Ash wasn't busy trying to find a way to communicate with the others, he focused on making sure Ember wasn't alone. Well, he also focused on not beating the shit out of Fern for even forcing this stupid wedding in the first place but that was a whole other thing. The wedding preparations were also all bullshit and stupid, honestly it was a chore keeping up face with supporting this whole thing.

Today was finally the day and Ash sat in the chapel room with Ember as she got ready, well as handlers got her ready. Once she was dressed and primped, they finally left the two of them alone so the two of them could act normally around each other. Ember was pacing and panicking so Ash stood from where he had been leaning against the wall and headed over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and stopping her in her tracks. "This isn't going to happen and I am not leaving you here. Okay? No matter what, I won't leave you to deal with this shit anymore." Ash tried to give her a reassuring smile but it was hard when he himself didn't really have a clear idea of a plan.

"Just keep your chin up, act like everything is normal. Even if you have to walk down the aisle and stand next to that pig for a few minutes, I promise you will not leave this chapel with him or any of his guards."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marxine Augustine

Research and books were not really her thing, Marxine was always more of an active person than a knowledge person. Well, more that she leaned towards knowledge about the real world, street smarts. Thankfully she was that way or no mans land would have eaten her alive... but that meant that once patrolling was over and they were inside in the tower, she didn't have much to do. Mostly she would accompany River and help him carry whatever he found in the library back up to the messy workstation that Neve and Aspen had created.

At some point during the week Asher had came to see them and filled them in on what was happening in Vesna, that gave Marxine hope. Hope that soon they would have Ember back, but also hope that soon there would be something to do other than staring at all these books and boring tower walls.

Currently Marxine was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, watching as River attempted to cook another meal out of the remnants of food left behind in the cabinets. "You know, I've watched you struggle with this all week and not once have you asked me to help you." She raised a brow and leaned over to peer into the pot of what was looking like the start of a soup. "Not that I'm any better at this but, I could try if you want?" She hopped off the counter and ran a hand through her damp hair from her recent bath. "We probably should have left earlier and gone to try and hunt. It would be nice if we could all have a big meal when the others finally return with Ember right? But we will have to make the best out of what we have!" Marxine bumped into him shoulder to shoulder before rolling her eyes and bumping into him again, "Loosen up River, don't take everything so seriously! Today is a good day! Ember comes back!"

Marxine could understand why the others might not be as hopeful and trusting as she was in this instance, they had witnessed Asher in action but Marxine had in the guard. With him and Ash there to help Ember, they would be fine. Plus from what Asher said, Astoria was angry, angry was good if it came to a fight. "And she will come back. I know we all don't know each other that well, we're close from circumstance not from history. At least not all of us... but Asher won't ever leave a man behind. I know that much. So just try and focus on the good okay?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Neve Juniper

All of this stress was weighing heavily on Neve. Sleep was next to impossible. Every time she closed her eyes she seen the scene of her death over and over again, and the few bouts of sleep she did get some rest were plagued with nightmares. At this point she was struggling, and if they didn't get everyone together soon she'd lose her mind. It wasn't so much her death she feared so much as leaving knowing they weren't going to win. Maybe they win, maybe they don't, but Neve wouldn't be around long enough to find out. Thankfully Aspen seemed positive that she'd be okay. That made one of them.

"You're right. I'm sorry." With a heavy sigh Neve gently smoothed out Aspen's hair, a small smiling forming as she pressed her lips to his cheek. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are? Hell, we wouldn't have even found the tower without you." Slowly she pulled up a chair and sat down next to him, tipping a stack of books over and watching them fall. "Pouring yourself into research isn't going to help, look at River. Book nerd as he and he's just as lost as us." Slowly she ran her hand through her white locks. "So, in a year from now when we're settled back home what do you want to be doing? Obviously we'll rebuild the bar. But if you don't want to stay alone at the bar you're always free to live at the castle with me. I'm mean, until you fall in love and leave to start a family or something. Or you could always be my advisor. Boring politics all day wouldn't be so bad if you were there to endure them with me." Though Neve had a small smirk on her face she couldn't help but actually feel a little upset thinking of Aspen leaving, even more so the thought of him with someone.

"Sorry, just trying to remain positive about our futures. Want something to drink? I found some more wine in the kitchen, I'm pretty sure the council were alcoholics." With that said Neve made her way back over to the cupboard to pull out another bottle of wine.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Ember Siegfreid

Ash was so positive that they were going to get out despite their predicament, it almost made her want to believe him. "I believe in you, okay?" Ember tried her best to sound hopeful, though she was never the best liar. A firm knock on the door sent a shiver down her spine and she had to quickly swallow her fear. There was no way she was getting out of this. "Ash," Ember fumbled slightly as she tried to form her sentence. It was now or never. Gently she touched his cheek and leaned her lips into his for a long moment. As she parted from his lips she couldn't help but smile, a small tear escaping down her cheek. "I wanted my first kiss to be with the guy I liked. You know, just in case things fall through." With that said she walked to the door and took a deep breath. "See you in a few?" And with that she walked out of the room and to the guard escorting her around.

Ember was given a bouquet to hold onto and she couldn't help but scowl down at it. This was it, this was where it was going to end. She just prayed that they were able to save her from this charade. As she made her way to the start of the church she couldn't help but look out at the crowd. So many mixed expressions were on the faces of the people, though she slowed her pace when she noticed two familiar faces. Right then and there she found the courage to continue down the isle, knowing that the four of them could bust out. The guard cleared his throat and she quickly resumed her normal pace. Ember always dreamed of having a wedding, but she dreamed of a man she loved and actually getting to enjoy the wedding. Here she felt nothing but embarrassment and fear.

Standing in front of the whole church made her feel sick. Aldrich stood from his throne and handed Ember to Fern with a firm handshake before returning to his seat. What an uncomfortable moment. The priest's voice disappeared as she zoned out, her golden eyes averting looking into Fern's. Before she knew it the priest was already asking if anyone had any objection to the union. Suddenly the wind howled loudly outside, Ember focusing all of her energy to make a distraction. The windows of the church were smashed open from the debris whipping around outside. The crowd of people seemed distracted and the guards seemed focused on what was happening. Ember quickly went to make a run for it only to find herself tumbling to the ground. "What the-" Ember turned around to see Fern standing above her. He stepped on her chest to prevent her from getting up and she felt all the air leave her lungs. Maybe she wasn't going to get out of this one.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Asher Forrest

Asher couldn't help but feel his face heat as Astoria kissed his cheek, shining a bashful smile over at her. "It'll be nice to get the advantage over them for once." Asher looked around and tried to spot Ash, though as soon as the organ began to play he knew what was happening. Walking down the isle was Ember in her bridal attire accompanied by a man in uniform and Asher felt anger rush over him. They were controlling her and forcing her every step of the way, they seriously didn't care about her opinion at all! Watching Aldrich give her away made him absolutely sick, too. It took Asher all of his focus to remain silent while the priest said his piece. Ember looked ungodly uncomfortable standing up there, and as soon as the priest asked if anyone objected Asher could feel the disturbance in the air. "Everyone evacuate the church!" It was certainly a distraction, and if Asher and Astoria weren't there it would have been an extremely dangerous distraction.

Quickly Asher made sure that everyone was headed to the exit. A large rock smashed through the window and crushed a few pews, Asher momentarily grateful that no one was sitting there. Once everyone was on their way out he checked to make Astoria was okay before he turned to see Fern stepping on Ember. Guards were however running towards Asher and Astoria, so Asher gave a small sideways smile at Astoria. "Don't hate me, okay?" With that said Asher held out his hand and lit up a row of pews to create a large line of fire, the guards unable to make it to the pair. He also extended his arm and shot a large fireball towards Aldrich to hopefully distract him. "Ash! Save Ember, meet us at the spot!" Quickly he scooped Astoria up into his arms securely before running at top speed out of the church, running directly into the row of trees nearby where the horses were hidden.

After running for a few minutes he let Astoria down and began to look her over. "Are you okay? You weren't injured were you?" He gave her a tight hug and a small sigh. "I'm sorry about all of the fire but I made sure not to injure anyone. Too bad I couldn't get my hands on Fern to kick his teeth in. Maybe next time, yeah?" Asher tried to make light of the situation but he couldn't help but feel worried about Ash and Ember. Ash could handle grabbing her and running. Right?

 

[Sir Damien]

River Siegfreid

Normally anyone this cheerful around River irritated him, but he knew Marxine was doing this in attempts to lighten his mood. "Thanks. You seem to have an excess of energy, how about you make something out of this soup?" River shot her a small smirk as he handed her the spoon as she hopped off the counter and he moved out of the way. "I mean, I've read a few cooking books but never put them into action. I forgot that you have real life experience though." As she bumped into his shoulders he tried to maintain his sullen look, but she bumped into him again and he couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "Yeah yeah, your positivity is contagious. And I'm sure Asher is a great guard, he's done a good job so far." River moved across the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

After a long moment of silence River let out a long sigh. Things had been so tense between him and Marxine and he was sure he wasn't the only one that felt it. All he knew was that he hated it. This rift that had come between them was because of the people that aimed to kill them! "Hey, since you're so sure that Ember is coming back can you do something for me?" He made his way back to her and leaned on the counter next to her. "We're obviously going to be stuck in this tower for a while. So when things aren't so crazy around here and we get some time off I want to get out of here with you again." His face heated and he gave a small shrug as he glanced out the window. "Patrolling, practicing our powers, a picnic, I don't know. We can make a day of it." Was River in the place to be asking Marxine out on a date? She was a Queen and he was basically nothing now. But it didn't stop him from caring for her.

River reached into the cabinet and pulled out some bowls for the soup before making his way to slice the bread. "I'm just trying to look towards the good. That's what you told me to do, right? Spending time with you is always the highlight of my day." River couldn't believe he had the confidence to say that, but being with Marxine had made him believe in himself more than he did alone.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marxine Augustine

Marxine took the spook from River with an eye roll and a smirk before she took over stirring and adding in various spices and herbs, thankfully once Astoria returned they would be able to figure out her making some form of garden to have better options for food but for one last day Marxine was sure they could make something... slightly better than edible. "Yeah well I hate to admit that my real life knowledge comes from those kids teaching me. Not the other way around." She chuckled at the memories and sent a small smile over to River as he finally lightened up. She continued fussing with the soup as River moved across the room, for a few minutes the two of them sat in an awkward silence before his voice filled there air once more.

At first Marxine let out a small snort, preparing to make some snarky comment about how he sounded like he was asking her on a date, that is until she turned to make that comment and saw River staring out the window. "I-I-I uh, yeah." She stammered, that was the most elegant response she was able to get out before the soup nearly bubbled over and her attention was quickly drawn back to cooking. Behind her River moved to the cabinet and then to where he stood nearby to cut the bread.

Maybe she was reading too much into this, they had always been friends. This was likely her wishful thinking... Then he spoke up again and she felt her face flush bright red. "Highlight of your day? Psh, I should be. I am great." Her walls went up for a moment before she closed her eyes and shook away the stupid self preserverence, "Highlight of your day like, we're really good friends and I'm glad you're here or highlight of your day like, we're really good friends and possibly ... maybe more?" She nearly choked on the words before quickly moving the soup off the fire and throwing her hands in the air. "N-Nevermind! I didn't say anything. Soup's done! River is the bread cut? Let's bring everything out to the table."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Ash Maidenhair

Ash was stunned for a moment as Ember kissed him, for about half of the time he stood as still as stone before finally reaching up and cupping her face in his hands and leaning into the kiss. He couldn't say their time together in the castle hadn't caused him to develop a bit of a crush, more than a crush maybe. It was hard, they didn't know much about each other outside of the last few weeks. But he knew he liked her soul, Ember was a sweet kind human through and through and genuinely saw the good in everyone. It was a reflection of who Ash wanted to be, the type of person he thought he was until recently... When she finally pulled away from him he couldn't form words, his silence only getting longer when she mentioned her first kiss.

Ash wanted to say something but before he knew it she was being taken away and towards the bullshit wedding that was about to occur. What was with his brother and always wanting the women in his life? Like actually what in the hell. Ash took a few moments before heading out, using the small amount of free time to clear his head. Then it was time for action, Ash wasn't sure exactly what his plan was but he knew something had to happen. Ember was leaving this place today, both of them were. One way or another.

Quickly Ash made his way out to the church only to be met with the shocking view of Astoria and Asher. Well at least whatever he ended up doing, they had backup. Then the wind began to pick up and Ash knew that meant it was time for action. Soon there was wind and fire and Asher was yelling for him to get Ember. Yeah but how?! There was nothing organic in here, some flowers sure but... Ash stopped and focused, creating a bridge similar to the one from the tavern and used it to get himself over the fire and down to where Fern was standing over Ember. "Hey asshole!" Ash dropped from the weak bridge as it began to crumble under his weight now that his focus is on a new subject. A large root came out from the ground and grabbed Fern around the waist before throwing him back against the wall with a heavy thud. "Whoops, didn't mean to be that aggressive. Oh well." He walked over and pulled Ember up by her hand before squeezing tightly. "You okay? Can you run?" Behind him he heard Fern start to yell and Ash decided to not waste anymore time and simply swept Ember up in his arms before making a break for one of the open windows, climbing through it carefully before running for the trees.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Astoria Primrose

Watching this wedding was actually sickening, watching what Fern was willing to do for power, how easily the two of them would use Ember as if she wasn't a person with her own thoughts and feelings... it was disgusting. This used to be a place that Astoria believed was one of the most beautiful in the world, one day she herself hoped to marry here but now it held such a dark energy that she couldn't imagine it ever being the same. Soon the ceremony was starting and Astoria watched with a keen eye as Ember was paraded down the aisle to her soon to be husband. Astoria wasn't sure what the plan was, but even for her, the normally non violent one, it was hard to not stand up and do something.

Then the wind picked up and Astoria adjusted in her seat as she waited for something more to happen, then the windows shattered. Asher was already yelling for people to evacuate and for the most part they seemed to be listening which she was thankful for. The rock coming in caused her to let out a small scream, placing her hands up instinctively and causing a few trees to burst up in the middle of the church as Asher was starting the fire. "D-Don't worry about it. I think this place could use a remodel anyways once I get back."

Astoria turned to see Ash as Asher yelled for him to get Ember, her eyes going wide as the man began to build a bridge over the flames. Astoria wanted to stay and help but knew they would likely hold back progress and the quicker they got out of here the better. So they left. Asher scooped her up and lead the way as the two of them went running out of the church and towards the forest. As they did her hood fell and she could hear people yelling, stragglers who stayed nearby to watch the chaos from afar. Thankfully it didn't seem like any of them would be chasing after them though.

Finally the two of them made it to where they had hidden the horses and Astoria let out a sigh as her feet touched the ground once more. "I-I'm okay. Really, just a bit anxious. I really hope the two of them got out okay as well." She wrapped her arms around him as he hugged her and let her forehead fall against his chest. "Next time we see any of those people I want it to be the last..."

 

[KAYDEN]

Aspen Rift

Today was the day that Ember and the others were supposed to return, so thankfully the life around the tower would take a turn for the more interesting and less somber. They had been in such a standstill for a while now and not only would having the others back safe be a moral boost, it would also allow them to discover more about the secrets this place held. "Well technically the tower is only because I'm the child of a very strange woman apparently. If that's amazing, then I'll take it." Aspen smirked but his face heated as Neve kissed his cheek. "I'm simply a victim of circumstance... winner of circumstance? Shit both at this point."

Neve started her line of questioning and Aspen felt his lips slowly spread into a smile, what did he want to be doing when everything returned to normal? "I would love to rebuild the bar, even if just to remember my father. Well, my second father." He huffed out a laugh before continuing, "But I would also gladly split my time between there and the castle with you. I mean, maybe not an advisor but if I remember correctly you were quite the frequent bar fly. If you're going to busy then I will have to bring the wine to you." Aspen brushed his hair back before leaning back in his chair and balancing with his feet up on the table. He chose to omit the fact that he didn't need to fall in love, he was likely already in it. Though he wasn't quite sure what that meant... or how it felt. But he could imagine it was like this. Even if it was one sided, he only wanted to make her life into what it was meant to be and be by her side in some way. "I don't plan on running off anytime soon Neve. I'll be there for you. As long as you'll have me around."

Neve headed over to grab more wine yet again, "More wine is always welcome."

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Ember Siegfreid

With Fern stepping on Ember she didn't see a way out, she had thought that this was it. Her eyes closed tightly as she waited for him to either harm her or end her life. Only, pain didn't come. The weight was lifted off of her chest and as soon as she could breath she heard Ash's voice, her eyes instantly popping open to see him. Her heart started to beat faster as she held onto his hand and stood to her feet. "I'm fine, really-" Before she could finish her sentence her whole body was being scooped up and her whole face went red. She could walk! By the time they were running away she could see the damage they had caused the church. Ember felt guilty, she didn't want to cause further ruin upon the kingdom. She made note to apologize to Astoria for everything later on.

When they got to Asher and Astoria they didn't have much time, they didn't know if the guards were on their trail or not. They climbed onto the horses before taking off, though Ember wasn't quite sure where they were headed. Had they found the tower? As much as Ember wanted to ask Ash she couldn't help but bite her lip. She didn't quite know how to talk to him after their kiss. As much as she didn't regret the kiss she also wished she could have timed it a bit better. So she quietly held onto him as they continued to ride horseback. Thankfully it didn't seem like the guards at the gate noticed the commotion that happened so they were able to run past the gate with no problem, though bells began to ring to acknowledge everyone of the commotion. Her uncle and Fern were no doubt pissed to high heavens and were going to send people to search for them.

When they arrived at their destination Ember was dumbfounded for a moment. The tower was massive and seemed to just float high above the lake! They apparently had to use their powers to get up there, like they had done it a time or two, so Ember just did as instructed. Soon the crew were floating up to the top of the tower and entering the heavy wooden doors, her long lashes blinking a few times as she looked around. "This place looks nice and safe. And everyone is here?" Ember hugged the cloak around her in attempts to hide the dress she was in. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about that terrible experience, and she was sure the others felt the same.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Neve Juniper

Knowing that Aspen would stay by her side was a huge relief. Before she was crowned she never truly wanted the position. Aspen was the only person that made her smile, she didn't want to become so busy that they were never able to see each other. When and if they win the war everyone would resume their lives and part ways, knowing that she wasn't going to have to part ways from Aspen made her more hopeful for the future. That sounded better than the alternative future prophesized. All she knew was no matter what future she had she just wanted to be by Aspen's side.

After a glass of wine River and Marxine called them for lunch. Which, thankfully, Marxine cooked. Neve initially was going to skip whatever River made. Most of the time it was tasteless and inedible, and more often than not questionable food. Today though the food was actually good. However, the air between Marxine and River was slightly awkward. They all had their own shit going on and were stressed out with the others absence, Neve didn't want to pry too much. So lunch was mostly on the quiet side.

Neve assumed they would have been back by lunch time, she wanted everyone back here safe. Asher said they'd be back today and now time was passing by extremely slowly. After lunch they cleaned up the kitchen and dishes, and before Neve could go explore more of the tower to pass the time she heard the large wooden doors creak open. "They took their sweet time." Neve made her way to the top of the tower only to pause when she seen Ember in the wedding dress. "I assume you got out before you said 'I do' right? You all look a little rough."

As soon as the door was shut behind Asher the tower felt like it shifted. Suddenly a bright light poured into the room they were in from the room with the pillars, Neve's bright blue eyes blinking a few times as she processed what was happening. All of the new council members were finally in the tower at the same time. Quickly she darted into the pillar room to see the once dark pillars now beaming with light. "Shit."

 

[Sir Damien]

River Siegfreid

For a moment it seemed Marxine took him seriously. He was hoping that he'd be able to actually get his feelings across to her. But it was just that, a moment and it was gone. Lunch was cooked and he was finished cutting the bread and she wanted them at the table. "Yeah, the bread is cut." He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice paired with a heavy sigh as he moved to carry the pot of soup to the table. Aspen and Neve soon joined them and they had an unusually awkwardly silent lunch. Aside from complimenting the soup River was quiet. There was nothing they really had to talk about, they were all waiting on the same things and there were no new leads to any of the mysteries in the tower.

Just as lunch was cleaned up the large wooden doors creaked open finally. River moved quickly as he followed Neve, anxious to see everyone safe. Once he made it to the top of the tower however he didn't expect his eyes to land on his cousin in a wedding dress. "Well you're back now, that's all that matters. Everyone still in one piece?" And, just like that, everything felt like it fell into place in the tower. Light suddenly shone bright from the doorway and Neve was running off inside. "Isn't running towards the new bright light a bad idea?" But that didn't stop River from running off inside too.

Suddenly everything was screaming at him to touch the pillar. It was like an overwhelming feeling shot across his body, to the point where his feet were moving to the sun pillar. "I think we're supposed to touch the pillars." As soon as his fingers met the large pillars he found himself disappearing from the room. Instead of standing in front of the pillar he found himself on a sandy beach connected to a wooded area. The ocean breeze hit his face, the waves from the ocean splashing his shoes. "What the hell is this?" River jumped back from the water and ran his hand through his hair in a stressed out motion. How'd he get there? Where were the others?

A woman suddenly appeared in front of him. She was tall, had long sandy brown beach waved locks and tan skin and was in a long flowy blue beach dress. In her hair she had small decorative hair clips with seashells on it. And although River had never seen the woman before she seemed almost familiar. "Well it's nice to finally meet you, River glad you all made it to the tower safely. Where's Ember at?" This was one of the gods, he could just tell. And he was quite floored on what to say to her. "Wait wait wait, where am I and where are the others at?"

 

[Colt Voltage]

Asher Forrest

Hearing Astoria say that the next time she seen those people she wanted it to be the last broke Asher's heart. His large hand smoothed out her hand gently and he gave her just as gentle of a smile. "I'll make sure it's the last, okay?" Big words, yes, but he'd make it so. Fern wasn't going to keep ruining everyone's life like this, neither Aldrich or Marxine's mother or Dante. They would all suffer the consequences for what they have done, especially for the strain they had caused Astoria. Soon enough though Ash and Ember joined them and the four of them climbed onto their horses. They ran as fast as they could before they could get caught, and on their way out of the Kingdom he couldn't help but grin as they got away without a hitch. The bells started to toll but by then their exit was clear.

Time flew by as they made their way to the tower. It was such a great feeling knowing that the lot of them would be together shortly, and to be able to relax for a day or two to recover was necessary. They needed to mentally prepare for the next step ahead of them. Thankfully by the time he snapped out of his thoughts the horses were stopping at the tower. Getting up this time was easier knowing what they had to do, and Ember quickly caught along on what to do. Once they floated up to the tower he held the door open for the ladies, making sure they were all safely in before he walked in and shut the door behind him.

As the tower shifted he stumbled forward slightly, his hand gently touching Astoria's hip to assure she wouldn't fall. "You okay?" The light started to glow brightly as he made sure Astoria was okay, his eyes going wide as Neve and River ran in. "Guys wait!" Asher took off after them, his jaw dropping as River touched the pillar and disappeared. "S-Shit! Everyone stay back, don't touch the towers-" As Asher tried to warn everyone he turned around to face them, his voice fading away when he found himself blinking and standing in a familiar territory. He was standing in the middle of the woods, the trees plentiful colors of orange, yellow, and reds. The leaves under his boots crunched with every movement, and the autumn breeze made him remember the smell of his home kingdom. He was back home.

"Don't touch the pillar, piss on you. I told Summer being nice wasn't going to work." A bearded stocky man half of Asher's height made an appearance before and Asher instantly moved his hand to his sword. "None of that now, boy." Asher winced as he shot a fireball at his hand, instantly moving his hand away from it to shake off the flames. "Now where is Marxine? At least one of ye kids have a head on your shoulders, she needs to be here too."

 

[KAYDEN]

Aspen Rift

Aspen sat at the table with his glass of wine after dinner as everything quickly went to chaos. Ember was back, thank gods, though she was in a wedding dress which was something that Aspen had questions about but before any of them could even really catch up a bright light came streaming into the room from the small space that held the pillars. "Oh Neve hold on!" Aspen reached out to attempt to grab her hand and slow her down as the went running but he wasn't quick enough. The others all went to follow her and Aspen wasn't far behind. "I must agree with River, running towards the creepy magic pillars IS a bad idea! As if the crystal ball wasn't bad enough now this?"

They all gathered in the room and Aspen crossed his arms across his chest as he looked the things up and down, his jaw dropping when River said something about touching the pillars. "D-Didn't you JUST say even running in here was a bad idea? Isn't touching them worse?" Aspen had to admit he was feeling the pull himself but after what he and Neve saw in the crystal ball he was well intent on fighting the urge. That is... until River did and suddenly disappeared. "What? Where did he go?" Some of the others followed suit and Aspen just stood their gawking before turning to Neve with a wild expression.

"I-What should we do? Should we go...? Or should we stay here? Where did they even go?! Are they safe?" The feeling inside was starting to become unavoidable as he struggled with making a logical decision. But ... eventually instinct won. Aspen reached out and grabbed Neve's hand before taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh. "At least we'll be together? Right?" He held up their hands and touched them to the pillar and suddenly the scene around them changed. They weren't in the tower anymore, instead they were standing in the mountains with the wind and snow whipping around their bodies. A crystal clear river was rushing over the moutainside, forming a waterfall that occasionally caused chunks of ice to go crashing below.

"W-Where the hell are we?" Aspen huffed and turned slowly around when he was met with the bright blue eyes of a smirking young man with near silver white hair. "Who the hell are you?!"

 

[EclipseRosee]

Astoria Primrose

Stepping back into the tower was a feeling of comfort that Astoria openly welcomed, it felt so terrible being back in Vesna, at least when it was like it was now... Asher's promise back before they left the kingdom was also a bit comfort, made her feel the tiniest bit safer in their crazy world. That feeling was slightly amiss however when the tower shifted under their feet, causing her to let out a small yelp and steady herself thanks to Asher's help. "What was that? An earthquake?"

Astoria almost wished it was an earthquake, at least that was something she understood, magical towers and elemental powers were something that while she had experienced them, she didn't understand them in the slightest. However the light and the running of many of her friends towards said light quickly made her realize the reason for the shift was indeed magical. "Everyone could we please just have five moments to relax before running off to the next adventure?" She sighed and tossed her cloak over a chair before joining the others in the room where the pillars resided.

Once inside the room the urge to touch the light took over almost instantly, "Woah." It was rather simple but it was all she could utter as she watched the others one by one go missing into thin air as they touched their respective pillars. Then Asher spoke out and as Astoria turned to face him everything changed. Suddenly it wasn't the tower anymore and instead a field of tall grass with a soft wind blowing her hair around her face. The sun was warm against her skin and everything smelt like flowers. It reminded her of home... her home before all of this.

"Astoria. You sure did take your sweet time child, where is Ash?" Astoria turned and went wide eyed as she was met with a small regal looking woman with large beautiful wings that held her slightly above the ground. She had long blonde hair and pixie like features. "Well stop staring at me Astoria, it is rude. And a waste of time."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marxine Augustine

Why was it so hard for her to just be honest with herself? With others? How long was it going to take her to learn how to break down the walls that all her years in exile built? Marxine had honestly thought she was better but the situation in the kitchen proved differently. It was just... despite it all, despite being a queen, despite having these powers... she still didn't feel like she was anything special. Not special enough to matter to someone like River. Not special like everyone else that was here. They had all lived good lives, done good things for their kingdoms. Not Marxine, she was tossed out and then once she returned she was treated like a criminal and looked at like she wasn't welcome. It was hard to get over.

They all ate their meal and soon enough the door was opening to welcome the others and the newly rescued Ember into the tower. However as soon as the door closed, the tower shifted slightly and a bright light was pouring out from the pillar room. Neve and River were running without a second thought, well River kind of had one but apparently chose to ignore it. Marxine quickly stood from the table and made her way to join the others with enough time to see River reach out and touch the light before disappearing into thin air. "Wait, where did he go?!" She looked around and none of the others seemed to concerned, all of them slowly disappearing just like River had and soon as Marxine spun around wildly, assuming this must be some weird illusion, she was suddenly no longer in the tower.

Marxine heard her name nearby and turned to see a stocky man yelling at Asher to her side, they were in a thick grove of trees like the ones from her kingdom. "Asher, where are we? Who is this? Where are the others?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Neve Juniper

Everything was spiraling out of control again. Like with the crystal ball and her fate she was incredibly nervous with what this would reveal to them, but the longer she stayed in the light the more calm she felt. Something about the pillars were friendly and she understood what they were meant to do. She was thankful that Aspen was ready to make the step towards the pillar with her, she didn't want to go alone. "Right." With a small smile her hand gripped his as they reached for the pillar, her heart pounding anxiously in her ears. And in a blink of the eye they were suddenly standing on top of a snow covered mountaintop. Slowly she bent down and picked up a handful of snow to find that it was indeed real. They were somewhere far away from the tower. "Who's who?" As Aspen spoke Neve turned to face the direction he stood, the snow falling from her hand when she realized what he was talking about.

That's how their new lives started. It turns out that when all of the council members gathered at the tower it allowed them to make contact with the Gods. They had seen the downfall of the kingdoms unfold, and they knew that their group wasn't strong enough to win just yet. Their powers were brand new and they were constantly on the run. So the group of them were summoned to a location in the kingdoms to train their powers. It was a bit nerve wrecking being apart from everyone else, but at least Aspen and her had each other.

So that's where they stayed for the next year. A small two bedroom cabin tucked in the mountainside, they were the least likely of all of the group to be found. It was almost inhabitable on the mountain; most days it was freezing and snowing, though she had to admit that it was quite peaceful not having the hustle and bustle of their normal lives. Plus, Neve had Aspen. From living with him to training with him they spent all of their time together. She wished they could stay like this the rest of their lives but she knew they had a responsibility to the people to save them.

Jack Frost, the name the Inverno God went by, taught them how to get down the mountain to a nearby village to trade goods once a week. The village provided fruits, vegetables, and baked goods while Neve and Aspen traded meat and furs that they hunted on the mountain. The village was small and remote, rumors about the kingdom were far and few between no matter how much she asked. He had also told them that relationships made things more complicated when it came to the council. One night six months ago, however, when the villagers gave them a bottle of wine they ended up getting drunk and falling into bed with each other. They never really slapped a label on what they were, though they continued to see each other. If they didn't label themselves it wasn't considered a relationship, right?

Today was the day they were heading back to the tower. Apparently everyone was done with their training and they were all ready to take back the kingdoms. At this time Neve was confident that they would succeed, that she wouldn't die by her brothers hand like predicted. Quickly she tied her now waist length snow white hair up with a ribbon before straightening out the light blue tunic and black pants. "Hey, Aspen? Are you ready to go?" Neve turned on the heels of her black boots and walked out of her room into the living room, tossing on her cloak as she reached the cloak rack.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Ember Siegfreid

Never did Ember believe that they would be transported to meet their respective Gods. Ember and River were taken to one of the many beaches of Zomer, and there they were able to meet Summer. She was a very motherly woman who was friendly and welcoming, and within a short few minutes of being with her Ember felt more comfortable. They were assured the others were safe with their Gods, that it was time for everyone's training to start. The home they stayed at was tucked into the woods with a garden, and close enough to the sea so they could frequently fish up their protein. Ember and River were both royals that had never had to live on their own like this, it was quite different without the whole team.

The days of training were long and tiring. As sweet as Summer was she pushed ember and River to their limits, and then sometimes she pushed them even further than that. It was hard to notice the time that had flown by. But despite the hot sun, the sea air, and the sandy beach she was constantly worried about the others wellbeing despite being assured they were okay. So she trained to drown out those worries. And after spending so much time with Ash she found herself missing him more than she had missed anyone before. And did she mess things up with him by kissing him? There were so many that they never got to say to each other.

"Ready?" Ember fluffed her pixie cut brown hair in the mirror in the cabin, a bright smile spread across her pretty face. They were all going to reunite again. Yes, they were going to war, but at least they'd get to all be together again. They were all so much stronger, there was no way they could fail. Ember straightened the yellow dress that hugged her slim figure and tan skin. Her recently cut hair blown in the wind as she walked outside to see Summer. "You guys take care, we'll be cheering you on. You're strong enough to do this." With a small smile and nod Ember suddenly found herself standing back in the tower. "O-Oh, that was fast." Ember looked around the pillar room to see if anyone was there yet.

 

[Sir Damien]

River Siegfreid

"Calm down Ember, it's been a while so there's no rush." Though he had to admit that he was pretty elated himself. This past however long dragged. River marked it on a piece of paper and he approximated that they were out here for roughly a year, that was a significant length of time. Him and Marxine didn't end things on bad terms but they certainly weren't good terms. Summer warned them about relationships complicating their job and made River feel guilty about his feelings for Marxine. If he kept pursuing her he would only make her life harder than it needed to be. He had decided to put a hold on admitting her feelings for her. After the war they could address things if they calmed down.

River's shoulder black hair now went down his back and was usually tied in a ribbon. He grabbed the black cloak and draped it around his shoulders with a small sigh. As much as he was ready to see the progress everyone had made and see Marxine he also found himself incredibly nervous. Summer assured them that if they used their powers as a whole they would win the war but River wasn't exactly overly positive that they could do this. He had to face his own father, probably to the death. Marxine had to face her step mother, Neve her brother, and Fern his brother. Who would survive this war? The future was uncertain. He silently prayed as he walked out of the cabin that they would be able to detain them versus killing them.

Before he knew it he was standing in the pillar room with Ember. He too quickly looked around, only to find that they were the first to arrive. "Damn. I'm sure they'll arrive soon." River shot a small smile over at Ember. Throughout the year he had come to realize why she was chosen as queen over him. She was selfless and poured her heart into everything she did, and she had a huge heart that worried about literally everyone. The exact opposite of his father, she was exactly what they needed in a leader.

"I guess I'll start making tea for everyone." With a small pat to the top of her he wandered to the kitchen to start the tea. It was just a year ago he had asked her out on a date. She didn't so much reject him, though it did feel like it. River gave a small chuckle and shook his head slowly as he put the kettle on the fire.