Play With Stars ((Closed to Rae and Sol for GO initiation))

[Cielalune]

“Wiiiiiiihihihihii!”

“Whoa, easy does it! Steady now! Good girl, Brie!”

The redhead pulled the reigns tight, trying to calm the restless beast down. For some reason, the poor creature had been fidgeting throughout the whole trip. Its ears were raised high and its hooves were shifting constantly as it trotted down the dirt road. The lass patted its rear, hoping it would calm the frightened mare.

In time, it began to resume its trotting, after the red haired girl fed it some delightful sugar cubes from her coat pocket. The girl sighed and climbed back up the carriage, adjusting her bottom for comfort. She had been working as a coachman, bringing important and fancy people to and fro from town to town. It had only been a few days but to her, it felt like it had been years that she had been working. Perhaps, the lack of such work had caused her to be so weary only after a few times or maybe perhaps it was the number of rude people that made her test her patience.

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*****

The assignment began last night as Cielalune was busy washing the cream colored horse she had grown fond of. The stables had been her home as she continued to work, desperately in need of money after she had spent most of her riches buying dessert and other luxuries. Her employer was staggering, drunk as can be, nearing towards her. It was dark, it was difficult to tell it really was her superior but assumed it was him anyway. She could smell his breath filled with fine alcohol and she choked at the stench. His hair was unkempt and his clothes messed up, it seemed like he was in another bar brawl, but Ciel couldn’t care less about his state unless he wasn’t fit enough to pay her full. He clutched a beer bottle on the right, giving out a foul sounding burp.

It was strange of the man to request for her assistance, as he had been trying so hard to accept all the work himself. Funny enough, the reason she was even hired was to help him divide the troubling clients and find more time to get more of them. No worries, Ciel thought. She patted the mare on its head, stroking the soft silver mane. Her boss collapsed on the stable floor without word, snoring loudly. The alcohol bottle rolled off and nudged at her boot so she picked it up and threw it in the trash basket nearest to her.

“Let’s do our best then, Brie.” Cielalune smiled at the kind horse.

“I wonder who this stranger is…” Cielalune thought to herself. “What makes it so important for him to hide his identity?”

Ciel imagined the man as someone rich or powerful, someone who had a secret that he couldn’t reveal, someone who’s wanted and now wanted to hide? Perhaps someone…

“…Fat, dumb and ugly.” Cielalune concluded in her head with a blank face. Why else would someone try to conceal their face?A thumping sound emerged. The red headed girl was unable to see her client, for the man climbed up the carriage before she could turn around and see. What she did seem to notice was that when he clambered in, immense weight was suddenly pressed down. Ciel tried to stop herself from slipping off the coachman’s seat in front of the carriage. The horses whinnied and stomped their hooves, Ciel pulled the reigns and soon they were off towards the dangerous Kachuk.


*****

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“Banon! Quit trying to overtake Mimolette-HEY! Beaufort! Keep your eyes on the road, not on Brie! Blasted! I said stop it you bloody fool! BANON!”

Cielalune had developed a first name term with her steeds only after a few days she began her work. All of them had different personalities of which what made her decide to name them.

Banon was a chestnut colored stallion with a flowing white mane and tail; it seemed to be the mares’ favorite stud. Mimolette was a young mare of orange coat and white mane and tail as well, Banon’s younger sister from another mother. The two horses had always been at it, trying to outrun each other any chance they get. Beaufort had a gold coat speckled with white and had hair of onyx. Clearly, the stallion was attracted to the mare beside him, which caused the carriage to wobble left and right along the winding road. Brie was the most beautiful mare, bluish gray coat with white marks on her ears and legs. Her hair was not white but silver and this reminded Cielalune of her own eyes.

Evidently, Cielalune still wasn’t used to driving such an enormous stagecoach with her inexperienced maneuvering of the restless creatures. She hoped it wouldn’t reduce the offered reward when she reached their destination. She gave another sigh; the horses have finally calmed down and were smoothly going forward.

It gave her time to observe her surroundings for this place had never crossed her eyes before. Mountains were placed everywhere, Ciel wondered if anyone managed to climb all them. They were crossing a rather large grass field, maybe a few rocks here and there and plenty of pine trees growing large. The day was quite cloudy, perhaps a little drizzle but the red head expected no more than that. A few field creatures came to watch the large wagon pass by, looking at the girl and her ponies.

The carriage glimmered in its royal blue and gold brilliance, bordered with fancy flowers carved onto it. It was just as extravagant as the letter the employer had written. Even the cushion upon which Cielalune was sitting on felt extremely expensive and lavish and the only thing it wasn’t was comfortable. She scowled; her body couldn’t relax from the stiff seat of the coach wagon. It made her wonder though, if the person was able to afford this kind of luxurious ride, why did the stranger offer only to a mere coachman like her superior?

Perhaps, the person was well aware of the danger and hoped that the desperate might be able to accept the offer more than someone who is conscious of the risks involved. With that thought lingering in her head, Cielalune said to herself out loud:


“Tsch, I hope nothing troubling comes in our way. Otherwise, my life will prolly be the price I'll pay!...Yeah right! Hah! Like any mere thug can throw me off!”

Hopefully, there are no run-on sentences. But I doubt it. Bah! D:

[Soliel]

“Hey, girly, hurry up!” A gruff voiced called out. A leather-clad hand shot up and gestured for the young girl to walk faster, as a target was coming closer. It was the first carriage to pass by that day, and Soliel staggered to keep up, at the same time trying to remember how she was dragged into this mess. She was surrounded by a group of bandits who did their job by ambushing carriages that passed by this lonely place. The girl was told that all of them were on their way to Kachuk, a place rich with weaponries and most of those who traveled here usually had more than enough money to get by in a month.

This was actually not the kind of job she would usually get caught up in, but as strange as it sounded, she owed these people a favor. They had found her deep in a forest, lost and hungry, and offered her a meal. Being as naïve as she can be, she accepted. They had found out she could use magic, and regarded that as a plus to their plans. And so, they offered her as much food and a way back to a town, as long as she helped them with one single job.

Soliel shrugged her shoulders. As long as nobody got hurt, it was okay. It was just a few valuables. She saw the carriage approaching in a distance, the hooves of the horses making loud noises as they galloped forward. The bandits around her were getting into position, and she was confused as to what she was supposed to do.

The silver-haired girl was absent-minded by nature, and she was quite sure she had short-term memory loss. She could never figure out why she was in a place, or why she was doing something. That’s why she was slow in her movements, but because mostly of sheer luck, she never ended up in too bad a situation. Currently though, she knew she was looking for a red-haired girl who was her age. She couldn’t remember the girl’s name, but she knew that this girl held a huge secret to her past.

“Do something to halt ‘te hors’s!” Someone hissed at her. She blinked and thought for a while. For a moment, she thought of running out so that whoever was guiding the horses would stop by instinct. Of course, that was too risky. She brought out her hand and her staff and started chanting under her breath, her tone and words resembling a short song.

“Light the way…”

Three tongues of fire, the size of a fist, appeared floating in mid-air. They appeared a few feet before the horses reached the place, and all the creatures gave loud noises as they halted. The creatures kicked the dirt beneath their feet, obviously in panic, and the carriage behind them stopped abruptly.

“Good, none of them got hurt…” Soliel said with a sigh of relief. She watched as the group of bandits she came with gave loud yells of attack and started coming at the intricate carriage from all directions. The leader, a man with a hairy face and huge bulky limbs came out into the open, right in front of the coachmen.

“The lady may pass,” He said in a loud voice. “As long as you give us your valuables. And nobody will get hurt.”

[Raelyse]

Lately, he had found himself riding in a few too many carriages of below par quality. It was only when he left the care of the Grander's Order that he realized just how well maintained his own group's transports had been. The one that was taking him to Kachuck, for instant, was driven way too slowly for his own taste, considering the number of horses. Still, he contemplated against reaching forward and telling the driver to speed up because the constant bumps told him that she was by no means experienced. The carriage itself was ornately decorated on the outside but the inside was quite plain, with a few jewels and designs sketched around it, but nothing that stole the eye. The cushion was perhaps the worst part of it all. Hardly comfortable, the reason why Raelyse declined the invitation to complain to the driver was because he had finally found a position that didn't push against his back and cause him to wince every time one of the wheels hit a bump.

The prince now lamented not going straight from Erebus to Kachuck via his own transport. He had decided to go to Ettermire first for some foolish reason, to admire the sights of the town like a tourist. He had not even accomplished his aim of going to the first on his list, the Ankhas library, to learn more about mind flayers. The drow within his order had recently found one within their tunnels. On Raelyse's orders, they kept it constantly tranquilized through a mix of poisons and magic, for the prince saw himself a powerful ally in the illithid, it was just that he did not know how to do it just yet.

His search was cut short though because on arrival in Ettermire via private transportation, the sun had already set and the prince decided to start his search in the morning. This led to a unfortunate liaison with a voluptuously built drow female. Though Raelyse by no means regretted the act itself, he immediately found that the drow female had a drow male companion, who quickly grew angry and drew swords against the prince. After disabling him and drawing the crowd of the inn cum bar against him, Raelyse ran as fast as he could, incidentally into a open carriage. There was no one inside and obviously the driver did not recognize her client, for when he told her to go, she drove off to Kachuck, leaving the mob of angry drow with nothing but disdain.

Raelyse winced once more when a new bump brought him back to the present. He sighed as he glanced outside the window, barely seeing Ettermire behind him. Kachuck was approaching and then, he could hire some quality transport back to Erebus but not before accomplishing what he had left Alerar to do. Kachuck was home to some of Althanas' finest dwarven blacksmiths and miners, surely they knew how to deal with the threat of underground threats like mind flayers.

When the carriage abruptly cranked to a stop, a smile formed on the prince's face. Kachuck had come faster than he had expected but still much slower than what he wanted.

[Cielalune]

The horses stopped again and Cielalune couldn’t help but sigh. Usually, simple-minded creatures like horses enjoy Ciel’s company but lately, the power had not been working for her.

With no other choice, the red head went down from her post once more to stop the ponies from fidgeting. Stepping down, she heard abrupt footsteps creeping towards the carriage. Turning around, a giant of a man came marching down with his merry band of thugs grinning behind him. He was ugly as can be and his face reminded Ciel of that of a bull’s. For a few seconds, she managed to glance upon a rather scrawny girl about her age with silver hair. But alas, the ruffian blocked her view with his booming voice.

“The lady may pass,” He bellowed. “As long as you give us your valuables. And nobody will get hurt.”

Ciel frowned, “What valuables is this moron speaking of?”

The girl blinked and shifted her feet, slowly preparing to parry with her rapier. Her hair danced in the breeze behind her, it tickled her nose a bit, but quickly brushed the strands off with her right hand. She had no choice, there were too many against one. No matter how quick Ciel moved, with this lot, she would easily be tired out by the numbers.

Instead, she backed off and knocked on the carriage door. She hoped that her client knew what the brute was talking about. If not, they would have no choice but to ditch the carriage and use the horses to run for it into the nearby pine forest.

She whispered near the window, wishing her employer would hear her. “Lord, this man speaks of treasure. By any chance, has the lord brought any with him? If yes, I advice thee to use the opposite door of this carriage and run as fast as thou can towards the woods whilst I fight these hooligans.”

“Wos takin’ s’long?” A rowdy looking thief asked, flailing his mace side to side. “We needs gold and we needs it now, pretty girl!”

“What’s this, Jovek! Fallen for the scrawny child?!” A second man roared with laughter, his curly beard shaking over his large belly.

Ciel flinched. She really hated being called little. Her eyebrows twitched, her head throbbing in silent rage. Brie neighed, nudging Ciel softly. From its eyes, the girl knew that everything will be okay. The rest of the hoofed beasts were now calm as well, as if they trusted her with their lives. She patted Brie’s nose silently.

“Bwahaha! The widdle girl’s saying her last words to her widdle pony!” The bearded man cooed, mocking Cielalune.

That wasn’t much of a bright idea.


“No choice then. Some people really don’t know who they’re dealing with.”

She unsheathed Oublié, placing it in front of the bandits. It was her duty to protect this person and duty was one thing she would die to fulfill.

Either she brings the man to safety or die trying.

“Taste the blade of my sword, you barbaric pigs!”

[Raelyse]

Even though the whisper was barely audible across the commotion of the impending battle, the keen eared prince still managed to understand the gist of what his 'bodyguard' was starting to tell him. He allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. Many a bandit had made the assumption that the noble Prince Raelyse was harmless, especially when he used a cane to help him walk. Those bandits had quickly annihilated the driver and any swordsman who had been assigned to protect him. When it came to locking blades with the prince of Myrusia though, they were faced with a different prospect entirely. Kicking open the door, the one that his driver had whispered into, the prince slowly stepped down from the elevated carriage onto the dusty road towards Kachuck.

Raelyse landed just in time to hear the last part of his driver's speech and watched in amusement as the girl drew her weapon, finely crafted, and charged toward the large group of bandits. The prince laughed loudly at the prospect of such a sight. There were a fair few men, some quite large and he would not have bet against them easily killing her and taking that nice sword. Fortunately for her, Raelyse had no idea how to drive a carriage and had no intentions of learning how to move towards Erebus.

With a smile across his handsome face, he leaned on his famous black cane, shifting his weight so that he could lift his left arm comfortably. He extended all of his fingers, aiming them straight for the bandits ahead.

"Oi!" he said, privately scolding himself for using such an unsophisticated word shortly after it left his lips. This drew the attention of everyone involved, including his driver. Already he had prepared his energy and it was on the verges of exploding from his finger tips, the only thing restraining it was the prince's urge to create attacks that fitted in seamlessly with his dialogue. "Don't take them all on! Leave some for me!"

At that, Raelyse led the flood gates down and watched in sadistic glee as powerful lightning bolts shot forward from each of his finger tips, zooming forward at impossible speeds. They completely bypassed the red haired girl, striking the first and second bandits. Their first response was to groan in pain but as Raelyse thrust his hand forward and focused his energy, more of it went into the magical bolts and they began to convulse violently.

The prince of Myrusia had begun and when he did, it was impossible to stop until he had his fill.

[Soliel]

Soliel peered from behind a tree, her silver eyes flashing with confusion and shock. She could hear the agonized yelling of her temporary comrades, and it was as if she could also feel their pain. It seemed so frightful to watch them all writhe in such pain. Stretching her sight further, she caught a glimpse of the man who was responsible for the attacks. The man had the same oddly colored hair she did, she observed quickly.

She wanted to dash out into the open bravely, and ask him to stop. The bandits all had terrible intentions of stealing his riches, but they didn’t deserve this. They hadn’t even attacked them yet. None of the bandits had hurt anyone on the other side.

“Can’t you do anything to stop them?” A timid voice from beside her said. She looked to the source of the voice and found a younger boy; Soliel had recognized him for he had been traveling with the other bandits, but wasn’t cut out to fight. He had been there to distribute food and other necessities, and was the one who was nicest to Soliel. “Please!”

Soliel nodded with a serious face. “He’s strong, and my magic won’t probably stand a chance but I owe you guys a favor. So, uhm… when I distract him, go and signal them to run away. It’s okay, I can probably beg my way out of harm in the end. Oh, and hand me some of those knives in your pockets, please…”

She didn’t wait for the boy’s reply, or the way he muttered a thanks to her. Without second thought, she crept her way out to the opening and chanted another spell. She was about to use a water spell, but thankfully, remembered that it would only make his spells stronger. She chose the next spell that came to mind, which called the power of air, and the space around the silver-haired man and red-haired lady started to spin at terrible rates. The dust, stones and leaves that were in the area rose to the air and spun around.

This spell didn’t really deal much damage, but it often distracted those who were caught upon it. Soliel hoped that it would stop the man’s spell long enough to let her bandit comrades run away. To put additional damage, she threw the knives that the boy had given her. They got caught in the vortex, building a barrier that would prevent the ones caught inside to step further, unless they wanted to get hit with speeding sharpness.

[Cielalune]

Cielalune turned around, watching the stranger step down from the carriage. He had a smug look on his face as he lifted his hand. Out came bolts of lightning, aiming at the frightened robbers. A few of them were struck and eventually knocked unconscious. Some were too afraid to fight and finally ran away to save themselves from ending up like their sedated comrades.

At last, the red head was able to witness her boss’ face. His silver hair was gleaming under the sun, now fixed and somehow silky in appearance. Surely, he was pure royalty especially with clothes of sheer elegance that Ciel knew no one could afford other than a noble. His face was handsome and she knew he was well aware of it as the way he displayed himself among them was made of pure pride.


"Is he a king or maybe a prince? Well, whichever he is, he sure wants everyone to know. Perhaps, it was just my luck that I wasn’t able to see him from the start. Probably because if I did, I would’ve thought he was faking it."

For a few moments, Ciela was dumbfounded and not only that, underestimated for she heard him speak of how he wanted to rouse up a few of the foes as well. Clearly, he did not trust her to finish them all. Then again, she wasn’t so sure she could beat them all also. And despite being conscious of that, Cielalune still wanted to prove to this fellow that she very much could do so. He hurt her pride and surely someone like him would understand of how one would feel if one’s pride was hit.

The redhead walked towards him with haste. She spoke, bowing respectfully to him with her sword behind her back, “Sir! I, Cielalune D'Rafale, am most capable with my duties! Please flee right now. I thank you for your help but I beg for you to trust me that I am undoubtedly skilled enough of handling such second rate ruffians! It would be wise to take your riches with you whilst I distract—Look out!”

Suddenly, the air around them began to rise and spin like a whirlwind. In a few seconds, it seemed like both of them were surrounded in a twister. It seemed like the silhouette of a young bandit threw something. Ciel closed her eyes as dust began to turn around with the wind but as she did, she saw shining objects moving towards them quickly.

In a flash, Cielalune removed her trench coat around her with one pull of the knot. The spinning wind caught the now opened coat and blew her closer to her superior. Within a few seconds, she felt like thousands of blades had struck her skin. They stung and she screamed in pain; her skin was covered in her own blood now. They weren’t very deep but still they throbbed painfully in her. She fell on the ground as the winds seemed to have dispersed.

Her whole body ached as she tried to get up again. She opened her eyes and saw that there were knives embedded in her skin. A sweat broke out over her forehead while she slowly took them out one by one and for each time she did, it felt like she was going to die.

There were only a few bandits left: The head bandit, the bearded bandit, Jovek, the young male bandit and the young female bandit. The bearded bandit and Jovek were now heading towards the carriage, grinning to themselves. They hopped on the coachman’s seat and ordered the panicking horses to move towards the forest.

“NO!!!” Cielalune yelled as she threw her rapier towards the carriage. It struck the reigns, releasing Beaufort and Brie from their bindings. The two creatures galloped off to the open field as the stagecoach was driven away by the thieves. "FOOLS!!"

“BLAST IT!!!” The girl cursed. Her wings glimmered in it's fiery white color as it spun itself out of her back. She looked to her right, the face of the main robber right above her, breathing heavily. His arms were raised and held in his hands was a huge spiked hammer.

"You should've listened to me." He boomed.

In a blink, he swung his weapon down, towards Cielalune.

[Raelyse]

Although he was usually the epitome of calm and collectedness, Raelyse himself even had to admit that he was slightly surprised when the bandits before unleashed a magic on him and his bodyguard. A small, rather weak wind attack headed straight for him. The prince's attack suddenly stopped, his fingers still warm, when his concentration was snatched away from him. Although it was enough to distract him, it was hardly enough to hurt. The prince heard something else as well, a female voice reaching out to him but he ignored it. This just wasn't the time.

He was swept backwards slightly, but he dug his feet into the ground and leaned on his cane, stabilizing his balance. He would not fall in front of a couple of petty thieves and his help. Within a few seconds, the wind had vanished and left only a slight breeze. Raelyse looked ahead, satisfied at his method of dealing with the thieves. They did not remain, all having left his line of vision.

Something else caught his attention though, a blood curdling scream echoing throughout the area. The prince didn't have to turn his head much to see that his bodyguard was now rather seriously injured. Knives stuck out of her back, blood leaking and tainting the steel. Raelyse didn't have time to dwell on that sight either because just behind him, he heard the sound of his carriage door slam shut and the bandits climbing onto it.

"I thought I got rid of you!" he cursed. "Do you want more, then?"

Just then, his bodyguard threw her sword at the cart, freeing the horses but losing the carriage as two bandits drove it away. The third one, a rather large fellow, was still in their vicinity though. His crackling voice rang through the prince's ears and it didn't take him long to turn around and glance at where he was. Even though he was as far from the typical knight in shining armor as any man, the prince didn't mind saving the girl... this time.

The bandit's moves looked fast, but the prince of Myrusia was much swifter and much more effective. He saw the hammer's slow descent and before they could reach their target, the prince had turned around, unsheathed his sword cane and swung the beautiful blade into the hammer's path, striking it head on. Most wouldn't have stood a chance but the hand that held the sword was strong and the blade itself was titanium, much more durable than the thief's hammer. The bandit felt the strike of Raelyse's sword all the way up his arm and even had the time to turn and look at his attacker's blue eyes and his thin lips, twisted into some form of sadistic pleasure.

Before his next blink, the sword had moved from his weapon and was thrust forward, quicker than lightning, straight into his stomach. He had no time to groan, no time to say anything because his next sight was darkness as the prince's weapon was pulled from his torso and with all the grace of a cat, was swung around and sliced across his neck, decapitating him.

Raelyse couldn't help but smile as the headless body fell to the ground. He stepped over the prone red head and kicked the body away before sheathing his weapon and looking down at the bodyguard.

"I thought you were supposed to protect me," he said, putting on the facade where he was a pleasant young man. Now that he wore a smile on his face as sincere as any, few would be able to see past it. "Don't worry though, I won't tell your boss."

[Soliel]

Soliel could see that her simple attack had prove it’s worth to at least distract their opponents. Unfortunately, her message to the bandits had not been carried out, as they didn’t flee, but proceeded to retaliate in an even more aggressive manner. The girl had not expected that, and sighed with disbelief at her own lack of judgment.

Her wind attack weakened, and she could see the two people she had attacked. One of them was a red-haired girl who was much more wounded than the silver-haired man. Soliel stopped in her tracks and stared at the red-haired girl with wide eyes. Amidst the chaos, neither of the two seemed to notice her. Some bandits had driven off the carriage, and only a few were left, as the others had the logic to run away.

As if this was all not enough, she saw the leader of the bandits get decapitated right before her. Blood spread on the ground, and she watched as the man who was responsible for it cruelly kicked the headless body away. The few bandits who were left behind saw this as the final omen, and they all ran away, fleeing for dear life. Soliel should have followed their examples, instead, she stood there and stared as the red-haired girl and silver-haired man started conversing. They didn’t look that extraordinary, except for the fact that the man did look a tad eccentric.

“That’s just great!” Soliel bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at the two people. It didn’t even occur to her that it was her and the bandits who had started everything. She rarely thought that far. “Because of your silly tricks, I’ve no way to get back to civilization! You just had to chase away my guides!”

The girl huffed and stomped towards the man, seeing him as the culprit. Then she stared at the other one, who was wounded. Soliel blinked, and her previous feelings of anger disappeared. This girl seemed familiar; she just couldn’t remember where she had seen that face before.

She stood there in silence, blinking in confusion. And then, as if nothing had happened, her face brightened into a smile. “Hello, my name is Soliel, and if you promise to bring me back to a town or whatever, I’ll help you as I can along your trip!”

[Cielalune]

“Shut up! I told you- I told- I told you to leave-”

Cielalune couldn’t help but hiss at the silver haired man. She detested being rescued, especially from those she was meant to protect from danger. Her fingers dug deep against the earth as the noble took the life of the bandit. Blood was showered all over the girl; it was as red as her hair. It felt like she had been baptized. The crook’s head flew off his body, leaving nothing but a stump of a neck with some bits of nerves still hanging out, bleeding profusely.


“How dare he- How DARE he-?! Noble or not, I did not ask him to save me. Here I am again being a damsel in distress for the second time! Just what is WRONG with me?! Ciel, you better stop making yourself pathetic the minute you can feel your body.”

Her wings dispersed in silence; the danger was no longer apparent. And yet, despite all this, she found something even more threatening than the robbers: The aristocrat.

The girl’s silver eyes scanned every part of the courtier, shame boiling inside her. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment as she suddenly blurted out with such disrespect to the man. The wounds on her body still stung, each wincing pain reminded her of that dishonorable moment. The knives now lay on the grass, still fresh with Ciel’s blood. She bit her lip and forced herself to stand up regardless of knowing that she shouldn’t after such a blow.

Her legs wobbled and shook. Blood started flowing out of her deep cuts as she moved each limb. She walked weakly and slowly towards the road, reaching out for her rapier on the other side. Its blade was beneath the ground, thankfully unbroken.

She picked it up, bearing the pain as she moved her left arm to the handle. Slowly, she placed it back on her sheath. Safe and sound.

“I apologize if you heard my rude comment, milord. It was just that I had hoped you’d have listened to me. I thank thee for the help but I advise milord to not help me again. I am but a lowly guard who was supposedly protecting thee, though it would likely seem that thou hast protected me. I am eternally grateful.”

Cielalune took a bow at the noble, flinching as she placed her right hand against her heart. As a knight, be respectful and they too will respect you, she reminded herself. Even though she told herself that, she couldn’t help but still feel like a fool for letting herself get caught like that. Even an idiot could probably notice such a big man creep up behind. She muttered curses under her breath as she lifted her head up.

She noticed a girl walk towards them, yelling at them for foiling her plans. The girl was about her age, bearing both silver hair and eyes and a white coat. Somehow, Ciel felt like she had seen this girl somewhere before. Before she could think of anything else, the thief girl spoke again, offering such questionable assistance. There was a long pause of confusion before the knight girl could speak again …but eventually she did.

“What do you mean OUR FAULT?! Excuse me, but WHO attacked US and stole OUR transportation! THEN, you start inviting yourself into OUR party! Do you have some kind of brain damage?! We have no need for you, you little thief!” Ciel shouted suddenly. She knew it was her, the one who threw those knives. The reason Ciel was saved by her superior. The red head’s fist balled up, the urge to punch the silver haired girl was imminent.

“Leave! Before I cut you to ribbons! And I mean it!” She pointed back to the town where she came from. Her boot stomped on the ground with demand.

In time, the pain from her injuries caught up with her again and snapped her awake from her rage. She decided now wasn’t the time to pick a fight with idiots even though she felt like it. They had to get out of the field before the thieves that escaped brought back up.

Still annoyed, Cielalune looked around, thinking of what to do next now that they’ve lost their ride. Just then, something hit her.


“…This better work or I might just have to kill myself.”

[Raelyse]

It had been a long time since the prince of Myrusia had been this amused. He was quite the sadist and seeing the girl writhe in pain and suffer because of her own incompetence was definitely something that nearly made him laugh so loudly that all of Alerar could hear. Unfortunately for him, he had decided to adopt the chivalrous approach today. It was a decision he instantly patted himself on the back for. A quick glance down the dirt road revealed to him just how much walking he now had to do between now and Kachuck. Even if he had to pretend to be something he wasn't, at least he wouldn't have to be alone. Besides, a prince had to be kind, at least once in a while.

A smile was a permanent fixture on the prince's face as the scene unfolded before him. He nonchalantly blinked away any of the redhead's pitiful insults as well as her sarcastic apologies. This was perhaps the hardest thing for him to do. His pride was such an integral part of his persona that restraining it was akin to a gnome stopping a dragon. Somehow though, Raelyse managed to do it and merely smiled back at her, alleviating his stress by shifting on the balls of his feet. Luckily, he did not have to do it for long. The lone remaining bandit approached the duo, behaving somewhat strangely.

The prince's first thought was to draw his sheathed weapon and cut her down where she stood before another word was spoken but somehow, he felt as if he should let her say her piece. His fiery bodyguard had made a miraculous recovery, one that even he was surprised at. She had taken a few knives to the back and was now almost completely focusing off the pain, throwing her rage at the bandit. A quick glance at both girls before him suggested to Raelyse that neither posed much of a threat to him. If they made a move, he would be more than a match. At least, that would keep him amused until Kachuck came.

"Hold back," the prince said, before the auburn haired girl could make another threat. "Let her speak. Let her explain. Nobody got hurt... permanently, at least. A few horses and a second rate carriage are no big loss to you."

Raelyse smiled a small smile to himself. Yes, this would amuse until Kachuck came.

[Soliel]

Tilting her head to the side in confusion, Soliel stared at the red-haired girl in amusement. A small smile crept up to her lips, but not to annoy the other one, but only because she had smiled at such energetic people. “I blamed you? Oh, I apologize, but I don’t remember doing that. Or maybe I was just wrong. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, so let’s not argue on such trivial matters. Oh, and your wings were so pretty just now. They looked like something I remember, but I can’t quite remember what right now. It’s such a pity, because I think it was something important.”

Any other person would have turned around and given up at this point, but not Soliel. Maybe she had understood the anger in the red-haired girl’s voice, but she was not about to acknowledge it. “Cut me into ribbons? Why so? It sounds pretty, but really painful, so let’s just go on our way, shall we?”

The odd girl said this in a strange tone, like a child reciting a nursery rhyme. Even her statements weren’t normal to the ordinary person, as she had just assumed that she was invited into a group that, in anyway, didn’t seem to welcome her. She stood there and listened to the other person’s statements, and realized that he had asked her to explain. What was to explain, though?

“Oh, I’m not really a bandit. Did I look like one?” Soliel gave a cheerful laugh mixed with nervousness. “I was lost in some place. Odd, it always happens. Anyway, they offered to bring me to a town if I helped them. At least that’s what I think happened. I didn’t really think this much blood would be spilled, but I’m sorry about that. I hate blood myself.”

As she said the last few sentences, she glanced at the red-haired girl with a sympathetic smile. She had seen the wound her attack had done, and she was sorry she didn’t have the medicine or ability to heal it. With a sigh, she mumbled under her breath with a sigh, “He would have been able to fix it, though… Oh, that seems very bad. Will you be able to walk?”

[Cielalune]

“As you wish, milord.”


Must. Not. Kick. His. Butt.

“I’m fine. Shut up and let me think.”


Must. Not. Punch. Her. Face.

Cielalune bent down, picking up a rather long blade of grass and folded it in half. Taking a deep breath, the red head blew on it softly. A high-pitched tune reverberated from the instrument. The knight’s eyes peered into the dense pine forest as if expecting something to come. Her ears hoped to grasp any sound that she wanted to hear.


“Obviously, she was dropped on her head when she was a baby. I pity her family, who had to bear with her stupidity. As for that noble, I believe they fed him milk made from gold from the looks of it. His overbearing attitude makes me ill and want kick his face at the same time. His smile, as handsome as it may appear, seems like something the King wears to his party. A mask. I want to leave them both as soon as possible. They’re wasting my time; I need to find wizard Altoucious as soon as possible! How I worry that Sir Marlois must be dying to hear from me!”

After a few minutes, a whinny was heard, heading towards them. The quiet clip-clopping sound grew louder and clearer. Ciel sighed and smile with relief; she had not lost hope yet. She ached to get away from the others, to seek solitude so she could concentrate on healing her wounds. Such hindrances make her magic weak. The silhouette of the creature was now visible in the faint sunlight. As it came out, the recognizing gray color of its hide made the red haired girl squeal in delight.


“Brie!”


Brie trotted towards Cielalune, neighing; she was just as happy as Ciel. The two had a special connection, a bond only they share with each other. Reaching into her pocket, the girl brought out two leftover sugar cubes which were crumbling. The mare happily ate it out of the knight’s palm; her tail was swaying from side to side. The horse whinnied loudly, her two front legs in the air. The girl backed away in surprise, as the mare continued to make noise. She wondered what could've caused the horse's distress.

Just then, another sound of hooves approached them.

Ga-dip Ga-dip Ga-dip Ga-dip Ga-dip Ga-dip Ga-dip Ga-dip


*****

“More tea, Ciel?”

“Thank you but no, my good lady.”

The red-head swung her legs as she sat on the velvet cushioned chair, looking out the large decorated window. Outside was the castle garden, filled with the land’s most colorful flowers. A lot of maids were tending it, each weed plucked by hand. The sky was clear, clouds round and soft. A breeze entered the room bringing with it the sweet aroma of blossoms.

“What did you wish to speak to me about?” A female voice asked.

“In a few moments, Lady Soleannica, I shall be knighted. I ask if you think I am well worthy of fighting in the army along with Sir Marlois.”

“My dear Ciel! You have been trained for seven years for this! Of course I think you are fit to battle, though, I’d be more relieved if you didn’t. War is not chess and you are not a chess piece; you cannot simply go back into the game if you lost.” Soleannica lectured Ciel.

“I thank you for your concern, milady, but I cannot help but wish safety to you and your kingdom if I were to slip up my duties.” The knight girl lowered her head in shame, she was afraid that she might be the cause of the kingdom’s fall if it were to come.

Soleannica sighed and leaned over to stroke the red head’s hair. Her soft hand felt nice on her head and her smile was just as true as Ciel’s love for the blue-haired knight.

“Don’t worry, you are bound to succeed. When you become a soldier, I will be here waiting for your return and I promise you that. I will be here for you.”

“I swear, milady…if I were to die, I’d die for our kingdom! I, Cielalune D’Rafale, give that as my oath...as a knight!”


*****

Moments after, Cielalune was now mounted on Brie’s back. The image of her upon the horse was that of a true knight. Her wounds did not matter to her now; finally, she can get back to her duties. Ciel could worry about the injuries later.

Beaufort grazed in the field; he had come after Brie, hearing the mare’s call. It was most fortunate Beaufort had decided to be with the horse he so very loved. As well as it was fortunate that Ciel didn’t have to share her ride with any of the two people she was with.

The lass turned her head towards the noble; she didn’t have any more time to waste. It was best they reach their destination before sunset; who knows what other things might be lurking in the wilderness.

“It’s now or never, sir.”

[Raelyse]

If there were any doubts over the commitment of his bodyguard, Raelyse quickly dispelled them. Even if he was acting like his normal self, the prince was still sure that he would have been impressed. She had summoned the horses, previously rogue, back to her position and was now nursing several wounds while still attempting to protect him. If he cared even a little bit for those who protected him, Raelyse was sure that this one would get that little bit more. She may be sarcastic, but he hardly cared, she had the commitment that he valued.

Even as the horse, tame as a house pet, walked up to him, Raelyse was still rather shocked at the turn of events. It was a rare time when the prince decided to change his act, even if temporarily, to become a nicer person. It was now that he questioned that decision, it was now that he regretted it. As he glanced at the bandit girl and his bodyguard and realized the fact that he needed to cooperate them to get to Kachuck, Raelyse couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He would have to be nice to gain their respect, or at least their friendship and attention to ensure comfort. Maybe it wasn't such a bad decision. Once he got there, it wouldn't be too hard for him to slip back and become his old self. Even if changing personalities was out of order, he was sure there were a few things in Kachuck he could use the new trio for.

And as the typical royal stinginess started to creep in, the prince found his eyes almost inadvertently turning and focusing on the bandit girl.

"Tell me," he said to her, as he placed one hand on his horse, leaning on it gently. "Why I should believe you. You were associated with men who tried to kill us. I don't trust you and my red headed friend here doesn't either. Just give me one good reason."

[Soliel]

“Horses. How cute.” Soliel smiled towards the direction of the galloping horses. She could see that they traveled in pairs, and how she could see one of them was so fond of the red-haired girl. Soliel stared at the red-haired girl with much interest, observing that this person was genuine. She didn’t know how she knew these things, but Soliel always had the knack of figuring out if a person was putting up an act. Because of this, she wondered why the other man was trying so hard to seem like someone he was not.

’He must really be hiding something… or maybe his real personality is just too horrible. Well, I don’t really care, it’s not important.’

It took her awhile before she realized that the man had asked her a question. Soliel blinked and stared up at him with innocent eyes. Yes, why should they believe her? She couldn’t see any reason why they should. The girl didn’t want to think about it much, though, so she replied with the first words that came into her mind.

“I already told you, I was only with them because they told me they’d lead me out! I didn’t think anything that intense would happen, and I apologize for it. Anyway, I can still help you, even just a bit. Three heads are better than two. That’s my one reason.”

Soliel smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. “And, I don’t know. I just feel like I should. And, if we become friends, I promise I’ll give you two some sweets. You must tell me your names, though. I feel so stupid for being the only one who has introduced myself.”

Maybe she was afraid that they would reject her, so before any of them replied, she got up on the horse the man had been leaning on. It was probably too bold of her, but she didn’t care. “Shall we?” She asked with another innocent expression and cheerful smile.

[Cielalune]

Ciel’s silver eyes narrowed at the sight of Sol’s face, loathing the mage girl’s very existence. The silver-haired girl was far too clueless for Ciel’s liking. But Soliel was right; it was rude of Ciela to simply ignore her introduction. It was a knight’s duty to be courteous and respectful.

“My name is Cielalune D’ Rafale, ex-knight of a faraway kingdom. I come to this land in search of a wizard named Altoucious. I was previously in Corone but went here after hearing rumors of the wizard being seen in this location. Eventually, I began to lack funds for my expedition and thus, I have become a coachman for this mission. And yes, we should go now before we end up in even more inescapable jeopardy.”

“There. No need for any more questions. I want this task to be over so I can go already and look for Sir Marlois.” She thought to herself, slowly slipping off her steed. Adjusting herself hastily upon the mare’s back. The lack of a saddle made it difficult for her to simply sit idly whilst wasting her breath upon unnecessary conversations.

The wind gave a deep howl, blowing away Cielalune’s red hair and trench coat. Brie gave a soft whinny and tapped her hooves for she too, wished to leave the dangerous spot. Dark clouds could now be seen in the distance; a storm was likely to come.

“Great…this is just GREAT.”

Ciel’s wounds gave another jolt of pain as she held on to her ride. Her eyes began to droop; the loss of blood was already beginning to take effect. She grinded her teeth as the fatigue seeped in.


“I can’t fall asleep now…It would prove even more that I’m weak. I refuse to be weak. I must not give in. Tsch! My wounds refuse to close, I should heal soon but I have to protect that man first…blast it.”

“Sir! I see a storm approaching from the east. We shoul---!!“

Cielalune was unable to finish her sentence for blood began to spurt out from her mouth. She had been bleeding internally and did not tend to the matter immediately. Her heart was beating fast from the shock, blood dripping past her fingers as she covered her mouth with her right hand. She felt foolish of not healing sooner but she knew it was too late anyway.

Brie neighed loudly, lifting her front legs up from shock. The red-haired girl fell loudly on the ground.


THUD!

And everything went black.

And so I say: Less is More. c:

[Raelyse]

Raelyse threw a shifty look in the direction of the girl who had accompanied the thieves, his hands now continuing to work hard to wipe the dust that had gathered on his clothes. He didn't trust her, not only had she been in the company of the thieves but now, she was not even bothering to think of a good excuse explaining said company. Any other person would have been intrigued, but this was hardly the time for Raelyse to feel anything but frustration. His face turned to see that his carriage driver had been knocked out and the horses didn't seem like an option that the prince could explore. He turned to look back at the young thief. The best course of action at this point seemed to put as much distance between the two of them as possible.

The road to Kachuck was one that he had traveled before. Despite the fact that he had as much sense of direction as an earthworm, his startlingly large arrogance and confidence he had in himself ensured that he was sure that he could walk the rest of the way.

He turned to look at the thief, wondering whether he should take any action. She was starting to shift her attention from him to the downed carriage driver and that was all the diversion that he needed. Raelyse turned and walked down the road, tapping his cane softly to make as little noise as possible. When his impatience took over and he realized he was not going to be able to walk this slow all the way to Kachuck, the prince quickened his pace and inevitably the sound of his cane on the few hard parts of the road resounded back to the thief and the carriage rider.

Raelyse managed to turn back, just long enough to see her glance up at him.

He allowed her a chance to see his handsome smile before he turned and continued on his way.

[INDK]

TOTAL SCORE- 53.5

STORY- I’m not sure if this was the complete story as it was intended when you started the quest. You had a neat premise, but nothing really developed from it. As is, the quest could have possibly set up for something great, but it ended up being a mere anecdote, and an unresolved one at that. 15/30

Continuity- This was generally lacking for Soleil. See my comments in the character sections. 5

Setting- I liked the premise here, especially the way that all three characters had such diverse motivations but were yet forced together by the setting. 6

Pacing- The end was a bit abrupt, and not particularly in a good way. It seemed here that two of the writers left and Raelyse did his best to bring the thread to some conclusion. In the process, the ending was amusing, but a bit lacking nonetheless. 4

CHARACTER- There were relatively one dimensional characters here. That can be okay, but one-dimensional characters can make the thread a bit dull, especially in a character driven thread. 18/30

Dialogue- Cielalune needs to do a much better job of punctuation within dialogue. Punctuation within dialogue need not be grammatically correct, instead it is used as a means of depicting the speaker’s pattern of speech. Raelyse, I felt you underutilized dialogue in this thread, particularly internal monologue. Lastly, Soleil, you need to work on making your dialogue less generic. See my comments in persona. 5

Action- Major props here for Raelyse’s decision in the end. It was the perfect thing for the prince of Myrusia to do in this situation. By and large, this was the strongest aspect of this thread for all of you. 7

Persona- All three of you seem to know who your characters are and I did not detect any real character inconsistencies are. However, Soliel seemed to have a bit more trouble explaining his/her character without resorting to action. There was backstory to provide setting, but in terms of who the character was, I felt that I didn’t know enough about Soliel until the action started. This hurts your writing. By the time the action is set into place, unless the thread starts out in the heat of a battle, I should know the people I’m dealing with. 6

WRITING STYLE- This would be much improved by altering your focuses. 15/30

Mechanics- Mostly solid. Some strange word choices, but see my comments in clarity to see how to fix them. 6

Technique- I didn’t really see much that impressed me in this area in the thread, and I think that comes mostly from the authors choosing not to challenge themselves. 5

Clarity- The big problem here was not as much what got left in, but what got left out. Cielalune was the least guilty of this, but all three of you could stand to choose aspects of the story that you feel important to emphasize. Like Katie Holmes’ character said in Wonder Boys, writing is about choices, and it seems like you didn’t make any. Remember you guys have to guide your reader and tell him what is important in a story. 4

WILD CARD- I’m relatively happy with the way the rubric has portrayed this quest, so you’re getting the average of the other categories. 5.5

Rewards

Raelyse gets 1500 EXP and 125 GP
Cielalune gets 400 EXP and 125 EXP
Soleil gets 350 EXP and 100 GP

[Letho]

EXP/GP added! Cielalune, welcome to the next level.