Her Eyes In The Mist, Sk, Dh (and co) welcome

[-Dory]

A fleet of thirteen ships carved through the water, overladen with supplies and armaments though one would never have been able to tell from the distance. From overhead, they might have seemed to be little more than a flock of birds, flying south for the winter over a sky of clear water. From any other angle, they would have been impossible to see at all.

The ships were shrouded in fog. Like a curtain, the moisture clung to the air around them. Only the point ship was allowed some semblance of visibility, a pocket of clarity with only a couple of feet off it's edges before the wall of swirling white began. Around them, the mist seemed to curl at the edges of the water, gentle smokey tendrils whipping, in slow motion, up and away from them beckoningly, shimmering in the sunlight overhead.

Adrianna perched at the nose of the ship, legs delicately crossed over its edge as her gown draped over them. One arm rested delicately on the junction of her knees, the other arm reached forwards, fingers splayed femininely as she sensed for him. Her eyes were closed-- hadn't been open for what must have seemed like ages, and her hair fanned behind her with the rush of passing air and fog that sprayed back against her, nearly concealing the edges of her pearly figure.

Her crew worked like men possessed. They responded to nothing save the calls of the ship and their respective duties. For all intents and purposes, Adrianna, Leonidas, and Rain were the only living souls among the group.

The queen preferred it that way. Actually, if she could have been said to have truly had her way, Leonidas and Rain wouldn't have been present either. She was preparing to meet her son, again. The son she hadn't recognized-- disappointing in and of itself, but she couldn't have carried the blame when half of her memories had belonged to a daughter that was unaware.

Xanthe was a triviality, now. Once, she had been something of a miracle worker, a beauty of light and steel that took whole cities by storm in the name of the Glory that was The Mother, but she had been corrupted. Her daughter was no longer her own, but rather something perverted by a vampire and a child not much older than herself. Useless. Dangerous. Broken.

But her son. Her son had shown more potential and more loyalty than Xanthe ever had. Kai was the child of her regime, rather than a child of desperation. -His- father had been an enigma of no less fulfilled potential than Adrianna herself. With him, her new regime would be whole-- her princes united. Zaria, Taejin, and Kai... the perfect triumvirate. The missing link. Her flawless holy trinity.

Luckily, Leonidas and Rain -were- present, and that meant more than she could have expressed for the moment. Together, the twins made up her Champion-- her easy way out, but moreover, they had become a part of the family that was the Knights of the Abyss. Their presence was just as deserved as her own, and their influence was necessity. Inexplicable in it's value. Without Leonidas and Rain, the coming together of the family wouldn't have been a coming together at all.

She glanced behind her, back toward the ship as she wondered how they were entertaining themselves before she looked forward again, and licked her lips. This dance she spun gave little time for hesitation.

[-SeafoamKazuo]

Leonidas had been keeping himself away from Rain holing himself up in a room that he decided was good enough for his use. He would have taken the captain quarters but he knew they should belong to Adrianna. He could not wait until this trip was over. He did not like feeling of being out in the open without someone to cover him. Adrianna knew that he was weak currently. Leonidas grasped at his chest having removed the armor that he had been wearing. A pain struck through his body an illness that seemed to show in his bloodline apparently it afflicted Sky as well. Leonidas hunched until the pain ended sweeping his hand across the table knocking off the items on it. It was frustrating for him.

He needed to become strong, possess a strong body but such a body was outside of his reach. The strong body he needed was also the body that would prevent his death. He would have to wait until it snapped and killed him or until it produced another. He was waiting for his demise so that he could be reborn yet again. Leonidas sat down on the bed, he was out of breath. He hated the way he currently was.

~-~-~-~-~

Rain merely laid in the bed despite the panic in her mind; she had been unmoving. Rain could not move because her turmoil was internal not external. It was as if she were sleeping peacefully while the truth was far different. Rain had been swimming in and out of consciousness ever since she had been laid down upon a bed somewhere within the ship. She could not concentrate to make a single thought as to where she was or even how she got there. Only one thing was on her mind.

Sky was missing though at least he was not where she was and it stressed her. She could not move though to look for him. In her dizziness she did not know up from down or left from right. She had to find Sky; she had to save Sky but Sky was no longer there and he could never return to her. Her attempts to reach him where futile. Rain would always fall but the Sky would alway stay were it was unreachably high above her.

Rain cracked her eyes open, a dull throb began in her head once she had. Though not as piercing as it had been initially the wound was far from being healed. She hated being bedridden; though it did not happen often. It made her feel as weak and fragile as her psyche was. She did not like feeling weak though weakness is what made her strong. Rain attempted to look around moving her eyes but not her head. She still could not see straight everything was a blur to her.

[-Dory]

As the lead galleon skipped over a mounting wave, Adrianna slipped from the railing pointing the ship and back to the deck, landing lightly on one foot before she lowered her second foot to the wood, and glanced over her shoulder, back toward their destination. A city slept not far in the distance-- not much more than a husk of what once had been, but the dead there did not rest lightly. Spirits torn from their bodies in only the most violent of ways, they continued to try to live their lives as once they had, trapped among trunks that bore no boughs and held fast by miles upon miles of water. A disturbance, small, almost closed-- sliced through the abyss there, and then further. Walls that normally might have filtered the dead not unlike the way water filters through a screen were too solid for them, reeking of sulfur that no longer traveled from one plane to another. The demon gate there was broken, but it wouldn't take much to fix. Even less to redirect. She had only it's partial reconstruction, and the completion of it's further collapse to concern herself with.

But it was going to require her full attention. It was best to finish first things first. Her perfect triumvirate was not yet whole.

Drop the anchor. she sent the command through the husks of her drivers, and began to move. Deeper within the bowls of her ship, she could feel the consciousness of Rain flickering, almost hesitantly to life. She seemed almost to float across the deck as her concentration stretched further inward, finding Sky and the pain that struck him to be safely confined in the room he had chosen. With the softest influence of evocation, she moved on to the lock that marked his door, and focused instead on the tumblers, shifting them silently in to place before her concentration skittered almost shyly back inside of her.

The door which led deeper in to the ship swung open in front of her, and she lifted her skirts slightly over her ankles, beginning the long treck down the stairs.

The room in which Rain was held was the closest to the bottom of the stairs, guarded by two of the mindless just as she had seen to it that Leonidas' door would be. The four of them were armed to the teeth, apparently nothing more than a standing suit of armor before the two guarding Rain's door seemed to come to life in the Queen's presence. They stepped aside, eyes focused blankly forward as she reached heedlessly between them, and turned the doornob.

She opened the door quietly, and stepped inside without another sound. Evocation pushed the door closed behind her as, very carefully, she made her way to an armchair not far from the foot of the bed, and silently took a seat.

Your brother is safe. She spoke to the young woman with a whisper, as though afraid to break the fragile silence. My name is Adrianna. I took this ship shortly after you were wounded, and twelve more follow in our wake. His door, as well as yours, is guarded by two well armed men, entirely under my control.

She paused to allow the girl a moment to digest the words. She had only just awoken, after all. It was the reason behind being sure that Adrianna herself would be the one to break the change upon her. It was better to be loved, than to be feared after all, and if Leonidas' previous display had had any baring on much of anything, he didn't share the opinion.

Then again, that was why she treated him so very differently from the others. He was a politician first, not a person. She doubted he'd have responded to the kindness she showed now. To Leonidas, kindness was nothing more than expectation. For the woman he used as though she were nothing more than a slave, though, the stakes were far higher.

He's agreed to hold ranking in my Empire. She went on, ever so gently. The girl must have been terrified. But I'm sure you want to hear that from his lips, not mine. We will be meeting with my son, shortly. Once he has healed your wounds, you are free to wander the ship as you please.

[-SeafoamKazuo]

She had not heard the door open nor felt the woman as she floated across the floor. Describing her movement as walking seemed incorrect. She felt the whisper as it entered her mind. A pain not physical shooting through her as she began to speak that first phrase put her on edge. It's truth and untruth marred her. Both a lie and fact that Rain could not get past. She knew somehow the woman knew but she was trying to be kind.

The woman paused after her introduction; explaining what had happened. She believed her words despite the fact that she could have lied about everything she whispered. However, she could not help but wonder why she would help them. That was when the thought struck in her mind. It was not completely there yet but it was growing in her head. She tilted her head trying to see the woman she was talking too. Everything was still a blur and motion made her feel sick.

Rain frowned as soon as the woman continued, a twinge of anger running through her. He had felt trapped, that's the only reason he ever agreed to anything. This was her fault but at the same time. She knew that he had probably been thinking of ways to exploit the situation. The thought kept running through her head as the woman continued speaking. Something about her son and her head being healed and being free to wander the ship but it was not important. Though she also was not going to interrupt.

As soon as the woman stopped whispering to her. She opened her mouth as if to speak but then opted against it. Sending out her own. Her mind flickered brashly towards the one whispering to her. The first one was a lie… She paused as if to let the woman think about the comment. To let it sink into her brain. Rain's mind was racing as the thought that had been festering in her mind finally came out, You knew that though… since you're the same. Rain's eyes would have narrowed had they not been squinted shut. She was not sure if she should trust this woman.

[-Dory]

Adrianna leaned back in her seat as the returning whisper came to her, lips curling very slightly in to a smile which then fell again in to neutrality. A lie, she said. She wondered quietly at which part that she meant. No harm would come to the man-- in the truest meaning of the phrase she had been truthful... but she had not won the girl's trust. From her eyes, his situation must have seemed-- in it's stark reality-- to be as much of a confinement as it was a protective measure. There was also, of course, the matter of her phrasing. Rain's brother would never be safe-- could never be safe. He had been destroyed when the Abyssal had taken the body. She wondered if she realized that, as well.

The next statement led the Abyssal to believe that she did. She leaned back the rest of the way, and allowed the girl a moment before she spoke out loud, but softly.

"As safe as I can manage." She answered gently, voice not much above a whisper, but audible enough to be understood before she leaned forward again, resting her elbows on her knees. "No harm will come to the body so long as it is in my presence, this much I can promise you; but..."

She trailed off as if to think, eyes flickering away from the girl and around the room the she had been brought to, considering the ways that it could have been more suited to her needs. She had taken the captains chambers as her own, and Leonidas had taken the next best room... it didn't leave much to spare. This one was one of many identical guest chambers, almost claustrophobic in it's dimensions, but aptly prepared with a bed, armchair, and desk.

"I don't want you to feel as though you have no choice but to help our cause. I have no use for more slaves. Your choice, as far as I'm concerned, is yours alone... but you don't need to decide just yet."

[-Chime]

Off to the distance the people on board the ships could see a shape flying in the distance. Most couldn't make out what it was right then but as it got closer its shape was unmistakeable...a massive dragon was beating its wings moving at an incredible speed through the air. Situated on the back of the dragon was a fully armored girl wearing armor made of bone with glowing red eyes.

The men on the deck of one of the ships scrambled and screamed as the Large dragon swooped down and landed on the ships deck. Rumbles were sent throughout the ship and it shook from the impact as the Dragon let out a roar. Shaking its massive head the person on the back stood up and slid down its back and tail to launch off and land on the deck with a thud.

Standing up straight the armored girl peered to all the faces on the ship. The urge to kill was present but the great beast next to her prevented her from doing so. Walking up she grabbed one of the pirates by the shirt and pulled him down to her level. Bright red eyes stared into his as the mask of bone moved to speak. "Get my sister! Find Adrianna for me!" she said as she let the Pirate go to scramble off through the ship to find Adrianna. Waiting Zaria stood next to Akor and placed her hand on him before leaning up against him.

Akor merely flexed his wings and then furled them up as he curled into a ball and wrapped his tail around himself trying to take up less space. His eyes pivoting the entire ship and the others watching them all. He said nothing and waited for this apparent woman whom his carrier held in such high esteem.

[-Dory]

Adrianna seemed to pause, to slow as another familiar presence brushed against the underlying sense of her detect, and she lifted her eyes away from the girl in front of her to examine it. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips as she recognized it. Her Little Sister had returned so soon-- such a lovely little bundle of potential, and not alone. A darker sense, one which she had only initially sensed within the girl accompanied her.

Her eyes flicked to the side as her consciousness delved deeper in to her skills, feeling the fear behind the pirate she controlled as the child gave him his order, and he scurried away.

"In the mean time, however." She rose slowly as her eyes focused again, hands sliding over her legs to smooth her skirts before she turned. "I believe there is much that requires both of our attention." She paused, head tilting ever so slightly to the side as she waited for the man to retrieve her, mind reeling back in to her detect again. Looking beyond the ship, over the sea and back to the swell of death that had caught her attention hours before. Violence had broken out. Perhaps she didn't have time to wait for her son after all.

A pity. She would have so loved to allow him the chance to utilize his skills the way she allowed Zaria to use her authority now; but they couldn't afford the wait. The frazzled pirate knocked mechanically against the door, half falling against it with the struggle between two separate manipulations. Of course, the queen could have simply released her own, but that wouldn't have been quite as fun.

"Lady Adrianna!" he called, panting through the door. Eager to conclude one of his missions and end his pain. The obedience could only draw a wider smile from her lips. "The-- The prince has returned. She wishes to speak with you!"

She felt him crumple with his service fulfilled, as though a weight had not been lifted but pressed upon him. His back collapsed against the door behind him, and he sucked in a deep breath, eyes wide and pupils small. Delicious.

"Very well." She called through the door as her eyes returned to Rain, and did not move again. "Is there a healer amongst your ranks?"

"Yes!" His answer came, mercifully, with the return of his breath. He was happy to answer. Happier still to be in a service that didn't hurt. "Shall I fetch him for you?"

"Yes." She answered almost gently. "I want Lady Rain healed immediately." Pausing, she tilted her head ever so slightly toward the girl. "If you can find it in your heart, I would be delighted if you could join me on the deck. There is someone whom I believe you should meet."

She turned briskly, not waiting for a reply before she disappeared through the door and moved back to the deck, pausing only for an instant at the top of the stairs as her eyes rested upon Akor, and the smile grew to split her face. A dragon! How very delightful-- how very -resourceful- of her beloved little sister.

"My love!" She greeted fondly as she resumed her pace toward the girl. "I was not expecting you back so quickly." She paused, and looked toward Akor. "Is this the person you wanted me to meet?"

[-Chime]

(In the interest of moving this on a little. I'm gonna go ahead and post here.)

Zaria had been running her gauntled hand across Akor's neck when the great dragon stirred from his spot. Turning her head the young girl had spotted her sister pausing at the door way and smiled causing the boney mask to twist into it. Zaria ran across the deck and leaped at her sister the bone armor she wore shattering and vanishing into the air as the girl hugged her sister tightly and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

"Hehe~ I missed you~ Also I couldn't get through the barrier thingy. It ate everything that came its way..." she said a little sadly to her remark about the quick return. Zaria had worried herself over making her sister upset or think she was a failure...thus the appearance of the zombie controlled her making her way here. Now that she was here she was back to, relative, normal and turned her head nodding furiously letting go of her sister.

She ran over to Akor and hugged him as well facing her sister. "Yep yep! This is Akor! He's the one who woke me up and helped me out. Akor this is my sister Adrianna!" she said which the reptilian head turned its way towards her. Its eyes narrowed scrutinizingly and then he huffed a little in approval.

Standing up once more the great ancient dragon was almost the size of the ship it was on its wings extended well over both sides of the boat and could almost eclipse the smaller lesser ships in its shadow. "It is as the girl says. I am Akor a dragon of millenia and more. I found this girl wandering the plains and sensed something within her. That is why I used the last of my power to awake her." he rumbled his voice sounding dark and malevolent but also refined and dignified.

The sockets where his eyes would be seemed to glow with a power that is often seen when Zaria seems to get agitated or scared. They bore directly into Adrianna's and its great jaw seemed to open wide as if in a smile. "I can tell you are unique yourself. Your scent, your movements, everything about you is quite the treat. It seems it was a good idea on my part to awaken her." he finished turning his head to look at Zaria.

Zaria was running all around the ship in a tizzy looking and wandering it as happy as she could be. She had never been on boats before and was utterly fascinated. She ran back over towards Akor and patted him on the side. "Can you take me up there?" she asked pointing to the crows nest.

Akor lowered his head and allowed the girl to clamber on and he lifted his head high so she could reach inside. She scrambled off and took to looking around at everything from up there. Akor, however, turned his attention back towards Adrianna.

[-Dory]

As the child hugged her, Adrianna lifted her up and in to her arms, returning the affection with the tightness in her own embrace before she let the girl drop, and faded in to quiet, listening to the child's explanation and then that of the dragon. Whatever was beyond the force field, it didn't very much concern her. She had sent Zaria only out of some sense of opportunity through which the girl could grow, and growth was something of an ambiguous subject. Indeed, the child -had- grown... if only by very little. She had lain her eyes upon the Silver City as it's enemy and emerged unscathed to use the authority she hadn't been told she had, astride upon a dragon of rage and darkened bone-- yes, her Zaria had grown much since the day she shyly introduced herself at the mouth of an otherwise useless mine. She would continue to grow yet. Between herself, and this dragon of millenia and more, the alternative was an impossibility.

"Millenia and more." She repeated only once Zaria had been perched in her nest, smiling growing calculating as she looked upon the dragon anew. Akor, the girl had said his name was-- it was fitting, and he was nothing short of the beautiful monstrosity the queen might have expected, had she the time. More than a worthy addition to their forces, he was the driving force behind the Prince of Vengeance, and she took a full moment to appreciate the sight before she crossed her arms over her chest, and allowed her smile to broaden. "Then we are one, and the same, in many senses."

As an undead driver came to her side to report that the healer had been brought in to Rain's room, she waved him aside as though he were little more than a fly, and took a step closer to the dragon, head tilted ever so slightly back.

The trick to being a successful ruler was never to lie, but to reserve certain parts of ones self for designated company. Now, with Zaria well out of her exposure, she allowed the darkness within her to show. Though it did not change her appearance, she seemed a very different woman-- calculated, cold, but prepared. Values that one such as herself could come to appreciate.

"To sate your curiosity, I am what is most commonly called an 'Abyssal'... though even without it's context, the term is rare. A soul which cannot be cast unto the underworld, and instead becomes trapped in the space between the living and the dead. This body which moves isn't mine. It never was. Neither will the next, when this one withers and dies."

She paused, and glanced behind her as the driver crumpled against the wall as though to sleep, influence drawn away from it and put instead to the waters which bubbled around the ship. White capped waves erupted around the ship, spray reaching even so far as the tips of Akor's wings before the skeletal head of a leviathan roared from it's depths. Jaws agape, jagged fangs biting at the air, it tumbled back and in to the water. A roll of numerous sets of ribs swept out of the water under it, attached to a barely concealed spine before it's head peaked again on the other side of the ship and lept to the air.

The entire ship quaked with the disturbance of the water as it sailed up in a manner not unlike a dolphin's, skeletal fins and forming undead flesh primed for display. It was a show fit for Prince and Power alike as the spine, thicker even than the child's torso, arched and twisted back toward the murk of the water.

"There is an army of undead marching upon Moun at this very moment." Adrianna continued as though she had done nothing at all, sure that the girl had already told him all that introductions could provide. "Veterans, from what I can tell, of a Demon War. I do not believe the value of such a force is lost upon you, who's wisdom seems as vast as my own."

[-SeafoamKazuo]

Rain waited for the man to finish healing her. He moved like a zombie as if he were dead to the world. She could tell that he was probably being controlled. She could also tell that he did not have the skill to completely heal her wounds. The man did his best to heal her more seriously internal damage before moving to stitch the broken skin shut. Then went to wrap her head after the stitching was done. Rain had no idea how long she had been sitting there since Adrianna left her to be healed. All she knew was that the woman left to address the sudden shaking of the ship.

Rain shoved the man from her as soon as he was done wrapping her head. She did not want the contact any longer than necessary. She had to answer Adrianna question on whether she was a slave or not. There was something that the woman did not understand about her. Something that she needed to realize. Rain stood up looking around confused. She could not find her halberd at the moment. She would have to ask where it went later on. Perhaps they had to unarm her for her own safety. Her head still stung a bit but at least it was manageable now. She sighed her ears perking up as she exited the room. Listening for some sign of life that was animate. She squeezed past the two men in armor standing in front of her room. Seeing as they would not move by her command.

Rain frowned as she looked for the stairs finding them easily they obviously dragged her to the first room at the bottom. She briefly wondered where Leonidas but then decided it would be safer if he was not around her right now. Rain ascended the stairs blinking from the sudden light that surrounded her due to the mist. The boat then decided to shake as she saw Adrianna speaking with a dragon a top the ship. Rain caught herself quickly as Adrianna continued to speak. Her cat-like ears flattened against her head at the words. It was not like she disliked the undead she merely worried on how they were going to be fed. After all an army was a lot of people to feed and weren't the undead feeders of human flesh.

Rain stood up and walked towards the white woman or white witch, "Lady Adrianna, I'm sorry for my lack of answer before. I am not a slave... I pledged my loyalty to serve the body of my brother to the death. I'd hate for you to be confused." She knew that her terminology would confuse the woman and any other sentient being but it made sense in her mind. Some sort of twisted logical sense.

[-Dory]

((That's perfect Sk, thank you. ))

Rain emerged from the bowls of the ship just as the queen had concluded her statement, and she tossed a glance over her shoulder toward her with the tiniest of smiles before she looked back toward the dragon, and offered a small, almost apologetic nod.

She turned entirely as the girl began to speak, eyes gentle as they focused so carefully on the girl. She understood what she was saying-- the differences between slave and servant, and wondered if the speaker herself fully knew what those differences were. She was right to think the logic was twisted, though it was not so much the premise of the differences that seemed impure, but the action alone. The fact that the young woman understood those differences, though, made even that action seem to hold more merit.

A slave went through his daily life not knowing what might have been his to claim beyond the shackles. He completed his tasks, and he sang his songs of freedom, but without any sense of self worth-- and without that, he was more bound to his place than the shackles and whips could have provided. Lost inside of what self worth they might have had was their ambition, and their desires. Where one man might have sought to own the world, the slave was happier with a meatier bit of gruel. For that, they needed only to perform well. Adrianna required much, much more of her subjects. Slaves were handy for building, for menial labor and mindless tasks, but what Adrianna needed in her campaign was that ambition they had lost long, long ago.

What Rain suffered under now, was servitude of the most ugly variety. Leonidas was a politician and a man of greed-- not of ambition. He agreed to serve under her out of nothing short of fear, a fact the queen was certain the woman understood if only in her very heart of hearts, yet she had risen from her bed to approach not her lord, but Adrianna herself. Ambition spoke from such a choice, though ambition for what was another matter entirely. Ambition to serve? Perhaps, though it would take the girl a while to adjust to the glory of what servitude could be. The servant of a knight was little more than a pawn, but the servant of the king? The queen.

She would understand, with time. Until then, it was best to leave her fragile world unbroken by the volleys of questions that she would find.

"I understand more fully than you believe, my dear." She spoke softly, and smiled as the skeletal leviathan dug back underneath of the water and began to circle the ship, pushing it faster forward with his weight and guarding the murk of the waters below. An uneducated eye might not have understood the change, but one who had known her would recognize the beginning spin to the gears of a plan.

"You serve what is left of your brother of your own choice, and because it is the will of your own, you are no slave. You demonstrated as much with your ferocity against the men who held this ship-- who now pay their penance under my control. I do not presume to take that choice away from you, and I never would. It is, indeed, such choices which mark not only the difference between servant and slave, but also between man... and legend. I meant only to express that I have no use for tools. For weapons and for armaments without a woman to guide them with her -choices-."

She let her voice hang there, seeming to stop for a moment as the quickened speed brought quicker wind to the deck of the ship. She had only very little time. She had already sent to her son a vision, and he would come as she asked him-- she didn't doubt. She needed to visit the well of Syn before that could happen.

"Zaria my love," She lifted her eyes toward the crows nest as she called for the child, "Your sister awakes!"

She looked back to Rain, smile never faltering. So well. Everything was going so well, and so closely to the plan that she was needed to raise her tempo, simply to keep up with the providence.

"So I ask you again, though perhaps a bit more specifically," She spoke softly before the Prince could come down. "Will you accompany the Prince to Moun, in the effort to reclaim those lost, undead, souls fighting only for their right to choose?"

[-Chime]

Akor nodded his head thoughtfully. The woman before him was quite devious and unmistakably dark with an elegance that he approved greatly of. The Lich Dragon mulled the word Abyssal over in his head before narrowing his eyes towards the woman. "Very interesting, Abyssal. So you have found a way to cheat the grasp of Death as well. Such a tainted and malevolent power you hold as well..." the dragon said thoughtfully. The gears in his mind were already turning at the possibilities and plans.

His giant reptilian head turned to see the undead remains of a great sea serpent, the under water cousin to himself, rose and put on a display. The childish Zaria squeed in joy at seeing it and Akor merely watched with bemused interest before the woman spoke to him again. "Ah...The army of the undead left from the Demon wars. Yes...I can see their usefulness to you. I believe I already know that which you are hinting at as well and I agree." he finished as his eyes turned towards the girl who had exited.

He could see the demeanor and flow of power from the woman instantly squelched as she listened patiently and thoughtfully to the girl talking to her. Akor was quite impressed by the way Adrianna had handled herself in such a swift and efficient manner. To someone of a lesser intelligent it wouldn't even be noticed the way she pulled the strings of people.

When she called out to Zaria the young girl instantly responded. Akor lifted his head up to allow her to mount before lowering it so that Zaria could get off. Zaria smiled big and danced around happily before running over to Adrianna and Rain and she teetered from foot to foot in excitement.

"Did you see it!? That thing was soooooo biiiiig!" she said happily waving her right arm towards the water where the serpent had sprung forth and then receded into. In the same enthusiasm she looked to Rain with a grin on her face. "Hey! You're the girl I helped save! I'm Zaria it's a pleasure to meet you!" she said happily before noticing the ears atop her head.

If it was possible her eyes got bigger and she ran up and nearly tackle hugged her. "Are those ears real!? Can I touch them!?" she chittered happily. Akor merely flexed his wings and cleared his throat a little. "I believe we have somewhere we must go, Zaria. Will you be coming along too, girl?" the dragon bellowed turning his reptilian eyes towards Rain and focusing on her for an answer. Zaria, a little saddened she wouldn't get to play with the ears right now, tilted her head curiously wondering where they were going.

[-Dory]

Adrianna's smile couldn't have broadened further. Akor saw her methods, and seemed to approve-- even agreed as far as his words could be trusted, and he fell in to sync with her without effort. The beautiful prince was as ecstatic with the appearance of Rain as she was about the display of power-- and Rain wasn't left with many happier options than to take the extended hand. Of course, she wouldn't take this moment as an admission of the woman's servitude-- no, that would come only when her Champion was ready to offer the words themselves, and not an instant sooner. She would not seek to part her from her meaning of life so eagerly. No, for the moment Leonidas Rider was to be protected just as she had promised.

But before that, Akor was right to hurry. She could feel violence beginning to stir at the edges of her senses, the use of flaming magic heralding the need for intervention. She would trust Akor's wisdom to fill in the details, but more than the Sash awaited their arrival-- yes, her dear little sister could have proven detrimental with ease, and in combination with the rat Callisto, she formed something of a worthy nemesis. If her interpretation of the various signatures she found proved to be accurate, they were apart for a moment, but there was no guarantee as for how long.

Wherever Nectara was found, chaos would soon ensue... but then, that was why she sent her prince, and her champion... and they weren't going alone.

"Her name is Rain, my love." She came back to the moment with the further explanation, but did not presume to answer the question. Instead, she turned her eyes back to Akor.

"It is vital that my name is not spoken. To Zaria, I am Big Sister. To Rain, I am merely the Queen. To any who ask, we are the Knights of the Abyss. There are those there who would seek to destroy you, and all of us, should they hear word that I am moving. They are as powerful as we, but in greater numbers. You will likely meet a vampire woman who reeks of sulfur, and an Angelkin man who reeks of magic. Keep them separate, if you can. The vampire will aid you so long as she does not know that she works against her partner. Together..." She trailed off, and her smile began to fall. "They hold the power to overcome even my present form."

She looked away for a moment, before she turned toward Zaria and knelt, hands touching her shoulders in a gentle request for a hug. "If you should become afraid, you need only to call for your Big Sister." The smile was back as she leaned back on her heels, looking fondly upon the child. "There is a cliff at the edge of the village, which leads in to these very same waters. Lead the Good Men to it, and call for me. No matter how frightening the bad men may be, remember, you are never alone."

Rising, she tossed a necklace toward Rain before she turned away entirely, and looked back toward the waters. The Galleon, along with the twelve ships around it, dropped their anchors as if by chance, and seventy five manipulated men rose to the decks followed each by ten slaves. They stood in lines, lifting hands to their foreheads in salute, but they would wait until the Royal's departure before they began to craft.

Adrianna herself faded in to the mist, followed by two of the manipulated men and their twenty slaves, without another word.

((Adrianna out))
((The necklace is a Teleportation Amulet, just in case you don't have one.))

[-SeafoamKazuo]

Rain listened to the woman's response. It was a good one, almost too good most would be swayed with words. Pride overriding their logic but Rain was not most. She had no pride merely she adhered to her own code. Her loyalty was absolute when given though requirements might be placed upon that loyalty. Such would be the cause involving the queen Adrianna. She would follow her orders but only if they brought no harm to Sky.

Rain sighed and was about to answer the woman affirmatively but she was interrupted by the arrival of another. She was taken aback at first by the creature but she did not show it in her features after all the white witch had called for… her? She observed the actions of the zombie and deemed them childlike until she realized that it was in fact a child. She had never seen a zombie so young before. Normally the undead masses were characterized by adult forms rather than those of children.

Rain looked off to the side as soon as the girl began questioning her suddenly shy by the girl's, Zaria's appearance. She was not sure what to do in the presence of the child. She nearly shouted out No in response to the ear question but luckily the girl was interrupted by the dragon asking her a question but she never had enough time to answer it seemed as Adrianna again picked up with speaking making Rain seem more stoic than she actually was. Rain listened to the woman speak and nodded in acknowledgement of what she said.

"A vampire and an angelkin… odd duo." Rain frowned a bit before answering, "I'll see to it that Zaria remains unharmed, Queen Adrianna." She gave a slight bow to the woman before catching the necklace easily. Rain looked at it and determined it's use easily though she had a ring that could perform the same action. Rain adjusted the swords at her sides before scanning the deck for her halberd spotting it, "Shall we be off, Prince Zaria.." The words came out strained due to the oddness in her mind of calling a young girl a prince. She held the teleportation amulet in her hand, "Do you have a way to instantly transport yourself there?"

Rain was concerned about the child, she couldn't quite understand why Adrianna would send someone so young into battle but she would not doubt the woman's orders. Rain sighed, "I'll keep you safe… Don't worry." She reached out to pat the girls head before withdrawing, "Just don't trust me too much… I am someone with a thieves heritage." She was trying to make the girl dislike her a bit. She'd hate to lead the child on by making herself seem like a good person.

[-Chime]

Zaria nodded her head alot and hugged Adrianna tightly at the request to do so. "I'll bring them all back safe and sound! We'll beat up any of the bad guys who try to hurt them too!" she said nodding her head vigorously before turning to Rain. Her head tilting slightly as she looked at her.

Akor shared the same sentiments as Rain thinking the combination odd and if their combined powers could even rattle such an already strong woman...Well he had nothing to worry about. He just had to protect Zaria, get the undead legions out, and leave. An easy and simple task to the mighty dragon.

Zaria merely giggled as Rain called her a Prince. "I'm not sure why she calls me that...But Princess works better for me! Also you can just call me Zaria." she said nodding her head a few times. "Don't worry about me. I have Akor here to protect me. You should worry about yourself more! My big sister would be really really sad if you were to die here. I'd be really really sad too...so don't die ok! I can't die because I'm already dead." she said the line of thought being obvious for a child. The dead couldn't die again right?

To her statement about her being a thief Zaria merely looked at her curiously. "I trust you alot! You're part of my adopted family right? Adrianna isn't my real family...they died long ago to a bad man...but she's my big sister now and if she trusts and believes in you then so do I!" she said nodding her head in affirmation.

Akor cleared his throat which made Zaria turn. A secret mental note was passed and she grabbed Rain and pulled her up onto Akor's back with her. "Hold on tight to me! Akor flies really really fast!" she exclaimed digging her feet behind some of the scaled on his body.

With a loud roar the dragon flapped his mighty wings and took to the air. He circled once before flying with all speed towards Moun and their mission. They had people to save and Zaria wanted to get there quickly.

[-Dory]

((Adrianna's still a character.))

As the queen stepped again on to the Galleon, her footing was much less sure than it had been in her departure. The damage done to her had been her own, but she couldn't say much for regret. Couldn't precisely have said that she wanted to, either.

As one of the slaves rushed to her side, she stepped carefully to the edge of the ship, and sat upon the railing again, eyes skittering elsewhere as she considered. She merely sat still as the man began to heal her wounds, gaze lost toward Moun as she considered-- where would she find a replacement life in such short notice? And closed her eyes briefly. The energy was coming back to her now. Indeed, it was the entire reason she had seen few qualms with making her point with such efficiency. For the moment, she needed only to wait for her Prince's return. Perhaps the dragon would have some gleaming idea, and if he did not, pirates were in no short supply. She would merely need to find one who would not be missed, and take him the same way she had taken the ships, the weapons, and in the future-- the way she would take her city back.