Chapter Eight: A Rose

"I can't believe I'm actually letting you ride..." says Aziz in unicorn form.

"I'm sorry about this but I was having problems carrying the egg and flying at the same time." Horatio pouts.

Cordula is sitting on Adrastos' shoulder not to far away. "I can't believe that Nightingale wouldn't let me go with her."

Adrastos pokes her jokingly, "Well, she said she didn't want another hindrance."

"We should get going!" shouts Provocare.

"Off to save the world!" yells Valora and breaks into a run.

"Well, I guess we get to go chase after her again," Bob sighs.

Meanwhile at the castle of the Rose Kingdom Akio and Nightingale have just arrived. It was a made of large light gray stone, with large, towers. It was extremely long possibly five miles from one side to the other. Like the classic story book kind. Except this one didn't have a moat and a drawbridge. Instead it had two large, thick wooden doors. The lake was a few meters away from the castle. Behind it was a large garden that was once well kept and used for many weddings. The castle was also covered from top to bottom in black roses. "Wonderful! More black roses!" says Nightingale in her sarcastic voice.

"Do you have the feeling like we're being watched?"

"Now that you mention it....Yes I do. Let's get in the castle before whatever is watching us decides to visit."

Akio nods an agreement. The walk up to the massive wooden doors unfortunately they are so heavy they aren't going to come apart very easily any time soon. Akio asks himself, "I wonder if those magic gloves and rose pendent would help open the door?"

"The pendent might double as a key..."

"Good thinking but there's no key hole, and it's a bit to round to be a key, Nightingale."

She sighs, "Their might be a hidden indentation type thing that might work like a lock. To many damn roses!" Somehow Nightingale managed to prick her self several times. She cursed some more and went back to talking, "What do your gloves do anyway?"

"Um...I don't really know. Your mother never told us what are magical objects do."

"That's right..."

Akio puts his gloves on. Suddenly the doors open with a loud cracking sound like thunder. "Okay...that was just plain weird. I guess we should go in."

"Err...sure"

The walk into the castle to find a massive chamber with a large, fancy, expensive staircase. It's like a fairy tail, but dusty. Despite this the chandelier glittered like the stars. The floors were made of red and white swirled marble. The wall's were covered with black roses, but underneath the mess of them the walls were covered with a thin layer of white marble to cover the gray stone that the castle was made of. There were two passageways on the right and left of the staircase. There was also a large hallway that led through the chamber. It reached from one end of the castle to the other. "Oh my God! This place is so cool" exclaims Nightingale having another of her mood swings. With that remark the doors behind them slammed shut with a booming sound like thunder. Nightingale and Akio give each other a look. "We're trapped aren't we?"

"Most likely," Akio sighs. "Why don't we go exploring or something?"

"Let's! I'll take the east side!" Nightingale runs off leaving Akio left alone in the entrance chamber. Or is he alone?

They were his mother and farther. "Oh...my real parents..." Vasu and Varda were killed when Akio was about two years old, despite this he still remembers the sound of their voices and looks. This picture is a reminder of what he could have loved. His adoptive parents were always kind to him but it wasn't the same. He always felt that he was different and he always wanted to go on some sort of adventure. Akio sighs and walks over to the bed to sit down. Except he sits down on Zia instead. "What the!?!"

"Hello master Akio! I say your adoptive parents, they're quite nice."

Akio blinks a few times after jumping off of Zia. "Why..."

"Am I here? Well, I'm here because I thought you needed some company. Why did I meet your parents? I met them because I wanted to know how the future king will act like."

"Um..okay. I was having a nice peaceful moment, so can you go away?"

"You act just like your mother and look like your farther! What a perfect mix!"

"Okay now your just creeping me out."

Zia sighs, "Well, young man you'll have to go thorough quite a bit with your friends. I was hoping to get you a Glenn dragon, but I dismissed for some unknown reason. That's what I wanted to tell you. I might be able to get you one sooner or later. Maybe you can adopt from the refuge, or you can wait. I think it's rewarding both ways."

"Why would you do something like that for me? Is it just because I'm the future king?"

Zia grins and winks, "Do not be silly Akio! I choose to do this because we demons must stick together. Unfortunately people seem to judge demons and half breed just by the name. So many misconceptions it makes my head spin! Why people shun us I'll never understand bias is a horrible thing. Everyone thinks all demons are evil low lives wow deserve to die."

"Even though they don't know who we really are. We have to be ashamed for no reason," Akio states.

"Exactly," Zia lets out a heavy sigh. "I should be going now. Éline will be upset if I stay to long. Also Virga would get very upset if I was late for coffee."

"Goodbye then." With that Zia disappears into thin air. "Strange man..." Akio mutters to himself. He continues to stare at the picture, "I wonder if I really do act like my mother?"

Akio caught a fleeting sight of movement from the corner of his right eye. It was coming form outside the window. He brushed it off. 'It's only a bird,' he thought to himself. 'Bird indeed! There were no birds for miles when you first came to the kingdom. Why now? And of all places this dead castle! Yeah right a bird!' said the other part of his mind. 'Why not take a little adventure? Explore the castle some more. Then find out what that thing was at the window!' Akio walks out of the room with the picture of his parents still in his hands.

Akio has been wandering the halls for countless hours. There is no sigh of Nightingale or any of the group. 'They should have been her hours ago! What could be the matter? I really hope they are all right. I don't know what I'd do with out them.'

As if on cue Akio catches a glimpse of a wing. He makes a curious sound. Something’s telling him to run away, but something else is telling him to explore. Akio knows better so he walks away from the sight, only to spot something quite interesting. A bright red rose with blue edges. It seems to have a sliver sparkles on it. It's sitting there on a column in the misted of all the black roses. He walks up to it, and takes a sniff. It's the most wonderful smell. He ad never smelt something so beautiful.

Out of no where he felt like someone was watching him. More like something. He took a couple of deep breaths. 'Whatever this thing is it's right behind me.' He quickly spins around with his magic gloves and pendent at hand. Nothing is there. 'But still something is watching me. Where is it!' Suddenly a thought pops into his head, 'What if Nightingale or someone is playing a prank on him?' His better judgement screamed, 'No! They wouldn't do anything this bad. It must be that thing you say earlier!' Despite this he says, "Nightingale, This isn't funny any more. Come out from where ever you are." He hears a deep laughter. 'Dim wit! That's not Nightingale! You blew it big time! Run like hell and don't turn back!' This time he takes his own advice. Too bad it's the wrong advice.

Guess what readers it's time for quick question corner! For all you who are Nyx deprived here's Chibi Nyx as your Host!

"Don't you mean Hostess?" a chibi version of Nyx asks the narrator.

It's almost the same thing!

"Why are we doing this anyway?" Chibi Nyx crosses her arms.

Because I can! Oh..and I couldn't take the stupid drama anymore.

"Or did you just want an excuse to put in some of your lame humor in?"

Watch it!

"You can't make me shut up."

Ohh Chibi Nightingale!

"Oh No!" Chibi Nyx goes off screaming while holding her head.

Muhaha--Oh! You're still here! You're most likely wondering what the point of this was...Um...It was basically here to ask Nyx where she was the last few chapters. To bad she's gone. Oh well, Back to the story!

Akio didn't get very far until something blocked his path. He screamed after ramming into it. He looked up to see a seven-foot man standing above him, or at least it looked like a man. The thing was rather thin, with large bat-like wings, across its face there was a scar. It was from the left top of its forehead to the right bottom of the jaw. It had rather long hair, just like a human's, and it had a tail of a dog. The part that scared Akio the most was its eyes. They were like cat's eyes but more of a slit. They were bright red and seemed to be searching for something. It's also wearing sliver armor and an extremely large broad sword. Akio manages to spit out, "What do you...um..want?"

The evil cat, dog man smiles. "To kill you," The thing says in a deep scratchy, manly voice.

"Eep!"

The creature grabs the sword that was placed on its back.

"Um.. before you kill me in cold blood could you tell me what your name is? I would love to know the name of killer," Akio pleads.

"My name? Very well then, my name is Caelestis." This had give Akio a little time to move slightly out of the blade's direction. Caelestis quickly brings down the blade cutting Akio's shoulder. Akio curses and tries to get up but is hit with the blade on his left leg. "Now, Mr. Akio I thought a demon of your caliber would fight back," Caelestis mocks.

"Just shut up will you?! I don't want to kill anyone anytime soon. If you were one of those dog cat things I would have. But you're..." Akio trails off trying not think of all the blood he was losing.

"But what? Tell me little boy!" He quickly flicks his wrist and gives Akio a deep cut on his chest. "Afraid? You're going to die just like you're mother and father did! But now you'll die by my hands."

"SHUT UP! Don't talk about my parents! How would you know how they died!?"

"I was there. I watched my brother murder them in cold blood. If it wasn't for Zia you'd be dead and my brother would be alive. I just here to finish the job." He slowly trailed his blade across Akio's jaw creating a long trail of dark crimson blood. He smiled a lifted the sword above his head ready to make his lasts strike. Killing his helpless victim.

Akio was hardly helpless. He just didn't want to fight. He only wanted to go on adventures, be with his friends or just gaze at stars. He was to young to die! So, took action in a matter of seconds. He cast a spell of Dark Hakaiteki Magic.

All the cuts Akio had received disappeared and transferred to Caelestis. He stepped away form Akio. This gave Akio the chance to cast Ventilo. Caelestis hit a nearby wall and was knocked unconscious. "Oh thank the Lord!" Akio said as he collapsed on the ground. He heard a crack of a twig. "Alright who's there?"

*I'm sorry to scare you sir. It's just you've seem to have lost quite a bit of blood.*

The voice was right he had. That's why he had collapsed. "And you're sneaking around because?"

*I just wish to help you since you are hurt* A small white creature walks out from behind a column.

*My name is La Don. I am a Fennec. Is there anything I can do for you?*

"You could help me find my friends Miss La Don. If that's what you want."

With those words said there were foot steps down the hallway. Someone was running as fast as they can. "Akio! Where the hell are you!" Nightingale's worried voice screamed. She quickly found him. "My god! Akio! What happened?!"

He went into little detail of what had happened, but Nightingale go the understanding.

"They still haven't arrived?" asked Akio. They were in the kitchen. Nightingale and La Don were fixing some dinner.

"No, I'm a bit worried, but they can take care of them selves."

*They sound like an interesting group. Um..are you ever going to untie that man?*

They had patched up Caelestis wounds and tied him up. Then just to make sure he wouldn't get out they locked him up in a closet. He was currently pounding on the closet door. "Maybe when he calms down," Nightingale grinned.

*I see...*

Someone’s head popped in from the door way, "Well, Hello! You two are quite homey together!" It was Roberta.

"Shut up, Roberta!" Nightingale throws a pan at her head. She missed only by a centimeter, and ended up hitting Adrastos. "Um...sorry! Forgive me!

"Ow! Be careful!" Adrastos had received a red welt on his leg.

"Nightingale! You should not throw things!" Valora yells, disliking the fact that her bondmate was hurt.

"Calm down Valora. We don't need any more fights today," said Aziz as he walked in with Cordula on his head.

Suddenly a blur of color passes him by. La Don is startled and thrown into the nearby sink. Provocare's voice yelled, "TOASTER!" In a fraction of a millisecond he was hugging a sliver toaster that had been sitting on the kitchen counter. "Yay, Toaster."

La Don pulls herself out of the sink. She moans and says, *What on earth is he doing?*

"Um...Don't mind him. He's just a bit insane." Aziz says as he walked over to sink. "Are you all right?"

*Fine, thank you Mister...*

"Aziz," he supplies.

"Hey! Where's Horatio?" Nightingale inquires.

Out of the blue a strange creature walks into the room. It has large bunny like ears and a fluffy cottontail. It looked like a giant over weight bunny with a mix of dragon parts.

Provocare looks up from his toaster, blinks a few times and then says, "Horatio turned into a bunny dragon thingy?"

Cordula sighs and looks over to Nightingale, "Well, he's half right."

Nightingale asks, "How?"

"That's a bunny dragon. Just not Horatio."

Horatio walks in at that very moment. "Hi, guys. This is my brand new bunny dragon, Uzziel."

"How...cute," says Nightingale.

Uzziel walks over to Provocare and sniffs his hair. Without warning Uzziel decides it would make a nice snack and tries to eat it. He manages to get a nice chunk of hair before Provocare literally hits the ceiling. He tries to cast Golden Rule, but is tackled by Bob and Akio at the same time. All the while Uzziel decided hair is not a good thing to eat he returns to Horatio.

Aziz sighs, "Shall we stay here tonight and leave first thing tomorrow?"

"Sure, maybe Provocare'll calm down by then," Nightingale states.

They all stay the night and have a pleasant rest. The next morning they finally let Caelestis out of the closet. They find out he was being controlled by some unknown evil and was really a nice guy. The heroes decided to leave for the elf kingdom. There are many adventures, friends, and foes in store for the ones who must save the world. Pray for the world...it'll need it.

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four

Akio's Side Story
Aziz's Side story

The Haken
The Bunny Dragon
The Glenn Dragon
The Bishen Dragon
The Necco and Melcey
Aziz's Glenn Dragon

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