Before she could fire at them, Karmi called up a a spell: Dragon of light, come to my aid! A dragon made of pure light came from Karmis outstreched hand. The Dragon burst foward and knocked the arrows and bows and dagger out of her hand. " You shall not hurt them" Then he made the dragon split and wrapped it around her body not allowing her to move.
"Why are you doing this?" Aeralyss asked Mika as she sheathed her mighty blade. Aeralyss turned to Karmi and thanked him. She then wondered if the mystery guy would appear again. Aeralyss turned and looked at the drifter and thought to herself, "What could he have done that was so wrong?"
Unknown to anyone in the group, the mystery stranger watched the whole ordeal with caution. He knew his job was to protect Aeralyss at all costs, but not to give up his identity too soon. With his powers, he should be able to handle this tasks for the most part. If need be, he would communicate only with Aeralyss, and that would be telepathically only.
"I was commanded to! I can not disobey my orders!!!" Mika's eyes glow lightly, her markings appearing. "Let me go!!!"
'Caution Aeralyss, this one bears powers similiar to my own. You will not be able to combat her inthe normal way.'
Aeralyss gasped at the sound of the mystery voice. She looked around as she grasped the hilt of her sword and then looked back at Mika. "But...I don't understand... All I know is...is that if you try to hurt anyone I'll be forced to retaliate!!" She then closed her eyes and thought to herself, communicating to the mystery person, "Please...help me and my friends...if anything drastic should happen!"
'Fear not young one, I will not let you down.' With that thought sent to Aeralyss, a bright glowing sphere appeared over the group. It slowly decended onto the group, minus Mika, and carried them to a safe distance where the bounty hunter could not get to them. The group was stunned, but were all fine. There was no sign of the bounty hunter sent to kill the drifter. 'As promised, you are safe for the time being. Keep your guard up with the Drifter----I sense darkness around this person.'
As the sphere that carried the group floated into the sky, Aeralyss placed her hands onto the wall of the sphere and looked at everyone. Everyone seemed so surprised and excited. Murmuring about a 'real adventure'. Aeralyss only sighed and wondered how all of this ever happened. She then laced her fingers together and thought to the mystery person, "Who are you?" and she looked into the stars. Aeralyss then glanced over at Athena embracing the small child, the drifter, and her other members.
"....... Great... if I fail this... I don't know what will happen to me..." mika lays low in the folige of the dense trees.
'Fear not Aeralyss, I will be close by if you require my help on this trek' The voice of the stranger rang through her head and she starting to look around to see his this guardian angel would finally reveal himself.
The golden orb that carried the group lowered onto the ground and faded away. Aeralyss loosened up (her body felt very tense and tight) and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, we're very far from Grathe." she said and the group looked around them. Suddenly, a man jumped from the bushes and grabbed Aeralyss tightly so she couldn't move. "I've been looking for you, daughter-of-mine!!" said the man. He had long silver hair and blood red eyes that could send shivers down your spine. "Don't you know how long I've been searching for you?! Five long years!!!" he shouted as he threw her against a tree trunk. Aeralyss drew her sword and but it was knocked out of her hand by her father. The group started towards the man but made an energy wall between himself and the group. His long cape blew into the wind and he grabbed Aeralyss by her neck, murmuring words about a castle and escape and kill. Her face turned red from the lack of air and he let her go. He noticed a pendant hanging around her neck. "Your mother's trinket?" he said cruely and he ripped it off of her neck. This man looked insane...he looked like Aeralyss. Aeralyss tried her hardest to fight back but he was too strong for her. He eventually ended her humiliation by punching her hard in the stomach and he lifted her unconscious body onto his shoulders. He turned around to the group. "This is a family affair between father and daughter. It's best for your own sakes to return to your normal lives unless you want to die. I am the new King of Grathe...and she's...she's my idiot daughter... Now please excuse me...I have a reunion with her that I must attend." his voice was so cold and so cruel, his eyes shown no emotion. With Aeralyss's sword and pendant upon the ground, he teleported out of sight and disappeared into no-where.
Athena picked up her her friends stuff and said, "I'm going, someone please take care of this child for me unless everyone else is coming along to.. then I will take care of the child.. I am going to help her."
I'm with you Athena. I shall go to grathe and help protect you with my magic. I will also try to save her. The people in grathe must be suffering greatly over that blood thirsty king. I shall save the people for I am the prince of light. He took the girl in his hands and walked to Athena. They readided to leave then started to walk along the dirt path.
Mika giggled and dropped in front of the group again. "I'm to stop you all from proceding to Grathe... I will not fail this time!"
"I can not let you by... if i do... i fail... i fail, i die... you get it. you'll die if you go there and i really don't wish to fight you.... I am Mika Havnox and I come from Grathe to stop you... I have orders to stop you..."
***Meanwhile, the King of Grathe instantly teleported himself into a beautiful bedroom decorated in the colors of blue, silver, and gold. The rooms items were very dusty and looked as if they haven't been touched in years. He roughly threw Aeralyss onto the floor, causing a wound to her head as a fresh trinkle of blood ran down her face. She moaned in pain as she opened her eyes to find herself in her own room...a room she hasn't seen in years. "You...killed mother...and..." she tried to say but she was too weak. She couldn't even get up. "And what? What are you going to do? I haven't seen you in a long time my Princess Aera and I plan to spend time with you before...you know." he said plainly. "...You're going to....kill me...just like you did mother....just because I know...you killed her..." she struggled to say. He gave her a hard kick and she slid across the room, and he left in silence.**
