Is your spouse cheating on you? Will you be a rich and powerful leader? Will you die tomorrow? These are just some of the questions that Foresight's is ready to answer for you. The clairvoyants and mystics employed there have been certified and found to be incredibly accurate. Be sure before entering that you truly wish the answers you may receive. At Foresight's they do not decide your fate... they merely predict it.

Employees - Wish (Fortune Teller)

In all honesty, Wish was not sure what had brought her to Aleris or why she chose to pack up her things and leave again. In fact, most events before now had been rather foggy and though she could remember faces and people, she had seemed to misplace a lot of memories before her time in Oneiro. Perhaps it was because her time there had been more noticeable than anywhere else, because she had made an impact in the city and almost died (again) there.

But here she was, alive and kicking, only to start over and try to make a living somewhere else. Getting into Aleris was not difficult; there was a lot of open trade and travelers passing through Grand City all the time. However, recently Aleris had been the victim of war. Most of it was due to someone named Lumine Ravenholm who took the throne (shortly living the duties) and then was defeated by an army compromised of the Outer Gates.

This was as much as she could gather anyway. Wish, herself, had not taken part in the war and she was glad for it. The memories of the Oneiro wars had taken up a lot of her life and she did not want to be apart of another anytime soon. Though she did not want to assist in the battle, she did not mind cleaning up. The army had caused a lot of damage to Grand City and those who would help were rebuilding under the command of King Alerion once again.

She took this chance to apply to Foresight's not only to help in Aleris' reconstruction, but because she was running out of gold in her pocket. Though she could have applied for the manager position, she still did not feel she was up for the task just yet. So instead, she stood inside the Alerian Job Office, her short height dwarfed by the tall demon ahead of her, who stamped her application quite merrily and pointed her in the direction towards Foresight's.

Now that she was a Fortuneteller at Foresight's, what was there to do? Tell fortunes, read cards, brew concoctions... "Nay," she said as she entered Foresight's. "Time to clean." The place was dank, dusty and full of cobwebs. Books, cards, plants and so much other stuff had been thrown about as if a bomb exploded in the place. Pulling on some gloves and grabbing a broom, Wish went to work her blue, gossamer wings fluttering behind her as she moved back and fourth across the room. Sneezing was a common occurrence and she found many of the windows had been broken. She took it upon herself to order some new glass for the windows, removing the broken pieces from the frames, careful not to draw any blood on the sharp edges. Foresight's had two floors; on the top floor two glass double doors opened up to a half-circle shaped balcony where at night she could tell fortunes by using the stars... that is, after she cleaned up there too.

It was the perfect time to clean. The soul sickness still around and she did not expect any customers any time soon.

She didn't know where else to go. EmmaLeigh had been through hell the last year. She moved to Aleris thinking that she'd be able to get her life back. It'd all started years ago when she was just a teenager. She and some of her friends; Christine, Janice, and Heather, had been messing around with magic. Nothing big, at first, just simple things like floating pens and pushing people. Good harmless fun. That was until Janice found that damned book.

"What we've been doing has just been practice." She stated calmly. "Now it's time we started making our mark on this world." It'd seemed fun enough at first. Sure it was a little scary at how quick the power came to them. But soon, people were doing what they wanted them to do. Boys took notice and tried to date them. None of them had been what anyone would call "ugly" but they had all been social outcasts.

The new found popularity was intoxicating. EmmaLeigh hadn't been happier. Everything was going their way. Everything was perfect. Then Janice said that they needed more. More men, more respect, more money, and most importantly more power. Up to that point Janice had kept her book close, not letting anyone else read more then the spell they were working on.

That night the friends gathered. They all followed Janice's cues, as always. Almost before any of the girls realized what she was doing, Janice called forth a dark power, binding the being inside the circle the others held.

"Creature of the darkest dark, we call upon your power this eve, to lay waste to those who would hold us back, tie us down, and cage us up just for our differences." She was completely in the moment. Intoxicated with power, her eyes shinning with excitement. "Now, Kill Everyone In The Town!"

With her last command, Janice broke the protective circle. What Janice hadn't known was that if you're making a pack with a demon, you needed to be very careful with your wording. One slip, one small loophole, and the demon would take advantage of it. If you're willing to risk your soul on that pact your end had better be airtight.

Janice's wasn't. Yes, it would kill everyone it could in town, but she didn't tell it not to harm any of them. EmmaLeigh watched as the demon stepped closer to Janice, bowed as if it were her subject, then with a flick of it's arm, Janice's head fell from her shoulders. Emma grabbed Christine's arm and pulled her towards town. Heather just stood there screaming.

Chris and Emma had been very close from the start. Emma had told her that she wasn't sure that Janice was able to control the power that she'd gotten, and the more she got the less stable she became. Tonight had proved her point. To this end they had tried thinking of 'escape routes'. Ways to move faster, to get out of harm's (and Jan's) way. The only spell either of them could do well alone was the push spell. It was a simple enough spell and both had used it quite a bit the last few months. Then the idea hit her. If they pushed against the ground, it would push back, and very few people would be able to stand against that.

EmmaLeigh stopped running and crouched, facing back the way they'd come. Then with all the power and fear she had, she threw the spell out at the earth, and as she had predicted, it pushed back. She flew up and backwards towards town, moving faster then she could have ever done by running. Emma had almost forgotten the most important part of flying as a branch struck her arm and spun her around. That part was the landing. As the ground came closer, she did the math in her head. If she didn't do something fast, she wouldn't have to worry about the demon reaching her, there wouldn't be enough of her left for it to play with. She reached out and cast the push spell at the ground again. This time not as strong. It helped cushion her landing, but not by much. She struck the ground with a loud huff of breath and rolled several feet.

Behind her she could hear something coming towards her fast. She stood and prepared herself to take off again, but as the thing got closer she realized it was Chris and not the demon. She'd remembered their conversation as well! Landing much more gracefully then Emma had, Christine turned around and crouched again. This time EmmaLeigh was ready and the two of them took off together. They repeated the steps four more times before finally getting back to town.

They ran through town screaming for help. No one seemed inclined to though. Emma couldn't blame them, but if they didn't help they'd be just as dead.

"Please, you don't understand! There's a demon coming and it's going to kill us all! You have to help!"

What neither girl knew, was that while they had been off in the woods, a stranger had convinced the mayor to call an emergency town meeting. He told everyone what had been happening the last few weeks. He'd been there watching, and hoping that they'd do the right thing. Make the right choices with their power. And they hadn't. No longer trusted, respected, or even feared, the two girls had no one to turn to.

"Why should they want to help you?" a strange voice asked from the shadows. "You used them. Betrayed any trust they had in you. You degraded them and made them powerless. Just as you feel now. So again, I ask you; Why?"

Huge tears rolled down both girls' cheeks. "We never wanted to hurt anyone. We wanted to be liked. Maybe even loved. Janice promised that to us. Then...then she changed. She scared us. We didn't want to cross her. But she's dead now, and the demon she...we called is on it's way here to kill all of us." Emma took a deep breath to steady herself and continued, "But we want to fight it. We just need a little help. We're not afraid of dieing as long as it saves the innocent people in town." as she said this it surprised her that it was all true. She was willing to die as long as it meant something.

A man in a long black leather and wide brimmed hat that covered most of his face, stepped out of the shadows. He walked with a large staff and the girls noticed that there was a smile on his lips. "Good answer." was all he had time to say as the demon rushed into town. It lunged at the trio, it's scaled hide shinning in the fresh blood of the last two victims. "Expecto!" the man cast and a solid, semi-visible barrier formed around them. It stopped the demon in it's tracks, but only just. It took a step back and jumped at them again. The spell caster dropped his shield and raised his arm, "Impulso!" he screamed catching the monster in midair. It flew back and hit a stone building with so much force that the wall crumbled before it.

"Quick, make a circle around the two of us." he commanded. At the same time he drew in as much magic as he could. His head was pounding from the excess force, and his arms and legs felt as if someone had strapped weights to them. But it would be necessary for what was about to happen. The demon hadn't had time to gather extra power and what ensued was a battle that lasted hours. Magic the likes neither girl had seen before was thrown, but town was safe thanks to EmmaLeigh, Christine, and the stranger.

Both warriors where wearing down. It could be seen on their faces. The exact details of the end were last on both the girls. Shouts from both parties rang through the night, stirring up dirt and smoke. Until finally, all was quiet. This more then anything brought the girls' focus back to the circle. Inside, was full of smoke, and in the middle two shadows could be seen. One was standing over the other laying prone on the ground. As the smoke cleared the standing figure could be seen dusting off a hat. The Mage stepped out of the remaining smoke.

"You can drop the circle now. It's dead." He'd done what no one else in the town could. He'd killed the demon. Neither girl had held a spell for as long as they just had and were more then ready to drop it. Between holding the circle and their trip into town they were feeling about as drained as they imagined the man before them did.

"What...now?" Chris asked panting, trying to catch her breath.

"Now You All Leave." Shouted another voice behind them. They all turned around to find a large gathering of the town's strongest men, led by the Mayor, who spoke again, "We don't want any more trouble. We're willing to just let you three go for saving us. Don't make it harder then it has to be. Don't make us force you to leave."

The stranger just sighed and shook his head. "Figures" he muttered and started walking again. When the other two didn't follow, he turned, "Ladies, there's nothing for you here now. You should probably come with me."

Shocked, the girls followed, zombie-like. They didn't know exactly where they were being led. From in front of them, they could hear the man muttering, "I didn't want to make this place home anyway.". Finally turning to to girls, "OK, there are two choices now. You can follow me forward and form a new life for yourselves. Or you can stay here, hiding from your own people, taunted and hated the rest of your lives." With that the spell caster made a motion with his hand and a portal opened before them. Without looking back the man walked through. Emma and Chris looked at each other, took the others hand, and followed.

They emerged in the land called Aleris. After a long conversation, they decided that it would be best for them both (and less of a temptation) for each to go their own way. Not dissolving the friendship. After what they'd been through together they wouldn't allow that to happen. But they would stay in contact through letters.

Months passed and letters were received and sent weekly. Things were going well in this new land. Both Chris and Emma found someone. Both had new happy homes with jobs that made both of them very happy. Until the letters stopped. EmmaLeigh had received a letter a week for the last three months, so she became understandably concerned. She traveled to Chris' home. What she found sent chills down her spine. The inside of her house was ransacked. Everything was destroyed, and it was obvious that an attack had happened here.

Making her way through the house (for she couldn't think of think of it as a home now) following the scent of blood, she found her way to the bedroom. Reluctantly she opened the door and instantly regretted it, her breakfast came back up on the hallway carpet. The room in front of her was coated in blood; the walls, the ceiling, the bed. Everything. And Chris lay on the bed. Her naked form had been violated in every way possible. Her breasts had been torn off, every hole had been used, stretched, and cut beyond recognition, and when the attacker had been done with those holes, it'd made new ones. Chunks of flesh had been ripped away exposing organs and muscle.

As she turned to rush out, Emma caught sight of something written on the wall. A message had been left in the blood. "Three down, one to go." She didn't know how, but the demon was back. It'd been killed though. She'd seen it. She ran. It was the only thing that she could think to do. Aleris was a land full of magic and those who did more then dabble in spirit talking. There were mediums who Emma could get answers from. Could the soul of a demon stay around and seek revenge? According to everyone she spoke to, Yes. The demon followed them. It'd taken it's time on Christine, and she was next.

There was one more stop that she had to make though. She walked into Foresight's and the bell above the door rang as she opened it. "That's so stupid." She thought to herself, "Why put a bell over a door at the fortune tellers shop? How good could they be?" She stopped herself. This was her last stop and her only chance. She found the only person in the shop, and she was cleaning. She stepped up to the girl, hoping that she was actually a soothsayer and not just the cleaning lady.

"I need your help. I'm going to die." It wasn't a question. Just a fact. "I need you to tell me when."

The door to Foresight's was opened rather quickly and being as Wish was not expecting any customers anytime soon, she almost dropped the broom she had been using to sweep the dirty floor. The Fae gathered her composure and snatched the broom around the handle before it hit the ground. Wish tilted her head curiously at the girl who entered Foresight's; she appeared flushed and possibly in a rush, or just scared. Emma's question was one Wish did not expect for her first customer and it took her a brief moment before summoning up some sort of answer.

"I can't see how knowing when you are going to die will help you," Wish started. "The hand of death is well controlled by Fate and you would be a master to try and divert it. If you must know though, come with me and we'll see what we can find out... It's often difficult to tell, since there is a stronger veil that clouds the vision between death and life."

It was probably not the answer Emma wanted to hear from Wish, but truthfully it was the only one the blue winged Fairy could offer. Dealing with death was often a tricky thing and something that Wish preferred not to do (after all, she had been in the shadow's grasp one too many times). She hated having to tell Emma how she was going to die and Wish hated seeing what was ahead. More often then not, the death could be gruesome - murder, rape, disembowelment, beheading, sickness, betrayal... The chances that she would see Emma dying peacefully in her sleep were low indeed and the fact that Emma had come to Foresight's in the first place meant the girl knew she was in trouble and that things were only going to get ugly.

Nevertheless, Wish found herself waving the girl up the dusty stairs of Foresight's and to the room where there the balcony was. It had just turned night and her readings were always better by the light of stars; she needed all the strength and concentration she could muster being as how this was a death reading.

Stepping outside onto the balcony, Wish noticed how eerily quiet Grand City was this evening. Foresight's was located near the middle of the city so the odds that it would be this silent out were strange indeed. She looked over the balcony for a moment and saw not a soul walking done the lantern lit street. On the balcony, two chairs surrounded a circle table, one which had been overturned. Wish picked this chair up and then sat in it, motioning for Emma to take the other.

Wish took Emma's hands once she was directly across from her. She turned her olive green eyes towards the sky noticing there were very few stars out tonight. Wish focused on the brightest one she could find; her eyelids closed and she tried to keep an image in her mind of the position where the star hung in the sky. Soon she found the star fading from her subconscious and was replaced with a bit of Emma's past before the present and future. She could see Emma as the frightened girl walked in on Christine's dead and heavily mutilated body. Wish could hardly make out any definable body parts and found herself struggling to not only maintain a vision, but trying to keep her food down.

She saw Emma rushing to Foresight's, watched the girl sit at the very table they were at now and that was the moment Wish seemed to hit a wall. So soon, Wish thought as she tried to push past the invisible wall. Let me in... And then the wall caved down and she had not expected the next thing she saw. Wish's eyelids flew open, her olive colored irises alert, and she was barely able to let the words stumble out of her mouth.

"Now," Wish said. "Aye, you are going to die now."

It hadn't registered to Wish that she was going to get caught in the crossfire until the demon came seemingly out of nowhere and knocked both of them away from the table. The once quiet night was broken with a loud crash as the wooden table broke into many pieces. As Wish rolled towards the balcony railing from being thrown to the side, splinters both large and small had pierced her skin and gossamer-like wings. Hearing Emma's shriek, she could only imagine the girl had suffered some of the same injuries.

But this was just the beginning of a nasty encounter. Wish felt some weird sort of tentacle wrapping around her legs and shuddered at the thought of the demon possibly having more than two arms. She gathered her courage, grabbed the dagger that was attached alongside one of her knee-high boots and stabbed the demon in the slimed tentacle that had been circling around her leg. The creature backed off for now, but Wish couldn't find it in herself to believe that her first day at work was going to turn out successful. No, she was going to have to find a way to cheat death for both her and Emma.

"I'm not dying here," she whispered struggling to get up, as if anyone had been listening.

He was here. EmmaLeigh couldn't believe it. The demon had found her even after she'd been taken to a new realm. It looked a bit different then how she remembered it, but it was the same being, that she knew. She looked down and saw that she was hurt, cut in several places and pieces of wood sticking out in several more. She had to take control of this situation though. She couldn't let Wish die because she had come into work today. No.

Emma stood, and looked the demon in the eye. "Wait! Please don't hurt her. I just came here to see when you were coming. She has nothing to do with this!"

To her utter shock the demon stopped moving. It's tentacles stopping in place where they were. The demon's eyes bore into her own. Then almost quicker then she believed could happen, the tentacles where wrapped around her, just tight enough to keep her from moving. "Oh little would-be mageling, I couldn't hurt this poor innocent woman even if I wanted to." his hold on her tightened. "You on the other hand...." he let it hang there as he tightened his tentacles even more. Then released them a bit, giving her just a small break.

"No, I couldn't bring harm to this innocent at all right now." Leaning into EmmaLeigh's ear he whispered, "You see, you and that other mage, killed me. I'm here on a special mission. If I manage to kill all those involved with bringing me to the mortal world in the first place, I can be given life again. And you're the last little bitch." He laughed. He laughed so hard his grip on Emma loosened.

She took the opening and tried breaking free. However it was like pushing off hundreds of slimy eels. For every one she got free of two more wrapped around her, and tighter. Finally one wrapped around her throat, and squeezed. Her vision began to turn fuzzy, and it was harder to keep her eyes opened. Soon the color black began to appear on the corners of her vision. This was it. She was about to die. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Wish was at a loss for words to say the least. To hear that the demon was not going to kill her... well great! But what about Emma? First day on the job, first customer and Wish is just supposed to let the poor girl die? Not on her watch. She was going to get Emma away from the demon and get the girl to safer grounds. In her short time in Aleris, Wish had heard about the Goddess of Spring, Aurora, and thought perhaps if she could get her to the Goddess' temple, Emma would be safe.

As her mind was busy struggling with how to get away and how to even find the blasted temple, she felt that the demon had diverted all his attention to his victim. It seemed the beast was focusing the entirety of his might on disposing of Emma and doing god knows what in the process. Wish did not want to see the violation taking place. However, she did take this break in the attack to make a move.

Unfortunately, she had been graced with a rather small build as most Faes had been. She stood an impressive five feet (which actually may have been tall for a Fae), did not carry much in the muscle department and looked like she had stopped aging around 21 years some time ago, so her whole presence at first sight wasn't something to be feared. Nevertheless, armed with no weapons, she found herself taking a hard swing at the demon with a tight fist and failing miserably. Wish picked up a chair which had miraculously not been broken in the fray and swung it at the demon's back. The chair broke on impact and she swore she heard the demon laugh in reaction as if it just tickled. She was getting flustered and feeling hopeless minute by minute and her mind was racing with what else was there left to do.

Demons are usually summoned by dark magic, so what would be a good counter to that? For crying out loud, she was a healer and if there was one thing she learned throughout her years was that the skill to heal usually took on the use of light magic. Besides the ability to heal, this magic could be also used for other things, such as defending a life. Wish dodged one of the demon's tentacles that was about to wrap around Emma's neck and suffer her cries. Her hand reached towards the demon's chest and in that moment she concentrated whatever energy she had left to send a shockwave into the demon. For a few seconds, the dark street of Grand City where Foresight's was lit up as the blinding flare made contact with the demon.

She made no attempt to stick around and see if her magic had made any impact on the demon. All Wish knew was that she had interfered now and that she was in trouble. There was however a definite wounded growl that came from the demon's throat and it was forced to let Emma go momentarily. Wish reached for Emma, took the girl's hand and did not give her any time to object to running like Hell.

The two of them burst into the other room, leaving the balcony, and headed towards the stairs to get out of the battleground that Foresight's had become. However, on her descent down the stairs, Wish had tripped over her own boots. The landing at the end of the stairs was not very big and when Wish fell, Emma tumbling after her, the two of them hit the wall hard. In addition to plummeting down the stairs, Wish's head smacked against the wall and her legs felt utterly useless. She felt blood running from the top of some now open wound on her head and swore she heard something in her leg crack. She didn't dare move for a few split seconds, but when Emma finally crashed into her an immense amount of pain flooded over her again and she let out a painful cry. Wish tried to raise her head to look up towards the stairs and see if the demon was coming after them, but in doing so she had made a terrible mistake. A sudden rush of agony ran through her head and she was overwhelmed with an unstoppable blackness that filled her vision.

The Fae was out for the count, and there was nothing she could do to save Emma now. The girl was going to die and for trying to save her, Wish would possibly also suffer the same fate.

The world had turned black, and then, there was screaming, and moving, and pain. EmmaLeigh opened her eyes to find herself on top of the woman she'd come here looking for help from. She pushed herself up and looked around. Her eyesight was blurry from the fall and the oxygen deprivation. What her vision focused on first was the figure at the top of the stairs.

Slowly, as if enjoying his moment, the demon followed the two down their would-be escape route. He stepped over the two of them and as he did one of his tentacles wrapped around Emma's leg and jerked her up into the air, upside down.

"Now, where were we before that fae girl did her brave deed?" She could sense the demon's anger. He hadn't expected this much of a fight, and honestly if Wish hadn't attacked when she did, he probably wouldn't have gotten much of one. "Oh, I remember now."

With a flick of his tentacle, the demon threw Emma across the room into the far wall. There was a loud crash as shelves came down with her, and if he wasn't too mistaken a very satisfying crack when the girl's head hit the wall. Oh it wasn't a killing blow, but it was going to hurt like hell.

"When I took your friend, she was begging me not to stop by the end. Of course she'd lost so much blood that even if I had stopped she would have bled out quickly. You on the other hand. I don't think I'm going to waste that much more time on you. With my luck the smelly fae there would wake up in the middle and try stopping me again." He turned his head and a very small, very evil grin crossed his lips. "I want to be able to touch her back when she wakes up." turning back to EmmaLeigh, he sighed, "So I guess that means you have to die now."

He felt slightly cliched as he said it, but it didn't matter. Soon she would be dead, and he'd be alive again. He'd had fun as a ghost, but the Demon was ready to be able to wreck havoc on this new land. There were deals to be made and souls to be had.

He stalked over to EmmaLeigh, who hadn't gotten her feet back under her just yet. Reaching down he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. He feet kicked wildly as he stood there watching her for a moment.

Emma coughed something that in her head had been, "Someone will make you pay you son of a bitch." but came out more like an old woman hacking up phlegm. The blackness began creeping in on her sight again. She started to panic and kick and flail her limbs even harder. The demon sighed and flicked his wrist with contempt.

The loud snapping could be heard outside and down the street for five buildings on any side. EmmaLeigh slumped in the demon's grasp, dead. The demon threw his head back and let out a roar that shook the windows. He was free again! He fell to one knee as power and energy flowed into him. He could feel his body becoming flesh again. He had fulfilled his quest and now was ready to have his fun with the Fae girl.

Israfil was reborn.

The steam engine train that circled the large continent of Aleris rolled to a stop at the deserted platform within the Grand City in the Eastern Lands of Aurora; home of the capital of Aleris and King Alerion himself. Amid billowing plumes of steam and the sounds of the engine cooling down two figures stepped from the train onto the deserted platform. A tall man dressed in a clerical robe with a kind, yet dangerous, aura appeared first as if to ensure that it was safe for the diminutive woman that followed.

Wrapped in a forest green cloak there would be very little to capture the attention of the casual observer until she stepped inadvertently into a pool of flickering lamp light that caused her hair to shine like spun red-gold, easily giving her location away to any who might chance to glance their way. Hastily covering her hair with the hood of the cloak her hand was drawn through the crook of her companions arm and the pair began a leisurely, yet alert, stroll through the Grand City.

Though this was the pair’s first visit to Grand City Alexien and Brina Kincade were not newcomers to Aleris. The last several weeks had been spent settling in to their new home in the Western Lands of Galenous, the tranquil atmosphere of the Autumnal lands suiting them quite nicely. This was an unusual world to be sure but they had their reasons for traveling through the dimensions to Aleris’ lands. Once they had had a sweet little rectory they called home in the lands of Mystra Amor but a war saw to it destruction and together they returned to her homeland of Ireland.

Unfortunately sorrow followed them there, as well, as shortly after their return to the Emerald Isle Alexien’s sister, Elizabeth, fell ill and died. He accepted her death as a part of nature’s cycle but when the opportunity came to leave the unpleasant memories behind the married couple took it. Only it wasn’t just to escape the pain of Elizabeth’s death; they had lost another dear to them, Brina’s cousin, and it was her death that called them to Aleris. The ones responsible for her death were no where to be found but Brina was determined that when they did resurface, she would be there waiting for them. In the mean time they would do their best to build a new life for themselves in this world.

Intent only upon sight seeing and getting to know the hub city of their new home they wandered towards the Cornucopia Market, taking in the sights and gazing through storefront windows. Occasionally one of them would pause to comment on an item they thought might look good in their new residence but mostly it was a quiet, comfortable, stroll. That is, until, they drew closer to Foresights, the local fortune telling shop.

The sudden blast of fae magic actually caused her to stumble; the hand still threaded through Alexien’s arm the only thing allowing her to keep her feet. A sudden burst of light from the Foresights building indicated just where the fae magic had originated from and without a seconds hesitation she bolted ahead of Alexien, heading straight towards where the frantic magic had come from. Someone, some fae, was in trouble. She knew without needing to look that Alexien would be behind her, that he would follow without hesitation as he trusted her instincts as surely as she trusted his. This is what they did, after all, who they were. Protectors, defenders, guardians…Keepers of the Light continually battling to maintain the balance against the Darkness.

Her hand had just touched the door to Foresights when the unmistakable sound of bone cracking could be heard loud enough for any passerby to have noticed and dread filled her. Having no idea that the fae in question had been defending another she feared the worst but it didn’t stop her from flinging open the door to Foresights and stepping inside. A grisly sight met her peridot gaze; a woman who was clearly dead lay slumped against the far wall while what was obviously a demon stood over the fae woman who had managed to attract the attention, and aide, of another of her kind. And she was still alive.

Trusting the skill of the man at her back implicitly she didn’t think, just acted, and staring down the demon from her diminutive height she rushed to place herself in front of Wish, the sudden slamming of the staff she carried to the floor causing a flare of red gold energy to emit from the stone at its top where it flared out to circle the two women, creating a solid energy barrier that only those with good intentions could cross. Knowing Alexien would be right on her heels she met the demon’s gaze, her lilting brogue laced with malice for the creature before her.

”I’d be runnin’ now if I were ye.”

Nothing humbles a person more completely than those things they cannot change. Choices are what gave people courage. It gave them a feeling of power and control over their own lives. Unfortunately, fate always seemed to tug back on your leash at the most unexpected times. And while for some it often brought a deep, lengthy pain with it..there was a small amount of relief for them as well. It helped them realize that they were free, but not a God. It told them that sometimes things happened because they were meant to. And no matter how strong they were or how intelligent..there is something greater out there. So while it brought pain, it was somehow comforting as well. Liberating in a way...

...but that was some people. He wasn't one for leashes. Yes, there were things that he hadn't been able to stop in his life. The horrid circumstance with his parents. His sisters illness. The war that claimed Mysta Amor. There was nothing he could have done, but when each of them happened he always seemed to be better for it in the end. If he hadn't been exiled from the order, Brina and he most likely wouldn't have been married. Had they not been within the war that ravaged Mystra Amor, the people they saved would be dead. While it was sometimes hard to find the good in the bad..the things he couldn't change motivated him still -- motivated him to continue striving for a better life and a better world.

Was a better life to be found in Aleris? It had as much potential as anywhere else. There was no world war...no global catastrophe. For the most part it was peaceful. But it wasn't a world free of horrors.And even though the order had exiled both Brina and himself, they were still who they had always been. Tenders of the flame that chased away the darkness. Without the resources provided to them once upon a time by the Order though, things were more difficult. Materials and means were no longer just provided, they had to be acquired through personal labor or purchase. Fortunately, Brina had become quite the adept herbalist and healer, both talents able to bring a profit. However, his skill set was far less practical. He was a priest. Every service he provided, even those that risked his life..they were for righteousness, not money. Yet he found people were willing to pay for combative training. Maybe it was hypocritical for him, a man of peace to be teaching others how to fight but..what was the greater evil? Training someone to raise their fist in violence, or not training them to protect themselves 'from' violence? Besides, the more people that could protect themselves the less a chance there was they would be victimized. He was a protector but he couldn't be everywhere at once, so it was a matter of 'catch a man a fish and feed him for a day, but teach a him to fish..'.

Since they both discovered ways to finance a reasonable life things started getting easier. But despite their job titles there was still one duty that came above all else. To preserve the light wherever and whenever necessary. But as the train came pulling into Grand City station neither one of them was thinking about the struggle. They had come to the city to sight see and explore. After all they had lived in Aleris for a short while and had only seen a small portion of it. He would be fine with just having their own little piece of the world but Brina and her wanderlust had a way of getting his feet moving.

He was the stark normality to her surreal beauty. As she stepped out behind him there was quite the contrast between the two. Her vibrant hair, her lively eyes, everything about her seemed so blissfully serene. And so he stood, a black cassock that buttoned from neck to waist draped over his taller, broader frame. His face held a slight stubble to it, and dark brown hair hung down to just beyond his shoulders. His eyes were a deep blue and they seemed kind enough, but for anyone who knew what to look for he had the gaze of a man who had been tried and tested..a man who had endured more than his years might've hinted to. They looked so different and yet when their arms joined there was no more perfect pair than them.

They walked, they chatted, they laughed and observed all the sights and shops. It was shaping up to be a pleasant evening and he began to think that perhaps he should travel more. There were many things in Aleris to see..and if he didn't take advantage of the beauty and life to be found in it than what was the point of preserving it? Fate it seemed had other plans though, and it decided to make its unpredictable presence felt. It first came with a wave of energy that nearly knocked his wife to the ground but he helped her stay vertical. Then came the flash of light and a loud yell...more than enough to throw he and Brina into action.

His wife ran for the door and he followed without question. She had instincts and senses he didn't, and many times her insight had saved them. He trusted her completely. The initial twinge of a husbands concern came but it was surpressed just as quickly. She was his wife but this is who they were as people, it defined them. Her skills made her more than capable of defending herself and his faith in her abilities silenced his concern as she burst into the shop. As she went for the door he broke off to the right. In that single second..emotions vanished, and training took over. With the sudden cause of alarm and flow of adrenaline inside him one would assume things would be chaotic. Adrenaline was seductive..but it lied to you. It made a man feel stronger, faster, invincible even..and that is where the training came in. It enforced he wasn't indestructable..and at the moment when things should be at their most frantic, time stopped.

He leapt towards the window adjacent to the door, and in mid air he began drawing out the blade sheathed over his left shoulder. The pommel was brought forward firmly, hammering through the glass just before he came crashing through it. The impact of his booted feet on the shop floor shook the muscles in his calves but he stood tall regardless. Things moved much more slowly when a person had the knowledge of adrenaline control. Which is why he was able to see the girl injured behind Brina, the dead girl near the wall, and the demon in the middle of it all with only a fraction of a second glance. Brina had a barrier around herself and the girl, a barrier that he stayed ahead of rather than enter. And while Brina stared down the demon...he looked only to the fallen girls body. He stared at it for several long moments before cutting his eyes towards the creature.

"You're far from the inferno little flame..." Tightening his left hand around the hilt of his sword, his right pulled the white collar from around his neck and revealed a crimson one beneath it. "..and you've come a long way to die."