The cold mornings were beginning to become a hassle as more and more seplini began to complain. But he supposed since they were cold blooded, they usually hid under ground during the cool months. Arching a white wing, Dragli circle around the centeno ecchial drink as the slow wisps of pestering woman gathered around the room. Many of the passing women were either, Jukins or seplini... he hadn’t bled the darkness into the other regions of Flycoren, so he couldn’t capture any other breeds. Leaning back into the vast chair, Dragli could hear many thoughts of his slaves as most were thinking of there missions.

“There minds are nothing more than a simple bore.” Dragli mouthed as he brought his sights back to the world of reality. “This conquest for domination of Flycoren, as become far too scheduled... a routine.”

“My lord, does thou wish for anything more?” A lime green seplini quizzed. Casting a hand aside Dragli arose from his chair, just dragging the tips of his wings across the blue marble floor. Pressing the slow gentle footsteps out onto the circle balcony, the scream of a low pitched bird called his sights upwards.

“Hmmm what’s this?” The sweet flutter of aged silver wings, the massive hissing feathers landed on the gleaming surface before him. “Ah the Falic...” Dragli grinned softly.

“My liege...” The bird was quite unique as it seemed to have the abilities to communicate through one minds to the others, like him with his slaves. “The ones you have requested I follow; have been found and researched carefully.”

“Explain what you found, my friend?”

The folic nestled into a balled position as Dragli waited calmly for what was found.

He first seemed confused at a thought of his. “My liege was is a guardian?” Dragli’s sights grew wide at the thought.

“A guardian? How do you know of this Folic?” Dragli demanded as he snatched the beast up by the slender neck of his. Coughing some, the bird remained still as he glared murderously down to his surveyor.

“The.... the woman in the group... she is a guardian...” his hand dropped open as Dragli cursed rapidly into the dawning night. He never thought they’d have a guardian come after him... that could be the reason why he couldn’t control the hevanarchon any longer. He came in contact with this woman... a mortal guard.

“Tell me more! Who is she traveling with... where are they... where are they heading... SPEAK now!”

“Sir the woman is with two males... a hevanarchon and a demoil....”

‘A demoil?’ Dragli turned the thought over in his mind. “What type of demoil?”

“Devil.”

“Mmm,” Dragli grinned slowly as he retained his calm composer, “Devil demoils... they are a strong willed race and are just as easily controlled as that hevanarchon was...”

“My lord also the guardian was attacked by the seplini beast, she was badly wounded by earlier this day the earth goddess, revived her. They are on there way to Sidri but when the goddess was there, she caste something on the demoil... a blood curse.” Dragli chuckled to himself at the thought.

“Oh that will do nicely... very nicely indeed. We will get rid of this guardian and the craven hevanarchon.” Dragli fluttered out his wings at the idea. “Yes with a blood curse in place, the demon will fall into a sickly state and I’ll be able to harness the power and create a rouge devil demon...”

“Sir, a rouge! They haven’t been around since Demot and Aurail fought. They are not trust worthy!”

“I know that’s why it will be a good plan. He’ll kill the guardian and the hevanarchon companion, then if we are lucky... he will take out the Sidri and then...” Dragli began to laugh demonically as the thought was a pleasant idea. “Then I will send him to Echowinds, to take out the head mistress and with this he will be killed as well!”

“This is the plot I need to keep control of the darkness... and then if the head mistress is killed, I can over take the temples and awaken the beasts within and perhaps, Aurail.” His sights were dark as the bleak growth from the wings seemed to seep down into the ground. The darkness regained new power as its new target was set... Echowinds.

______

Sprinting out of the way from the towering beast, Rye climbed up onto some of the merchants drapes. Grey had tried to keep her grounded, by she began to pout, causing him to let go. It was a annoying trick she played, but she got her way at least.

“Rye get down here!” Grey cried. “You were just revived! You should be taking...”

“And she’s gone.” Crow smirked

“It...slow...” Grey snorted as he cursed softly to himself. The moment she woke up that morning, Rye was bouncing off the walls. It was plainly obvious that she had never been to Sidri, as she was more than just completely amused but the lvines. They on the other hand, didn’t like to be stared at.

“That woman is going to drive me to drinking.” Grey muttered softly as he snagged Crow by the collar. Passing lvines were becoming antsy and annoyed all in one, as they had stopped moving in the brinks of traffic. It was best to move out of the way before they were shoved down and used as a new part of the street.

“Drinking eh?” Crow laughed some as he found it amusing that Rye had just plainly ran off without a single word. “I bet that’s not the first time you’ve said that.”

Grey grinned slightly as it had to be about the hundred and fiftieth time he had said that. “Oddly enough, you are right... but it’s just a thought. She almost makes me to want to.” Crow laughed as there were some more cries as the bouncing figure of Rye running across the merchants tops still, were telling her to buzz off. But she never took the hint.

“Rye please come back here!” Grey begged, setting her ears towards them.

“Oh fine.” Rye slipped down a white and gold tent top as the merchant below cussed profusely at her. “Hope you don’t eat with that mouth!” Rye spat back.

“Rye...”

Her sights turned towards him as she simply rolled her shoulders. “Yes father... I am coming!” Rye hopped and skipped towards him as she cocked her head to the left some. Twirling a finger around in her hair, Grey had to turn away from her. “You wanted to see me daddy?”

“Okay I got the message.”

“Good!” Rye snapped gently towards him as he held a casual grin on his face. “Cause I hate acting like one of those snotty bags from home.” Her tongue stuck out in disfavor as Grey simply turned an eye towards Crow as if to say ‘someone has some past issues.’

“Alright well anyways you two, I think we had better find some type of inn before they are filled up.” Crow pointed in the direction to the hustle and bustle of the town. “Cause personally I am just a little annoyed of sleeping outside. You can only pretend so long that you’re out camping.” Rye smirked slightly as she shoved Grey outwards.

“Okay Captain Crow... lead the way.” Rye gave a salute to him as Grey had suddenly gone quiet... into a creepy quiet.

Taking their march back out into the streets, Rye had begun to keep an eye on Grey as he seemed to be troubled by something. His face had gone pale as Rye had nudged Crow to make sure she wasn’t seeing anything.

‘Tell me you see it too.’ Crow leaned in to make sure that Grey couldn’t hear him. ‘You mean besides the fact that his dead white?’ Rye nodded as she began to see something here that she had seen before. The chilly weather that had begun to set in, wasn’t the affect... there was a slight distasteful hint of dry blood in the air as it gave off the smell of fresh human fruit.

“Grey are you feeling alright?” Crow was the first to question as Rye stood by, just waiting to hear the response.

“Fine why?” Grey lied. Rye narrowed an eye as he sighed some. “Never mind about me. I’ll be fine after I lay down... I think all the running we did before is finally catching up with me.”

She gathered a concerned eye over her vast companion. “Grey are you sure that’s it... this seems to have some spirit curse, written all over it.”

If it was at all possible, Grey grew whiter as he turned an eye down to the two of them. “Spirit curse? What is that?”

“Well...” Rye dodged a running lvine she barely paid any heed to it. “A spirit curse is like a demonic charm that could affect a person and either turn into something good or something bad. It’s kinda a neutral thing I suppose.”

Crow fingered his chin. “Is something called a ‘blood curse’ one?”

Rye’s stare darkened as she quickened her pace. “Yes, and it’s a picky one. It likes to pick out a target and modify there bodies.”

Grey nudged Crow as he pointed towards Rye. Mouthing the words, Grey seemed to recall why he briefly remembered the curse. ‘She was attacked by one.’

‘Oh...’ Crow nodded smoothly, “Rye is there anything else you know about one?”

“Not really... a blood curse is kinda rare...” a narrowed glance fell across her shoulder towards the two of them. “Why are you so interested in a blood curse anyways?”

“Well because...” Crow struggled against Grey’s clamping hand. Rye tapered her sights further as Grey began to laugh nervously.

“No reason Rye... his just curious.” Grey cleared his throat as Rye simply shrugged her shoulders. It was either she didn’t care what was going on or she had a slight idea. But he was betting on the first thought. “There is an Inn there. Let’s hurry up here.”

_________

It was practically the second they had finally obtained a room that Grey went to sleep. Rye was slightly in amazement... even for Grey that was awful quick to fall asleep.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that he is sleeping,” Rye turned towards him with an awful glare. “Now you and I can talk.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Rye snagged his collar as she dragged him out of the room. Closing the door swiftly behind them, Rye nearly wanted to boot Crow across the Inn. There was something he and Grey went through and it involved a blood curse, and she was going to find out what it was about.

“Rye I don’t know anything!” Crow protested as she was clearly not in the mood to play games.

“Crow I want to know the truth. What did you and Grey run into out there?”

“Well...” Crow turned his eyes away from hers. “We ran into... man eating squirrels! Yes that’s it...” Crow grinned humorously; Rye on the other hand held her murderous glare as she took a step towards him.

“Crow I am not in the mood to deal with stupidity. You had better tell me what went on while I was out, before I make you wish you were never born.” Rye sneered viciously as it was probably worse seeing her mad than Grey. “Now speak up!”

Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed slightly. “We ran into this weird woman... she was a strange sight with this weird creepy man thing following her around.” Rye’s face grew worried as he spoke, “What was her name again... it started with a V... I think?”

“Veronia.”

Crow pointed towards Rye as it was clear that it wasn’t the thing she wanted to hear. “That’s it!” Rye seemed eager to know more. “Anyways, she appeared out of no where and healed you... and bla blah bla... and then the next second I know she says something to Grey like. ‘Ha now you have a blood curse’, but we kinda just walked away.”

“Oh great...”

“What?”

“You two do not know what you walked into... a blood curse in Grey’s case could cause major shift in demonic or his ecchial essence. For better or worse...”

“What could be worse than a freakish demon type ecchial thing?” Crow joked lightly... “It’s not like he is a man eating squirrel...” Rye peered oddly over him.

“Do you have a fetish with man eating squirrels or is that just me?”

Crow shrugged lightly. “No... but...” He grinned cunningly as Rye matched up with him, as he turned towards her again. “But we are evil... hehehehe... evil little man eating squirrel... ah ha ha ha... we’ll get you!”

Rye stared blandly towards him as she turned on her heels. “Okay then, when the evil squirrels stop communicating with you and your head, come and find me. I’ll be in the world of reality.”

“Evil... ah ha ha ha... hey wait up!” Crow laughed as Rye was quick to dart away from him. “We all want to be friends!”

“Get away from me creepy...” Rye smirked jokily as she took off out of the Inn. “You keep your possessed friends to yourself!”