The Forest's Songs

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James let go of his sword, sure this woman meant him no harm, and he took a seat down on the hewn earth, tracing a finger through the cratered soil he had pummeled. He looked back up with a weak smile. If this woman is who she said she was, she may be able to assist him in finding the shrine of which he had heard. he bowed his head once more. "I am sorry to have insulted or frightened you dear Sha'ira. I was simply unsure of who you were." He looked back up again and smiled warmly. "In all honesty, I am search of a particular shrine in this fair forest. They say it is a blessed, holy place, and anyone to set foot into it shall be cured of any curses." he explained. He looked away ashamed, trying to think of how to put it. How to explain that a noble elven prince was also the vessel to the single most powerful demon known to the ancient world? He looked back up and decided to simply put it as that. "I have a problem that needs tended to, so that is why I seek this temple."

He moved closer to her, feeling out with both his mind and spirit, allowing Gilashi to analyze her powers and feelings. He gasped and took a careful step back. "Ah, I see you yourself are cursed Sha'ira." he deduced, aware now why he had felt a strange obligation to be kind and truthful to the woman. " A strange enchantnment I am sure...how about a deal, I shall share with you my story, in exchange for yorus, and how you obtained your enchantment." he offered, taking off his sword, his most valued posession, and placing it on the ground, to show he meant no harm as he took a seat next to her.

[Willowsong]

"I am sorry to have insulted or frightened you dear Sha'ira. I was simply unsure of who you were."

Willowsong watched as the Elf holstered his sword again, but she still didn't trust him.

"In all honesty, I am search of a particular shrine in this fair forest. They say it is a blessed, holy place, and anyone to set foot into it shall be cured of any curses."

"There is no shrine in this forest.", she lied adversely, stepping away as he approached. "If there was, why should I tell you?"

"A strange enchantnment I am sure...how about a deal, I shall share with you my story, in exchange for yours, and how you obtained your enchantment."

"And there is no story to be told!", she shouted, backing away still as he tried to sit down next to her.
"You have the aura of evil about you, Prince! You will stay away from me or we will corrupt each other!", she yelled, raising a hand in defense.

She was more scared than hostile, mentally at least. Physically she faked the angered expression. Inside, she was scared like the lone girl she was.

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James sighed, looking away ashamed. Nobody else had been able to detect Gilashi so quickly or with such ease. The voice echoed though his head. "It would be jsut easier to kill her, don't you agree? Screw finding the shrine kid, let's have some fun." it chuckled and cooed. James shook his head and looked back at the woman pleadingly. "Please, do not fear me, I mean you no harm!" he spoke quickly and exasperated, kickign away his sword to exaggerate this point, placing his hands in the air as well. "I do not wish to hurt you, and I pray you shall trust me. I am simply curious, and I wish to be rid of this...evil...that plagues me."

[Willowsong]

"Please, do not fear me, I mean you no harm!"

Willowsong watched as the elf tossed his sword away, and she shrugged uncertainly.

"I do not wish to hurt you, and I pray you shall trust me. I am simply curious, and I wish to be rid of this...evil...that plagues me."

Willowsong still was sceptic.
"You...you could be one of the Possessed! Once I approach you, you will plant a demon inside of me! Prove that you are not possessed and it is a good soul speaking!"

The witch wasn't entirely sure how he would prove that, so she spoke again quickly.
"Just... explain your condition and story to me... then I might believe you."

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James frowned and sighed, running a hand through his hair, scratching the top of your skull. "As you wish, your grace..." he spoke, sitting hiomself upon the cool soil of the forest again, as he began his story.


It was a long time ago, in the land from where I hail. THe legend goes that there were eight elemental gods. One for each blessed element and race. THey also created the world and all was well. YEt there were four ELder Gods who disapproved witht heir contact with mortals and wished to have us all extinguished. THe gods fought, and the elementals won. THe four ELder Gods were cast down from the heavans and cast into the the several layers of hell, becomign the four devils. To shorten the story, Well, one demon became powerful enough to return to Earth. He raided, attacked, and destroyed the cities and towns, with a bloodlust that rivaled hell itself. He nearly conquered our entire land, ebfore he bgan plottign the takeover of the entire world. Finally, my father rose up with the kings of the seven other cities, and he fought him long and hard. But in the end, he would never be able to truly kill him, SO he was forced to place the Demon's soul inside of my body, along with mine."

He placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head. "SO yes there is an evil soul within me, but there is also a true, good, and pure soul as well. And that is the one in control, that is the one to which yo speakl to right now."

[Willowsong]

Willowsong began pacing around as the Prince began to tell his tale. He spoke of one of the many theories of how the world came to be, but Willowsong quickly dismissed that claim. If this Elf was possessed by such a fallen god, he wouldn't be able to stand his corruption, right? The demon was probably a 'normal' one.
Still, Willowsong told herself to stay on guard.
She had encountered one wanderer before, who was possessed by a demon and he tried to take over Willowsong's body with the result of the demon getting 'exorcised' from the traveller's body as it fled back through the forest as a strange black shape.

"SO yes there is an evil soul within me, but there is also a true, good, and pure soul as well. And that is the one in control, that is the one to which yo speakl to right now."

The witch crossed her arms, shivering slightly.
"So... he can take over your body as well at times? And that is why you are here? To find a shrine?"

She paused, nodding towards the forest.
"I have seen many shrines in this forest and none of them were able to remove my curse. I doubt they hold any magic at all."

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James could see the doubt in the witch's eyes and he began to lose hope. As she accused him of being out of control with the demon inside of him, he shook his head and frowned deeply. "Well, yes and no. He speaks to me, always there, a second soul if you will, and he may only take over in times of dire need...When this soul might fail and our body may die..." he explained. He smile hoping she would now help him, but the poor news of no such cure for his 'illness' tore him up inside, shredding his heat and soul. As Gilashi's laugh, light yet terrible, echoed throug hhis mind hysterically, he sat himself upon a fallen tree and sighed, holding his head in his hands. "All this way for nothing then.." he mumbled to himself, running fingers through his hair. He looked up to the skies as a single tear fell. "Father, why did you leave me so soon? You bestowed this terrible being upon me and left me to grow confused and isolated...what do I do Father?" he prayed to the heavans, hoping his father woudl hear him in Lintera. He was hoping for even the smallest sign, the smallest ounce of hope. But no, he was here, int he middle of the forest, with nothing but the demon who lived in his body and the forest woman who believed him insane.

[Willowsong]

"Father, why did you leave me so soon? You bestowed this terrible being upon me and left me to grow confused and isolated...what do I do Father?"

Willowsong shrugged.
"I only said that the shrines were useless. Maybe because I do not believe in gods. If you tried, maybe something would happen. Or you let me try to exorcise you.", she paused, smirking bitterly.
"Or you let the demon pass onto me."

Willowsong approached him now, her green eyes glowing vividly.
"You would like that, wouldn't you?", she asked him, but it wasn't clear whether she asked the elf or the demon inside of him.
It was a crazy idea, but right now Willowsong believed herself to be capable of handling a demon.

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James looked up at her and frowned, shaking his head. "I have lost favor with the gods long ago, I am now lucky if they even let me use the smallest trace of magic..." he explained, tracing his fingers into a symbol in the air, causing only the smallest spark. "BEsides, I had the feeling this would be all for naught afterall." he said gloomily shifting on his makeshift chair. He looked up at her and had to supress a smirk. "It is not that I odoubt your power milady, it is simply that ann exorcism would not work. THis is not a posession, this is a shared body. We are linked by life. If he goes or I go, we shall both die." he said, wrapping his fingers around the cold silver necklace surrounding his neck. He jumped slighly in his seat as she approached him with the other suggestion. The way she guessed that he would be the one weak enough to simply toss away the curse like some sort of meaningless item offended him. He stood and looked at her with his piercing marble eyes, returning her stare. "Madam, this is not a curse I would let anybody suffer, I know it's pain, and I know it's dangers. I doubt anybody else would be able to handle this nuisance. I would never let this tradgedy fall upon anybody else. If I cannot dispose of this creature permanently, then Iw ould rather have it infesting me."

[Willowsong]

"Madam, this is not a curse I would let anybody suffer, I know it's pain, and I know it's dangers. I doubt anybody else would be able to handle this nuisance. I would never let this tradgedy fall upon anybody else. If I cannot dispose of this creature permanently, then Iw ould rather have it infesting me."

Willowsong perked her brows and tilted her head, smiling uncertainly.
"You want to go to a shrine to free you from the demon, yet you know that his departure would kill you. You stay near me despite of the danger you pose."
Willowsong took one step closer to the elf, frowning.
"Tell me, Prince, what is it you want? Kill yourself to stop the danger this demon poses to others? What is it?"

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James frowned and stared at the woman. He did not liekt he way she imposed her presence on him, as if superior. He gnored it and sighed, walking closer to her, raising a finger sternly. "First of all you are in no danger, I am very much lucid and in control. Secondly...I do not know. I half hope that I can remove himw ithout dying, but another half of me does not care. If it is only way to rid this world of his evil ocne and for all, Iw ould gladly pay that price." he explained, sitting back down, rubbing his temples. "My whole life I've been cut off from society, so I really have no connections, nobody who would miss me. And if it's true, that if I keep him one day he will eventually come back into power, I do not wish to eb the one responsible for that. But I am not one to push this curse onto somebody else either. Iw ould rather die. It is not the cowards path, it is that of the martyr, just like my father." he said, grasping his cross.

[Talwyn]

A loud snort could be heard from behind the two. "Path of the martyr? Don't make me laugh. It's the path of attention seeking." Standing tall and defiant, like an inmoveable object, the hooded person looked at the elf from underneath his all concealing cowl. Slung to his back, was the corpse of a full grown deer, yet the stranger did not seem to mind the weight.

Turning his gaze to Willowsong he nodded. "I see you have found another social reject while I was away." Walking past the newcomer, he dropped the deer and motioned Willowsong to follow him. "Let's check those bandages of yours shall we?"

Checking her wound, he reapplied the bandages. "It seems to be healing fine. I think we can take them off tomorrow. But it's probably best if you remain carefull for a few more days." Nodding towards James, he continued. "Anyways, who's the elf? And what is he doing here?"

[Willowsong]

Willowsong was about to respond as suddenly Talwyn reappeared from the forest.

"I see you have found another social reject while I was away."

Willowsong frowned, shaking her head.
"Be nice. We are all guests to this forest.", she clarified.

"Let's check those bandages of yours shall we?"

Willowsong sighed, pulling open her gown to let Talwyn reach her bandages. Of course she also showed her chest during that movement, and after realising it, she rolled her eyes and closed it enough for Talwyn to reach the bandage and not be driven insane.

"It seems to be healing fine. I think we can take them off tomorrow. But it's probably best if you remain carefull for a few more days."

Like a rebellious little girl, she pursed her lips and pulled her gown shut again, stepping away.
"Fine."

"Anyways, who's the elf? And what is he doing here?"

Willowsong nodded, smiling as she stepped towards the elf again, smiling.

"This is Prince James Tekkarr. Prince, this is Talwyn. He also bears... a curse."
Crossing her arms, Willowsong didn't know who to look at. In fact she was getting a bit crowded right now. She was used to having no company, so two felt like a whole party to her now.
Stepping away to have some room for herself, she watched the two men interact.

[Elf Prince Tekkarro]

James sneered at the man, his eyes flashing a deep red for a brief moment, as a voice echoed through the forest, coming form James yet not from his lips but wihin him. "Oh no my young fool, the only attention we seek is from you when I rip your throat from your pathetic body." it said, a glass shattering laugh sounding through the trees as several birds took lfight. James scratched his head as he frowned deeply at the man who had approached him so rudely. "No sir, that is why I choose this path, not for any attention. He is Gilashi, and he is, as you might have guessed already, quite charming. And also my father was a great man he gave his life for not only his own people, but for yours and possibly the entire world. I would appreciate it if you did not insult him as such." he explained, gripping the hilt of his sword angrily, only to release tension, and warn the stranger. He went to check on Sha'ira, who seemed to be injured. She bared her chest and James flushed red, turning around, as GIlashi chuckled amdly in his head He finally was about to introduce himself when Sha'ira did it for him. He bowed to accompanyt he introduction, and looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. "Talwyn," he muttered, as if tasating the name on his lips, "in my country your name would translate roughly to hawk...what is your curse my friend?" he prompted for an answer, as gesturing around with a hand. "Why,w ith all the hexes an magic going ona orund here, it feels like a circus already anyway."

[Talwyn]

Tal merely snorted again when the demon threatened him. "Sure... I'd like to see you try." Was all he muttered. When Willowsong defiantly told him she would remain careful, he shifted his attention back to her, giving the girl a stern look. "I'm serious. That shape shifting seems to put quite some stress on your body. If that wound opens up again, it'll take even longer before you are healed."

He started preparing the deer when Willowsong introduced him for him. Choosing to remain silent, it was obvious that whatever skills this man might posses, social skills were not amongst them. Peering from underneath his cowl as the man tried to make conversation, it was obvious something set him off.

"First of all, how can a common Valearan name hold meaning in your language?" His voice carried a hint of anger that seemed to get more pronounced the more he continued speaking. "Also, I do not recall becoming your friend. Nor do I think it is any of your business prying about things I obviously prefer to keep to myself."

Getting up, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword as he gazed at James from underneath the all concealing hood. While he was, in fact, slightly shorter compared to the tall and scrawny elf, he seemed to be bigger. The anger in his voice was unmistakable now. "And I do not need a demon possessed whelp thinking I am some sort of circus freak."