Velacia -Chapter One-

-Chapter the First-

It was a quiet morning in Velacia City. The city gates gleamed, their shining golden arches one of the few bright things in the city. Fog rolled in from the forest, slow to burn off in the early morning light.

Nova Fortia, formerly Lady Nova, stalked through the streets of Velacia. Her stride was purposeful as she made her way to the city gates. There where whispers amongst the people of the city, though anyone bold enough to address the former noble did so with bows and murmurings of 'm'lady'. Of course, what the whispers were about Nova didn't hear nor did she care to. It was inane chatter. To bother to listen to it was not something she cared to do.

Besides, the large cat at her side kept the whispers to a minimum. The panther yawned as it walked beside her, showing off sharp teeth that most tended to want to avoid. Black fur covered a lean and muscled body. Between the cat and the sword that lay gleaming in its holster upon her back, Nova was not much bothered until she reached the city gates.

She glared at the gates, their brilliance a stark contrast to the rest of the city. "If they spent half the money they do on the gates on the army, we'd have a lot less trouble here." She muttered to Faeles. The cat just yawned again, tail twitching.

Striding up to the gates, she saw that the only other person there was a lone guard. She sniffed. The city was on the verge of being attacked by a hoard of undead, and they leave one guard on the gate. Typical. She crossed her arms and stared out into the forest beyond the city. Her companions would do well to arrive in a timely fashion, she thought. Nova was in charge of this mission, and being the first one to arrive at their meeting place did not put her in a good mood. Of course, it was likely they had more things to prepare than she herself did.

The sound of hooves behind her made her turn slightly. It seemed as if one of her companions had finally arrived. She rolled her eyes. It was the knight. She turned back to the forest, hearing him talk to someone.

"Take this horse back to his owner, Lord Faerûn, would you? Here is a penny for the effort." She smirked. That horse was as good as gone. As far as she was concerned, the knight was not the most intelligent of her companions. At least, she hoped her other companions had some shred of sense. It would be a long journey if they didn't.

:.:.:

The youth slipped quietly through the streets.  Velacia was not a place he was fond of-- the city was dirty, dark, and, more importantly, dangerous. He would much rather not be here.

But...

Taran had sent him here, and so here he was.

Taemin made his way to the gates, unnoticed by passerby. Not many would notice a peasant boy, and at the moment being unnoticed certainly made it easier to get through the crowd that was starting to form.  He started to fiddle with the lightning-glass he wore as a necklace. He lithely dodged a man who came around a corner in a great hurry, and finally caught a glimpse of the city gates.

The sun was just catching the gates, and they gleamed with its light. It was odd, really, to have such gilded gates when the city itself was so dark. They didn't seem very practical-- except for the huge lock that closed them. He doubted he would be able to pick the lock, even if he were given a week.

As Taemin drew closer to the gates, he saw that two of the group had already arrived. Well, two humans. There was also a large black cat that was staying close to the girl. He walked by them, the panther giving him a lazy glance as he passed.

Choosing to wait by the gates, he leaned against them. The metal was cool against his skin. Unable to keep still, he kept fiddling with his necklace. He scuffed his feet on the ground with an anxious sigh.

Pushing back hair that had fallen out of his ponytail, he thought Taran, what were you thinking?

The God's voice whispered at the back of his mind. Trust me. Taemin pressed his forehead against the gate as the god continued: You can do this.

Taemin sighed again. Shifting his weight from foot to foot, he waited.

:.:.:

Leyla walked down the dark alley, her boots making little noise against the cobblestones. She quickly tucked the items she had just purchased into her satchel. She disliked having to resort to the back-alley markets, but some of the items she needed weren't available in the more respectable parts of the city.

She slipped out of the alley and onto the more populated street.

There seemed to be quite a gathering at the city gate. Leyla sighed. She was hoping they would have been able to slip out of the city quietly. There was quite a space between the crowd and the gates, as if the people didn't want to be confused with those the queen was sending to fight against the undead.

She passed around the edge of the crowd, and walked up to the golden gates. She noticed a youth leaning against one side of the gates, and two others standing a bit farther away. She chose the opposite side of the gate as the youth, and looked out into the dark forest.

A breeze stirred the air. Leyla sniffed, and nearly shook her head. The sent of the undead was stronger closer to the forest. It was what she had expected, and she was disappointed she was right. It might be best if they left soon. She glanced around, and saw that two more of the group had made it to the gates.

The man was a mercenary, that much Leyla knew. She knew little else. The woman that had just joined them, on the other hand, was Lady Ilona. Everyone who lived in Velacia either knew Lady Ilona or knew of her. She kept herself close to the queen and the nobles, and it was said that anyone who opposed her died mysteriously.

Leyla looked back to the woods.

:.:.:

Yani stepped down into the street, her dark hair bouncing with each step. Puffs of dirt flew up from from underneath her feet as she practically stomped down the cobblestones. This was not fun. Sure, she would get to kill some undead later, but right now she would much rather be back in bed cuddled up to Xephyr sleeping.

But noo, queenie had to get her panties in a bunch and call us at some ungodly hour. She pouted. She liked getting her beauty sleep. She could go without it, sure, but she'd much rather have it. And if it happened to mean waking up next to Xephyr, well...

A small grin crossed her face. It was a pity that he hadn't been able to come on the mission with her. He had escorted her to the city (though the reason was less for protection and more for some time alone) but had to be back before he was missed.

Seeing a small crowd gathered, Yani figured she must be getting close to the gates. She could feel anxiousness rolling off the crowd in waves, though whether it was because of the undead or the group that was being sent to fight them she didn't know. Shrugging, she pushed her way through the crowd.

" 'Scuse me. I need to get by." She said, trying to slip by a man who looked as if he was gong bald and desperately trying not to show it.

"Watch it, little girl." The balding man looked down at her with a sneer. "I'm watching this. Go home and play."

Yani huffed. Well, how rude. Despite her current looks, she certainly was not a child. Well, if he wants me to play... "Tag- you're it!"

And then she skipped out of the crowd, the balding man doubled over in pain. Hmm. Perhaps she should aim a bit higher next time. She'd forgotten she was a bit short at the moment. Oh well. Brushing off her skirt, she walked over to where her new companions seemed to be gathering.