This story is based on my RPs with Llama. Zell is her character. Skyla, Kiyota, Seth, Kura, Yumi, Chell, Tess, and ..whoever else I used in this one are mine. Its based in a strictly fantasy world of Celtic (the planet in my head~). And for lack of a better title... Onward:

Sky's Adventure

She watched her father leave on his every-other-month trip from the porch, leaning on the railing. Usually, she didn't care to see him go, but this particular time, she simply smiled to herself. She turned her gaze to her mother who always looked upset to see him leave, watching the small group disappear into the forest before sighing and turned to retreat into the house. Sky eventually followed, giggling mischievously now that her mother was out of ear-shot, closing the door lightly behind her. When her mother glanced to her, however, she quickly stopped, simply smiling to her before hurrying to the stairs.

Her sixteenth birthday had past but a week ago, finally receiving her beautifully crafted sword as a present from both her parents and aunt. Of course, when her parents had agreed to help Tess buy and design the present, and such, they weren't aware of the extra little present behind it that came from her cousins. And as far as her mother knew, she was simply going on a little camping trip with her aunt and cousins.

She pulled the runt of the cats off her bed, setting her on the ground before straightening the blankets, saving her mother the trouble of doing so later, and dug out a small cloth bag from beneath her bed. Akina watched her move to the messy closet, pull out clothing and toss the clothing across the room, aiming for the bed but usually missed. Sky eventually stopped, hearing a distressed mew, and upon turning around, discovered the cat to be covered in a small pile of clothing. With a childish giggle, she plucked the clothing off, tossing it on to the bed, “You're such a pest. You get into everything…” she muttered quietly, tapping the small cat on the head before going to shoving the clothing into the small bag.

Once that task was completed, she left the bag on her bed, setting her new beloved sword down beside it. For a moment, she paused, gazing at the gracefully carved hilt. On the top, there was a beautiful gem. Well, two gems that had been pieced together so well that it looked to be one. One part of the gem was a deep blue and carved into almost a yin-yang sort of form; its other half was a dark red gem. She ran her finger over the gems for a moment before firmly grabbing the hilt and unsheathed the sword. The virgin blade gleamed in the light flooding in from her window, giving off the faintest red-orange glow, the pattern of flames carved delicately into the special metal-mineral mix material. A smile worked its way on to her lips as she ran one hand over the blade, eventually forcing herself to return it to its sheath and laid it down beside the bag, stuffing a few other things in the bag before heading downstairs to talk to her mother a bit.

Her two cousins didn't show up for another few hours, in which time seemed to creep by slowly.

Chell smiled upon seeing them, hesitant to let her oldest daughter go, especially upon seeing Tess missing, turning her attention toward Kiyota, “Where's your mother?”

The child blinked a few times, shifting uneasily from one foot to another but her expression never faltered. “She's… she's busy. She said she'd meet us at the camp spot,” she replied confidently.

For a few moments, Chell studied the two before letting her daughter join them. “Alright… You three should be careful,” she warned, as every mother did before waving them off. She couldn't help but feel that they were up to something. They were a part of a group that was always up to some sort of mischief. Whether it was dangerous or just a practical joke, but she did sense some relief as the other part of the group wasn't going along and Tess was, as she was told, going with them.

It took another two and a half days to reach the small camp Seth had marked on a map. In the morning, Skyla and her cousins would make their way to the small Kingdom not more than an hour or two away. A Kingdom, despite its small size, posed a very big threat to their home village. Or so they thought.

But being young and simply teens, they didn't awake until late in the morning despite the sun. Seth, who was the last to rise, only budged when the scent of a few cooked pieces of fish reached his highly tuned nose. And it wasn't until around noon that they finally moved onward, leaving very few traces of the camp behind. Traces that only those who looked closely would notice, and who would be looking for them?

Tess thought Kiyota was at Sky's for the week. And Chell believed Sky was with Kiyota and her mother on a camping trip. As for their fathers, Kiyota's hadn't been around in years, and Sky's was busy. And Tess was busy with the chaotic matters of Manassah so their plan seemed flawless. By the time Tess would finish for the day, she'd be too tired to do much more than eat and sleep.

The trio made their way towards the gates of the Kingdom. One which Seth had carefully found after eaves dropping on plenty of conversations between Tess and Deja, and figured it wouldn't be too difficult of one to defeat. At least he thought it wouldn't be too difficult for the two. It seemed to take forever to get through the village as both continuously stopped at the unfamiliar shops. And all the while, Seth continued to fret, afraid their wings would be revealed or something and their identity would be revealed.

Meanwhile, Tess had finished the week's chaotic needs early. And so, she made her way to her sister's home to check on her daughter. She tapped lightly on the door, smiling when Chell eventually opened the door, and slipped into the house quietly. With a quick glance to the stairs, she turned her gaze back to her sister who had a rather confused, questioning expression on her face. “…is Kiyota here?” she asked quietly.

Chell shook her head slowly, her expression quickly turning to one of worry, “No… Sky said she was going with you on some sort of camping trip.”

Tess simply raised a brow, “Kiyota said she was going to spend a few days here.” Unfortunately, Tess instantly regretted saying that as her sibling seemed to go ghostly pale. “Then… if they're not here, and they're not with you. Where are they?” she asked, her voice starting out somewhat calm, but by the end, was bordering hysteria.

“I wouldn't know…” the Protector replied carefully, not wanting to upset her any more than she already had, as that would turn into something unhealthy. “But don't get too worked up about it! We'll find them, Chell.” She sighed heavily, bringing a hand to her head which was beginning to throb, and sat down quietly to think. She couldn't go. And

Chell most definitely couldn't go nor would she be able to handle whatever situation the three had got themselves into. She didn't care to disrupt Zell, Kura , and Yumi from their job or add anymore worry to what they already had. But what else was she suppose to do? She closed her eyes, attempting to trace their whereabouts, finding them somewhere near to where the trio was.

Upon being alerted about their location, Chell sat down, taking a moment to take a grasp on what she was going to say before contacting her beloved.

‘Zell…' she started hesitantly, not wanting to worry him or upset him in any way, as always.

He was faintly startled by hearing her voice without seeing her, but smiled all the same, quickly ending the scrimmage he was in with a bounty. ‘Yes dear?' he replied, his smile slowly fading as her tone of voice sounded worried. A frown eventually replaced the smile after she had told him where their oldest child was. ‘Don't worry, Chell… I'll find her. We'll be home by tomorrow,' he replied through the telepathic link, letting it go after they exchanged their vows of love as usual.

She sighed quietly, looking to her sibling, feeling a bit relieved with her husband's promise to bring their child home safely. “They're on their way to get them right now…” she replied quietly.

Tess nodded slowly, annoyed, tired, worried, and frustrated, “Those three are in for it when they get home…”

The trio rode quickly, more or less, neck and neck. But as they continued toward the Kingdom, a feeling of dread washed over Kura . This was one of the few Kingdoms Manassah had an alliance with. This was one of the few that tolerated those with magical talent. And if it were found out that Manassah staged attack against their own alliance, everything could be doomed. Now, not only were the lives of three mischievous children at stake, but so was the safety of the magical sort.

They slowed toward the outer gates, smoke seen coming from the castle at the very back of the kingdom. “Zell, if we don't stop them in time… We're all rather doomed…” she started quietly, glancing to her two companions. “This isn't an enemy… its Manassah's alliance.”

The two looked quite startled, but nodded either way, continuing at a brisk pace, but not at one so fast to draw attention to their selves. Guards were already scrambling to secure the outer gates and checking everyone who was attempting to come in or leave. But they were stealthy and easily slipped past. Once inside, there was little talk between them, everything understood through a non-existent telepathic link. The further they made it into the surrounding city, the more signs they found of the Kingdom being in stress.

Kura took the lead, making her way through the city streets, ignoring the excited, yet panicked, buzz. Despite this place being an alliance, she pulled up the hood of her cloak, her status infamous everywhere, and she was certain if people recognized her, there would be more trouble. Yet, very few people even gave the three of them a glance as they passed, horses prancing with the excitement in the air.

Meanwhile, the three teens fought their way through the front doors. When they had reached the middle of the city, Sky had gone deadly silent, but neither of her cousins noticed. The pupils of her eyes had become slitted and her canines had elongated. No longer was she herself, but the being inside her had come out. She had taken over, attracted by the promise of chaos and danger and violence. And with Sky gone, and her alter having taken over, the guards in the front were sliced a part quickly.

Now they were making their way deeper into the castle, her two cousins trailing her, keeping their ‘enemy' off her back. But up until now, all they had come across had little to no magic. They made their way into a domed area, the hall forking off into three others. With a quick flick of her wrist, she flung blood from the blade she very much adorned. She looked up and toward a man in dark blue robes. The hems of his robes were gold and he held a staff made of some dark wood. His weathered face was creased with anger, but a hint of fear showed in his eyes.

For the first time, Seth was hesitant go move on, believing he had made a horrible mistake. But before he could suggest a retreat, Skyla bolted forward, sword settling at her side and a long, fiery rope formed in her left hand, her entire arm engulfed by the flames.

The wizard quickly began to change something, Seth and Kiyota watching silently from where they stood. But, they quickly found that even if they had tried to help, they couldn't move. As Skyla lashed out at him, her fiery whip was reflected, a blue globe appearing around the wizard, protecting him from her attacks. “Foolish child!” he bellowed, the globe bubbling. “You dare attack your own alliance? Perish, you insolent brats!”

She narrowed her eyes a bit, spreading her wings and flipped backwards as an orb shot away from the protective globe. “Nya!” she replied, sticking her tongue out at him in a childish way. Her evil grin turned into a smirk as she eyed him, “You idiot. You can't defeat me.” She started up a beam, adding enough energy to crack through his barrier and wound him. And indeed, that was exactly what the beam did. It shattered the barrier and grazed his side, leaving him unconscious on the ground.

Again, her cousins were able to move, though they didn't care to continue forward. “Sky, wait… We shouldn't. This isn't the right place!” he called after her, attempting to cut her off.

She paused, glaring up at him, and he finally realized she was no longer herself either. “Move out of the way unless you want to end up like those guards…” she hissed dangerously, shoving him aside roughly.

He winced, growling a bit, grabbing her arm, though was quick to let go when she burst into flames, and several other wizards came down the hall, orbs ready to be shot. Seth and Kiyota quickly dove into the hall heading to the right while Skyla lunged onward, reflecting several of the orbs. A faint feeling of surprise wiped over her as two grazed her arms and a third hit her square in the stomach. With a pained hiss, she threw pressure against the ground and returned to her feet, and sent a wave of heat and fire at the wizards.

It was diverted, though, with another one of those blue walls of magic, which was soon returned toward Sky. She, however, smirked, disappearing from where she stood and appeared behind them. But she didn't wait for them to attack or attack them from behind. Instead, she took off quickly, wanting to do exactly what her aunt's best friend had done so many times before. She wanted to claim the title of Destroyer. Enough time had been wasted and she quickly slew anyone who got in her way.

It was about this time that Kura , Yumi, and Zell reached the castle, startled by so many dead men at the front of the castle. Quickly, they ran past it all, following the trail of dead. Kura and Yumi stopped upon finding Seth and Kiyota, faintly surprised to find them both slightly injured and burnt. Zell, on the other hand, was all the more frightened by the signs of burns. He continued onward, directed by a few injured wizards.

By then, Sky had reached the throne room, but was unable to reach the King who watched from where he sat. The General of his army protected him, fighting against her. She was startled by his resistance to her fire and capability of blocking her fast movements. She was shoved away, her orbs of fire deflected and she landed on the ground. A low growl emitted from her throat as she glared at him, and he simply waited for her to attack again.

Zell reached the room just in time to watch her clamber back to her feet and leap at him, her sword's path for his neck. But as soon as she noticed him smirking, the second personality retreated into the depths, leaving the real Skyla confused and startled. He didn't notice, however, smirking as he ducked down and quickly jabbed his sword upward and through her leg, just below the hip at a slant.

The bloody scream that followed was enough to make Zell sick to his stomach as he rushed in, yelling something in which he didn't realize, startling the King and General turning their attention toward him. Despite his fear for his child's health, he couldn't help but feel incredibly angry at her. She glanced at him, fearing what would come later, trying not to utter out sounds of pain as she tried to remove the sword from her leg. He knelt beside her, shooing her hands away. “Lay down,” he ordered, his voice wavering between anger and frustration; and nervous fright.

She did so, closing her eyes tightly as the sword was quickly removed, expressing her pain loudly and curled up quickly. He frowned a bit, pulling a strip of cloth from his tattered traveling cloak and wrapped it about her leg before helping her up, keeping an arm around her so she didn't lose balance.

It was then that the King cleared his throat, standing, and inquired, “Is this your whelp?”

Zell nodded slowly, adjusting his grasp on his daughter who was trying to get her sword. “She is… I apolo-” he started but was cut off abruptly.

“She killed some of my best men! She nearly killed my Advisor and several other wizards! How does she plan to fix this?” he snapped, quite angry.

He shifted his gaze down to his daughter, feeling a bit angrier with her than sympathetic, and as she usually did when in a spot, refused to say anything. “We'll revive them…” he muttered quietly. Once the King agreed, he turned, starting back out.

Neither said anything until they were out of the castle and back in the village, father and daughter left alone in a room of their own. Sky had yet to say anything, avoiding his eyes and would've loved to avoid him all together if it hadn't been for the fact she couldn't walk. She winced a bit as he cleaned the wound, muttering something. He paused, letting her roll over so he could clean the other side of the wound. His patience wore thin, and he seemed to give up being gentle.

“Ow! Hey, that hurts! Stop it!” she hissed, jerking away and was startled when she was pulled back so roughly, nervously shifting her gaze toward him.

“Hurts? Do you know what shape you would be in if your mother and Tess hadn't figured out you three had lied to them!” he snapped, finishing with the cleaning and moved away to get the bandages.

She was rather surprised to hear that, thinking that was just the beginning of whatever punishment was to follow. Yet, like both of her parents, she was stubborn. Sitting up, she glared at him a bit, “I was doing just fine! I would've defeated him if you hadn't interfered!”

Immediately, she wished she hadn't said anything. His anger seemed to increase as he started back toward her, unclipping the bandages, forcing her to lie back down roughly. “If you had defeated him, Skyla Aldes, I can assure you, you would be in much more pain right now!” He fumed, taking a moment to regain his composure before he started to wrap her injury. “You attacked one of the village's few alliances.”

She was startled by this information, bolting back up again only to be shoved down again, “You lie! We didn't attack an alliance!”

He narrowed his eyes at her, not liking it one bit that his own daughter, who was already in enough child, was calling him a liar. Roughly, he secured the bandages around her upper leg, standing and crossed his arms in front of him. “You're calling me a liar , Sky? I'm your father! Hell, I just saved your life from who knows what and you're calling me a liar? This, coming from my daughter who just lied to her mother and caused her all sorts of panic! This coming from my oldest daughter who was just given a sword because we thought she was responsible enough for one! This, coming from a child who nearly caused yet another war by attacking an alliance!”

Cringing, she looked away, finding the pain of her leg and the sudden feeling of guilt almost unbearable. The worst part was, she couldn't even remember what all she had done or how she had got to the throne room. But she wasn't going to speak to that of her father. She wasn't even sure if he would've believed that. She fell asleep after awhile, avoiding the tension and silence that felt tangible enough to be cut with a knife.

It was early in the night when she stirred, though she wasn't sure why. She knew her father was gone and there didn't seem to be anyone else in the room. Quietly, she curled up tiredly, listening quietly to nothing.

Zell, along with Yumi and Kura , were resting in the inn's tavern. Kura sipped quietly from her a glass of red wine, Yumi content with a simple glass of water. But both couldn't help but worry about Zell as he seemed to be coping with his anger and frustration by drinking some strong ale. Normally, they wouldn't have worried too much about his anger and frustration, but Zell wasn't a drinker. And this time, he was drinking. In fact, they weren't even sure how well he could handle such stuff. Both knew that if Chell had been around, he would be in a similar condition like that of his daughter's.

“Maybe you should go to bed, Zell…” Yumi suggested hesitantly, not wanting to bother him much.

He glanced to her briefly before downing the rest of the drink, setting the cup down with a ‘thud'. With that, he stood, setting down a few coins next to the cup before heading up the stairs to check on his daughter.

Sky had nearly fallen back asleep until she heard the creak of something. Her eyes flashed open and she sat up abruptly, looking around, capable of seeing clearly as her eyes adjusted easily to the lack of light. The window was open now. But she hadn't opened it, obviously; nor had her father as he still hadn't returned. Nervously, she crawled out of bed, not expecting to be knocked off her feet. She let out a startled cry, wincing as she landed on her back.

The intruder unsheathed a small, sharp sword, jabbing down at her. But the glint of the blade caught her attention and she barely was able to catch it between the palms of her hands, glaring at the masked assassin. Using her good leg, she kicked him away and scrambled for the door, cursing loudly when he grabbed hold of her long hair.

He was fast, faster than her, if not, just as fast. He slashed at her, but she twisted in such a way that he missed and created a long wound down her already injured left leg. She screamed in pain, probably attracting the attention of everyone in the inn. He slashed again and this time, she twisted again so that he somehow cut her hair and she was free.

Zell, startled by the familiar cry, hurried up the rest of the stairs, his mind cleared by the sound of his daughter in distress. He made it to the room just as she threw the door open and stumbled out, barely capable of working her left leg. He felt his anger return quickly as the assassin, who he had not seen at first, created yet another long wound down his daughter's back. For a moment, he thought she was a small child again as she clung to him weakly. But he couldn't spend the time thinking of that at the moment. There was an assassin after his child and he wasn't willing to let her die.

He juggled her to one arm, keeping a firm grasp on her and quickly formed a sword from fire, slashing at the masked man. Despite his quickness, he managed to avoid being injured too badly, only grazed. Zell narrowed his eyes, setting his child against the wall before following the man, determined to make him pay for the pain he inflicted. The assassin lunged at him, catching his cheek, but only made a small scratch compared to what it could've been. Not faltering, Zell spun around, making easy work of the assassin.

Ignoring the body, he let the sword diminish and moved to his daughter, pausing a foot away from her and knelt. For a moment, he saw her as a small child again, sobbing in pain and fear. In reality, she didn't fear much and she wasn't sobbing much either, though she was in a good deal of pain.

He grinned slightly, stroking her now uneven hair lightly, almost wishing she was small again. “You really did get yourself into a horrible mess this time…” he muttered quietly, before picking her up and returned to the room they shared. Gently, he settled her down on the bed, grabbing the rag he had used for cleaning and reheated the soapy water.

Sky grumbled something or another, inaudible to him but he had a good idea of what it was. She would be in a foul mood for days to follow, especially after her parents were done with her. Already she was brooding over what they could have in store for her, rather startled when someone began to stroke her hair. Opening her eyes, she found herself gazing at her father, who's anger seemed to subsided.

The father ignored his daughter's frustrated glare, examining the uneven strands of hair before shaking his head, “I think we should put some sort of tracking device on you, sometimes…” he sighed, ignoring her annoyed protest, and got up again to fetch the warm water and then returned to clean her wounds and bandage them. By the time he was done, she had passed out in a way to escape the pain, but it was more so due to exhaustion. He settled beside her, gathering her into his arms. Tomorrow, when they returned home, there would be time to teach her a lesson. But it was time to sleep and he was just as exhausted as she. He held her quietly in his sleep, just as he had done when she was younger and too frightened to sleep in her own bed alone due to nightmares or sick or something of the sort. It didn't really matter. She was his daughter and would always be so.