Warning! this chapter is a bit of a fuckery because there is a time skip from one point of view to the next that is essentially a wholeass day apart, but PLEASE keep in mind this is a FIRST DRAFT so it's definitely not perfect but at least this will have the bare bones of what I want

Wyntar had awoken late the next morning as Daevina chatting his ear off about all the things going wrong in Arraila and how it all added up to a nearing doomsday, to which the Demon-Wolf hybrid couldn't care any less about in the first place. If the world would fall into the hands of Mikaelis, then so be it, although he highly doubted the God of the Underground would be able to take on the armies that had grown significantly since the time Mikaelis was last seen walking above ground.

Wyntar rubs at the gunk that had collected at the corners of his eyes, glaring up at the sun that almost blinds him the moment he steps out of the cave. Due to the rain that had pelted down from the night before, it was muggy and disgustingly hot. He heard soft snoring from behind him, and he couldn't help the tiny smile that threatened to widen. He'd ever admit it out loud, but he missed his only friend. Daevina was the only one who understood him, even if she was thousands of years older than even he was. She understood the pain of going through war and loss in ways that no one else could even come close to understanding.

Wyntar frowned at the thought of his and Daevina's conversation on the topic of Laanfier's princess the day before, grumbling sourly as he heads towards the now overflowing lake he usually bathes in. He didn't understand why Daevina would defend a child who does not know the world as Wyntar knows it; as Daevina knows it for that matter. Yes, he realizes he may be just a little too set in his ways, but he has a damn good reason for it.

As Wyntar heads off towards the small round lake, a black cat crosses his path.

The hybrid stops in his tracks, staring as the cat rushes past his line of sight, obviously chasing after some small animal for food. However, all Wyntar could think of was the fact that a black cat crossing his path is a very, very bad sign, especially considering that those small creatures detested any sort of wolf/dog creature, and demons were terrified of them by nature.

As soon as the cat was far beyond the mounds of slippery mud, Wyntar released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He slides into the overflowing body of water in the round shaped lake, his eyes closed and his mind in the past.

The past, of which contained the poisoned bright red flames of the Underground which threatened to scorch the land he loved; threatened to create it into a land similar to that of Alekro. The thought of that forsaken area of land made Wyntar's eyes snap open.

The Crows.

He knew what the Crows looked like, and he knew what their ultimate goal was. He'd heard it come from Mikaelis' mouth. He could see, in his minds eye, the destruction of the then named Osoa. Now, his mind once again flashed through those images of brightness of the fire and the scorched land; of black eyes and wings blocking out the sun as the Crows flew overhead as Osoa burned to the ground. The war that ravaged the land then was intense, and terrifying. Wyntar and Daevina were in the thick of it, watching as parents and children fought for their lives in a war between the two creators of the land they continue to walk.

"You shouldn't spend too much time in water; you'll look like a dried prune when you come out" A soft teasing voice says from behind him.

Wyntar turns, looking up at Daevina with his infamous scowl ever-present on his pale scarred face, not appreciating the jest at all. He pulls himself up from the water, grunting in disapproval at the stae of his feet which were now covered in dark brown mud. This caused Daevina to glance down at her boots in dismay.

"This place is unbelievably muddy Wyntar. I often question your choice of living area"

Wyntar rolls his eyes and says "if it had rained any more than it did, we would be drowning in it"

Daevina couldn't help the soft laugh that escapes her, and she twist her head to the side so she can glance back at Wynatr who's walking only a couple of paces behind her.

"You always joke so humorlessly. At least smile so people know you're only joking"

Wyntar says nothing, staring back at her with annoyance in his eyes.

"Oh for Mihaela's sake, don't look at me like that"

Wyntar grumbled sourly, but fell quiet after that. The two then end up walking back to Wyntar's cave in complete silence, Daevina becoming so lost in her own head that she can't think of anything else to say.

She could feel a change coming in fast, and she hoped with all her heart that Wyntar will be ready for that change...

:::

As per usual, Alana awakens before the crack of dawn the next morning to get on with waking up the training soldiers and train them all day until nightfall. However, today felt a little different to her as a figure in the distance made their way towards where she stood at the entrance of the black stone building that held the soldiers sleeping quarters. It was far too early for anyone other than the soldiers ad her friends to be up and awake, so she was a little confused.

As the figure proceeds to walk closer, Alana notices the figure's soft looking blue dress and bare feet, as well as the elegant looking sword strapped to their side. Her eyes then zone in onto the pointed ears, and it was then that Alana knew that whoever this was is definitely an Elf.

The figure stops in front of Alana, and she feels a little small next to this girl even though Alana wasn't much shorter.

"Who are you?" Alana asks politely, though there was a slight bite to her tone.

"My name is Vivian. I wrote you a letter warning you of my incoming arrival"

Alana hums as she recalls the memory of reading the letter aloud to her father "Ah, so you're the Elf Seer. You arrived much earlier than expected"

"I'm quick on my feet. And I'll have you know, I am a Elf Angel hybrid Seer; my father is a Right Hand"

Alana merely blinks, and Vivian offers a wry smile. "Of course you wouldn't care much about that, considering who you are"

On the contrary to Vivian's belief, she was actually quite impressed and perhaps just a little intimidated. Though Elves were known to look like soft an gentle creatures, Vivian did not seem like she was all 'nice and sweet' judging by the large sword sheathed at her side. Alana also figured that Vivian was some kind of royalty in her kingdom.

"Of course, you know why I'm here. I'm here to both warn you, and aid you in a quest"

Alana scoffs. "A quest? My dear, I do not have the time for a quest. I have to train the dunderheads that are currently sleeping the day away, and I have to make sure that those Fallen don't attack us again anytime soon"

Vivian blinks once...twice...and again before she finds the strengthto speak again.

"The Fallen attacked?"

"Just two days passed. I thought the entirety of Arraila must know that by now"

Vivian shook her head and frowned.

"This is a bad omen, Alana Flare. Those creatures have not set foot on these lands since the war that nearly destroyed this place 500 years ago"

In her gut, Alana knew this was true. She, however, felt her responsibilities as a General and Princess were far more important than some quest that would take her Mihaela knows where.

"I do not know what this quest entails, but my duties lie here" and with that, Alana pulls open the doors and closes them without another word.

Vivian glares at the closed door, and in a single moment she decides that she won't be leaving Laanfier until Alana realizes the path she must, and the world she must save.

The hybrid turns and wanders down the path, heading towards the castle but makes a few stops on the way as the kingdom is still very much in the festive mood even after the recent attack. As she wanders, Vivian takes note of the ruined buildings, though not too ruined that they can't be fixed, and even the shattered rubies inlaid within the black stone still glitter under the blistering sun.

Vivian looks up, uttering a brief prayer to the red wolf Sun Goddess Diviniya, and quickens her pace towards the castle.

Meanwhile, Alana is so lost in her thoughts that she almost forgets to rouse the still sleeping in-training soldiers from their sleep. Deciding to be a little devious, she decides that those who do not awaken right away will be unceremoniously tossed out of bed and on to the hard stone floor. However, even as she goes through the motions of ordering her men to wake up and tossing the ones who don't get up immediately out of the comfort of their beds, the words spoken to her by Vivian are stuck in her mind.Her gut was screaming at her to go; that saving the known world was more important than her duties; that thhis will bring honor to her name and family, but her heart told her to stay. So, stay she would until her heart would tell her differently...