[center][h3]Roc Mission[/h3][/center]

Eural listened to Annabeth shout out instructions, his hands starting to slow the horses to the side, as his body hopped off quickly. Stopping for too long was dangerous with the Roc hot on their tail and his hands fumbling to undo the straps for Samson. The horse bumped and snorted, unhappy they had halted, his head thrashing backwards to see the Roc’s own struggle with Annabeth’s little illusion. When his fingers felt numb enough to fall off, the horse was free and passed to Annabeth. In the back of his mind he couldn’t help but think how crazy Annabeth’s suggestion to pincushion the bird was going to be. That thing might just bit down and gulp her down in one bite without so much as blinking an eye, he thought when his hand brought to saddle the horse’s smooth back. 
 
During the rush to pull over the wagon, he had only half listened to what the woman told Colette. With Samson fully saddled and ready to go, he ended up catching the short, sweet version of the orders.  It seemed Colette was going to command the balista. Eural paled at the thought and his worry only became worse when he heard the vampire visibly panic for her bat and ask Annabeth for instruction to aid it. The bad part was… Annabeth already had taken off. The woman on horse bolted into the open field and right for the Roc, leaving the pair alone to complete their task. Inwardly the guide groaned. 

“Look,” He started to speak and placed a hand on Colette’s shoulder, hoping to gain her attention. “Your bat will be fine. It’s quicker and it’s not holding the skull now, so just focus on getting into the wagon and staying by the balista. Then shoot when you see a chance like Annabeth said. Else none of us are making it home and you’ll never get that date, right? Now knock off just letting others tell you exactly how you can be useful and use your common sense, I know you have it.” 

It was likely not the smartest thing to say to a vampire that could rip out his throat.  

In addition, his last words had revealed someone else had been eavesdropping on Colette’s and Liam’s conversation. He turned away and waited for Colette to get into the wagon before catering off to a better spot. It was slow going due to the mare’s stress in hauling the cart by herself, neither having the bulk or power the male did, as the wagon wheel wobbled some. He added one last thing. “Keep an eye on that wheel, will you? It’s coming off at the seam and I much rather it didn’t break cause I couldn't keep tabs on it.”   

Meanwhile, the Roc was just recovering when something sharp bit into her eye. Blood, a bit, leaked from the wound causing the Roc to flinch and snap out at the source. Thankfully the bat had several things in its favor. It was light, small and very, very quick despite the little damage it was doing. Little marks of red dotted the larger bird causing it endless frustration. It screeched and snapped, again missing the little pest. It didn’t help her vision was still blurry and disoriented thanks to the flash casted into her eyes, blinding her for a few moments. Her mind distracted and her wings on the verge of breaking the ropes, the giant bird hadn’t heard the loud hooved from Samson’s approach into battle nearby. this gave Annabeth prime time to let off a shot or three before it gained the beast’s attention. 


[color=pink][h3]Lyn[/h3][/color]

Lyn was curious. A flaw and trait that was both a positive and negative depending on the situation, her feet tapped the gray grasses under her small feet while she edged further and further away from Mei.. The girl was busy talking with the caravan master so she failed to notice the child slip away during the conversation, though her path didn’t take her far. Surprisingly, in her wake, her teddy had fortunately tagged along. the thing had little trouble keeping up, despite its stubby and stuffing filled legs as it skirted quickly over the rough grass in the girl’s wake. It was a determined little thing after all. 

After a few minutes, a half an hour, of trekking through the tall trees. The skies overhead were no longer visible and the darkness started to shroud her eyesight, her heat sense was the only guide in almost total darkness. It didn’t take longer for her to come across a brightly lite field causing her eyes to widen in surprise when the darkness peeled back from the bioluminescent flowers. A countless number seemed to flood the forest floor leaving little room for other beauty to grow within, their closed blooms sealed tightly while some scaled the trunks and other local flora. Unknown to Lyn she had stumbled across a small patch of Death Blooms. Gingerly she started to skip closer causing a few of the dark bulbs to stir, their petals growing and seemingly ready to release it’s danger upon the unaware child. 

It wasn’t until she was a short distance away did the scene’s temperature sudden change. A chill, sudden and unexpected, swept over the Death Blooms as a man, well dressed in a suit, top hat and tie emerged from the darkest part of the area among the flowers. Everywhere he stepped, icicles spread. His frosty magic jumped from bulb to bulb, each sealing them tightly, and making them dormant once more. Their dim glow became disorderly when filtered through the thin ice thanks to his mage blood. 

Lyn noticed him immediately and tilted her head, curious at the man’s abrupt appearance. His darkened skin hailed him from Yarosmere, complemented by his curly black locks and tall stature, his figure willowy that screamed he was no warrior. Though upon looking into his bright, reddish brown eyes there was something that screamed predator in a mild way. Her right foot took a small step back when she met his eyes, now fully realizing she was possibly in trouble, and watching him back. The man’s lips curled into a warm smile while he never paused in his way towards her. His shoes gently stepped between the crowded flowers, careful never to crush a single one, as he gestured with a low sweeping hand at the field surrounding him. “Little one, you really should be careful.” 

He flashed her a set of pearly white teeth and continued. His eyes scanned the scene behind her as if looking for whom she belonged to and was disappointed in finding no one around, save a curious little animated toy moving into defensive position. “Where are your parents or care giver? Shouldn’t they be nearby?” 

Lyn shook her head at the last question. 

“Can’t you speak?”

She shook her head again.  

“Do you have parents or guardian at all?” 

She nodded this time, her hands reached down for her bear and hugged it tightly to her chest. Her eyes never left the man’s though she listened, her body still where she stood as if waiting for something. 

“Well little one, you almost ended your own life. Don’t you know the difference between normal flowers and Death Blooms?” He asked curiously, his eyes still studying her. He currently had grinded to a halt outside the edge of the bloom’s patch while he noted the milder copycat, a Lucilia flower, blossoming nearby. Usually they were weeded out by the Death Blooms but a few scattered ones had managed to survive. He noted Lyn shake her causing his lips to frown. “Well, that won’t do. Ignorance isn’t bliss in this case and it might be best to rectify that.” 

Elegantly he bowed at the waist and scooped up a Lucilia flower, his hand holding out dainty for the young child. Lyn cautiously reached out for it as her fingers wrapped about its stem, pulling it close to smell. The man smiled again and on closer inspection, she noted the canines were slightly pointed oddly. He pulled upright, placing his arm at his back middle in a relaxed, gentleman posture. “That my dear is a Lucilia flower. Both flowers look the same but unlike a Death Bloom, a Lucilia won’t kill you.” 

A voice, distant and worried, screamed out Lyn’s name. Lyn naturally jerked her head in the direction and pressed both items close to her, uncertain what to do. She didn’t want to be rude and leave the current man alone without saying goodbye. Seeing her conflict, the man chuckled in an amused tone before he took one step from the flower patch and reached out a hand to touch her head with a gentle nudge. For a brief moment, something felt odd but Lyn simply brushed it off in her naivety. “Go on... someone’s worried about you.” 

Without needing another nudge, Lyn took off towards where Mei was. The child only paused long enough to wave back to the stranger and shortly she was gone. The man, still standing where she left him, merely let his lips curl into a cheshire cat grin. It was interesting to him how fate worked.