Dreys fell to his knees as he heard Hidama's report. Shiva had came out there with Koori as well. The Ice demon just needed to be away from the castle.

"Why? Sabriel, why did you take your own life?" Dreys said hitting the frozen ground beneith him. "Why? You had no reason to." His tears fell thickly to the ground as he clenched his fists hitting the ground again.

Kaly had left to tell their children. She couldn't bare to see Dreys so upset. "Go to your family, Sire." A young dragon whelp said flying about the group.

"I will, Hime." he said wiping his eyes. "I need to get back there before Garion does something he may regret." Dreys spread his wings and flew fast back to the castle. ~Garion....please keep yourself in check.~ He thought deperatly.

"Tolen is going to take this hard as well." Shiva said sitting on the ice with her familiar Koori. Koori looked much like Gelo except her hair was a little wilder. Sticking up like cat ears. Koori took the form of a snow lioness and sat beside Shiva.

The guards on the walls dove for cover as the flaming sphere crashed into the walls. It wasnt the only one, as more were launched from the enemy below. The walls are sturdy, and they hold for now, though another salvo will break them. Many buildings are already burning, many are dead, and there is fighting in the streets. There is no hope. Garion is already dead from his battle, Draconis's body is strewn over the parapet of the walls. What is left of the City legions is either in the castle or on the City walls, doing their best to defend the city, but its of little use. Much of the enemy has breached the gate, and only the Castle remains secure, for now. Many of the senators are dead, having been involved with the battle. Any help is days away, the City is on its own. Everyone is dead, dying, bleeding.....

It was one week since she left, Brumadia drawing nearer and nearer. With a jolt Sabriel bolted up, breathing hard. She looked around, the dream she had melting away. Such dreams were getting common for her, though she didnt understand it. Supersticous as always, she believed them to be messages from the gods. She looked around. The small camp fire in their little patch of trees was burned out. Ketashi was sitting on a nearby tree branch, sleeping apparantly, though his nose and ears twitched occcasionaly, giving away his watchfulness. She looked down. There was gelo, curled right next to her as she remembered. She lay down again in the pitch blackness of night, the cool snow beneath her giving her comfort. she snuggled back into gelo, thinking that perhaps she should stop going crazy, or she might start doing wierd stuff, like reading or staying inside. She closed her eyes, and even as she felt sleep take her once again, she couldnt help but think this would be a very long journey.

Gelo stired a little when Sabriel jolted awake but did not wake up. When her master snuggled against her again, she opened an eye before letting herself relax to let sleep take her again. She was worried for Sabriel. She sighed inwardly and waited for the morning to wake again.

The sun peeked over the horizon, and Ketashi opened his eyes. He looked down upon the sleeping pair. Sabriel was snoring, her mouth half open and her hands clutched tightly about raykus sword. He leaped from the tree and stoked the embers of the fire, throwing another log on as the flames slowly rekindled.

Gelo woke not long after Ketashi placed another log on the fire. "Morning, Ketashi." She said quietly with a slight yawn as she raised her head. She never got out of the habit of sleeping in wolf form and it did have some advantages. "Master, it's time to get up." Gelo said placing her cold nose on Sabriel's arm.

Sabriel twitched a bit, grumbling. Then she sat.
"I am awake" she said rubbing her eyes. Even after all the time she spent outdoors, sleeping out here was entirely different. After a week of travel she still hadnt gotten used to it. She scratched gelo behind the ears sleepily. She rummaged through their packs for food, pulling some things out.
"We need more food, I didnt think to pack more" she said throwing some bacon onto a pan she pulled from her pack.

"I can hunt if you'd like." Gelo offered. She enjoied hunting small game like rabbits and sometimes squrrels that got her attention. Sometimes she'd hunt deer and other large game. The huntsmen at the castle taught her how to skin and prepair the food. "Or we can stop at the next village and buy some." She sat up and wrapped her tail around her legs.

"thats what we'll probably do" Sabriel said, sniffing at the sizzling bacon, wishing it was done. SHe lay back onto the snow, enjoying the smell of the cooking meat and the cold of the snow.
"Where should we start looking?" She asked out loud. They had been traveling for a week now, heading roughly in the direction of troy, but she hadnt really an idea as to where to start.

Gelo shook her head. "I'm not certian, Master." She said laying her head down. "I don't know this part of the region that well. But the last place your dad was seen should be the best place to start right?" She asked quitely.

Sabriel thought about that while humming to herself.
"Ya that sounds good" she said in a content tone. It was slightly sunny and she was enjoying it while she chewed absently on a stick. She crawled over to the pot.
"YES!" she said excitedly and her hand shot toward the pan, but quickly withdrew. Her fingers ended up in her mouth.
"HT ht ht hot !" SHe said through a mouthful of fingers. She looked longingly at the bacon, as though oblivious to her injury

Gelo bit her tongue as to not chuckle at her master as she took her human form. She took out a fork and a small plate. She carefuly took the bacon out of the pan and placed it on the plate. "Here, Master." She said smiling as she held the plate out for Sabriel to take. "And let me see your hand."

"but its hot..."Sabriel said, taking the bacon and holding out her hand. Ketashi took his own bacon and kept watch. He was hungry though.
"I think we might a town nearby soon" he said.
"Well ya, its been so long since we saw one" Sabriel said.

Gelo took Sabriel's hand and looked at the slight burns there. She placed her hand ontop and sent a slight cold healing wave through the hand. "That should help." She said softly. Gelo took a piece of bacon and ate it. She was thinking not sure what to do really. "Ketashi...you didn't happen to grab a map did you?" She asked blushing a little. Until now, it hadn't crossed her mind.

Ketashi's ears twitched at the question.
"No" he said, trying to hid his annoyance at his own forgetfulness. Sabriel turned bashful as her hand healed.
"I...ummm...thought it might be more fun if we didnt have one, make it an adventure" she said not looking at gelo.

Gelo blinked and shook her head. "Master, it still would have been an adventure with a map." she said trying not to get annoied with Sabriel. "Well...." she said looking around. "We are going to have to find a village for some food at least. But as I said, I'm not familiar with this part of the lands." She sighed a little trying to think. Her head was begining to hurt with so much thinking. "I guess one of us can scout ahead a little?" she said looking at Ketashi though it sounded more of a question.

"Fine fine Ill go" Ketashi said, and he leapt into the trees and disappeared. Sabriel watched him go and ate some more bacon. She hadnt realized she still had her hand out, all she knew was that it was having a most wonderful cold feeling. She started to giggle uncontrollably.

Gelo watched Ketashi go. She had no idea how far the next town could be. Her ears twitched as she looked at Sabriel when she heard giggling."What are you giggling about?" Gelo asked slightly amused at her master's behaviour now.

Sabriel was laughing now very hard on the ground.
"2....2....2 m-more days till Brumadia HHAHAHAHAH!" she laughed. Atela had never let Sabriel out of her room for the holiday, but now Sabriel was free to celebrate as she wished.
"Im gonna celebrate if it kills me!" she said determinedly.

Gelo blinked. She hadn't realized it was that close. "Well...at least you are old enough to celebrate it this year." She laughed. Gelo had no clue how Atela kept Sabriel in her room during the celebration but it always seemed to work. That was really the only time the guards were stationed almost everywhere (or so it seemed) to keep an eye on the princess. "So how are you going to celebrate?" She asked curiously.

At this Sabriel stopped laughing.
"I dont know" she said quite thoughtfully.
"What even happens on the holiday" she wondered, having never seen it, but she understood it to be a good time.

Gelo had to blush. She had been out during the celebration in wolf form late at night. She was old enough to participate in the celebration but usualy stayed inside with Sabriel. "Well..." She said shifting a little. "There is a lot of drinking, eating and sexual encounters." she replied her blush growing deeper.

Sabriel clapped her hands in celebration as though she was five years old again.
"YAY!" she cried happily.
"THAT means lots and lotsa fun!" she said happily.

Gelo laughed. "I bet you can find some intersting ways to celebrate it now." She said shaking her head smiling at her master. She stretched out on the snow looking up at the sky. "It's going to be a long journey." she said softly. "I wonder how everyone is doing."

"probably wondering why I "killed" myself" Sabriel said stretching out. She wondered if they even missed her. Perhaps garion. ~definetly not mum~ She thought bitterly. She doubted there was even a funeral.
"Theyre probably happily living their lives" she said outloud.

Gelo looked at Sabriel. "Do you really think they are that cold hearted?" She asked with some shock. The comment had caught her off guard that's for certian. "Why did you set that ruse up anyway?" She asked. "I mean..." she blushed and looked away. She wasn't suppose to question her master's motives but she was confused.

Sabriel rolled over so that she was not facing Gelo.
"Theyll be happier this way. I wont be around to mess up their lives" she said quietly.
"Besides, they need to think Im dead, so that those bad people wont stop me while we search for daddy" she said in a louder voice.

Gelo crawled over to Sabriel and wrapped her arms around her. "Master, they love you and I'm certian they miss you greatly." she said kissing her cheek. "I understand though. How are you going to explain this all when you return home with your dad?" She asked. "Oops. I'm sorry. I'm being too curious. I'm sorry." She appoligized blushing and hiding her face in Sabriel's hair.

Sabriel didnt know the answered to any of those questions. She didnt want to think about that. She hugged her fathers sword, just waiting quietly for Ketashi to get back.

"I'm sorry." Gelo said softly. "I didn't mean to upset you." She hugged Sabriel as she lay there trying not to fall to sleep again. "Master, what do you want to do about the holiday?" she asked suddenly. "Do you think we'll be in a town when it starts?" She was trying to change the subject to something a little more pleasent for Sabriel.

"hopefully" She said quietly, though her mind was still preoccupied.
"At least nobody will stop me from celebrating this year" she said.

"What's on your mind?" Gelo asked gently as she ran a hand through Sabriel's hair. ~How long will Ketashi be gone?~ She thought silently to herself.

"Nothing. Just try and get some sleep, I want to move through the night" she said quietly. She clung to her fathers sword. She didnt want to think about how happy her family must be right now. She couldnt possibly realize that by now Daconis had explained to Atela already that Sabriel was alive and everyone new of her ruse.

Gelo yawned a little happy with that news. She liked traveling at night. The sun didn't reflect off the snow trying to blind her. She closed her eyes and curled up a little to Sabriel.

Sabriels thoughts kept haunting her, in fact she never realized that she fell asleep, until she woke with a start. Ketashi was back, and he was stoking the fire.
"About time you woke. I found a sign post. WEre not far from a town" He said.
"What time is it" Sabriel asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Its afternoon. Im just putting out this fire, WE want to get moving if were gonna get there" Ketashi said. Sabriel looked down at gelo. She kissed her on the forhead.
"Gets up, we're near a town" Sabriel said, getting up and adjusting her things.

Gelo woked up with a slight yawn and shook her head a little to get it to fall straight. She stood and gathered her belongings including the dagger Atela had given her. "How far is it?" Gelo asked taking a ribbion out and tieing her hair back.

"Still a ways away, but We should get there by tonight right ketashi?" Sabriel asked.
"If hurry, We could get there at least by dawn at the most" He responded, which pleased sabriel very much.
"Then we should get moving, I want to be in a bed for a change" Sabriel said and strode off. Ketashi waited for gelo then followed. Sabriel was waiting for them on the road, humming happily to herself.

((Internet keeps acting up so I don't know what's going on today >.<))

Gelo seemed to be in a happy mood at Ketashi's news as she followed Sabriel's path. She looked around as she caught up to Sabriel. Her master seemed to be in a better mood. At least for now. "So what way do we go?" She asked.

*Rayku shinje*

"Silly Ketashi says town is that way" she said pointing south down the road
"So we goes that way!" she concluded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. .

Gelo giggled a little. "Ok. Then let's get started." She said smiling a little. ~I wonder what town we are headed to.~ She thought to herself curious as ever.

Vivi raced quickly through the snow laden plains. His cape flew behind him as the wind whipped around the poor phoenix. ~no no. please let this information be false… Garion couldn’t handle it if it was true…~ Vivi pleaded with himself as he kept his burning purple eyes ahead of him. He was suppose to be in the Astral Valley with his siblings resting after the battle with Diablo. He was suppose to be studying in their ancient libraries hoping to come to peace with himself. But here he was, racing against the winds to get to the Ice dragon lairs as rumors of Estrella surfaced stating she was going to destroy Dreas and the other dragons.

Kaly fought to keep the demons back from the younger dragons. She and Tolen were there visiting Dreys as his health still declined. “Tolen, get back!” Kaly yelled as she sent a few of the demons to their graves with quick thrusts of her spear. Many of the elder dragons were fighting the demons only to howl out in pain as the blades laced with dragon’s bane cut through their thick scaled hides. Dreys tried his best to defend his clan but with as weak as he had become, there was little the Celestial dragon was able to do. He kept firing spells of ice at the demons freezing and shattering them when the spells connected.

Vivi froze as he entered the plains, his eyes wide at the sight at which he came into. There were lifeless dragons both young and old all over the landscape. Their bright blue blood stained the ground and many were skinned for their scales leaving nothing but muscle and bone… if that in some cases. There were a few corpuses that had only muscle where they laid, the demons having removed it for the strong bones that they hid. Compared to the sights he had seen during the fight at Murkesh, Vivi felt sick and was ready to hurl. This was…was… just… horrible. A disgrace to the powerful dragon kin. Vivi’s purple eyes turned a deadly black as he growled low and started forward towards the sound of fighting.

Dreys raised his head and shot out more ice at the demons. ~They are resisting.~ He thought as his breathing started to be come more and more labored.

“Milord don’t. You are already too weak.” One of the elder dragons said as Dreys stood weakly and took a few steps forward.

“Take the young to the valley. Do not let any more of them fall!” Dreys ordered as he prepared for his last attack. He could see and sense Vivi coming that way. A loud cry came from the elders as they took hume form to cover more ground and avoid the weapons of the demons.

Kaly heard Dreys’s order as a spear went through her shoulder. The Roman woman growled deeply and started to attack harder to protect the young especially her son who was the next celestial. She nearly lost her footing as a curtain of lightning flashed in between her and her opponents. She looked up a moment and saw thunder dragons flying above lead by their celestial who was a good friend of theirs. Kaly gave a cry of thanks before she went back to fighting by hand.
Black flames destroyed many demons who were in Vivi’s way. He did not give them much time to regroup as his spells were cast quickly, much too quickly for the demons to counter. The dragons above and below were both impressed and scared of the phoenix’s power. Vivi had made quite a name for himself on the battlefield with Diablo’s units. Making his power known only when he needed and only when he was sure that his abilities would work. He wasn’t one to take things like this lightly. Besides, there was more at stake than just the lives of the ice dragons. Should this plan be successful, Estrella would go after the other dragon clans.

A very cold deadly breeze began to blow across the plains. The elder dragons quickly gathered the young and set them in their hume forms on the backs of their cousins the thunder dragons. Kaly and Tolen were cornered as the wind began to blow and Vivi had landed in between Kaly and a demon just in time to take what would have been a mortal blow had it hit her. Vivi’s staff glowed brightly as he turned and touched the young warrior with it. “Sorry, Kaly but your daughters need you.” Vivi whispered as the woman disappeared with a strangled cry. Tolen raced forward and clung to the sage’s leg before he was lifted into Vivi’s arms.

As the wind blew stronger and colder, Vivi raised a ring of black and purple flames around him and Tolen to keep the demons at bay. He raised his staff, the purple crystal glowing as he wrote symbols in the air while words spilled from his lips. Dreys let out a loud call chilling the demons in place as Vivi cried out the last of his spell. The land was blinded by flashes of black, purple and icy blue.

It was hours later that the elders returned to see what happened when they realized their next king was not with the other children. The elders gasped in surprised at how the demons stood frozen forever in time. One touch would shatter the delicate ice they were incased in and in turn destroy them. In the center of the plains was their late celestial his head high and wings spread out. His form was see through and stronger than any diamond could ever be. One elder fell to his knees as he saw among a group of demons the black statues of Vivi holding Tolen. A cry went out from the elders as they all feel to their knees. In the distance, hour glass shaped eyes watched with a heavy heart before they and their master disappeared to gods knows where.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Days passed before the young Roman Emperor ordered the demon bodies destroyed so they could not be reformed. The icy colored statue of his elder brother was surrounded by a white stone fence to protect the resting place of the dragons that had fallen by the hands of the demons. Around his nephew’s and mentor’s statues a black fence was erected. Garion gazed at the statues for several hours over seeing the work of his men. It wasn’t until the fences were finished did he and his brother’s wife and daughters leave the frost plains. No ice dragons would dwell there ever again. ~Is this what Kio meant?~ Garion wondered. ~Is this the fate of all the creatures of magic or just us dragons?~ Only time would give him the answers to his questions… and time was taking a slow steady pace to reveal what it knew.