Dark Desires ~ Closed ~

Keara was raised and highly protected within the sheltered walls of the high elven city far from her birth home. All she could ever dream of was getting out of this place for good. The woods seemed to always be calling for her more and more every day. There were times when she was able to sneak out of the city, claiming that she was just hunting when she got scolded for it. The high elves were trying their hardest to protect her; they made a promise to her family that they would do everything they can to keep her out of the human hands. Her birth home had become controlled by the humans, forcing most of her kind to leave this realm. The high elves however, were respected and with some tight restrictions, were allied with the humans.

For as long as Keara can remember the trees, the streams, everything about the woods would call to her. One day she made a decision to run away and break the tight leash they had on her. When the hunting party was getting ready to leave the city, she found some of their garb and a bow, hiding her face as she followed them out. The leader of the party did eye her a few times however, like he knew who it was, only to let it slide and let her have her fun.

The time finally came and the hunting party left the city with her following behind. Keara wasn’t to worried about going hunting, she was actually pretty impressive with the bow, her only downfall is she didn’t know the hunting route for the party. It surprised her that they were actually allowed to go in separate directions; she always assumed they went in pairs. Obviously this didn't bother her at at all. Keara wanted to go alone anyway and this was her chance at freedom. As soon as it was possible, she took to the trees like they were land, jumping from branch to branch. Her long, silver hair flowing along with the cape behind, her multicolored eyes took everything in if she was seeing the world for the first time.

Keara wasn't sure how long she traveled, nor did she care. She could easily get lost out here and not have a care in the world. This was the first time she was going to enjoy herself. She knew there wasn’t much out here that can harm her. Most the aggressive creatures were far from the city life and had no desire to come this way. She was finally free of everything.

The only thing that was very threatening was the weather of that day, a big storm was heading in and was something she wasn’t prepared for. Shelter at the moment was the least of her concerns; all she cared about was getting as far from the city as possible. Freedom called for her, the forest welcomed her with open arms as she kept running deeper into the unknown. By the time night fell, the storm had picked up.

And of course, it had to be a blizzard and the coldness bit into her, Keara could barely see past her nose as the snow was so thick and hitting her face like shards of glass. Keara came upon a beautiful castle in the middle of nowhere, full face planting into the hedge that surrounded it. She has only heard stories of a castle in these woods; however, she has never seen it. From what little she could see, this one was in its prime and well kept, but it was night and the blizzard didn’t allow her to see much. It trapped her for a few moments till the chills brought her back to reality. She ended up prowling along the hedges for a way in until she finally found a hole in the hedge, Keara slipped inside the gardens.

As soon as she was in, the outside world grew silent. The heavy storm suddenly became a light dusting snowfall, the sounds of the windy forest was no longer there. And yet she was still soaked to the bone and freezing while she looked towards the castle.

From the stories she heard, this place was supposed to be dead and falling apart. The stories of this place were used as scary, haunting kind of stories. This place was far from dark and dreary or dead looking. It made Keara wonder about those stories wondering if this was the right castle or not. Keara crept around the castle, towards the light of the cellar and hoped to find a way in, hoping to sneak inside and wait till day break, by then she would take her leave before anyone notices.

Witches, were powerful beings. In the ages of past, dragons had once flown through the skies, their wings and monstrous forms blotting out the sun with their passing, their magics seeming to be all powerful. Yet those within the covens were respected. The tale of Aaxtrinioius was not one well known, more the tale of his castle seemed much more remembered.

Long ago, the dragon had pillaged the lands of humans, and had come upon the edge of a forest. Within the forest lived an old hag. When the dragon sought to evict the hag from her home, the witch had offered the dragon a single rose. Scoffing at such a measely, insignificant token, the dragon continued with his antics. It was only after that the hag manifested herself into the truth... she was a goddess... the goddess of light, Anastasia

Realizing that he had made a horrible mistake, the dragon Aaxtrinioius sought to make amends, and yet it was clear he had no love for anything but himself. Thus he was banished from the magnificent form within which he called his own, instead, claws and scales became fingers and smooth skin, his breath of fire which had cost so many their lives becoming nothing but life, and when all was said and done, he was banished to the very castle within which he had come to dominate as his own.

The servants within were bound to the castle as well, the hedge rising up surrounding the castle, and beyond, those who had mortal eyes did only see the broken down ruins of a castle, and any grave robbers quickly lost their way, oft finding themselves back where they began with nothing more to be gained. The veil kept out intruders, and for the next two hundred years, Aaxtrinioius remained.

At first, he had sought to force his way out of the castle, yet finally, he had succumbed to despair. Taking upon the name Alexander, he banished all forms of art which showed his previous form into the north east part of the castle, so distraught, he fell into despair. The rose, which had been offered to him, remained, floating within the air. With each century which passed, a petal fell. If all ten petals of the rose fell before Aaxtrinioius found his own way to love another and not only himself, he would be chained to that human form for all eternity.

As she managed to pierce the veil however, the storm lightened incredibly. She was in the eastern gardens, and before her a stone stairway went up about twenty paces before it leveled off and followed an elevated path which lead inside. The stone was well maintained, and unbeknownst to her, eyes did follow her movements. For now, they remained quiet, pensively watching the first foreigner to pierce the veil since it had been erected.

They feared the masters coming however... no matter who she was, the master would not be welcoming... of that they were sure. The torches were lit inside, and it was warm... she needed to get inside at the very least, lest she freeze to death!

Keara tried her best to avoid using the main doors by going around the outside to find any other way in. To her disappointment all the windows were shut for the night and it didn't seem that any other doors would budge for her. It wasn't that she feared this place, in fact it was quite the opposite, it intrigued her more and more while she explored the outside. As far as she can tell there were no real signs of life when she peeked into windows, however she did see a beautiful fire place blazing in one of the rooms and it felt as though it was inviting her to come in.

When she approached the main door once more the hesitation grew and she wanted to turn back despite being frozen to her core. And just when she was about to turn to leave, the doors cracked open slightly letting the light from within flood out, beckoning her to come inside. Very cautiously she crept up to the doors and saw no one was around, this gave her some hope that perhaps she can still sneak inside after all without being caught.

Keara looked back behind her with a second guess on what to do, it was then that the warmth of the castle caressed her, wrapping around her like it was alive somehow, trying to urge her to come in. None of this felt right and yet, she truly didn't have much of a choice. It was either find shelter for the night or freeze to death. With that she finally stepped in through the doors.

Once inside the doors closed behind her and startled her as again, there was no one there, it seemed like whoever does own this castle was either already in bed, or in their study somewhere. It surprised her to not see the help right away, then she reminded herself that it was night and they were probably done for the day. Keara slowly and cautiously began to move about, leaving a wet trail behind her as she went to look for a room where hopefully no one will find her. She did want to go to the room with the fire place in it, but then changed her mind just as quickly, knowing that if the fire is blazing then someone has to be near by enjoying it.

There was a moment when she noticed the trail she was leaving behind and she froze in her steps staring at the trail, quickly glanced around looking for something to wipe it up with knowing that it would be a dead give away to anywhere she hid. It was bad enough she was sneaking around and trespassing, and now she is leaving a messy trail of rudeness in this beautiful castle.

The stonework was very well crafted, the outer structure of the castle seemed quite well maintained, and even as she searched around the grounds, she could see that despite the appearances outwards or the tales of the castle, it had been well maintained. As she finally reached the central twelve foot tall doors, she was about to turn when the castle's magic itself picked up that she was there, the doors sliding quietly open.

The torches were lit, so she could see that the inner halls were as well maintained as the outer halls, the carpets a deep ruby red and soft. As she was 'sneaking around' however she would come to a central inter crossroads, to the right leading up to an ascending spiraling staircase, to the left lead to the outer garden doors, and continuing forwards lead to the central room, she able to see that had been where she had seen the fireplace.

As she was contemplating her choices though a young servant was carrying a few blankets to their storage in the right corridor when she spotted the newcomer. The young looking elf was dressed in silver and bronze colors, she immediately rushing over. " Oh my a visitor! Welcome, welcome!" She frowned at her drowned state though and looked towards the front where there was the trail of water.

" Oh no no no this won't do at all..." She whispered softly, it clear that the night time was a quiet time, though she was whispering for a second reason, she didn't want the master thinking anything was out of place. " I am Arkana... welcome... we haven't had a visitor in a very long time... come, you must be soaked!" She setting the blankets aside before she was taking one and wrapping it around Keara... then beckoned her to follow the elf, she leading the way to a small side guest room, it very empty, much like the castle itself.

There were none of the usual hustle and bustle within the castle... it was quiet... almost too quiet really!

In all it's glory Keara did notice the little things that made this place feel wrong. There was the silence within the walls that did give her the chilling vibes, also the walls were bare of portraits. She can see the the nails and little hints of where they used to hang, but even in the elven castle the walls held portraits of those who have owned it. One would think for as grand as this castle is, the owner would be proud to display the castles Master.

Keara shook her head though and found herself at the crossroads of the castle, naturally she had no idea what way to go. And just when she was about to pick a direction, hoping it'd lead to the kitchen for towels, an elf stopped dead in her tracks for a second, then rushed over with excitement. The excitement quickly faded when she whispered " Oh no no no this won't do at all..." and Keara glanced back to what she was looking at.

Before she could respond though, the elf ...... Arkana wrapped a blanket around her and Keara was hesitant to follow, unsure about the sudden attention.

"I got caught in the storm. I will leave first thing in the morning, I don't wish to cause any problems."

Keara was trying to not be too loud and looked around the room she was taken too, it was simple enough for her, though again she took notice of the bare walls.

"I am Keara. Who owns this castle?"

Oh it was hard to miss the whispering calls of the castle, the way that walls were missing their master, or that the pedestals which would have held scuptures of the master were missing as well. It was very strange indeed, and even as Arkana came to see her, she was clearly nervous as well. " I know, we saw how the storm was building outside." She soothed, she clearly not wanting to disturb the quiet of the castle.

" Just hope that the master..." She began, but there was a crashing of a door from the north eastern part of the castle, and Arkana clearly flinched. " Ohhh no." She whimpered softly, but her gaze darted around. " Uhm... hide. I will lead the master away. Just stay here until it is safe." She directed but there was an un-mistakable sound of heavy steps upon stone as Alexander descended the steps.

His pace was slow, seeming to be in no rush. Truth be told he smelled a new scent, something he hadn't smelled before, and he was curious. Yet he wasn't moving swiftly, he was tired... the dragon in him was becomming quite depressed, and wished to sleep for ages to come. However the curse kept him awake, did not allow him to sleep for more than a day, so shackled to this human form was he.

Arkana slipped out of the room and left the door ever so slightly ajar. Metting her master just outside, she pretended to be startled. " Oh Master! I heard you coming. Is everything all right?" Alexander in this form stood six feet tall and weighed no more than a hundred and eighty pounds, but he was wearing a sleek black robe with golden embroidery along with a lining of black fur. His eyes looked to Arkana for a moment, shimmering seemingly between gold and blue, but he shook his head.

" I thought I smelled something new." He grumbled. Arkana began to lead her master away, she trying to soothe her master. He looked very human, however something about him seemed very... odd. Beyond the entire situation of course!

Everything was happening all to fast for Keara to process, if it wasn't for the storm she wouldn't be here at all and now she was beginning to wonder if the storm wanted her come here. Now all the sudden this little elf that was helping her started to panic as the sound of a slamming door was heard. After she told Keara to hide, she looked around the room and wondered just where to hide, under the bed? That would be the first place to look, not to mention her soaked hair was still dripping a trail of water that would lead him to her.

Keara stayed in the room though and listened as their voices moved away from the door, she crept up to the door in hopes to see what this Master looks like, instead all she got was his back. She sighed in slight frustration and in relief that she didn't get Arkana in trouble. With that, she stepped away from door and pulled the blanket from her shoulders, laying it on the back of a chair she found.

There wasn't much of a choice in her eyes now, Keara needed to get out of here. It wasn't the Master of the castle she feared, well, not entirely, it was the fear of getting others in trouble for helping her. Arkana seemed like a very nice girl and Keara would hate to see her get punished in anyway. When she looked out the window it was pitch black now and she could barely see the snow falling by the light in the room, in reality, she didn't want to go back out there. Keara can see pretty well at night, that wasn't to much of an issue, it was just easier during the daylight and also, she would much rather prefer to be dried.

After listening to hear if they were still outside the door, Keara proceeded to slowly leave the room once she felt it was safe.

Alexander seemed confused when Arkana seemed to be leading her away, yet for a few moments he allowed it. Finally though, he wrenched his arm free from the young servants grasp. " I am the master here, and I say that there is someone within my halls." He growled in annoyance, yet his eyes widened slightly at the realization.

" You know who it is... where are they?!" His voice on that demand seemed to carry through all the halls, reaching even Keara's ears. His step turned and heading back from wence he came he retraced his steps to the room she had been. It stood empty now. " You, return to your room, and remain there!" He snapped to Arkana. Turning, he stepped into the now empty room, and took in the scent. His body may be human, but his senses were still that of a dragon.

" Female... not human." He grumbled in annoyance. " Able to pierce the veil... that's new." He was grumbling to himself at that point, making his way through the halls, he was a predator on the prowl. He would deal with Arkana's disobedience when the time came... but his tie to this accursed castle allowed him to know that she was still within the halls. " Seal the castle!" His roaring voice carried, and even as the command went out, the locks and bars all slid magically shut, barring any escape.

" Come out now intruder..." He grumbled as he stalked the halls. " Do not make this any worse on yourself than it already is..." He was incredibly handsome as a man, but his eyes were hard, unforgiving. Centuries of cursed existence had not softened his heart... if anything, it had made it even harder than before.

" Come out, or I will punish Arkana!" He finally threatened, his swirling eyes seeming to demand obedience... she was a 'guest' in his home, and he was going to meet her whether she liked it or not it seemed!

When the castle started locking up Keara used the noises to her advantage and hid inside the nearest closet she could find. Unfortunately for her, she didn't make as close to the front door as she wanted to, watching as he turned back in her direction. In reality she truly didn't know why she was hiding, she hasn't done anything truly wrong that she knew of. And yet, Keara couldn't bring herself to come out right away, the fear she saw in Arkana brought out her own fear.

"Come out, or I will punish Arkana!"

Broke the closet door as if he was right outside of it, knowing her hiding place and yet allowing her to keep hiding. Keara had no way of knowing if he was really on the other side of that door or not, his threat made it impossible to argue though. Keara took a deep breath and slipped out from her hiding spot, holding her soaked cloaked tightly. Her drenched hair fell forward when she lowered her head, hiding her face from him and uncertain of what to say or do.

He wasn't a patient man, not in any regard... and even as she had found a place to hide, Alexander made his way through the halls. He knew every closet, every place in this stonework. When the curse had first fallen, and he realized he could not escape through the veil, he had learned the entirety of his prison. It had once been his home, but now he saw it as nothing but a jail.

As he had made his way around though, he noticed one closet door that wasn't closed like the others. He stopped right in front of it, and even as he was sure that she was in there, there was never a way to be completely sure that he was right. As she stepped out though, he noticed her soaked state, and for a moment, his eyes did soften.

" Who are you, to enter my home?" He asked, his voice quieter, not quite as threatening as it had been before. She could see more of him now, how his tall masculine frame dwarfed her slimmer smaller frame easily, and yet he didn't lift the sealing. She was a foreigner, and though a very attractive foreigner, that alone would not spare her from his grasp.

Those who lay, within the realms of old will see what they dared not, only within times of need.
Best be careful though, for within the beast remains, heart as cold as stone, forever to remain.
For only if the beast, can come to claim his heart, will the veil be lifted, and all reformed apart.

The oldest of the elven passages had contained the phrasing, and though in rhyme, parts of it remained within these halls. This place truly was a mystery, and yet he seemed to overwhelm her with his mere presence as he awaited her answer, his hands clasped before him rigidly.

Her time with the high elves has taught her many things and she has heard the stories of old, although those stories didn't seem to fit this place. The castle was clearly enchanted by some kind of spell, old magic if she was to guess, for a split moment she wondered if the high elves knew this kind of magic. Keara was slightly distracted by the many questions that suddenly flooded her and the she realized he was still waiting for an answer.

She finally looked up to meet his gaze with one violet eye while the other was golden. It took her a moment to regain some kind of composure, trying to make herself not look as weak as she felt, holding her head high as the high elves taught her. They also taught her that humans were evil creatures and that's just what she saw before her, a mere human.... Although she couldn't help admire his good looks.


"My name is Keara, I come from the high elf city and lost the hunting party I was with. The blizzard caught me and... well... here I am."

Losing the hunting party was clearly a lie, but he didn't need to know the truth. A cold shiver ran up her spine, making her jaw shiver right along with and she gripped the cloak a little tighter even though it clearly wasn't keeping her warm.

"I can take my leave if I am causing to much of an issue. I honestly didn't mean to be a problem... I was just looking to get out of the blizzard."

Hid eyes seemed to study her. She was young... a woman who clearly did not 'fit' in with the elven nobility, but that only seemed to make him curious about her. As she finally lifted her gaze though he seemed to take in the information she had provided. Finally, he shook his head. " You are chilled to the bone, and since you are the first to enter this castle in just over two hundred years, I will not allow you to leave so quickly."

He made it clear she wasn't being given much of a choice in this, that she WAS going to remain here. " Come, I will see to it that you are changed." He stalked off then, taking a different path then she had traveled before, he had a long stride which he used and took her up to the second floor, he soon stopping before a set of doors.

For a moment, he seemed to pause, before he pushed the doors open. Within, was a magnificant set of chambers which seemed to be well maintained. " There are dresses within the closet. I will have Arkana draw you a bath. When you are changed you will dine with me." He did not make it into a choice, for he had never given choices. Ultimatums were the better term for how he spoke to people, but he had been trapped like this for a very long time considering.

" When you are done, Arkana will show you the way." With that he stormed from the room, the young elf soon joining her. "Oh my the master likes you!" She gushed... she daring not to hope that this might lead to their salvation, but she soon was making Keara strip, the clothes on her body doing nothing to help her as Arkana drew a large and very nice and hot bath.

" How did you get in?" She finally asked with a curious gaze... Keara was the first to get in since the veil had been lifted, the young elf was VERY curious! She helped Keara into the bath though, she a very good servant.

His demands were nothing new to her, the high elves were also full of demands and with little choices, failure to follow them always ended with a scolding. Here was different though, this was his domain and clearly the Master of the house, Keara knew to respect such things. Even if he is just a human.

Her eyes roamed around the halls as they walked and she kept up with his stride fairly easy, despite how cold her limbs were. After he left she noticed the excitement in Akarna and she instantly started taking care of everything, at first Keara was hesitant on disrobing in such a strange place. The hesitation didn't last long though, trying to see it as no different than the help at the high elves. Not to mention, it did feel good to get out of the wet clothes.

While she sank into the bath everything that has been said by Arkana and the Master started to tease her thoughts. you are the first to enter this castle in just over two hundred years......" How did you get in?" None of it was making any sense to her, however some of the stories she has heard were at least two hundred years old, give or take a few years.

"I don't know, I just found a hole in the hedge and slipped in. There wasn't anything blocking me out if that is what you are asking."

Keara shrugged at the question then dunked her hair into the bath, absorbing the wonderful heat.

"What did he mean by I'm the first to enter here? Has it really been two hundred years since you've seen anyone?"

It didn't make sense because she knew humans didn't live to be that age, Arkana was an elf, living that long wasn't anything for them. But a human?

Arkana tended to her gently, much more gently than the elves with whom she had stayed had treated her. After all they were very rigorous, and though Alexander had put off that kind of aura as well, he was certainly apparently just a human/

As she sank into the water, Arkana busied herself with moving the wet clothes to hang, though the questions caught her a bit off guard. " Strange, no one has made it through before..." She mused, though she shrugged. " In the past, those looking to enter have found themselves back where they began." She remarked though sighed.

" It's true... though to be honest, I cannot say much more. The magics which have wrought this place keep us here, and bind us here. Even the master, being who he is, is bound within these walls." She gently remarked, though she knew the in credulousness of it all.

" I am sorry I cannot say much more... being bound, I cannot speak about what this place actually controls, I am but here, as are many others. We are what was of minas en' uial." She remarked gently. minas en' uial was straight out of the ages, the tower of Twilight was a very well known castle, but it was all wrong.

minas en' uial was said to have floated in the heavens, overlooking the earth and all the mortal realms. Such powerful magics WOULD explain how such a secrecy of a castle AND a binding could take place... yet Arkana tended to Keara gently. " The master would have you warm and clean, so here..." She offering her a jasmine scented soap to clean with.

It took Keara forever to get ready for many reasons. One main reason ended up being she was just enjoying the bath too much, even enjoyed Arkana's tender touch after a while. Sadly the time to get out was nearing, knowing that she still had a ways to get ready and also she didn't want to turn into a prune.

The dresses were all wrong for her, either too big and ruffly, or the corset tops were cutting off her breathing. Finding the type of dress that she is used to wearing while living with the elves was challenge. Another thing that made it challenging was the fact she didn't see what the big fuss was all about, uncertain of how fancy to dress. Arkana kept pushing the ball gowns on her, but the big frilly skirts seemed to be too much for Keara.

Just when she was about to give up and put on one of the agonizing ruffle dress, though it was very pretty, something silky hiding deep within the closet caught her attention. Keara pulled it out, taking a good look at the deep purple dress and the chiffon train that followed it.

"Perfect!!"

Keara was happy with how the dress fit and brought out her eyes, emphasizing the silver in her hair. Arkana found a few accessories that went perfect with the dress. It also felt like Arkana was having a little too much fun dressing Keara up, spending quite a bit of time braiding her long silver hair in a crown style braid with a few little flowers. It wasn't like Keara to allow someone to touch her like this, she had a hard enough time with the elven help bathing her at times. For now though, she let it slide knowing that it was making the little elf happy. Even if she couldn't understand why she had to get all dolled up just for dinner.

Most the time was spent in silence, Keara answered whatever questions she had, but Keara kept her questions tongue in cheek. Arkana had already said she couldn't speak too much of the spell on the castle, or why they were all bound here, and those were the very questions Keara had.

Arkana simply could not explain what Keana's appearance could mean for them all... she simply hoped her master wasn't going to be ruthless or unkind. He had been brash with her in their initial dealings, but it appeared that the newcomer had some experience with staunch attitudes, so perhaps there was hope.

Arkana kept pushing the more fancy of the dresses, but when Keana asked about the fuss, Akrana stepped back slightly. " We have not had anyone come into this castle in over two hundred years m'lady, please, forgive us for being excited..." She mused gently, though she nodded when Keara picked a dress finally. " Oh that will do well miss."

She took her time getting Keara's hair just right, and when she was finally ready, Arkana lead the way to a grand hall. The walls rose up twenty feet high, curving with arches here and there, the stonework on the floor created a mosaic feel, and the grand table seemed to be set within the room. Alexander was wearing the same robe he had before, though he seemed surprised that she had dressed up.

" It's only dinner.." He grumbled, shooting Arkana a slightly dirty look, but she simply smiled and guided Keara to her seat. Alexander sat himself, and the soup was brought out for them. A lovely cream of brocoli which had some grated cheese within in. Alexander nodded to her but picked up his soup spoon and began to eat, not really saying much.

He didn't really even know why he had invited her here, other than that he had wanted to make sure she ate, but he mentally shrugged. " How did you get in?" He asked finally, his eyes looking to her. " I'm sure Arkana told you of how long it has been since anyone has entered the castle." He mused, though he leaned back in the high backed seat.

" You aren't human." He mused matter of factly, though he shrugged. " Perhaps the barrier's power is fading." He doubted it... which meant that she was there for a reason. What specific reason, he hadn't figured out yet, but he would figure it out eventually.

As they walked through the place Keara was taking it all, the only castle type place she's ever known has always been the elven city. Despite all the obvious missing portraits and statues of its Master, this place did have a nice charming feel to it, even if it was a bit too quiet at times. She couldn't get over the feeling of being constantly watched either which was the only real disturbing thing about the castle itself.

Keara glanced at Arkana before sitting down, realizing that she is in fact over dressed but she just sighed knowing it was too late to change now. At first Keara didn't think she was all that hungry until she started to eat the soup and it made her think back to when she last ate. Soon that question popped up again How did you get in? then it followed through by saying the obvious, that she wasn't human, this made smirk slightly.

"Of course I'm not human, I'm not of the elven kind either, they just raised me. From what the elves have they told me I am of Kitsune."

For now she left it at that, she truly didn't know much about what happened her kind all the elves ever told her was simply that it had to do with the humans. Speaking of which, now that she is able to study with him with clear focus, she can tell that there is more to him than she originally thought, his eyes hid something more that she couldn't quite place just yet. Almost like there was a creature of some kind trapped within them, for now she shook her head slightly, playing it off as it being the lights playing tricks on her.

"I don't really know how I 'got in' here. I ran into the hedge, quite literally and went along it till I found a hole and slipped in. Maybe your castle allowed me in?"

Keara shrugged looking back down and finished eating the soup. It was a struggle to keep her own attitude pushed down, to be respectful of his home and hospitality. Truth be told living with the elves for so long, their attitudes kind of grew on her and also being so dressed up made her slightly uncomfortable.

"What is your story? How did this place become the way it is? And, what name should I call you by?"

He nodded slightly to her explanation, but he simply shrugged. " Many have come and gone since the time this castle was cursed, you are the first to enter." He remarked, though as she smirked, he again seemed to nod in understanding when she said that she was of the Kitsune bloodline. "That would explain it." He remarked, though he didn't seem to be elaborating on why it explained it.

As she said the hedge had let her in, he shrugged. " Kitsune are able to find the holes in barriers, they are very good at trickster magic." He mused, though as she asked about his story, his eyes for a moment went completely gold, before they seemed to settle. " The story is lost to time. This castle was cursed by the goddess Anastasia." He replied simply, though reached up and ran his hand through his hair.

" My name currently is Alexander, you may use that name." He replied when she asked for his name, though after the soup came a delicious roast pork with gravy, potatoes and carrots, it a delicious meal and more hearty than the diet the elves lived by. He seemed to focus on his meal for a few moments, but he sighed. " When Anastasia cursed the castle, it was because of my arrogance in not recognizing her when she took the form of a hag. She claimed I had no love, thus I would be chained away."

" Since you have entered, I will keep you around." He mused matter of factly. " You will have free reign within the grounds... I doubt that the veil will allow you out, and since it let you in, you must be here for a reason." He felt incredibly awkward, but he finished eating before he rose. " Arkana, you may leave." He directed, his gaze remaining on Keara.

The story reminded her of a similar one she heard as a child but it has been ages since she heard it and was unable to recall the details. Keara sat in silence as she listened to him, trying to determine if that story was actually about him and this castle, or if he was just teasing her with an old fable. A few other things he said kept toying with her as well, he appeared to know more about her kind than she did, the part about trickster magic confused her slightly. The elves never allowed her to learn magic, she can always feel its power within her, yet the elders that raised her thought it was best she never learn to actually harness that magic.

The last bit he spoke of, the veil not allowing her to leave and that he'll keep her around caused a light laugh to escape. Keara watched while Arkana ran off and it took her a moment to fully realize that he was watching her again.

"If the veil won't let me leave, then it seems you have no choice but to keep me around. However, If I'm capable of finding holes within the veil, who is to say I won't find another one?"

She struggled with the slight awkwardness of being watched and she saw him rise from the seat. Keara wasn't able to finish all the food, it was more than she would normally eat. At first she wasn't sure if she should follow him or go her own way, in either case, Keara rose from her seat ready to follow.

"If I am to stay here, are there any restrictions I should be aware of? Like if I touch the wrong thing it won't try to eat me will it?"

She gave a little smirk, trying somewhat to lighten the vibes between them.

He looked to her as she seemed curious, but as she said that about the veil, he shrugged. " I wouldn't know." He mused honestly, and it was true, he didn't know whether the veil would allow her to leave, though he simply added. " I am actually thankful for the company." He mused stoically.

As she moved and went to follow though, he shook his head. " Any animated magical items have been moved into the north eastern wing. You may go anywhere within the castle except there." He remarked matter of factly, though he began to walk, he seeming to take the route to show the castle.

" This was once the pride of all the lands. Many would come here. It was my own folly to not recognize Anastasia, however I refuse to believe that the curse was justified. That, and it would seem that my loving my people does not count." He grunted bitterly. To say he was spiteful about the situation would be quite accurate, however he simply seemed to accept that he was doomed here.

Yet he looked to her. She was young, but lovely... he had to admit that he felt an attraction to her, however to her, he was but a human. Such beings were the lowest of the low, thus he did not hold stock within himself. He sighed though reached up and ran a hand through his hair. " What kind of kitsune are you? how many tails?" He asked out of the blue. After all she was new, so he was curious about her just as she was curious about him!

"I wouldn't know much about the whole love thing. The Elders kept me in a sheltered life, meeting friends, let alone finding a life partner was forbidden. But, it does seem unfair to curse someone over something as simple as love.... or lack of."

Keara shrugged it off though, love wasn't ever really a thought for her most of the time, sure it came as a random thought but it never lasted. She fell silent for a moment thinking about the whole veil thing, wondering what she would do if she find another hole. It isn't like she had anywhere else to go and she wasn't about to go back to the Elders and that busy city of theirs. And for a human, Alexander, for the most part, was actually being kind to her. He had an attitude about him, yet for her, she can understand why being cursed would make anyone a bit sour. And she knew all to well what it is like to feel confined.

"My tails?"

She looked puzzled at the totally random and out of no where question, though shrugged it off, they were something she was proud of.

"I have four tails, though the Elders always had me keep them hidden. It is feared if the humans....."

The words cut off quickly the more she spoke about herself with a human, realizing just how much trouble she just possibly got herself into. Keara suddenly couldn't figure out why she was just blurting all this stuff out, the Elders made it a point to fear the humans, never let them know such things. A deep sigh fell from lips as it was too late now, he already knew too much, it just depends on what he plans to do with her now.

"Anyway, yea... I only know how to keep my true form hidden, the Elders are pretty strict about the use of magic."

Keara lowered her gaze to the floor as they walked, kicking herself around at revealing so much information about herself. The Elders raised her to fear humans, feed her horror stories all her life about the nature of humans and here she is, rambling on as if he is her best friend.

"What of this hag you speak of.... Why did she think you can't love? Did she love you and you just didn't return that love? The gods are pretty tricky with such things, the Elders have all kinds of stories relating to how gods likes to mess with the mortal world."

She tried to not show the sudden fear she felt deep in her gut, slowing wondering if all this was a trick now that he knew what she is. Also Keara wanted to quickly take the subject off her, onto something else. It was then she noticed the garden all lit up out of the corner her eye, she tried her best to keep herself in check as she looked out the window. Even at night it was more beautiful than she's ever seen, even the elves didn't have a garden compared to this one.

He shrugged as she said that, though he chuckled. " Elves are quite... stoic." He mused, though he added. "Arkana for example took a very long time to even dress as she now does." He mused, though he walked through the castle with her. As she contemplated the whole veil thing, Alexander looked to her as she seemed to be silent, he not choosing to disturb that at all.

As she looked puzzled though he noticed that she was confused by her own admissions. " Four tails, then you will have room to grow." He remarked, though he nodded. " The elders are correct, humans hunt the kitsune." He remarked, though he noticed her infatuation with the gardens. Choosing to humor her, he turned and headed out into the garden, leading her out into the gardens.

" The world of magic has been fading, though locked within here, I have come to see that such a prison isn't terrible." He remarked, though as she asked about the hag, he shrugged. " The hag was Anastasia in disguise. She decided that since I did not recognize nor treat her with love that I would not love anyone, thus I would be cursed to remain here."

He let her explore the gardens, some flowers simply shimmering and shining within the night sky, some seemed to time their colors to create beautiful natural displays. He watched her though, noticing she was afraid. " You have nothing to fear from me. I have no interest in hunting you, other than perhaps to ensure you stay here. I would more than likely like to see you unwind and enjoy yourself." He mused thoughtfully.

" Do you like the garden?" He knew she did, but he wanted her opinion on it.

"The elves use magic all the time, they just forbid me to learn it. Claimed it would make me a target or something. I don't know.. The Elders were always vague when it came to me."

Keara roamed all over the garden, admiring this and that, almost like she's never seen a garden before. She enjoyed the magic that came to life at a simple touch, the smells and sounds of the night. There was more to the hag story she wanted to learn though, it kept pestering the back of her mind that a goddess would do that, deep down Katoree knew there had to be more to the story. For now however, she let it go recalling something else he had said... a few things actually.

"You know quite a bit about my kind don't you? The Elders never told me what truly happened to my kind, only that the humans were involved. I've tried reading about them, but the stories their library had were of the older days. I do know that me in particular is rare with my silver fur. I also know that my bloodline is very strong and powerful, born in the far north. beyond that..."

For a moment she had kind of a lost look in her eyes while her fingers teased one of the flowers, uncertain of what it is she really wanted to know. Almost wondering if it was better to not know of her history, he said the humans had a way of hunting down her kind, which gave her a sick feeling to think such things.

"Do you have books that might be able to teach me how to use my magic?"

Keara finally smiled for the first time since her arrival, recalling a question he asked and was never answered, turning to look at him.

"And yes, I love your garden. It is nothing like the little garden in the elven city."

Alexander had to chuckle in amusement when she said that. " Elves are very vague with most things." He remarked, though he sighed to himself. Looking at her, he felt a desire, but he did not feel love. He supposed that was something that could be developed, but he wasn't sure. He followed after her easily, but he nodded to her inquiry.

" I know quite a bit more than my age or race would suggest." He remarked, though he nodded. " There are no stories, because the kitsune were eventually hunted. It was believed that if one took a kitsune's tail, they would have the power of magic. A stupid concept, but one that greedy humans clung to." He remarked, though he added.

" Some worked to protect the kitsune, like the dragons, fey and elves, but only a few were saved." He remarked, though as she asked him about magic, he nodded to her. " I have books on every subject. I will show it to you tomorrow. He did not say anything about the flower she was touching right then. The blue, and silver flower was named Skarrenruf Tharn, which of course was dwarven. The silvery part of the flower transmitted a very powerful aphrodisiac to the user.

As she smiled as she turned to him he smiled back. " This is no elven city, and luckily, the veil does not block the night sky." He purred as he watched her. Skarrenruf Tharn had no harmful effects otherwise he would have mentioned it to her, and in a way he thought that this might be a good thing, it would allow them to 'get closer' more easily.

Keara loved how the flower felt at her fingertips and if she hadn't known any better, it would appear as if the flower enjoyed the attention as well. However, she did start to feel a slow warmth consume her, at first she thought nothing of it, thinking that the veil and the castle made the air a bit warmer. And yet, she could still feel the chill in the night air which made that thought slip away.

"Humans have such strange beliefs. I wouldn't know what to do if someone was to take my tails, they are my pride and joy."

A hint of lust trailed through her voice as she spoke, feeling another rush of warmth in areas she never imagine to feel. There was a strange sensation hidden within the warmth that flooded her, a heated flush painted her cheeks as she bit her lower lip. Keara couldn't understand where this was coming from, sudden urges crept up, her heart picked up a few beats, even her breathing changed.

"It would be nice to learn how to use my magic though, I can feel it everyday just aching to be used....

The words cut off quickly once she realize just how badly worded that came out, quickly tore her gaze away from him, filled sudden shyness of how she started to feel overwhelmed her and she only ended up looking back towards the flowers. It was clear that she was trying to fight these feelings off, avoiding to act on the urges, even her eyes glazed with the sudden lustful desire.

"I think this night is finally catching up to me, it's been a lot of excitement and so much to process. I don't wish to be rude, or end this lovely night, but perhaps I should get some rest."