Chapter Two..... Lotharis Realm

Aria POV

Aria sat at a round sand stone table, etched with glyphs of the Seetha's belief. Baskets of food sat in front of her. Around her were similar tables, filled with Reverend Mothers. Shroud's a fair colour of yellow. A hearth sat in the middle of the hall, cracklings coming from it. It was home this temple. The Reverend Mothers took her in as a babe and helped raised her. She lifted the cup to her mouth. Smile spilling across her face as she watched her mentor Gale and her best friend Telsa walk towards the table. Her smile slipped as Gale sat down with a grim face. She studied him as he sat across from her. He looked to be in his later forties but knew better. His hair was gun-metal grey with black streaking through. As he looked at her she noticed blood flecks within his milky green eyes. His face was angular, time ravaged with a devil's beard. He wore the same shroud's as the Mother's. She knew though he was actually a couple thousand years old. Telsa drew her attention as she placed a parcel in front of her. Aria studied Telsa's mercury-red hair as it tumbled over her shoulders, slowly moving her gaze to Telsa's face. She had rapture blue eyes with white flicks, slender eyebrows, a dainty nose, soft bone structure and saccharine sweet lips. She always had a demure personality; but that was due to her taking her job seriously.

"Morning." She said.

"M'rning thou art looking bett'r Aria." Gale muttered over his cup. Aria sipped her tea and raised an eyebrow at Gale.

"I feel better."

"yond is valorous, we has't a longeth journey ahead of us." Gale placed his cup down and buttered a piece of toast.

"A journey?" She asked, placing her cup down.

"Tis timeth to claimeth thy birth right." He said.

"You mean taking the throne back?" Telsa asked.

"What is it Gale?" Aria was concerned.

"Aria, t is timeth to leaveth the temple." Gale breathed.

"What do you mean leave?" She looked between Gale and Telsa.

"Aria you're one of the last Elderblood royals. Your rightful place is on the throne." Telsa said. Aria looked at Gale who was glaring at Telsa.

"We might not but wend tis timeth. Shalt pray pardon me on the way." Gale grabbed an apple as he got up and started to walk out. Telsa shrugged and followed him out. Guess she might as well follow them. She grabbed an apple as she turned from the Hall and walked out of the hall and down to her room, where she packed everything into a leather sack. She made her way to the front of the temple where Telsa and Gale waited for her at the front door. She noticed bags leaning against the wall. She raised an eyebrow.

"We packed everything we would need" Telsa confirmed Aria's suspicion.

"Here" Telsa handed her what looked to be like an oval amulet.

"What is this for?" she asked.

"To breathe" Gale said as he hoisted his bag on his back. She knew of the legendary curse placed on the Seetha race. Never being able to walk outside their towns without being suffocated and dying. She felt a ping of guilt towards them as she tied the string around her neck. Nothing happened.

"Did not do anything?" she glanced at Telsa questioningly.

"It will activate once we step outside." Telsa grabbed her bag. Tying it around her waist.

"Oh." She placed her hand on the necklace. Well that'll be different. She grabbed her bag and placed it on her back. It was heavy she noted as she tied it around her mid-section.

Gale handed a rope to her, "Tie tis to thou hook".

Aria found the hook and triple knotted the rope to it. She noticed the rope was attached to Telsa and Gale.

"Let's move out" Telsa opened the door, big enough for us to fit through one by one.

Outside Aria gasped at the sight before her. A sea of shifting gold. Dunes rising like waves and wind creating veils of sand. The sun was bright and hot as ever, as it shone down on them, making them squint their eyes to see where they were going. Vultures circled the skies looking for food to eat. Sweat soaked their clothes as they continued to travel through the hot sand for hours silently. All they could see was hills of sands and feel the heat of the sun on their face, and hear the vulture's cries. It was gorgeous. She had never seen anything like it.

"Doth not beest fool'd Aria." Gale commented. "Cometh timeth is of the essences Aria." Gale said as she neared. Gale began to march towards a wooden pole with a blue flag on it. Telsa followed in the middle. As they reached the pole, Aria noticed a change in the surroundings. Sharp winds began to push against them. Blowing sand particles from the ground into the air. Loud claps with lightening striking across the sky followed a dark sand storm. She braced as the winds pushed against her. She closed her eyes as sand began to fly in her face, and then it just stopped. She opened her eyes to see a clear bubble mask covering her face. Allowing her to breathe and see. The sand and wind brushed along the mask. She glanced to where she thought Telsa and Gale were. Their masks had also activated as the storm pressed onto them. She felt a tug through the rope connecting them as they slowly started moving forward. She couldn't see where the next pole as they kept passing them. Time passed as they made their way through the desert. What light was coming through the storm began to fade as night descended. The sand storm began to lessen as they neared the edge of Seetha. The bubble mask disappeared as the mountain ranges of the Reach appeared. A thick forest ran at the base of the Reach mountains. As they stopped in a clearing, just inside the forest line.

"We shall rest h're, prepareth the fireth." Gale untied the rope between them and wondered off.

"Where is he going?" Aria asked Telsa. "No idea. I'll collect the rocks and you grab the wood." Telsa wondered into the woods in search. Aria looked around, noticing how quiet the woods were. She put her bag down and gathered some wood. Waiting for Telsa to return with the stones. Together they got the fire going and had food roasting over the fire as Gale walked into the clearing with three horses.

"Where did you find those?"

"At which hour we tooketh thee to the temple in Seetha, we hath left our h'rse's at a valorous cater-cousins so we wouldst has't h'rses at our disposal." He tied the horses up around a tree. We sat around the fire, eating the cooked meat in silence.

"What is the plan?" she asked breaking the silence.

"We maketh our way to the crossing of inf'rnal climature. Th're we meeteth thy uncle and hopefully thy sist'r." Gale leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. "F'r anon we rest. We leaveth in a few hours." Aria got up and started to walking into the woods. She knew Telsa was following her as she heard her footsteps.

"Where are you going Aria" Telsa asked.

"I am looking for an animal. The hunger is back." Aria turned around to face Telsa, "Do you know if Gale has any idea on how we are going to take the throne back?"

"Well he did mention something about visiting all the race's kingdoms and see if we can persuade them to join our side and help you and your sister fight to get the throne back." Telsa leaned against a tree.

"Do we know anything about her? I do not remember her." She looked into the tree hoping to find a bird.

"She's your twin. We've heard she has come into her power, but was injured as a child." Aria felt a pain in her chest as she looked at Telsa, "Hurt how?" "She didn't know you existed and was with a separate family that had a little girl. The little girl fell down a cliff and broke her leg. Your sister went after her and she fell down the cliff face injuring herself. We never heard how bad, just that she was still alive." Telsa watched her closely as she felt rage for her sister being hurt.

"What was her name?" she asked.

"Your mother named her Rhosyn. We are hoping her guardian is bringing her to the meeting spot in the Infernal Regions." Telsa crossed her arms.

"Guardian?" she asked.

"Each member of your family has a guardian designated to protect and serve you."

"And mine?"

"Once we meet with your uncle, you'll have one." Aria saw movement in a bush beside her and quickly snatched up the bunny as it struggled in her hands. She looked at it and felt disgusted for what she was about to do. A hand touched her shoulder, "We need you at your full strength. I understand you do not like it but it is what needs to be done." Telsa walked away. Leaving her by herself. The warmth of the rabbit seeped into her hands as it kept struggling. She felt guilty for having to take anothers blood. She closed her eyes and mumbled, "Mae'n ddrwg gennyf. Gadewch i'ch gwaed gael eich bendithio. May your blood be blessed." She recited the ritual of her family. She put her hand over the rabbit's face and brought it to her mouth as she bites its neck. Warm blood spilled into her mouth with a slight tang of copper. She breathed as a forest clearing, burrow, kits flashed across her vision. She closed her eyes trying to block everything out as she drained the last of the life.

"Thank-you" she whispered. She walked to the burrow where the rabbit lived and buried it beside the burrow. She sighed and went back to the fire. She curled into her bed spread and slept light till she heard Gale was awake and packing. He came over and shook us awake.

"t is timeth we leaveth. The white h'rse is yours h'r nameth is C'Hiele. Thy uncle grows impatient." Aria looked to the white horse. She had a black spot on her forehead shaped of a star. She gentle patted the horses nose before she climbed up and followed Gale and Telsa to the crossing gate that lead into the Portal Realm.