_AnaTolia_ & xD3siR3x

[_AnaTolia_]

Character Profile ::

nAme : Alyss Sherwood
aGe : 17
gEnder : Female
aPpearance : Alyss or Aly

[xD3siR3x]

Name: Eric
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Appearance: Eric

[_AnaTolia_]

:: The Third Daughter ::

Alyss Sherwood was carving on a piece of wood when she heard the cook's booming voice downstairs. "Alyss! It's time to eat!" Hearing her sisters rush downstairs, she placed the piece of wood down, looking at it longingly. She had seen different shapes take form once she first touched the wood that her father had brought for her.

At the moment, Aly was far from hungry. She rarely ate, and when she does, it was because the cook wanted her to try out one of her new recipes. They were all good, of course, but Aly would give her some tips and such. The Cook gladly listened to them, knowing for her talent in the kitchen.

Although her family was rich, Alyss herself preferred to work. Both her sisters, Hope and Charisse, despised work, although they are both kind to other people.

A sigh escaped from her lips as she thought about her sisters yet again. They were both beautiful. Hope had strawberry-blond hair and bright blue eyes to match them. Whilst Charisse had chocolate brown hair and emerald green eyes to top it all off. They were both admired for their looks.

While the third child, Alyss, had brown hair and brown eyes. She herself thought that these features were dull. Plus, her skin was too pale. This was because she kept staying at home, either reading, carving, or helping Cook out in the kitchen. Both her sisters go out all the time either shopping or out on dates.

Reaching the dinner table, she then heard thunder outside. 'It has been raining for quite a while.' She thought, taking her place in the table. Looking at where her sisters usually sit, they were empty. Father's chair was empty, too.

"Where's father?" Alyss asked a servant. The servant then told her that her father was out in the woods finding something. 'In the woods? What could possibly be there?' She thought, eating her food slowly.

[xD3siR3x]

Eric was slowly pacing down the halls of his small run down mansion. The halls were dark, dusty and riddled with already ridiculously huge cobwebs. He didn't mind the mess, in fact he didn't pay any attention to it at all and kind of even enjoyed it.

Eric had a small lantern to illuminate the way, but it proved to be of little use when the rain came pouring down and lightning accompanied it. Thunder. It shook the mansion almost from the bottom up making the chandeliers shake and clatter dangerously. He wasn't worried about that, he just made his way further into the house hoping to find a place that would be at least slightly quieter.

When did I become like this? he asked himself frequently. When did he become an outcast caring for nothing in this world. His looks reflected his thoughts perfectly. His long red entangled hair were now more like a lions mane or a beasts fur that a human hair, he also couldn't remember the last time he shaved or attended his looks at least a little. But of course, why would he even bother...

[_AnaTolia_]

:: The Father ::

Adel was riding his favorite horse, Ebony, when he saw lightning and heard thunder. Looking up at the sky, he cursed to himself. "I knew I should've went home when I saw those gray clouds coming." Sighing, Adel then looked around, his face showing dismay when he realized that he had forgotten which direction to home was.

"Ebony, do you know where home is?" He asked his black-colored horse. She just whinnied, probably signaling that she sensed some sort of shelter. 'It's probably the rain that is bothering her.' Adel sighed and told her to lead where she wanted to go.

The rain poured down in sheets. The water went through Adel's thin clothing. 'It was perfectly sunny when I first came out here.' He thought, his eyes scanning everywhere for predators. When there were none, he then thought about how Alyss very much wanted a particular kind of wood, one that is rarely found.

'What was it called? Oh yes, the Heartwood.' Adel then clutched at the simple carving of a heart that she had made for him. He kept it in his breeches and held it tight the whole journey. He had went in the forest, hopefully looking for it. Since he knew how Alyss felt about her sisters and herself. 'She shouldn't look so down on herself all the time.' Adel looked up and saw an enormous mansion.

[xD3siR3x]

Eric stopped once he reached the library that was built deep inside the mansion. He opened the door and went right in. The atmosphere in that particular room was completely different from the rest of the mansion. For starters, it was relatively clean, and the flame in the fireplace danced joyfully, warming everything around it. In front of the fireplace there was a small coffee table with a cup of tea already waiting for him.

Eric frowned, the light from the fireplace was blinding to him after the walk in dark hallways. He put out the lantern he was carrying and places it on the ground.

There were no signs of the rain stopping any time soon. Eric moved from the doorway towards an old armchair in front of the fireplace and made himself comfortable.

[_AnaTolia_]

Ebony led Adel through the mansion gates. It was supposedly left open. The mansion looked like nobody has lived there for quite a while. He sighed and got off the horse, the rain pelting him through his clothing. He was hesitant, but he didn't want to worry Alyss by just wandering about in the forest in this weather. Plus, there were many predators that would want to eat him.

After leading Ebony to the stables that Adel found, he then went inside the mansion through the back door. The back door was used mainly by servants, this he knew much. The kitchen was run down, filled with cobwebs and such. But when he looked closely, he realized that some of the utensils were used recently.

'There probably is someone living here after all.' Adel's mind then drifted to the rumors that he heard about a particular mansion in the forest. 'They say that it is inhabited by a beast.' He shook his head and soon ended up in the hallways, the lightning giving him faint light.

"Rumors are rumors; I won't let that stop me." Adel muttered. He then asked aloud if there was anyone in the mansion. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

[xD3siR3x]

Someone's here! Someone entered the mansion... a whisper came from all the things surrounding the intruder.
Should we call the master? Nonsense! He's just hiding here from the storm... Let the man be. The master won't be too happy about this... A small sprite then showed itself from one of the dark corners and flew towards the arrival. It kept it's distance and out of his sight just in case the man turned out to be evil.

"What are you doing here?" a pure little voice echoed as the sprite decided to speak to the man. She had never seen any other human being other than her master, so she was curiously flying around him gradually forgetting to stay invisible.
"Who are you, Mister?" she asked him appearing right before his nose. She was a petite little sprite with light brown hair loosely falling over her shoulders. Her little transparent wings fluttered so fast that the human eye could barely notice something more than a few sparkles surrounding her.

[_AnaTolia_]

Adel stumbled and nearly fell, seeing a small person the size of his hand flying towards his nose. 'Flying?' He thought, his eyes following the sparkles the little person left behind. Hearing the little sprite's question, he answered, "A-Adel Sh-Sherwood. A sprite! I thought none of those existed!" He gleefully said, remembering the stories he was told in his childhood.

"I suppose somebody else is living here, right?" He asked. "Sorry for the mess. I just got out of the rain and I got in here for shelter." Adel said, looking at the puddle that he made on the floor. Looking around, he thought that there might be other creatures living here. "And I suppose other creatures exist."

[xD3siR3x]

"None existed? That's simply rude!" the little sprite pouted and crossed her tiny hands on her chest. The man didn't seem to be a threat so she wasn't about to make a ruckus about him being there, besides, looking at the poor drenched man, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"Don't worry about the mess," she smiled and sprinkled some glittery duns on a nearby mop. It instantly sprung up an started cleaning everything that looked dirty on the floor.
"I can't offer you much hospitality," the sprite said apologetically, "But you're free to make yourself some tea and wait till the storm ends."
While talking to the man, the sprite was really worried that the master would find them. Not to be always flying around she found herself a toy chair carved from Heartwood.

[_AnaTolia_]

Adel's eyes looked at the moving mop in wonder. 'If it could do that, then I'm sure that there are lots of other things it could do.' He thought. Adel was shivering. He then prepared a cup of tea for himself, looking at the sprite every now and then. When he opened the cabinet, he realized that there were names of other teas that he has rarely heard about. 'Pommelo, Kyobancha, and Kumquat Pu-erh are even here. The master must be a rich man.'

After making his tea with a more simpler ingredient, Jasmine, he then sat down. He looked around and his eyes soon rested on the chair where the sprite sat. Recognizing Alyss' information, he asked, "I-is that Heartwood?"

[xD3siR3x]

The little sprite blinked confused. She couldn't understand why was the man so surprised.
"Yes, haven't you seen one before?" she tilted her head to the side.
"Master has a lot of Heartwood sculptures," she exclaimed trowing her arms to sides as to illustrate the amount he had.
"It's pretty common around here too..." she crossed her legs, but stood up soon.
"You want to see it?"

[_AnaTolia_]

"Yes please!" Adel said, almost desperately. "I have a daughter who wants to carve Heartwood. I never knew it was plentiful here." He smiled and followed the little Sprite, imagining the smile on Alyss' face when he would give her the piece of wood. 'But wait, I'm not sure if the master would allow me to get one of these.' He then decided to keep the thought to himself.

[xD3siR3x]

The sprite flew up and started leading him towards the stairs while avoiding all the cobwebs.
"Watch your step," she warned, "The house lacks upkeep so you might trip on something unexpected," she giggled and flew up the stairs waiting for the man to catch up.

"It's this way," she lead him to the right from the stairs and down the long hall. She took him through a couple of doors till they reached a studio-like room with lots of carving tools and a couple of wooden statues. At the end of the room there was a young sapling of a heartwood tree which seemed to be attracting ... fireflies?

[_AnaTolia_]

"Alright." Adel said, right after lightly tripping on some rectangular object. Light wasn't abundant in the area. The lightning didn't do much to the castle, just lit a few things along his way. 'It would be nice if Alyss lived here. She would've kept the place sparkling clean.' He thought, absentmindedly when his foot kicked a book that was open on the floor.

Once he reached their destination, Adel's eyes widened in wonder. "A-Are those fireflies?" He asked, walking towards the sapling, nearly touching it. It looked very beautiful and mysterious.