Meilin was disoriented by the sudden change of settings. The castle was large, and it seemed...cold. Not welcoming at all. She shivered, feeling unwelcome. " Ah, all right," she nodded at his command, and began to walk up the stairs. It felt a little strange to her; a few moments ago, she was in a subway crash, and had no mother. Now, she knew that her mother was alive, but was going to be separated from her...forever? Meilin shooed the unfriendly thought away, deeming it not useful in this situation. She opened the door to her room, and gasped. It was rather large, nothing like she had been used to.

He just stood there after the girl left, he knew humans needed their time to grieve or whatever they did. He still couldn't believe that the adults let a child expect the offer, such selfishness had still lingered in their hearts. How he remembered why he joyfully nearly made them a exist. The gargoyles slowly stirred away for the evening, they started to crowd him happy for their master to be the first thing they saw. They acted more like toddlers then mindless killers. "Stop it!" He hissed at the creatures making them stop and stare at him.

He told them all about the girl and made sure they would listen carefully to what he was saying. Before he knew it them started to rush off to see the girl. He slapped his head in anger, they never listened. He didn't understand why he kept them around for so long.

She was sitting down at the edge of her bed, trying to keep her mind off of her mother, I miss you...Wait! I shouldn't be thinking about this! I'll get sadder! Pull it together, Meilin! she argued with herself, annoyed. She fell backwards onto the bed, letting out a big sigh, " Ah-ah, I wish that I were strong, like Papa." Meilin's father had been killed before she really could remember him, but all she did remember of him was that he was very brave. Suddenly, a chorus of ugly voices were at her door. Meilin sat up, frightened, " Wh-who's there?" she asked cautiously, standing up and backing away from the door. The gargoyles all tumbled in, and Meilin couldn't help but let out a small shriek.

He walked to the top of the stairs to watch the creatures pile in the door. They rushed into the room and surrounded the girl, he shook his head lightly before walking down to the room. They chirped to one another looking at the girl. "They won't bite, they are more like toddlers then anything." He told the girl that seemed to be frighten of the stupid beast. He waved his hand to lighten the room with candles. He never went into the other rooms so he had forgotten the lighting in most. "I hope this room is to your liking?" He asked her, he wanted her to be comfortable.

She nodded, trying to take the man's words in, " Ah... all right," she murmured, " They're harmless..." Meilin felt herself relax, and calmed down. She gasped again when the room was lit. Meilin could never get over how beautiful this man's magic was. She had read about things like this in storybooks when she was young, but never before had she seen it in real life. " Ah, the room is wonderful," Meilin replied, finally hearing Malus's question, " It's very lovely."

He leaned against the door way and looked at the six creatures. "You, the third one!" He called to one of the beast, it stopped and looked at him. "Make sure she has everything she needs or wants." He order it, he never gave them names; didn't care to. He waved his hand to create clothing inside the closet, granted it was all similar to his style of clothing just made for a female. Hopefully they would fit. "Help yourself to anything in that castle, just leave me room alone." He stated plainly to the girl.

She was a bit impressed by this man's obvious importance to the gargoyle like creatures. Meilin smiled just a little; Malus was interesting. She looked towards the closet. Had the man done something towards the clothing inside of it? Meilin had no idea. It was very intriguing... When the man told her of her limits in the castle, she nodded, "All right...But I'll mostly spend time in here...And..do you have a garden?" she asked Malus," I'd love to see the plants there if you do."

He motioned to the curtains at the right, behind there was a ocean view and a small yard with a garden more straight down then the rest. It was full of flowers, fruits and vegetables; granted most where twice the size they should have been but he got irritated and used magic to get them that way. However he would never tell her that, just let her think he had a green thumb.

She jumped up, impressed, " That's beautiful," Meilin breathed, looking down at the garden. She had the nagging feeling that it wasn't the man's own work, but that too was impressive in a way. She looked at Malus, " How do I find my way down there?" she asked him, wanting to see the plants up close, " I'd really like to see..."

He pointed down the hallway. "Go down the stairs, you'll see a large living open sitting area behind the stair. Through the glass door." He simply stated. It wasn't that hard to miss, his castle was large but the entrance way was so simple but elegant. To the left and the right of the sitting room where libraries full of books, mostly in Latin. Books covered the walls completely, but the windows over over the garden and ocean.

Meilin nodded, " All right..." She headed out the door of her room, and followed the directions of the sorcerer. Pushing open the glass door, Meilin was surprised by the sunlight that enveloped the garden. She bent down to smell a flower, breathing in the elegant smell of roses, " Mmm..." Meilin smiled to herself, then began to water the different plants with a watering can she had found under the leaves of a mint plant.

He watched her from her balcony, smiling at the girl. The creatures fighting on the girls bed over who would get to sleep there with her. Annoyed from the creatures, he blinked to the garden. "Take it, the garden can be your responsibility if you wish." He told the girl smiling. He didn't understand why the adults let her come but he figured it was for the better. Such greed they all had.

Meilin looked up in surprise, " Really? You mean it?" Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she anticipated the answer.

Eh..I thought that he was just a mean grumpy sorcerer living by himself in a castle, but it turns out, that he's actually pretty nice! I shall have to thank him for this..

Meilin smiled, " You're a really kind man," she said to Malus, "Even if you don't act like it." It was most likely true. After all, Malus had brought back the dead in exchange for one living person, and only one!

He nodded. "Yes, it will be yours from now on." He told her, any seed she wanted he would create it for her. "Name what you want and I will make it for you." He told the girl, smiling. He wanted her to be happy the time whole she would be here.

His slightly turned serious. 'He was kind.' That hit a spot. "Well being alone for over one hundred and twenty thousand years will do that." He said defensively, he was a horrible War Lord once. His name was brought fear to anyone that heard it. He knew the years soften him, the boredom driving into his skull till nothing was left of his old life. He didn't like the thought of being 'kind.'

" Uwah, thank you so much!" Meilin smiled at the man, " Hm...daisies are nice, and roses, and ooh, hydrangeas!" She started to list all of the plants that she could think of, but then was cut off by Malus's remark, " E-eh? W...was that offensive? I'm sorry!" she apologized, flushing red from embarrassment.

Meilin hadn't meant to offend the man. She honestly wasn't really good at interacting with people other than her mother.

So it is offensive to call someone kind? she thought to herself, confused, Perhaps it is a man's way of thinking...

He held out his hand a whispered softly in Latin. A small bag about a inch in width and a two inches in length, it was a soft purple satin bag with small white gem beaded on it. The tie was a silver rope, he handled it to her. "Think of the seed you want, then open the bag it will be in there. He then held out his hand to make a think book appear into his hands, he dropped the book onto the ground in front of her. "You think I'm kind? Everything I did before this imprisonment is in there. I had killed over one million of your kind and others. I tortures anyone, man, woman, or child such as yourself to prove a point to all that opposed me. Read the book then me if you think I am still kind." He told the girl before disappearing, he hated being called kind.

She blinked, and studied the small bag. It looked very beautiful, and Meilin again wondered how magic like that was possible. She looked up at Malus, " Thank you so much! I will treasure this!"

The book made a slapping sound on the ground, and Meilin jumped a little, " Ah-ah..." she started to say, but was cut off by the sorcerer's sharp words.

I had killed over a million of your kind...

The phrase echoed in her mind even after the man had disappeared.

" I...I don't think that you're cruel..." Meilin mumbled to herself, bending down to pick up the book, " I don't think that I ever will think that you are cruel, Malus."

Meilin did realize that what the sorcerer had done in his past was mean, and despicable, but she lived in the present. Malus had been kind to her, and she was basing her opinion of him off of that.

He was in the maze of books within his room, he was really irradiated that she called him kind. He didn't understand why it was hurtful but it was. He really wished he never let the boredom kill his reality and make him miss companionship. He plopped down on his bed and looked at the ceiling. "Kind..." He hissed that word out, it didn't even taste right coming out of his mouth.

She sat down, reading the book that Malus had given her. Meilin was staring intently at the novel, and read each page with care. She wanted to get to know this man, as she was probably going to be living with him for a while...

Malus...was cruel... Meilin decided, But he's not cruel right now...I think that...he's just lonely.

She sighed, and shut the book, falling back onto the grass.

He sat up and looked at the piles of books laying around his room, all full of spells or rituals. Everything he had learned over the centuries. He whispered in Latin sending all the books onto a burst of flames, he would just bring them back it was mostly to prove to himself that he still could cause damage. His eyes turned red as he watched the books burning into ashes, they wore the only light he had in his room at the time. He whispered more out, making the flames grow higher till he lifted his hand and closed it; silencing the flames as he did. He looked at the crackling books, with the fire dead only embers and heat rose from the piles. "Kind..." That word hit at him in a mocking manner and he hated it more then the picture.

Meilin thought and thought about the words she had read in the book.

He caused so much devastation...but why?

Thinking about this, Meilin yawned a little. The day had been tiring. She looked up into the blue sky, and wondered what it would be like to fly.

I bet Malus could fly...His magic can do anything...

Meilin sleepily nodded to herself, Malus is amazing at magic...

And with that, she drifted off to sleep.

The little gargoyles hopped over to the girl was fast asleep, they laid near her and tried to mock her. They only slept when they turned to stone so they didn't understand what she was doing.

He whispered once more bringing the books back. He had no idea what had got him so worked up over a little word such as that. He looked at the books and grabbed one on the top. It was the oldest books he had, it was his first book of shadows. A smirk came to his face as he got a idea. The human would only last a few years, well what would be a few years to him; along time for her. He set the book down on his bed and stood up, he began to rummage through the once charred books. He wanted to offer her a special gift, the gift she seemed to love so much.

She dreamt of the train wreck. The blood that was everywhere...her broken mother.

Through her dreams, Meilin shivered, and curled up into a small ball.

Mother...why are you bent the wrong way?

The question echoed in her mind as she slept. The wreck progressed, and Meilin was haunted by the memories of people screaming, and yelling, and begging for God to save them. She frowned to herself, and had a distressed look on her face.

Mother...are you there?

And suddenly, everything was black. She was alone. Malus's voice echoed above her, I am not kind...

The dream continued, and Meilin was revisited by many memories, from her young age, to her age now.

Upon finding the book he wanted, Malus walked over the a desk he threw a book over his should and replace in it's spot the one he searched for. He flipped it open turning the pages with magic while he looked for the one he wanted. It felt like a hour had past while he searched the many pages before coming to the one he wanted. He turned to his cauldron and forced a small flame under it to start. He threw in the ingredients the book called for, stirring it for the lifeless steam to lazily fall over the edges. He took a dagger and slit his palm open, carelessly he let his blood fall into the boiling cauldron. He calmly spoke in Latin forcing the potion to glow with a eerie blue. He healed his hand before letting the potion stir it's self. It would take til the next night to completely finish brewing. Then he would offer it to her, maybe then he could finally bust out of this prison then made his so soft.

She continued dreaming for a while, but then awoke when she felt wet droplets dance across her body. Opening her eyes, Meilin found that it was raining. She sat up, and looked around; some time had passed while she was asleep. Then a thought occurred to her, " Oh no!"she cried, as she realized that the book had gotten wet. Meilin quickly gathered the bag and the book and headed inside. She walked up the stairs, and opened the door to her room. Plopping on the bed, Meilin carefully set the two objects by her bedside. Then she walked into the bathroom, to take a shower. She was pretty soaked.