Even though the world was still young and fresh, there were still ancient mysteries that descended back into the mists of time. Their stories so old, that they had died long before people thought to record them. One of these ancient mysteries lay at the top of the Everto hill. Hidden by the wild roses stood a marble mount, holding a stone statue of a kneeling woman, her long hair falling in front of her face and large bat like wings closing around her, almost defensively, caught mid movement. This statue had given the hill it's name Everto, although it was a mystery as to why.

Soon that mystery would be revealed. At high noon the sun began to fade. The daylight waned and the moon began its journey across the sky. A total eclipse, turning daytime into night. At the base of the hill, the townsfolk began to panic as fear creeped into their hearts. What magic would block out the sun? Evil magic was their only answer.

Then slowly, the statue began to change. The stone wing no longer appeared grey, but an ebony colour began to appear. Slowly the colour began to spread across the statue. Most tiny cracks smoothed out into flesh, but the deep ones turned to blood. The amazingly detailed stone hair became black and silky as the wind took a hold of it. The tunic became cream, then moved as the statue took breath for the first time in who knows how long. Yet still the eyes remained closed as the stone continued to retreat and return to flesh.

'So.... just why are we heading up this hill again Flitch?" Flitch, the young man addressed, grinned. He looked back towards his friends, and gave a wink.

"Because, when I was little, my dad told me a story Griff. He told me this Hell hid an amazing treasure!" Flitch replied, running a hand through his short but wild brown hair. His equally brown eyes held excitement, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Amazing treasure?" Griff asked, her brows both raising with interest. Her sort cropped hair was blond, but with her, what stood out most were her blue, slit-pupiled eyes.

"You two are aware that sometimes such treasure is merely dust these days aren't you?" asked the third member in their party. She held gold eyes that were half closed, as though in contempt with everything, her long hair tied in a braid behind her.

Flitch just stuck his tongue out. "Say... look!" he replied, pointing towards a statue up ahead.

"It's just stone," Morgaine, the third, replied with a shrug.

"No! Look HARDER!" Flitch pressed, his jaw gaping in awe.

"Well I'll be damned..." Griff commented, shaking her head.

"Perhaps she is a gargoyle?" Morgaine suggested.

"I dunno, but its rude to just stand here and stare at her! Lets go!" And with that Flitch ran up the hill, leading the way towards the strange former statue...

((Sorry about the length, it just seemed right to start off with a lil adventuring party :3))

As the stone vanished completely the woman found her voice , letting out the dusty air of generations in a cry of pain as her brain registered the cuts on her arms, legs and wings. Stretching her wings, she caused the roses to fall around her, no longer able to rest on the stone they had grown on for years. Deep violet eyes lowly opened and took in the world around her...and the people heading directly towards her.

With a startled sound issuing from her lips, her wings quickly furled loosely around herself. Protecting her from whatever may happen. Slowly the light began to return to the world as the moon moved away from the sun. The woman raised her head as the light began to increase once more and held up her hand, as though she could actually touch the light.

She gasped in pain and lowered her hand. Her dark eyes surveyed her injuries before returning to those who now approached her. A strong sense of curiosity overwhelmed her, but also the need for caution. They more than likely were not friendly. Not unless the world had drastically changed while she slept.

(It's ok)

"That boy shall be the death of me..." Morgaine muttered as she followed at her usual slow, but solid pace. Griff meanwhile was running ahead, curious to be sure. Almost as much as Flitch... silly little boy. Oh well, she had her spear she could summon to ensure that things didn't go awry. The village might get upside if anything happened to Flitch after all.

"Hiyas!" Flitch commented, as he waved towards the woman, unsure if she could see it with her wings furled like that. He tilted his head, curious. "My name is Flitch, what's yours?" It was then he noted her cuts and blinked. "OH! You're injured! I can take ya back to the village with me, we'll get you fixed up in no time miss!"

"Alright Romeo, enough with the making out," Griff replied, rolling her eyes as she walked up. Hmmm... wings. Much like the ones she and Morgaine could summon... was this one a dragoon then? Griff didn;t think so but then what?

"I'm just being helpful!" Flitch replied, folding his arms with a hmph.

"Helpful as a hole in my ear!"

"My apologies for the two idiots..." Morgaine commented, as she walked up to the hilltop. She gave a sight nod of her head. "I am Morgaine, the loud one is my younger sister Griff, and this little... boy is Flitch. What might your name be?"

As Flitch remarked upon her wounds, her fingers touched them, testing that the blood was real. She was half in a daze and not really paying to much attention to them. The pain of so many cuts appearing at once was incredible. So she didn't answer until Morgaines voice cut through her thoughts. Raising her head once more she eventually spoke. Her words soft and slow, from a voice that hadn't been used for hundreds of years. "I suppose you would call me Everto." She replied "I have been named many things through the years. Demone, Riivaaja, Duivel... Everto is what they called me here." She nodded, stretching her wings out and flicking them slightly as she rose to her feet.

Her legs did not seem willing to take the weight after such a long break and it fell to her wings to keep her upright. A few seconds later her legs conceded and supported her body, although somewhat unsteadily. She seemed more interested in her own small achievements than them now. If they had meant her harm, they probably would have done so already. No, she reckoned she was pretty safe for now.

"Everto then," Morgaine replied, mulling this over a moment. A pleasure." She lapsed into silence again, knowing she did not need to ask any more questions. Not with her present companions.

Indeed, Flitch was quick to live up to her expectations. "Hiyas Everto! Like the Hill?" he asked. "How did you end up here like this, in stone? Were you in a battle or soemthing? You're okay now right?" Griff meanwhile facepalmed before grabbing Flitch by the collar of his shirt.

"Enough with the damn questions kiddo! Sheesh, the gal just woke up, you want to overload her mind already?"

"One more, just one more!" Flitch added, grinning widely. "Are you a dragoon Everto?"

((Changing colors since like a dunce I didnt realize we were using the same one here. *Giggles*))

Everto didn't answer right away, simply stepped backwards off of the stone stand that had held her for so long. Instantly the thing exploded, sending pieces every which way. Her fingers reached out, caressing one of the roses. "I am nameless" She repeated as though speaking to a child.

She paused, plucking the rose from its stem and holding it up to her face, delighting in the ability to smell once more. "When the world was still new, we were everything. But the world was not enough. We faught amongst ourselves and the first blood was shed. From that sprang life. Then the war began." She laughed "Civilization was created. And we left."

"WOAH!" Flitch cried, as the stand exploded. That was the LAST thing he had expected to see! Yikes! But then again, he guessed it was pretty old... wasn't it?

"Heh... you like roses, don't ya?" Griff asked, glancing towards one of the red flowers with a slight smile. Morgaine remained quiet, as though taking in every detail of the events unfolding here and cataloging them in her mind.

"I see..." Morgaine replied, at the explanation. "So you are from one of the First races then. Pray tell, how did you end up here then, separated?" she asked, curious.

"Woooow, so you're like, ancient huh?" Flitch asked, which got him a bop on the head from Griff.

"Manners Flitch, manners," she told the boy.

"That wasn't very polite yourself!"

"Well I am older..."

She smiled, looking up from the rose "Roses have always been mine." She told her. "That is why there are so many here." She breathed "They never grew here before." She smiled.

She paused toeing the rubble "The war happened. Civilization didn't want us. We didn't want you." She dropped the rose on the rubble and walked out of the roses "Most of us anyway. We always did like to fight amongst ourselves." She seemed to find the thought amusing. "If you cut stone, all you get is pieces of stone. If you cut us, all you get is cut back. Eventually there was too much blood in this world. Too much life. They banished us the only way they knew how." She smiled and pointed back at the stone rubble.

"I see... so wherever ya go roses follow huh? That's a Hell of a lot cooler than what follows MOST people," Griff added, glaring again towards Flitch who merely grinned.

"I see..." Morgaine commented again.

"So all of this means you haven't seen the world in a looong time right?" Flitch asked, tilting his head. "We can take you with us, on a sort of guided tour! I bet there are a lot of new sights to see, new faces, new places... it'll be great!" He grinned as he looked towards Everto, curious and oddly hopeful too. But then, Flitch always did like it whenever soemthing new and exciting happened during his routine days..

She shook her head "The world has changed much since we owned it. That is true. And yet it is still the same for such things never truly change." She brushed her hair out of her eyes and before adding "New faces can only belong to those I seek no pleasantries with." She shrugged looking up to the heavens, stretching her wings out once more.

Morgaine smiled a slight at the last, understanding this. But Flitch... well she knew what he would say before he even said it.

"Yeah but, how are you gonna have new stories to tell, new things to experience if you don't meet people? Noone at the village bites, 'cept for maybe Griff here!" Griff glared at Flitch then, bopping him upside the back of the head.

"Idiot..." she growled, showing him a flash of her teeth.

Morgaine sighed, shaking her head as she glanced back towards Everto. "Perhaps then... a simple light around the countryside is more in order?" she suggested. "If one goes at night it is a rather nice trip actually."

"Yeah, rather BORING!" Flitch piped in.

"For once I have to agree with the little brat," Griff added, which made the older sister smile but not reply. It never was good to reply, since it only encouraged the two to argue more!

She turned suddenly looking rather violent "What you call people I call vermin. First born from the blood of my people, meaningless and worthless." She held out her hand and for a moment the air shimmered before taking shape and becoming solid. A great sword appeared in her hands, and it didn't look like she had any qualms about using it. "But if you really are that anxious to have me meet them, I suppose I could." There was something in her voice that suggested that this idea was probably not in anyones best interest.

"Let me make myself clear, foolish named one. I never needed your kind and I never will. They were amusing at first, but you find that that wears thin very easily. They do not matter. They never did. Simply a side effect of those who do."

"Woah! Hell! Easy on the kid!" Griff commented then, shaking her head. "No need to get THAT way!" Flitch meanwhile had his arms folded, as he took in Everto's words.

"That's a pretty lonely way of looking at things," Flitch finally replied, shaking his head. "The world isn't in battle anymore... so why do you want to start a new one. People are just trying to live yanno... and a sword ain't going to help!"

"Ex-nay on the yelling-ay..." Griff muttered towards Flitch, pulling him back a slight. The blue and gold wings on her back twitched a slight though, as well as a brow. Registering her irritation. Flitch, after all, despite his faults she considered like a little brother.

Morgaine meanwhile remained silent, taking everything in. Of course he would aid if it were needed. But right now, the dragoon would wait. But, for more than the first time, she wished her two wards would keep hold of their tongues better.

"Hell? What a wonderful idea." She smiled dangerously "I wonder if the vermin can survive that?" She beat her wings, rising from the ground "We never wanted your kind. We never you. Do not be naive enough to believe that we do now. That you are any more important to my life than an ant." She swung her sword, cutting a slit in the air high above the rubble of her perch. The air began to shimmer and tear, revealing a floating passageway, lit by flaming torches. She landed gracefully on the stone floor of the newly awakened, floating, stone passage.