Zoe's Thoughts

Zoe was never one to talk much and often spent her time in silence. Whenever she felt the urge to speak she still kept herself closed off from those around her. The only person she had ever let get close to her was Daryl. It was not the kind of bond between lovers because she did not wish for his heart, nor was it as simple as a friendship, she relied on him as if he was her only family.

Standing in hallway of the palace she carefully toyed with the stone that held the undead king prisoner in her hand. It gave a faint burning sensation to her fingertips as she held it. The feeling was hot but not enough to make her drop the stone. She could feel the stone trying to release the one within it but it was a fruitless effort.

Hiss!

She flinched slightly as her fingers felt a tinge of pain. It was like she was being stabbed with needles on her hand.

"Zoe? What are you doing up so late?" Daryl's voice called out to her from behind.

Since she was a girl from the cat race it was not unusual for her to be up late at night. She could see perfectly fine. Daryl was only worried because they had a long day tomorrow with the banquet ahead of them. He was afraid she would become over exhausted if she spent too much time staying up late.

"I couldn't sleep." Zoe's words were short. Her hand slipping the stone out of sight as she quickly slipped it into her dress.

"Are you worried about the stone?" Daryl was not slow to catch on to her actions no matter how much she had tried to hide it.

"... Yes." Zoe nodded her head after a moment of hesitation.

"How long do you think it can hold out for?" Daryl casually asked while slipping his jacket off and placing it over her shoulders. He could see her shivering from the cold breeze that was blowing through the hallway.

"Days.. Months.. Years.." Zoe could not be certain how long the stone would hold the one placed within it. The undead king that was trapped within it was not a weak being. She had used a spell that could be considered ancient magic but that did not mean her method was a permanent solution to the problem. Others could praise her for what she'd done however Zoe worried that one day it could break and release him from the prison within.

"Ah, I see." Daryl smiled and rubbed Zoe's head gently. "If that day comes we will take care of it when it happens. For now you should get some rest. You did well, Zoe."

"... Thank you, Daryl." She flinched slightly at his touch and shifted her gaze away from him.

"What are you thanking me for?" Daryl felt confused at her sudden gratefulness towards him. He was not sure what he had done to receive her thanks. Nothing he'd done had ever been for her to thank him. Taking care of others was within his nature regardless of whether or not others felt grateful in return for his kindness.

"I wouldn't have come this far if it wasn't for you... So I simply wanted to say thank you. At times it feels like I have an elder brother looking out for me." Her long brown tail swayed slightly for a moment as her ears pinned back.

"Hm? What are you-?" Daryl did not have time to think of a response to her words and she was not sure what kind of thoughts could have flashed through his mind.

Zoe quickly walked away while pondering over how to deal with the problem revolving around the stone. In the background she could hear Daryl trying to get her attention. Nothing he said registered in her mind as she was side tracked with thoughts of how to solve her own problem with the stone before things got worse. The dark magic of the undead king was trying to fight against the light magic she had used in order to break the seal holding him within the stone. As time passed by if it was not solved it would eventually release him once again.

Daryl could only watch her walk away with heavy thoughts. It made him worry that Zoe could be pushing herself over the matter too much. He was not foolish enough to not be aware of how bad things could get if the seal broke. It was simply that he did not like seeing her act as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders alone.

Theapan's temple was known to hold a pool within it that held purifying effects. The priest of the temple would use it for healing and cleansing people as well as objects. It gained it's effects from the purity of mana that flowed down from the streams that ran into the kingdom from the mountains surrounding the area. Nobody knew the exact source but believed it had to do with why the east was so favored by the faerie race and why the elves chose to reside in the east. The east was even known to hold colder climates while the west of the continent was more known for its hot weather which the dragons preferred.

Maybe if I can get the stone to the temple when we get there.. It should be able to hold out til then at least and maybe I'll be able to find a solution to it. Zoe thought to herself as she kept walking.

But would the priest of the temple allow her to use his temple's mana rich pool in order to try and cleanse the stone? The priest was from an enemy kingdom. Not to mention they were going to head there with intention to steal the throne for Prince Leo and Vorbuk.

"No, I must try at least. It will only get worse if I do nothing." She mumbled to herself as she pushed open the door to her room and closed it behind her.

Stepping over to the large bed in the room she dove straight forward onto it. Her long tail flicking about the air as she lay there on her stomach contemplating. Overwhelming feelings of exhaustion began to overtake her.

"One more day.. I wont have to wait much longer. I can fix this problem as long as I meet the priest at the temple and get his permission to use the pool.."

If I ask the prince to take me to the temple when we arrive I'm sure he will make a stop there.. Things will be alright. She sighed in attempt to calm herself down as she reasoned with herself.

As time passed by her eyelids began to feel heavy. Falling into a deep sleep as she decided firmly to visit the temple in Theapan as soon as they got there. Fixing the stone was not something she could put off without a second thought. There would be a lot at stake if something ended up happening because she let the matter go. Theapan.. She had to get there quickly and fix the matter without making the others worry.