A christmas adventure

"So, whatare we gonna do?" Zak asked, his arms crossed and a deep thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the flickering flames of their campfire.

"For now, just enjoy our camping trip." Ro replied, lying back on the pile of pillows. This part of the forest definitly bought back memories: lots of them. The wooden structures were singed, worn and rotting from years of use in the damp, decidous forest, but everything held up strong, the pot of warm tea bubbled quietly over the flames while the small group discussed the recent rumours about the haunted castle severl miles to the north.

"Well I definitly want to explore it." Zak said, looking around for some confirmation as he pulled his cape tighter round his shoulders to stave off the biting cold.

"Me too, but right now, mac and cheese is ready." Ro said with a smirk, Zak groaned. "I swear in the last fewyears you have gotten WORSE at cooking." He sighed, but happily accepted the warm plate of food anyway, as Ro continued to to portion out soe for everyone present.

Nikola was lying on the ground and let out a big yawn, "I offered to cook, but you guys wouldn't let me touch the food. I mean, what just because I'm a half demon. I can't be trusted?" She asked, closing her eyes and didn't seem the least bit interesting in the food. Leaning back against her back, not planning on letting anyone touch it. Least not over her dead body.

Flora could hardly hold still, she was still so excited that she didn't know what to do with herself. When Rose started passing the food out, Flora tried to sit down, so she could eat. Her wings kept fluttering and twitching excitedly. She ignored everyone else's attitude about the food. "Don't listen to them, can't beat a good mac n cheese right Rose?" She wouldn't be lying if she said her excitement was partially from getting to adventure Rose again.

"I- I trust you, Nikola." Zak smiled, "I think we're out of mac and cheese anyway, so someone else will have to cook tomorrow." He smirked, Rose narrowed her eyes at his assumption that was the only thing she could cook, but she knew it was true. She couldn't hold back a smile seeing how excited Flora was, it had been way too long since their last adventure.

"So, you guys maybe wanna find that castle tonight?" She grinned, getting more and more excited herself. "I mean, unless you're all too chicken to go at night." She added, knowing Zak especially would take that as a challenge.

Nikola smirked, "count me in, but you go in first Rose. That way if you die, I at least get some interesting information out of it." She was mostly teasing the Sprite, since she felt like they didn't know as much about the castle as she would live, but hey. That is what adventures are supposed to be for!

Flora back flipped nearly losing all of her pasta, which she quickly zipped and blurred about to make sure to catch. Before Holding her bowl and smiled, her feet still a couple inches off the ground. "Count me in, I've been looking forward to this adventure!" She said

Nikola glanced at Flora and her... well, hyperness was the only word that came to mind. Before looking to Zak, "are all fairies like that?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ha, of course i'm going in first." Ro smirked, flipping out her sword to toast marshmallow."I'm still technically the captain." She joked, not ready to relinquish the title from their boat trip years ago.

Zak smiled when Nikola spoke to him, his cheeks flushing slightly. "I think it's just Flora." he said, giving the hyper fairy a nod.

Ro let out a squeal s her marshmallow caught fire, standing up to keep the flames away from their nest of cushions. "Whoah, I could totally have a flaming sword." She laughed, not really bothered that her marshmallow beyond burnt now.

Nikola chuckled, before standing up and stretching. Finishing off her Mac n Cheese fairly fast. She smiled, revealing her fangs. Before pulling a purple apple from her bag, she started munching on it. Licking the juice from her lips, her book neatly tucked away into her bag. No sense risking it going into danger after all. Losing the book could possibly mean losing her livelihood.

Flora sat on her staff and ate her mac n cheese, her wings still threatening to lift her off the ground. Not that the fairy seemed to notice as she waited on everyone to be ready. Looking to the marshmellow, "you know. I don't know if I've every actually had a marshmellow before." She said, more to herself.

"You've NEVER had a marshmallow?" Rose smirked, blowing the flame out nd grabbing several fresh ones and holding them over the fire. "Here." She smiled handing Flora the sword, "Theyre best melted."

Zak stuffed the rest of his food in his mouth and stood up, grbbing his stuff off the floor. "I'm redy whenever you ll re." He said, "Nikola," he began, plcing hnd on her shoulder. "We hve hollow tree where you cn hide your book, it'll be sfe there." He sid, knowing how precious she ws over it. He wouldnt wnt to see her upset if she lost it.

"Right then," Rose stood up, "mgicl hunted cstle we've never herd of before yesterdy here we come." She smirked. She ws little dubious the cstle in uestion might be the drgon temple they found yers go, but she relly hoped not. She wnted to explore somewhere new, s she kind felt she knew every inch of this forest.

She turned bck to Flor, "So, wht'dyou think? Theyre nice rght?" referingn to the mrshmllows.

Flora blinked and looked at the sword, "I think your sword is getting sticky." She said, before plucking one in her mouth. The Guardian uncurling itself from her neck and pulled one off as well, it looking kind of like a dog with peanut butter as it tried to eat the marshmellow. Flora nodded, when she asked how she liked it and handed Rose her sword back.

Nikola looked at Zak and her eyes slit for a moment, as she just stared at him. Then her eyes went back to normal, before she shook her head. Offering him a small smile, "I appreciate the offer, but someone would be hard pressed to find it in my bag and I feel safer knowing it is by my side if something happened. If I hid it anywhere, I would be too paranoid the whole time to really do anything the way I normally would." She answered honestly, pulling out another purple apple and offered it to Zak, "wanna try one?"

Zak smled back, taking the strange fruit. "Thankyou." He said, wondering what it was as he took a bite. "It's delicious."

Ro shrugged. "Ifa nyone attacks us, they deserve to get a bit sticky." she said, that sword was used for food much more thn actual fighting. She grbbed her stchel which contained a few snacks, torch, and couple of shuriken s well s her sketchbook.

"Right then, lets go" She said excitedly, seeing Zak was eating some wierd fruit, she dded "Eat it on the way, cu we aren't waiting. Race ya, Flora?"

*the fruits tastes pretty much like an apple with twice as much juice and with a slightly tangy aftertaste*

Flora giggled, imagining their enemy getting stuck to Roses' sword. She smiled even wider at Roses' question and nodded, putting her staff up and said. "Point the way and say go." She said, landing and trying to still her wings. So she would have as little an advantage as possible.

Nikola chuckled and said, "I guess we are going to get left behind. Least we kinda know where they are going." Glad Zak liked the Apple.

"I hve the mp, so if ny of us re getting lost it's those two." k smiled, hnding the tttered piece of pper to Nikol. He glnced up to see Rose nd Flor hd lredy tken off.

~~~~~~ Mini timeskip ~~~~~~~

Brething hevily, Rose smirked s she couldn/t see Flor nywhere. Either she ws relly fr hed... or behind. She didn't relly care, she expected Flor to bet her to it nywys.

Seeing tll, shdowed figure wlking towrds the crumbling castle wlls, she quickly drted, s silently s she could, bck into the trees. While they were probably just nother adventurer, she got n uncomfortble feeling bout this guy.

The figure turned to look round, seemingly quite paranoid, s he did so she noticed the dark stains across the front of his bright white robes, which stood out in stark contrast to the soft dark surroundings. Something ws definitly going on here, Rose thought s she quickly scrambled higher up into the trees, staying well hidden.

"Flora?" She whispered, looking round the clearing from her hiding spot. "You here?" she dded, really hoping Flora sensed this guys creepiness to nd hadn't gone into the castle yet.

Nikola and Zak was just wondering through the forest, actually following the map. Unlike Rose and Flora, "What are the chances that they got lost?" She asked curiously, looking around at the forest they were in.

Flora dropped down from another higher branch and looked at Rose, "right here." She whispered back, hanging onto the higher branch with her legs. "Did you think I would go inside with the weirdo guarding it?" She asked curiously.

Ro shrugged, "No, I was more worried you didnt notice him in time." She tried to hide her slight sigh of relief, that Flora wasn't SO fast that she ran straight into him.

"Should we check it out or hang back?" She asked, still whispering. "I mean maybe hes hurt, we dont know whos blood that is..."

(OMG I HAVENT SHOWERED SINCE LAST YEAR. Almost. Its 40 min too early for those jokes lol. Sorry for the late reply.)

Flora chuckled, "you forget I used to be a messenger. Kinda had to know what was around me, even if I was going fast. I mean, no one wants a spear to the wing." She said honestly and with a partial smile. Before blinking and looked over to where the man was. I saw we sneak foreward, hopefully we can make sure he doesn't know we're here until we know whats' going on."