Cologne had his orders, the pungent bird flit from his Queen's side and disappeared back into the forest. His
mist moved out in a silent breath as if the forest was suddenly exhaling a long forgotten sigh of relief. From his position upon one of the tree's branches he watched his beloved Queen step back into silent sanctuary.
'Fear not my Queen, for I will protect you. Moihahaha~' his eyes whispered in faithful promise to her as she took cover amongst the wood.
His small wings stretched out and he glided towards the edge and let his poison colored feet grasp a branch. The delicate black lashes fell hooded over the ruby eyes as he formulated his plan, time was of the essence but it was of little use if one nerves were frazzled. Cologne concentrated, using
calming mind as he counted the number of enemies while the fog engulfed them. He'd have to take care of the little ones and the parents at the same time and quickly. The last thing he needed was a fire fight on his wings.
He ruffled his feathers, fluffing up and shuddering as his own body heat rose. This should give them a bit of a distraction, at least long enough for him to move in closer and start taking them out one by one.
Titania watched as the meadow was swallowed in a silent shroud. Poor things, they had no clue that death was pulling its veil over their heads, the move so silent and harmless that they wouldn't even know what hit them till it was too late. As they tore into the corpse their bright orange presence was smothered into the soft white turning into shadows before being blotted out.
Her arms crossed as her head tipped to the side languidly watching the story unfold. The noxious sweet perfume finally made its way into her nose and though she was far from being a target the scent was not choosy about its victims. Her eyes blinked slowly and glanced about the area. Ferina having returned to her side clung onto a lock of the Queen's hair tugging at it gently to keep her from succumbing to the
sweet scent.
Titania shook her head for a moment and blinked, her sapphire eyes looking over at Ferina who was watching her with growing concern. Her hand rose up and a gloved finger gently rubbed under the fae's chin in assurance. It would take more than that to pull their Queen under.
The canines had no idea, their meal interrupted by an aroma that pulled their attention away and to the air to look around. The meadow was now engulfed cutting their vision short of the forest edge and Cologne had taken to the air once more. Birds were far from concern when it came to the wild fire mutts, the beating of wings causing them to look around trying to follow where it was coming from as Cologne circled over head.
Odor Sleuth was next in his arsenal giving him the upper edge as to where they were in the unsuspecting fray. The natural talent enabling him to make wise choices and last minute decisions. After all, the element of surprise is lost if one knows it's coming was it not?
There were four adult and five children, his beaked head turned to glance back at the forest in curiosity as to what she wanted with them. Though the Queen had bouts of vindictiveness he doubted that she had it in her to leisurely drown a puppy or two when it suited her. Perhaps she was adding more to her arsenal? Was she looking for something to do? No matter, he was sure he'd find out later. Her actions were followed up with viable reasons.
The stinging scent of burnt tree and ash was easy enough to pick out in the mute chaos. The adults carrying the more sharp aroma of smoke along with the bitter essence of poison that laid on their jowls. How pitiful it was for them not to notice what was lying on their gums slowly numbing the senses.
'Damn it Ferina, you should really learn to curb your temper darling.' he griped to himself making mental note to get with her later on it and pray that she didn't take it personally
again.
Ah! The soft smokey whiff of the little ones were near by and though they could easily tear him apart Cologne had enough faith in his own abilities that he landed in the grass letting out a small coo as he ruffled his feathers once more bringing the scent out beckon them away from their playful banter and parents. Sure enough the soothing aroma had them with their noses down trying to find him in the grass and he waited to be discovered.
A rustle of grass to his left was met with a small fluffy head poking through with a panting tongue. Cologne sat perfectly still, practically roosting in his spot awaiting to be approached. He had to smirk to himself as he shut his eyes and then slowly opened one to peek. Kids were so stupid and had little to no fear at all. The first of the five approached him, much like an older sibling checking to see if it was safe.
'That's right, ...come over here you billowy thing. I have a gift for you.' The cold wet nose touched Colognes feathers in heavy snorts and sniffs trying to figure out where the scent was coming from on it. With a turn of his head Cologne pecked the child once, the
sweet kiss confusing it causing it to cock it's head at the pink bird before lowering down playfully in front of him wanting to play. Cologne kissed it again, but this time the peck was less friendly, not so much as deadly but easily able to rob the child of its playful wagging tail and cause it to calm down considerably.
draining kiss By then the other children had moved in to investigate. Each of them curious and meeting a similar fate. It was as if Cologne was a grenade that had
'Pick me up' written on him. It was too easy for this sort of thing.
However, like all parents once the children went silent their attentions were drawn to investigate what they were getting into. Cologne squeezed and pulled himself out of the furry fray and took to the air once more. That bitter pepper approaching the pile of young skin he had gotten for the Queen was in for a surprise when Cologne called upon the
mist once more.
Titania watched curiously from her spot as the mist begun to thin out ever so slightly only to see a cloud silently form up from right in the middle and white out the area once more. The battle had be silent thus far, nothing more then a quiet game of who could last the longest. So far, from what she was able to tell, Cologne was winning. She noticed one of the full grown Wildfires head off towards the side just as the cloud appeared. What had Cologne done?
'Down you go darling~' he coo'd landing on the back of one of the fire beasts and showered the thing in draining kisses before it spun around to bark and bite at him.
'Ah ah ah~' he dodged and flew up as a fiery swipe came his way.
'Not today dearest.' He smirked giving a small chirp of accomplishment as the hound stumbled forward after him wore out and fighting to stay awake.
Unfortunately the concerned mother alerted the other three and the chase was on. Cologne only had two things on his side at that moment, the mist and his ability to fly up out of range. However his dear Queen did not and if he enraged these horrible fire dogs there was no tell where they'd attack. Sweet scent was once more spread out as he cried out in the mist to Ferina.
"I'll draw them off! Have the Queen collect her bounty and get out of here! "True to his word the assassin turned and quickly placed himself as bait heading for the trees on the opposite side of the meadow away from his Queen. Thunder crackled, fire flashed and growling roared across the mist lighting up the trees where speed was nearly useless.
Titania's gloved hand was poised on another pokeball when Ferina moved in front of her stilling her hand. She floated out away from the Queen and called upon a
Fairy Wind, the veil curling back revealing the battlefield partially as Titania's eyes scanned it over. It wasn't hard to see what had happened, there was only one parent near by and down, looking to be on its last breath by the way it laid upon its side stretched out, panting and tongue purple. The smaller ones however were piled up as if they were sleeping. 'Well done Cologne...well done in deed.' she mentally praised her pink monstrosity and stepped out onto the battlefield once more.
Ferina kept close beside her Queen watching the struggling Wildfire turn its head and growl, struggling to get to it's feet. "Oh no you don't! Stay down!" she snapped and sent a
Fairy wind for it to contend with. Titania looked up, realizing she was on borrowed time, the lights still flashed and howled in the forest beyond the mist. She pulled a line from behind her leg as a strand of pokeballs hung from her hip down to her knee like a fishing lure. One by one the fuzzy children were gathered up, five in total as Titania spared one last look over to the forest where Cologne had gone and then turned with Fernia to head back to the castle. If he didn't come home, that was his own carelessness.
"Come Ferina, you can tend to your field later." she said and with a sharp about face her regal presence left the open field. The eyes of the Wildfire watching in poisoned wonder in her last moments as their young were carted off. A growl escaped and Titania paused at the edge looking back over her shoulder to the dying mother and then down to the earth at her feet.
"Believe me, I know." she told it and continued on back to the castle.
It was nearly an hour later when Cologne finally made his way back into the castle. The Queen sitting on her throne typing something into her phone with her cheek resting on her knuckles. The Spritzee landed up on the sill of one of the high windows causing her to look up and find it half singed and tail feathers smoking.
". . ." A snerking snort was shortly followed by a raucous laughter the echo'd throughout the castle earning her a distant glare from Cologne laced with that subtle embarrassed threat of,
'I'll kill you.' 
It was rare to see the Queen out of her ivory tower, perhaps she was in a good mood? Hard to say really for her mind could be as fickle as the wind, ever changing. The white uniform fit against her frame in authoritative fashion yet her hair was wild and untamed. What battle or war could she have fought the night before that left the monarch in such a state? Yet something was. . . different about her. Perhaps she was victorious over her nightmares, It seemed so. Or it could've been the way she was carrying herself, or how her hair seemed to be spun from the rays of the sun that filtered down through the trees. No, no that wasn't quite it. Our vengeful Delilah looked too calm, like she knew something. 
. . . !
