Sith appeared, standing along the inner part of the forests tree-line, his blood red eyes gazing upon the Castle as it gleamed in the night sky. So many memories were hidden in this place... More memories than he could count. There, in the middle of the large field of grass, stood the Castle of the Azure Skies, crumbling to ruin right before his eyes. What was once a giant, flawless, living structure was now nothing more than a large, dumpy old blue castle, filled with gaping holes and broken windows. Time had washed away its once brilliant sheen, and the gardens had dissolved into nothing more than a dead pile of foliage.

His gaze was filled with sorrow as he looked upon this broken and battered structure. Time had taken a beating on this still magnificent place. With a sigh, he took a few steps forward, then disappeared into the darkness. A few seconds later, he appeared at the castles gateway, splintered and worn due to years upon years of misuse and neglect. A long time ago, these doors were once beautiful beyond comparison; now, they were nothing more than a shadow of their former beauty. With a small effort, he pushed the doors open. A small plume of dust emanated from within the castles lobby, and what he saw inside simply made him depressed.

The once lush and beautiful red and blue carpets were now worn and grey with time and dust. The couches were full of holes, and covered with a small film of dust of their own. It seemed as though termites had taken a liking to the conditions they were placed in. His gaze shifted towards the fireplace; the place Ember once called her bed. It ws not nothing more than a pile of stone and soot, the entrance blocked off with debris. The look of sadness in his eyes deepened as he was finally beginning to realize just how decrepid this place had become.

The feeling of a deep mourning still crept within his spirit as he made his way towards the kitchen. Many years ago, he used to travserse this very path almost every day, along with his fellow companions and dear friends. The door was hanging off of its hinges, propped up against the wall for support. The kitchen was in plain view to all within the lobby. He walked through the doorway with silence, not at all surprised to see the kitchen in the same decrepid state as the other places he had seen.

Moon-light shone in through a hole in the wall, revealing the once gorgeous kitchen in its true state. Chairs and tables were standing, battered and broken, while others had begun to disintegrate. The refridgerator itself looked to be in fairly good condition, though the doors had fallen off of their hinges from what looked to be years ago. All the food was either gone or spoiled, and the inside of the fridge was lined with scrapes and scratches from what looked like animal claws.

It was really a mocking sight to behold. The castle in shambles, and yet it still looked so marvelous and ancient. Even in the throws of death, this castle continued to be a marvel to witness. Slowly, he turned his back to the kitchen, and began to make his way up the stairs. The stairs themselves were in no better condition than the rest of the castle; stone fragments had fallen off, and in some cases, entire steps had become unusable. However, the steps were still able to be used.

Upon reaching the second floor, his gazed shifted around in the dark hallway. The torches that had once lined the walls were now worn down to the very stubs, leaving nothing more than the decorative mounts in their place. The banners were moth-ridden and covered in dust. The doors seemed to have been frozen in time, still looking as beautiful as they did all those years ago, though covered in a fine layer of dust. He still remembered where all of them had once lived.

The first door on the left belonged to Ember, though she never kept very much within there, save for her belongings and furniture. However, they had long since been cleaned out, as well as the others rooms. All that was left now was nothing more than their beds and sheets, as well as some of the furniture that was too large to carry. With a long sigh, he turned his gaze towards the staircase at the end of the hallway, which led all the way up to the roof of the castle.

It, too, was in ruins. So much so that it was impossible to traverse with ones feet alone. Slowly, as he reached the towers entrance, his wings unfurled from his back, extending to their full wingspan of thirteen feet. With a push off the ground, he was sent into the air, flying up the narrow passageway towards the top of the spire. The final ledge had come into sight, and as he neared the exit, his wings furled against his back once more, and he gracefully landed upon the ledge.

The door had long since been removed, possibly by looters who sought to make a profit from this door. Why they chose this door out of all the others made no sense to him, though it was probably because it was the lightest one. As he stepped outside into the moonlight, he fully realized just what he had missed most about this place; the grand view from the roof. One could see everything from this tower, from the forest surrounding the castle, to the town that was lying upon the northern horizon.

Clouds were rolling all about in the sky, obstructing his view of the stars, though the moon shone through small openings within the sky. This was the reason he loved the castle so much... Even in the fingers of death, it remained the only haven on Gaia that held so many peaceful memories. His gaze shifted towards the lake at the eastern side of the castle. A smile crossed his face as he looked towards the middle of the lake... The fountain was still there, and still in great condition. That was Alto for you... Always making ice that can't be melted by normal means.

Soon, sleep began to creep over his sorrowful mind, and his eyes became heavy. After a few moments, he found himself lying upon the cold stone beneath him, his eyes treacherously close to closing. This was the place which held more memories for him than any place in the world. Wars had been fought and won here. Love had been found and lost, and friends had been made, though never forgotten. This would always be the most glorious place in all of Gaia, for it was the most honest place there ever was. The Caslte of the Azure Skies; the place where ones greatest wish would be fulfilled. This place, indeed, should be known as a holy place... And with that final thought, Sith fell asleep under the night sky, lying peacefully in the place he could always truly call "Home."