You've Picked the Wrong Girl to Rob! [Shishimaru/Lion]

[Anonymous]

It seems that the best way to make progress on their quest would be to fall through holes. Arta hopped down to join Jehu and looked around. Huh. It was...somewhat lighter, here... Arta sniffed the air. It was going to be hard from here. Sure, magic was not easily bound by walls, but the sand and stone still made the sent very, very faint. And this crossing of the ley lines had such an intense, powerful aroma, that her nose burned. The Sand Men's scent, however powerful, could not compare to the overpowerful scent of the magic of the line. So,  it was hard to pick up their scents; especially when she wasn't following their actual path. She had to strain to get even the slightest whiff.

"Its hard to tell... but they're definately heading down. When we are level with them, it'll be easier to find them. If your tracking techniques work better than mine, in this situation, feel free to take the lead. Otherwise, we have to simply move down until we find a trail, and try not to be discovered.

[Lion]

It seemed like the atmosphere was closing in on him and he almost couldn't breathe.  He never considered himself much of a claustrophobic, but these spaces were starting to get to him.  He wasn't even sure if he could effectively draw his claymore if he had to!  When he stood up, he brushed himself off and unsheathed his sword when he had the chance.  Better to have it now and not need it than to need it and not have it, he figured before they pressed on.

While he could not see as well in the darkness, there was but one single torch that illuminated the darkness of the tunnel and he pulled it from it's clasp, holding it high overhead.  He saw the reflections of magic that shimmered in front of his eyes as the light illuminated it.  There was but one way to go, and even if the trail was not clear, he pressed through it, now that this strange woman gave him the opportunity.

"We're on the right path," he said simply, walking down the tunnel and holding his sword easily with one hand, despite it's weight and length.  The tunnel stopped short suddenly and he saw that it diverted into three separate paths.  "Shit...now which way?"  He kept glancing toward the left, but something told him that it would not be the wisest path to take, yet the other two did not draw him nearly as much.

[Anonymous]

"Um... Jehu?" Arta shivered. "Do you think its curious that there was a lit torch in an abandoned corridor from a secret tunnel? Something's not right..." She walked closer to the man, worried. Fighting an enemy was not something to be feared. An ambush was. Arta hated being caught unaware. Her eyes flicked from left to right, and her spines shivered as her tail lashed. She had already headed down the left fork, until she realized that Jehu had hesitated. She turned to look at him.

[Lion]

Damn the gods!  The girl did have one hell of a point.  Jehu looked at her with his good eye and quirked a brow.  What if what they were looking for had already made it's way down here?  There was not only the path to consider, but the fact that they might not be alone after all.  Jehu turned the torch into the direction toward the magic line he was seeing.  It was quickly fading and he started down the left path that she had initially chosen.  "Well, now that we know we might not be alone,"he murmured, "Be prepared for anything.  And tell me if you hear or see anything out of place."

[Anonymous]

"Yes," Arta said, walking down the path. Her eyes snapped left and right, and her ears strained, struggling to make out any individual but themselves. But all she heard was their footsteps, one light, one heavy. And their breath, which had their own pitches. Hers were higher, of course. She could even hear the rustle of their clothes. No sound. No smell, either, but his musky, earthy sent. She couldn't smell her own, but hoep it smelled like sand and sunlight. No smell... but that!

"Je..." the smell like deseet cactus rose with a sickening speed to smack her in the face. No... that was the floor. Why... couldn't she move? Or think. Or....

Her eyes slid shut.

[Lion]

Jehu had pressed on and looked forward.  The darkness here was far too thick, almost unnaturally so and the air was thick with dust and sand.  He held his breath for a long time until his lungs hurt and he exhaled with reluctance.  It was then that he heard a thud on the ground and he abruptly about-faced, and gasped.

Immediately he came to Arta's side.  "Hey!  Wake up!  Wake up!  What's wrong, what happened!?"

[Anonymous]

"Breathe, damnit," growled a voice from the darkness.

"It's too late; most of the gas has passed through the hallway already," said another. "We'll have to fight him ourselves. Let's try to capture him."

The two voices still had not revealed themselves, and the source of their voices could not be determined. They had to be aware that he could hear them, but they seemed not to care. The dust began to swirl around Jehu dangerously.

"No, we haven't learned that technique yet, idiot. What are you trying to do? It's pointless to do it wrong. No, we have to fight him ourselves." This was the second voice, coming from a bulge on the ground that grew, slowly becoming a man-shape. Seconds later, another bulge grew from the ground. The feminine shape was apparent, even under the ragged shrouds they both wore.

"I'm not an idiot! I figured that... it wouldn't hurt to try..."

"You'll just tire yourself, trying to do something of which you're not capable. Now. Concentrate on our foe, please. Don't get distracted." With that, the young man lifted an arm and, with an executing slash, sent a blade of sand at Jehu, followed by two more, at different heights. The woman only watched, carefully.

[[Sorry for taking so long; I plan to try to get online more often, now.]]