No rest for the weary [Zozee9]

[Zane]

Taking off, Uriel was in the air ten minutes before he spotted the cave mentioned by the bandit he spared. "even if you gave them all the money you had their greed would make them desire more." Landing about fifty feet from the cave. He then knelt again so Kayala could easily climb off his back. So far there was no sign of life.

[zozee9]

Good, thought Kayala. I don't see anyone. Getting off of Uriel, Kayala decided to ignore his statement. It probably wasn't too good to talk in case there were still people here. Instead, she started heading towards the cave.

[Zane]

Uriel walked straight into the cave, sword drawn. It was a shallow cave and not a single sign of life. This is odd, something isn't right here. walking to the very back of the cave he found an even more troubling sight. Drawn in red at the very back of the cave, was a skull wrapped in chains. Uriel Immediately recognized the symbol. "KAYALA RUN!!!!! IT"S A TRAP!!!" Uriel shouted as he sprinted to the opening of the cave. But his fear had become reality. Standing at the mouth of the cave was a fully armored figure, his armor was littered with glowing ward signs, meaning magic was out of the question. The armor-clad figure had two swords drawn and a war-hammer strapped to his back.

A rough laugh echoed from the figure, "it's my lucky day, the target fell for the trap and brought along a pretty young miss. She should fetch a good price.

"Kayala stay back, this man is in the human trafficking business. His armor makes him impervious to magic and he would rather kill us then let us leave this cave freely."

"Hehe. So you know about us huh? Well I'm just the muscle. Yes I will kill you if you don't come quietly."

"If you come near her I shall stab you through the heart" Uriel growled.

"I'd like to see you try mate. My armor is made from dragon hide, there is no chance for you flimsy sword to penetrate it."

"Kayala, stay behind me."

[zozee9]

Although Kayala didn't like the way Uriel was treating her like a damsel in distress, Kayala was defenseless so she didn't say anything. Giving the man in front of her a quick scan, Kayala said, "Uriel... do you have a plan? Dragon hide truly is impenetrable and if you can't use magic, then what are you going to do?" If it weren't for the fact they were in a cave, they wouldn't have a problem simply flying away. Since she didn't have her arrows she couldn't shoot and run. "Try for the eye," she murmured. "Eyes are always weak."

[Zane]

Uriel was considering his options. He could offer his complacency for Kayala's freedom, which was unlikely to work. Or he could go all out in a blaze of glory, which it was unlikely that he would survive but maybe he could get an opening for Kayala to get away. Sheathing his sword, he approached the man. "I will submit..."

"that's good" was the armored mans cool reply.

Uriel was close to the man, who sheathed his swords and pulled out a wizards chain. That was when he attacked, "I will submit when I'm dead!!" Uriel grabbed the wizards chain and jumped behind the armored man, wrapping the chain around his neck. As the ends of the enchanted chain touched, it pulled tight, tighter than any noose. and the man died instantly as his neck snapped

"Kayala there are bound to be more nearby, we need to go." He knelt so she could climb onto his back.

[zozee9]

Taking small steps backwards, Kayala exclaimed, "You... You killed him! I said no killing!"

Scrambling around, Kayala knew there was only one hope for the man. Grabbing one of his swords, Kayala slit a four inch line along her forearm. Letting the blood flow freely to the ends of her fingertips, Kayala opened his mouth so she could let the blood drip into it. Since the wound wasn't a cut of some sort, the blood would have to do its work from inside out.

Please, Kayala thought, Please Gods, let him live! He was a horrible man, but no one deserves to die. Her white blood kept flowing out of her cut, into his mouth.

Nothing happened.

[Zane]

"Kayala, we need to go." Uriel watched as other human traffickers started entering the clearing in front of the cave, some as heavily armed as the man he just killed. "Kayala I had no choice. There were only three ways that it would have played out, him dying, me dying, or you becoming a sex slave. But if we don't leave now his death will have been for nothing."

[zozee9]

Taking one last look at the man who just died, Kayala stood up and wiped her arm against her shorts. If she lost much more blood she would faint. Her sight was already getting hazy.

Turning her head back and forth, Kayala whispered, "Uriel? I think... I think I'm going faint." Taking a few steps forwards, Kayala was going to run for it. She had already lost feeling in her arm. But then her legs buckled and she fell onto the ground. "Crap... don't kill anyone else." Kayala fainted.

[Zane]

After three days and a few hundred miles, Uriel finally it was safe to rest. Setting the still unconscious Kayala on the ground. He set a small fire then finally sat back and relaxed. His wings burned and were sore all over from flying longer then he knew he could handle, but he had done it. He had gotten them away from the human traffickers without killing anyone else. "Okay Kayala, it's time for you to wake up."

[zozee9]

I can see the light... thought Kayala. I know this dream. The sun is so bright. And that flower... that gorgeous flower... it's beautiful. Looking down at herself, Kayala admired her tan skin. No red marking yet. Of course not. I'm only a baby. My skin... it's getting lighter. The flower... it's losing its beauty! What's happening?!

Quickly sitting up, Kayala gasped. Every time that dream started, she knew what was going to happen. Every time it ended, she was in panic. And it happened every time she lost blood. Looking up at the sky, Kayala used her hand to block some of the sun's light. It was still so bright.

Looking towards Uriel, Kayala asked, "What happened?"

[Zane]

Uriel was relieved that she was up. "You collapsed, and I got us out of there." Uriel kept it simple, who knew what was going through Kayala's head. "Lay back down Kayala, you've been unconscious for three days." Uriel got up and brought her some assorted fruit, "eat these because I'm guessing your hungry."

[zozee9]

"Three days..." repeated Kayala. "That's not too bad. I did do a lot of healing that day." She passed by a village earlier that day and healed for the town. Lost a lot of blood in her right arm, too.

Doing as Uriel said and laying down, Kayala turned both her arms over so she could see the bottom sides of her forearms. Scars ran along both of them. But the scars were both almost gone. Grabbing an apple, Kayala said, "Do these mean there are trees nearby? And you eat, too. Thanks, by the way, for saving me. But... aren't you going to ask any questions?" People always were curious about her and her white blood.

[Zane]

"I've already eaten." Uriel went back and sat down, "it isn't my place to ask questions. You will tell me if you feel I need to know." Uriel kept fully extending his wings then pulling them in. In an effort to keep the soreness from setting in.

[zozee9]

Not knowing what to say in return, Kayala simply stood up and finally looked around. Seeing trees, she walked over towards them as quickly as she could without feeling faint. Finding a nice branch and some twine and rocks, Kayala could finally made her bow. And, with more branches and more rocks, arrows. Bringing her collection of materials back to where Uriel was sitting, Kayala started crafting.

"My blood is a miracle. It's my life. That's the simplest way to put it. But... if you have any questions, feel free to ask. You saved my life, too. I owe you. And although I don't feel I'm heavy, carrying me around for three days must have been hard. Nobody in my village could have done that. No way. So if you're cut or tired or sore or anything, I should be able to help. Just so you know." Yoreiqi couldn't maintain flight for very long at all. Even though she doubted he flew the entire time, it still should've taken its toll on him. But she also didn't want to press. Especially when he wasn't pressing her about anything at all.

[Zane]

"Making a bow?" Uriel opened his chainmail vest had pulled out his recurve bow. "It's a recurve bow with a draw strength of 80 pounds and enchanted flax bowstring." Uriel drew back the string and an arrow formed in the notched position. When he released, the arrow flew through the air embedded itself in a tree then disappeared after a few seconds. "I think you will use it more than I will so I want you to have it" and he laid the bow in front of her. Uriel wouldn't admit that his wings were extremely sore and burned.

[zozee9]

Admiring the bow, Kayala picked up it. It was a little heavier than she was used to but that wouldn't take long too get used to. It was a small price for such a fine treasure.

"Are you sure I can have this? Such a thing must be worth a fortune. Ah! Although I don't have a fortune, I do have some stuff." Sticking her entire arm into her bottomless bag, Kayala pulled out some gold coins and handed them to Uriel. "A richer family gave these to me for healing their son. And this," Kayala said while passing him a few vials full of milky-looking substance, "should help you if you're ever injured. It's just water mixed with my blood and some herbs. The herbs are just so it doesn't taste as weird. It should help you if you don't find it gross drinking blood... if it helps at all, my blood technically came from a plant." Still feeling like she should offer more to him after all he had done for her, Kayala asked, "Is there anything else you want? I'll do my best to get whatever it is. If I don't already have it somewhere in this endless bag."

Kayala was desperately thinking of what else she may have earned or bought that she could give him. If the bag wasn't bottomless, she would've emptied it out and gone through the stuff. Sadly, a bottomless bag couldn't be emptied.

[Zane]

Uriel took the vials and put them in his vest. "Actually there is something I want. I want you to go back to Yoreiq, at least for a little while, I don't want to run the risk of the Traffickers going after you because I killed one of their men. And I'd like to go with you."

[zozee9]

"Back to Yoreiq?! But I just left! Don't worry about the Traffickers—I've threatened a lot of people and am still alive and healthy today. I'm good at escaping if necessary. But I mean... it's one thing if you want me to take you to Yoreiq. It's a whole other thing if you want me to stay there. I left to spread miracles. I'm not planning on going back for another couple years. Not until I've at least helped the world more."

Kayala was torn between helping more people and keeping her promise to Uriel. She said she would help him with whatever, and this was what he wanted help with. And, on the way, they could still help people. People were always in need. But she wanted to continue north. To go to Thanatos. Her magic (and looks) would probably fit in more there. Although people practiced blood magic in Yoreiq, Kayala also wanted to learn necromancy. She wouldn't fight with blood magic, and, like a few days ago, she didn't always have her bow. So it would be nice to have a different kind of magic she could fight with. Of course, she also wanted to take to necromancers to figure out how exactly their magic affected the things they summoned. Kayala had heard controversial things before, but she had never actually talked to a necromancer. So where would she go? Yoreiq? Thanatos? Somewhere else? Kayala had no idea.

[Zane]

"I'm not saying you stay there for several years, a month or two, three at the max. Mainly it's to make sure the traffickers lose interest in you. I got you into danger by taking you into that cave, and I intend on getting you out, completely out." Uriel knew how persistent Human traffickers could be, he also knew what happened to the people they kidnapped, able bodied men were forced to fight to the death against animals and other men. woman were sold as sex slaves. If that happened to Kayala, Uriel would go on a warpath. "Please, Just for a few months. Then I will personally escort you wherever you wish to go."

[zozee9]

Kayala only needed a little push to get her to go back to her home country. Uriel gave her that push. "Fine. I'll go. But I won't promise I'll stay for long." Kayala stood up, put her bag back on, and looked at the bow. "We should get going... but first, I wanna try this thing out."

Pulling the string far back, Kayala noticed how much stronger it was compared to her normal twine bows. She let go the second after the arrow appeared. Kayala watched as it spiraled in the air before it landed a few inches above where Uriel's arrow landed earlier. "Crap," she muttered, "I missed." Pulling the string back once more, Kayala let her arm become an extension of the arrow. She was part of the bow. The bow was part of her. This time, after she let go, the arrow implanted itself exactly where Uriel's arrow was. "Good. Let's go."