Songquest (Angel of Chaos)

[Anonymous]

Kasumi sat cross-legged by a market stall, tracing patterns in the dust with a finger. The merchants around her were busy competing with each other, each one advertising their fruit and wares more loudly than their neighbours. The cries of children mingled with the laughter of the townsfolk who swarmed all over the square like busybody bees, under the chariot of a hot summer’s day sun.

Mr Payne had been so kind as to give her work for a week, but so far, she had to admit, minding a stall was…rather…tedious. She would’ve preferred to be singing in the cool shadowed air of a tavern, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

A shadow fell across her vision, and she looked up. Tendrils of sun-kissed hair fell from her sparkling eyes. Shaking the wisps of hair away, the hood from her cloak also fell down to reveal the rest of a pretty face with her lips in a parted “o� of surprise.

“Oh, it’s you again, Art,� she said, turning to the youngster.

“Yeah,� he said gruffly. He was a scruffy looking kid, barely in his teens. He shrugged. “Hey, someone’s gotta protect you from thieves and stuff.�

Kasumi scratched her head. “…but didn’t you say yesterday that you were a…�

“Look, I’m sorry if I tried to steal your stick,� he said huffily.

“Quarterstaff.� Kasumi laughed- a sound reminiscent of the tinkling of bluebells in the forest.

“Watcha doin’?� He stood there awkwardly and began to kick a watermelon about.

“Hey you can’t do that, I’m supposed to be selling it!� Her eyes were wide in horror. A thought occurred to her. “Art…�

“Mmmhmm?�

“If I don’t tell Mr Payne on you, will you mind the stall for an hour or so? I’ll take the blame for the bruised melon.�

He glared at her innocent smile. Kasumi laughed; she knew he wouldn’t say no. It made her giddy to think that maybe she’d get to see the travelling performers before they left town. She’d heard they had a fortune teller too- rather than predict her future, perhaps they could tell her something of her past.

An exhale of breath brought her back to the square.

“Oh alright,� he said, eyes narrowed.

Kasumi beamed. She stood up and brushed the dust from her cloak and dress. With a toss of her head, she ambled down the square, humming an old folk song that had been passed down to her from her grandparents.

((Sorry if this post is too long- I'm not sure how long to make them!))

[Anonymous]

((Don't worry about it...when I'm inspired, they're usually a lot longer than that.))

The next stop on Felina's places to travel was Adela, famous for its strong military and its stronger connection to the dragons. After a few moments of wandering around, she found herself on the outskirts of its capital, Ketra. She was nearly taken aback by the sheer amount of markets and stalls. She was sure to find some exotic herbs and spices somewhere in these stalls, for her supply was beginning to run low.

After taking a deep breath, Felina strode into Ketra, her tail swaying to her barefoot steps, her cat ears perking at the sounds of activity. Her eyes looked left and right, nearly taken aback by the sheer amount of stalls that bartered both common and rare goods. Where should she start?

Her sensitive nose picked up the scent of oregano, thyme, mint, cinnamon, curry powder, cloves, wolfsbane...there were two stalls that had all kinds of herbs and spices for sale. She checked her small money satchel inside her travel pack...yes, just enough to refill her supply. She approached the stall. The owner, a woman of about 50, looked at Felina and smirked.

"Well, it's not too often we have a leonine visit this stall," she stated. "What can I get for you, miss?"

Felina looked at the wide array of herbs and spices. They all smelled so good! And they were at reasonable prices as well, ranging from 3 to 40 gold pieces a bundle.

"If it wouldn't trouble you, I'd like a small bundle of everything in separate containers," she replied.

The woman's eyes widened, along with an obvious smile. "Well, aren't you an astute herbologist? That will be...hmm...150 gold pieces for the whole bundle."

Felina took out her money satchel and looked into it, counting all the coins in it...it turned out that was the exact amount of money left, so she wound up emptying it on the counter. The woman smiled and proceeded to hand Felina about twenty or so small containers that held one of the entire variety each. Felina smiled, gingerly putting each container into her padded travel pack. After thanking the stall owner, she headed for the square.

As she walked down the square, her large cat ears picked up the humming of a sonorous tune. She found it quite relaxing, and she almost began to lose herself in the flowing notes. She was so lost in the song that she had no idea where she was going as the song grew louder. She then tripped over someone's foot and fell unceremoniously to the ground in front of the song's singer. "Ow," she moaned, her toe hurting some.

[Anonymous]

As Kasumi threaded her way through the throng, she couldn’t help being jostled by all the other townsfolk. Today was really busy, she thought. Her stomach rumbled as the scent of cooked meat and other exotic foods reached her nose. She hadn’t been here long, but she’d already decided that she would try to stay in Ketra for as long as possible. Nowhere had she come across such vibrancy!

Walking down a path that had jewellery stalls on either side of her, she caught sight of the streaming banners and the tents on a grassy plain at the end just as she heard the faint strains of trumpet playing. Whispers had told her there was even an elephant! She clasped her hands together in glee, eyes sparkling in anticipation and hurried this way. Thing was, loads of other people were heading in the same direction as well. Today was the last day of the travelling circus, so everyone who’d finally pleaded a day off work had the same thing in mind as Kasumi.

---

The cloaked figure watched Kasumi as she made her way through the busy crowd. That girl sure was causing a stir even by humming! The figure ground her teeth in envy, now partly realising why her employers had been so adamant about this girl. But…what could they want with a girl who sang well? Surely there must be something else to her.

The cloaked figure had been told to not ask questions, but just to carry out the job. In, out, collect the gold. She sighed. This would be too easy.

The figure reached behind her, unlocked a cage and placed her hands around a snow white dove. She took the bird out from the cage and whispered softly in it’s ear, “do me proud.�

Releasing the dove, she darted out from the shadows, and got ready to make her move.

---

“Spiced wines for thirty! Spiced wines for thirty!� Either this person had a really loud voice, or they’d had it bewitched to sound like a megaphone. “No? Tell you what, special offer today, buy two for the price of one and get a bottle of Arcan mulled wine for half price! Dirt cheap today! Hurry, hurry!�

If there weren’t enough people going this way now…dust clouds rose in the air as frenzied shoppers literally tore past Kasumi. A dove fluttered above her, and she paused to take in the sight of the lovely white bird. It cooed, and she opened her arms out, but the bird just flapped its wings and circled her once before fluttering away.

Her attention had only been on the bird for a few seconds, and in that time, she’d been elbowed a hundred times over.

“Ahh,� Kasumi cried, hurt from all the elbows. Gosh, people could be so violent! Just as she collected herself, someone else bumped into her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

“I’m so sorry, forgive me,� the figure babbled, gesturing wildly in apology.

“Oh no, don’t worry,� Kasumi said, instantly forgiving her. “You’re the first person who has apologized!�

The person- it was a young girl- smiled, and then her face creased as she cocked her head to the side. “Here, you’ve dropped this.�

She bent down to pick up something carefully and handed it to a puzzled Kasumi with a ceremonial flourish. It was a rose of the reddest hue. All its petals and leaves were still intact.

“I don’t think that’s mine…� She began with a frown, but the figure had already been replaced by more rapidly rushing people.

She turned the rose over in her hand. Strange- this definitely wasn’t hers. Shrugging, Kasumi tucked the flower in a buttonhole of her dress, and carried on down the street, this time humming a ditty she’d picked up in Ketra.

She was almost there- she could see the elephant! It was real, and had a real trunk and two pairs of great big ears, and when it lifted it’s trunk up strange music spouted forth! With glee, she hurried forward, but found her path impeded by a person moving at merely a languid pace.

Kasumi tried to get around the person, but there were so many other people around that she was packed as tightly as a Tuor Ocean sardine. Just then, Kasumi caught sight of something that increased her interest of the person by a thousand-fold. Did they…have a tail?

Her heart beat faster- she wanted to speak to them, to find out more about them, when the stranger tripped up, and landed on the ground in front of her very own wide eyes.

“Are…are you OK?�

Kasumi knelt by the stranger, and almost forgot that it was bad manners to stare. The stranger’s cat-like features were so exotic- she’d never seen anything like it before.

“Here let me help, I hope you're not badly hurt.�

((Ah, sorry this post hasn't given you much to respond to!))

[Anonymous]

Felina moaned again as she thought this through. Of course there had to be a lot of people in marketplaces as big as this, so she was bound to trip over something or other eventually. At least she knew that her pack of herbs and spices was still intact; her pack's iner lining was cushioned to absorb any kind of impact.

When offered to be helped up, Felina tilted her head to the side to see just who was nice enough to do so. It turned out to be the singer of the song she was listening to; she was a young woman in a cloak.

"Uh...thanks a lot, miss," Felina said, giving the woman her hand while helping herself to her knees.

((Ha! A short post!))

[Anonymous]

Kasumi giggled when the stranger referred to her as "miss".

"Hehe, it's Kasumi," she said, accepting the stranger's hand. She almost toppled over herself, being such a small person.

Whilst the stranger was getting up, Kasumi found time to study her features which were oh so alien to her. Kasumi quickly looked away once the stranger had stood up.

"Uh, I'm headed that way so..." She indicated in the direction of the fluttering tents and streamers, standing on one foot to another, unsure of whether she should leave the woman or not.

((Sorry, short post also!))

[Anonymous]

Felina stood to her feet, brushing the dust and dirt off of her clothes, arms, and hair. Shouldering her pack once more and checking that her scimitar and hunting knife were still firmly attached to her belt, she took another look at the woman who had helped her up. She seemed human...

The woman, who had called herself Kasumi, seemed to have left her last sentence hanging, so Felina decided to finish it for her;

"...So you want to get out of the crowd? Yes, I see what you mean," Felina said, eyeing the steadily growing crowd. "A lot of people in one place can--."

But she never finished her sentence, as someone jostled her over and she fell face-first to the ground again. "Oof! Ow...," she moaned again. She didn't even receive a "Sorry" from whoever that was.

[Anonymous]

Ahhh!! Kasumi’s mind was screaming. These people! Of course it was no singular person’s fault, rather a collective fault from the crowd as a whole. She glanced longingly in the way of the circus. Oh, how she’d longed to see an elephant ever since she’d first heard about them in the picture books the adults used to read to them, back in her forested village.

Something told her that she might not get another opportunity to do so, for the circus would have to pack up before sunset, if they were to start travelling safely before the end of the day.

Kasumi quickly fell to her knees, beside the stranger, whom she thought either had extremely bad luck with people, or was incredibly clumsy.

“Gosh, are you alright?�

The fall this time had looked a lot more severe than last time. Her brows were knit with worry. Accidents always made her think that people were broken, childish, she knew but it was the tiny childish things that had stayed with her to give her spirit such a vibrant and lively edge.

“Come on; let's get you moving to someplace less peopled.�

She thought about places to take the stranger. She could take her to a shaded tavern; it wouldn’t be so peopled there, or to the grassy plains where the elephant currently was. It wouldn’t be too crowded if they were on the outskirts. Or she could take her back to the stall where Art was waiting to her dutifully, no doubt having already robbed a few bystanders.

“Where would you like to go?�

[Anonymous]

Felina got herself onto her bare feet again and shook all the dust out of her hair. Aside from the slight claustrophobic feeling, as well as her frontside feeling slightly sore, she was pretty dandy.

Man, some people were so inconsiderate!

"I'm fine...it's nothing, really," Felina said, blushing a little bit. "I really don't like big crowds."

When asked if there was somewhere less peopled to go, Felina shrugged. "I don't know where I'd go. I haven't any money. Do you have a place in mind?"

She was hoping this woman would aid her.

[Anonymous]

Kasumi clasped her hands together and shifted from side to side.

“Well, I was kind of heading that way to see the travelling fair, but it’d only be for…� She glanced around until her eyes fixed on a sundial, “half an hour at most now. If you don’t know where to go, then why not come with me for a bit? I can’t promise to know this town too well- I’ve only been here for a week though.�

Kasumi shrugged apologetically, and led the way down; taking care to make sure the stranger wasn’t getting jostled around too much. The stranger…with a startled dawn of comprehension, Kasumi realised that she didn’t even know her name yet. Her curiosity burned deeply; every now and then she turned to view the stranger and quickly turned back when she met contact with the stranger’s startling eyes.

---

It was so darn hard to keep track of that peasant girl, the cloaked figure thought, grumbling to herself. All these stupid people everywhere, being herded about like cattle! She darted back and forth, straining to catch sight of the girl with the sun-streaked hair, but to no avail.

She had to be nearby when Kasumi fell for the trap. The bait was so simple, it was child’s play.

Eyes narrowed, only the conviction of a weighty bag of gold was enough to keep her mingling in this stinking crowd.

---

At the edge of the grassy plain, the crowd thickened, hustling and bustling. Snatches of conversation snaked through Kasumi’s mind. The musical rise and fall of the voices, and the warm sun on her back accentuated her energetic mood.

“It doesn’t look so crowded here,� she said, skirting around to the edge of the red and white striped tents. Signs proclaimed all sorts of attractions- fortune tellers, mind readers, performing animals…the list was endless.

“Come this way,� she said, unconsciously taking hold of the stranger’s hand and leading her past a tent which read ‘herbalist’, and another which read ‘confectioner’. She was heading towards the animal attractions, but her attention was arrested by a sequined tent, smaller than all the others, and darkly mysterious.

It had no sign.

Turning to the stranger, she said, “Would you like to see what’s in there?�

((Sorry, kinda assumed your charrie is willing to follow Kasumi; if she isn’t let me know and I’ll correct my post!))

[Anonymous]

It occurred to Felina that following this Kasumi woman would be a good way to get out of this bustling, ignorant crowd. She agreed to follow her out of the crowd, taking extreme care not to be jostled again by the countless numbers of people. But it seemed very inevitable that she would be at least brushing up against someone; even her cat tail got caught in between two people, and that was not a pleasant experience.

Much to her relief, the crowd thinned out as they passed a large number of tents. One named 'herbalist' caught her attention, but she already had all the herbs and spices she needed, and she wasn't about to give up on following this Kasumi in order to get out of the crowd completely; the rambunctious crowd's voices were starting to bother her large ears.

When Kasumi took her hand, Felina nearly jumped in shock; she almost thought she was being taken by some random cat-napper, but her heartbeat slowed down a few notches when she saw that it was only Kasumi.

The two of them came up to a mysterious tent that had no sign on it. When asked if she wanted to check it out, Felina shrugged.

"I guess we could check it out," she said, but her gut told her that something wasn't right here. Her had rested unconsciously on top of the hilt of her scimitar as they went in.

[Anonymous]

It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the shift in light intensity, but once she was able to perceive the inside of the tent, Kasumi shivered unconsciously, moving closer to the cat-woman. The atmosphere was even more mysterious; here the air seemed heavier. It was as if her very own shadow clung to her for safety.

If she’d expected to be amazed, Kasumi found herself pleasantly disappointed. The only thing in this tent was an old woman, slumped at a plain wooden table. She was wearing a silver shawl that obscured her features from view, and didn’t seem to be moving at all.

Swallowing, Kasumi leaned towards the stranger and whispered in her ear, “Maybe we should go.�

But, as soon as those words escaped her lips, the old woman sat up, as if she’d been strangely animated by a mysterious force. Kasumi suddenly thought of wooden puppets and shadow puppets â€" the only parts of the travelling circuses that had really scared her as a child. Life flowed into the woman’s glinting eyes, which for a split second seemed to reflect burning fires and black chasms.

“Hello my dears,� she croaked, beckoning them closer.

Almost against her own volition, Kasumi took a step forward.

[Anonymous]

As soon as they were in the tent, Felina had a sense of dread, that something bad was going to happen. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The air in here did seem much heavier, and it made her feel all the more uncomfortable. Her tail quivered when she saw nothing more than an old woman in a shawl. This was more than enough to send a shiver down her spine.

When given the advice by Kasumi that they should go, Felina nodded; this place gave her the creeps. But then the old woman stood up and beckoned them forward.

With a look of worry in her eyes, Felina stood next to Kasumi, her hand resting on the hilt of her scimitar.

[Anonymous]

The old woman turned to Felina, grinning toothily. “You are not as forthcoming as your friend here?� Cackling, she corrected herself. “Or should I say acquaintance, for she doesn’t even know your name yet.�

Kasumi blushed and threw a quick glance at her companion. She then shifted uneasily, and was about to take a step back when the woman lifted up a hand.

“Stop, I know why you’re here. You wish to have your fortune told.� The woman had closed her eyes, so she missed the frantic shaking of Kasumi’s head. “Your name means mist, and that is the general topography of your future. Both your past and your future have answers to the questions of the present. You are wondering whether there is any other blood mixed in you to give your voice such an inhuman quality, whether or not an accident occurred, whether or not there is a freak of nature in your lineage.�

Kasumi had stopped shaking her head; in too much shock to do anything else, other than mouth a desperate ‘no’. OK, so maybe this was the first real fortune teller she’d seen. But…the things that were being said were beginning to scare her.

The woman paused for a second, eyes scrunched shut in concentration. Just then, she snorted, and began again. “The only thing I can clearly see, is…that shortly from now, you will bring danger upon yourself girl, for you have stayed in Ketra far too long.�

The ominous voice reverberated in the tent, and suddenly the woman opened her eyes. A thin smile played about her lips as her piercing eyes travelled up and down Kasumi, taking in all her features, committing them to memory.

“You, next,� she barked at Felina.

((Hehe, the woman is a Non-Playable Character so you can control her in your next post, and see if Felina wants her fortune told or not! Sorry if my posts have been weird lately- suddenly had loads of inspiration ^_^))

[Anonymous]

Felina gulped as Kasumi had her fortune told by that creepy old woman. What did all those things mean? Why were they being told this? The hair on the back of her neck stood on end when the woman said simply that Kasumi was about to bring danger upon herself. Why?

Well, Felina did take a liking to Kasumi in the short time they were acquainted, so she made up her mind to protect her in whatever meager ways she can.

When asked to have her fortune told by the old hag, Felina forced a smile and shook her head.

"N-no thank you. We should be going," she said, turning to leave. She wanted to determine her future on her own, and she wanted out, out, OUT!

The old lady harumphed, but said no more.

Taking Kasumi's hand, she led her out back into the open sunlight. She then heaved a sigh. "That scared me," she said. "You okay?"

[Anonymous]

“Yeah,� Kasumi murmured to Felina’s question.

Slightly dazed, Kasumi allowed herself to be led out by Felina, where the sunlight was so warm upon her face, and everything was so vibrant, so full of life. Such contrast to the drabness of the tent inside. She was about to take another step forwards, when tendrils of shadows snaked out from the dark folds of the tent, seizing her leg.

“What…� her eyes widened in shock, as the shadows attained a stronger grip on her leg, dragging her back into the tent. She made a lunge for Felina’s sleeve, but the magic of the shadows was too strong.

She was dragged back inside the tent, to find that the woman had stood up, darkness flashing in her eyes.

“How dare you leave without paying me what is due!?� She intoned.

“I…I never asked for…� She didn’t finish, because at that moment, the woman raised her arms and colours suddenly flooded into the tent.

Swirling colours, filling the place with earthy fiery hues. She found herself surrounded by all sorts of artefacts, the strangest things you could find in antique shops. Ancient clocks, old dolls, deeply coloured bottles, barometers, feathered dreamcatchers were a few of the items she recognised. The rest were too…hideous to mention.

“Do you know who I am?� Kasumi shook her head, frozen to the spot, and prayed that Felina was here. “My name is of no importance to you; however it may bear you some interest to know that I am a…collector of…things…� She cackled, before continuing, “…mainly of the supernatural…and in exchange for my services, I take payment…of a special kind.�

The way she said that raised the hairs on Kasumi’s neck. She was completely, and utterly, helpless. This woman was far more powerful than any being she’d come across. Heaven knows what she’d want from her.

Kasumi suddenly found the woman had moved, so swiftly, she was standing behind Kasumi, stroking her neck. “Let’s see…what could I want from you? Normally I take souls, but that’s in exchange for higher work. Wishes.�

The seconds trickled by, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw an hourglass, filled with silver, sparkling sand.

“You say you didn’t ask for my help?� She gazed into Kasumi’s eyes. “You’re not lying wench, so…I think…I’ll take your time as payment.�

“What?� She stuttered.

“I’ll just misplace something precious of yours. Oh, not permanently, just…something precious, in a bottle, hidden across the world for you to find. The time it takes for you to find it will satisfy me.�

Kasumi kept quiet, wondering desperately how she’d gotten into this situation in the first place.

“Let’s see…aha…your beautiful singing voice. Let’s see how you can cope with a normal voice for a period of time.� She smirked, knowing that she was taking away what Kasumi valued the most about herself.

Kasumi moaned, shaking her head adamantly. Tears came to her eyes, and she squeezed the shut, not wanting to see whatever magic the woman worked on her, but when she opened her eyes, the tent was gone.

“S…stranger?� She whispered hoarsely, not daring to look around.

((Lol, the set-up for the title of the RP :P))

[Anonymous]

Felina jumped when she heard Kasumi being dragged back into the tent. Without even thinking, she drew her scimitar and chased after her, but she was stopped abruptly when the tent suddenly flooded with color. Various images, hideous and distorted, accompanied the look.

She had heard everything that was being said. But all she could do was watch in horror. She felt so helpless; how could she stand up to someone as powerful as that? Her grip on her scimitar loosened and she let it clamor to the ground as she watched, unable to do anything.

When everything was done, Felina was left staring at a crying Kasumi, hating herself for not having done anything. But now she had made up her mind; she would help Kasumi recover her voice. She knew it was hers because of the song she had heard earlier.

First thing's first, she had to comfort Kasumi. She walked in front of her, knelt, and put both hands on Kasumi's shoulders, a mixed look of sorrow and determination in her eyes.

"Listen to me," Felina started. "Look into my eyes. I've heard everything, but I was too helpless to prevent it from happening. Now I'll make up for it. We will get your voice back. I know...I happened to catch a tune you were singing...it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. It made me feel...at peace. I want to hear that voice again, and I promise...no, I swear...that I will help you get your voice back." A tear could be seen flowing down Felina's left eye. She had lost something precious as well...and she didn't want anyone else feel the same way she felt.

[Anonymous]

Things had stopped making sense. The words in her ears were muffled; she was so far away, so far from anything and everything. It was as if she’d stepped onto the other side of a barrier, the bubble that caused her to become nothing but a spectator. All time had slowed down to a trickle, in her mind the silver hourglass wasbefore her, enlarging, engulfing her, swallowing her whole. Such was the shock, such was the numbing sensations that spread through her body.

The tears that slid down her face, she didn’t even notice. Felina’s voice came from so far away, and she had to struggle for the words to make sense.

The old woman had stolen a part of her! The bit she valued the most! She saw her whole future crumble before her eyes.

“I…I…� She began in response to Felina, but her eyes were vacant. She couldn’t focus on anything, no less than the stranger, someone who she didn’t even know. Briefly, her attention was fixed upon the stranger, when she mentioned that she’d heard the singing, but suddenly she found herself adrift again.

It wasn’t a case of being a primadonna, far from it. Her voice had been the thing that had gotten her through her childhood. It was something that brought so much happiness to her; yet so much pain as well…jealousy, bitterness from the outside world. People couldn’t appreciate the gifts of others. Tentatively, Kasumi tried to hum something, but…the magic was gone. Her voice was now no different from any other person who wandered about this circus.

Suddenly, she remembered something. Turning to Felina, she said distractedly, “I need to go back to my stall. I left Art to guard it. He’s only twelve and doesn’t know any better.�

Without waiting for a response, she parted the crowd, hurrying back as fast as she could. Her journey took her past the fenced elephant, which lowered its trunk and touched her shoulder. Kasumi smiled briefly, stroking the trunk. The elephant flapped it’s ears in response, and she said to it, “if you’d been placed nearer the entrance of this circus, then you may have gotten to hear my song before it was stolen from me so brutally!�

Back at her stall, she heaved a sigh of relief to find Art still waiting there dutifully. In fact, the sight of him, something so normal, brought tears to her eyes and he just stood there, staring at her as if she were stupid, watching her burble and weep. Once she stopped crying, he pointed to the stranger and said bluntly, “who’s that?�

[Anonymous]

Sadly, Felina watched Kasumi go. She kept watching her until Kasumi blended in with the sea of people.

In that time frame, she went through what had happened in the few moments that they were acquainted. Kasumi's voice had been so amazing...but after the events that had transcended, her voice seemed...normal. Like any other person's. By the way she seemed shattered and dejected, Kasumi must have treasured her voice...but now it was gone. But not forever.

Felina thought back; had she ever lost anything precious to her? Of course...her mother, who had fallen at the hands of her xenophobic tribe that had threatened to kill her. Her mother died protecting her. She was so heartbroken at that time, she couldn't stop running.

Another tear trickled down her face.

No! That memory, though burned into her heart, musn't come back again. Now is now. Her mother may be gone forever, but Kasumi's voice was not. She remembered the old hag saying that she "misplaced" the voice somewhere in this world. Even though Felina may be a complete stranger in Kasumi's eyes, Felina now saw Kasumi as a friend...a friend who is in dire need of help.

Yet Kasumi had run away. Perhaps Felina's message hadn't gotten through to her. Mind set and unwavering, she picked up and sheathed her scimitar and set off to find her in the ocean of people.

It wasn't easy, what with all the people she had been jostled by. But eventually, she caught sight of Kasumi just leaving from what appeared to be a large elephant. She followed her all the way to a stall, determination and sadness in her eyes. She saw Kasumi just standing there, crying and murmuring. Ignoring the boy's comment, she set her unwavering gaze right into Kasumi's.

"So you're just going to stand there and cry for the rest of your life?" Felina said, a slight edge in her voice. "While your true voice may be somewhere in this world, waiting to be found? There is still hope, Kasumi. Can't you see that? If you love and cherish your voice so much, why don't you go and find it? It's not gone forever. But if you don't want to..." She paused, another tear flowing down her face, "...then I will. And I won't rest until it's in your possession again. I cannot let this atrocity continue, you hear me?"

That should get it through to her.

[Anonymous]

Kasumi spun round, startled. She couldn’t hide the surprise from her face, that this stranger had followed her all the way back here. The corners of her lips twitched into a watery smile at Felina’s words, which were spoken with such passion, such warmth, that Kasumi instantly knew something had happened to Felina in the past. Even so, Kasumi was never one to let things get her down too much. She appreciated what Felina wanted to do for her, but, somehow, she just seemed so detached from it all now.

She was floating amongst the incandescent orbs of light; nothing else mattered.

“I…I…� She didn’t know what to say to this proclamation. It was something only a true friend would do, and it amazed her, how willing Felina was to fight for something that had nothing to do with her.

“It’s not gone forever. But if you don’t want to...�

“Gimme a break.� Art snorted, interrupting the beauty of the moment. He hadn’t really been listening, just staring rudely at the stranger’s fur and eyes, and everything about her. Just then, the cat girl’s words sank into his mind and his eyes locked back onto Kasumi’s. “What, Kas, what’s it saying?�

Kasumi clicked her tongue, and chided the unruly boy. “Stop being rude, Art.�

“My mother never taught me any manners.� He beamed proudly, but the cloudiness returned to his face. “What’s she saying? I don’t understand.�

“It’s nothing,� Kasumi said hurriedly. “I just…don’t feel very well. That’s why my eyes are red.�

“Liar, you’ve been crying.� He folded his arms defensively, and stared once again at the stranger. “And so have you.�

Kasumi glanced at Felina apologetically. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “Oh my, I forgot that you’d fallen over twice!� She hurried around and spread a clean blanket out on the dirt ground before rummaging in her travel sack. A troubled look passed across her face before she forced herself to laugh. “How silly of me, I’ve been so selfish! I’m not a herbalist, not do I have any herbs or medicines, but there are plenty of stalls here. It might do you good to sit down and check to see if there is any damage at all from your falls. I know you look fine, but just in case.�

Kasumi took the watermelon that Art had been kicking around and tapped it, whilst waiting for Felina’s response. Putting her ear close to the bruised skin, she heard a healthy hollow sound which indicated that the melon was still alright for eating. Retrieving a knife from her travelling sack, she sliced the melon open, revealing lush, juicy flesh.

Art scuttled over, anxious to eat, and threw his arms around Kasumi. “You promised to sing to me!�

[Anonymous]

Felina felt that she had gotten the point across to Kasumi. She knew that she would leave eventually on a journey to try and find Kasumi's magical voice. She hoped Kasumi would join her on the hunt.

The boy's manners were clearly absent, that much she could tell from how he acted. Felina's tail quivered when she was called "it"; she barely resisted the urge to call the boy mean.

When invited to sit down by Kasumi, Felina nodded and sat down on the blanket, brushing the dirt off of her bare feet. "Oh, don't worry about it. I have a supply of my own herbs," she said as she took her pack off her back. She looked about herself and saw a rather large, black and blue bruise on her right arm. Sighing, she then opened her pack and proceeded to rummage through it. The scent of rare herbs and spices became thick in the air as she searched for a particular herb.

Then she found a container that held a cluster of herbs that was unfamiliar to her. Judging from what it said on the labe of the container, the herbs were called "Lranji Leaves," and they took the shape of rather fuzzy, star-shaped green leaves. The label also said that "This leaf houses a minor healing aura, used to heal bruises and small scrapes. Ground up, it is useful in stews and soups to soothe sore throats."

Always being one to experiment with a lot of herbs, Felina took a lranji leaf out of its container. It smelled kind of like an orange mixed with oregano and thyme. She gingerly placed the leaf on the bruise. She felt a slight chill on her arm for a few seconds, then it was gone. She removed the leaf (which, much to her dismay, was now withered) from her arm, and the bruise was gone.

Unsure of where to dispose of the withered lranji leaf, she stuck it back into the container and put the container back into her pack.

When the boy asked Kasumi to sing to him, Felina's eyes flew wide. She didn't know how to break it to the boy that Kasumi's magical voice was stolen. She gave Kasumi an extremely worried look and shook her head, her cat ears drooping a little bit.