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#661
Adela Castle / Oh, what a night!
December 28, 2004, 11:27:03 AM
[MOVED THREAD! Authors, in order of posting: Jester and Jezzika. Hope ya don't mind, I took it upon myself to transfer the thread since it was just...there...by my own thread. XD]

Jester
Master of Laughter
Posts: 408
(12/5/04 1:19 am)
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 The newly recruited knight of Adela, Denkou Tora, comes walking slowly into the grand castle, staring at the ground. He has a lot on his mind. He has been head over heels about his commander and after he finally gets to spend some quality time with her, she changes her mind all of the sudden.
"Well, she did say she wasn't herself last night. She also told me of her orgin of being a demon. Perhaps she has a second side to her mind. If that's the case, does she still love me with both sides?" Denkou mumbles to himself, causing the guards at the gates to stare at him akwardly. Once inside the courtyard, he stops to stare at a bush of roses for a moment and slightly smiles. Whatever happens still won't change what he feels about Tarlaka. Perhaps if he expresses it fully, will she come to her senses. He then continues onward into the castle.

 
Jezzika
SotE RPGer ^_^
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(12/5/04 2:00 am)
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Reply | Edit | Del   yes... indeed.
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 Tarlaka wasn't that far behind Denkou on her return to the castle, she had thoughts running through her head, one that left doubt and heart aches. Tarlaka took her usual route through the gardens and saw Denkou at some roses for a moment, she watching him sadly and when he began to leave she ran to catch up to him. The commander started after him and caught his hand then let it go.
"denkou... We need to talk... right now... about... uh... stuff?"
What the hell should she say? I didn't mean to do you? A little voice in the back of her head said, it didn't bother either one of you get over it, but she couldn't. Tarlaka took a deep breath and let her hands drop to her sides then just stared at the ground, how else to say this? She couldn't think of anything.
"I didn't mean for things to get so far last night and I'm sorry."
geez, that would work wonders.
 
Jester
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(12/5/04 2:23 am)
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 Denkou smiled when Tarlaka caught up to him. Saved him the trouble. He slightly shakes his head when she apologizes.
"You don't have to be sorry. As you said, you weren't yourself and I respect your current thoughts." Denkou explains before he places his hands on her shoulders.
"No matter what the outcome, there still one thing that will remain true to myself. I love you." With that, Denkou pulls Tarlaka close to kiss her. He never thought of the circumstances of his actions and he frankly doesn't care at the moment.

 
Jezzika
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(12/5/04 2:43 am)
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 Tarlaka felt like she was being crushed, he loved her? but how? Sharlee loved her, had wanted her to come back home to help mom, but Tarlaka didn't and Sharlee is dead, just like Lucien. Tarlaka once again accepted his kiss, she could take this on slowly, but she didn't, couldn't love, it wasn't against anything, she was capible of it, Tarlaka just had a bit of a phobia of it. Tarlaka hung her head and looked at his chest, they could get in trouble for this, but Tarlaka didn't care.
"You can't love me Denkou, you hardly know me... About my past... I care for you... but i don't love you."
She lightly embraced him in a hug and put her head on his chest, maybe she did love him, but not know it yet.
 
 
 
Jester
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(12/5/04 3:21 am)
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 Tarlaka hung her head low and Denkou can tell right then that she carries feelings for him, deep down inside. He put his hand under her chin to pull her head up to look directly into her eyes.
"The past doesn't matter, it's just that, the past. The only thing that matters is the present and I presently love you. Nothing can change that in my eyes." He stopped momentarily to ponder a second on her words about not loving him.
"I believe that you are not being true to yourself. Half of you loves me more than even I feel for you, but the other half still needs work. I refuse to give up on you just yet. You are my first and I want to keep it as my last. Please, think about it." Denkou finishes, before releasing Tarlaka's chin. He turns away and begins to stride towards the royal cambers to report in. Hope and faith are currently very strong within Denkou. He's never felt this way before and it motivates him in a positive way.

 
Jezzika
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(12/6/04 4:07 pm)
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 Tarlaka looked up at him and gave a sigh when he was done his speech and watched him walk off she shook her head and rubbed her chin were he held her. This was new, nothing like this has ever quite came up before on a mission or whatever she was sent out to do, and... What the hell was he talking about, other side? Did she have one? Probably, but Tarlaka didn't think it was love that the demon felt for him, probably lust, he wasn't exactiaclly bad looking, but he appeared to get the wrong idea of the erinyes blood. Tarlaka walked towards her room and accuied her shoulder pad... things, with the capes on the sides to keep her arms hidden and placed it on. She hadn't worn it since she had her wing un willingly trimmed of all the flying feathers on the left side (or was it right?), but with it on her shoulders again she didn't feel naked. Tarlaka walked around the grounds, watching the guards to make sure none of them were snoozing, which surprisingly, none of them were, this wasn't her job, but she didn't remember at the moment what her current task was supposed to be. The smell of flowers came from the garden and Tarlaka wandered towards it and sat infornt of the rose bush she had seen Denkou stop at, maybe she did like it... But all she was going to admit to herself was that she like him, just a little bit.  

[Transfer: COMPLETE! Resume posting!]
#662
[MOVED THREAD! Post authors, in order of posting: Small Wonder and Gold]

Small Wonder  
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(12/1/04 5:24 pm)
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   It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.
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 Alone for the first time that dayâ€"which had soon turned into nightâ€"Lykoth sank into the plush chair by the window, finally allowed to rest and, dare she think it? relax. That is, until the next issue came up, and there had been plenty of those to deal with that day. Not that she minded; she had been prepared for them, and she didn't choose this duty to complain about it.

No, a kingdom that had been without leadership for months was bound to have its share of issues, and from what she'd learned, it had had its share of problems even with leadership. High crime rates, poverty...and the threat of an attack; the neighboring kingdom was apparently expecting one from some foreign army, and if all went well there (well, well for the attackers, that is), then it was likely this kingdom could be next on the list. It seemed the kingdom couldn't have chosen to lose its leadership at a worse time.

As any new prospective leader should be, she had been educated in all the vital statistics concerning the kingdom well before she had even begun her journey to it, and so, thankfully, she had been as prepared as she could possibly be. Not prepared enough, in her eyes. One could never be prepared enough. But it would suffice. For the time being.

She was pleased to find that, at least, that this country had the remnants of a working military. That was a relief. Still, she had not come unprepared, and had brought with her soldiers of her own in addition to her own council and servants as she needed them...

Staring out the window into the open courtyard, littered with night shadows, she found that, tired as she was from her travels, she could not yet find rest. There was still so much to do, so much planning on her mind. Her own soldiers from her own country, added to the remaining soldiers here, would certainly not be enough, nor sufficient to morale. The people had been cautious enough about her arrival; after all, she was a foreigner, and even though this was the task appointed to her, and even though she was doing this for their own good, she could understand their wariness. She just had to make it clear she wasn't here to make any drastic changes; she was only here to continue the legacy set by the Adelan rulers before her, and to build the country back up and provide the leadership it needed to survive. To help ease concerns, she needed to appoint the right Adelan citizens to any important government positions that needed filling. And recruit Adelan soldiers into the militia.

That, and a mountain of other important tasks...

But she hadn't grown up a High Lord's daughter for nothing. And she knew that these things took time, patience, and meticulous planning. One couldn't move mountains overnight.

Rubbing a patch of the window as it became fogged from the chill air outside, she glanced up at the clear, cold sky. Midnight. It was past midnight already, and only an hour ago had she stayed her work. And she didn't yet feel tired. Not mentally, at least. Her mind was awake and racing with all the thoughts of her duties.

And there would be more to do in the morning. Well...later in the morning.

Still, she couldn't bring herself to sleep just yet. She just sat, gazing out the window even as it fogged up again, a young woman in her mid-twenties with short red-brown hair, done in a myriad of braids, and golden-brown skin, dressed in a long gown of conservative, and yet exotic, dress.

 
Gold
Miss Oblivious
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(12/6/04 3:11 pm)
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   <--Kylanya:: A Muse for you
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 The castle was colder than usual this night, so much that even Kylanya could feel the difference in temperature even though the cold and heat did not effect her as it did normal humans. The halls were barren except for a few servants who scuttled about in the early hours of the morning to finish tasks they had not been able to during the day. The walls breathed with stories that they longed to tell of secrets that took place in their abandoned halls.

Down this passage a pair of lovers met in the dark to share their few moments together, whispering love and nonsense that made sense only to their ears. In this room a great poet had sat by his desk for many hours, slaving over a phrase that would not come but he could feel in the pit of his mind. A small child had run through this place, playing a game of pretend with her childhood companions, dodging their elders lest they be forced to stop and embrace the real world they longed to leave behind. Here in the great halls minstrel after minstrel sat and performed before the royal and noble families of Adela, their poetic lyrics striking the hearts of all who listened, bringing some to tears. And here, the great laws of the realm were revised and completed as the kingdom was pieced together like a giant puzzle. A puzzle that still seemed to be missing parts of its picture.

How many of her sisters had sat in these halls? Each one had taken a task, a person, and stayed with them for the entirety of their lives, barely recognized but always there; always watching; always helping. How long had it been since one of her kind had returned the place of her ancestors? How many still remembered who they were, like she, or had they all faded into the cold stones of the past and become nothing but a memory?

Each stone spoke to her, giving up a story and a lesson that had long since been forgotten and longed to be remembered, longed to be found. Even the sconces that graced the walls echoed with their past and present, a tale yet to be told, still being woven.

Kylanya felt the dead presence of inspiration behind ever door. No one seemed to see their Muses anymore for they had faded over time and become things around them. But these symbols of her ancestors were not nearly as potent as before and their magic had nearly died and longed to be renewed.

That was why she was here, to awaken the powers of the past.

Pausing before a large oak door, Kylanya felt a presence inside the chamber, a restless being with so much to think about, so much to do for someone young as she. With complete silence, the muse pushed the door from its latch and entered the room to see the person whose mind she had sensed.

Lykoth her inner senses tingled as the name came into her mind, forming a picture that was more than just an outside image, but a picture that encompassed mind and body.

Just as quietly as she had entered, Kylanya sat down in a chair that was located in the corner of the room and kept silent watch.

 
Small Wonder  
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   A Muse for ME? Dawww! You shouldn't have!
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 Lykoth was beginning to drift off where she sat, and she knew it, but she was too comfortable to rise, change clothes, and make it over to the magnificent bed which was the focal point of the room. Besides...it had taken her long enough to get into this relaxed state; if she moved now, it would awaken her mind all over again, and then it would be another hour or so before her mind talked itself to sleep. She knew she'd regret it in the morning when she woke up with a stiff back but, frankly, didn't care. She had to get some sleep...there was just so much to do...

And yet, one blue eye cracked open slightly as a bit of cool air made its way unbidden into the warm room, stroking her face briefly before it was absorbed by the warmth the room's much needed fireplace emitted. She hadn't heard anything, but she knew the only logical explaination for that would be that the door had been opened. The spaceous castle had been much cooler in other areas.

Maybe she hadn't shut it all the way. No, she knew very well that she had. The only other possible explaination entered her mind with a mixture of contentment and annoyance, and she sighed and turned her head tiredly, though which emotion she sighed with was unclear. "Vincent, did I not tell you toâ€"oh..."

Her eyes had landed on the woman that sat across the room from her in a chair, and they went from tired to surprised in an instant. A moment later, and Lykoth sat up and smoothed out her features, though she made sure to do so in a way that seemed unhurried and unconcerned. She didn't recognize this woman...she could easily be someone of importance...and keeping her composure meant everything. Still...what was she doing here? Was it Adelan custom to walk in unannounced? No, wait, it was midnight. What would a noble be doing here? It certainly made no sense, even to her exhausted mind. Something that did make sense that occured to her then was that, perhaps, the girl was an Adelan servant...though she wasn't wearing the liveries. But she certainly wasn't one of her own servants.

"Who are you?" Ah yes. Very regal. But she was tired. She deserved a little leeway.
 
Gold
Miss Oblivious
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(12/6/04 4:46 pm)
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   Of course for you! *pinches cheeks* You NEED a muse!
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 Kylanya was slightly shocked herself when the woman addressed her until she realized that in her roaming of the castle she had shed her invisibility in order to feel the world around her with a better sense. But perhaps it was fitting that this woman should see her, a living sign that muses were more than just myths and still roamed the world helping those with need.

With a brush of her long, star sprinkled brown hair she smiled, her dark sea eyes sparkling with their own light that emitted from her person, not the fire a few feet away. In fact, her entire body seemed to glow with ethereal light that glimmered across the silver circlet that draped across her delicate brow.

She did not answer at once, content to just sit and look upon the woman whose mind had called to her own and begged for assistance. So many thoughts raced through her mind, too many to count and each one holding just as much importance as the last. How did humans live with so much pressuring them? It was amazing that anyone had lasted so long without some sort of divine aid, if muses could even be considered divine.

My name is Kylanya she answered after a few moments of silence, her voice spoken half out loud and half within the mind of the woman before her, echoing as if they were standing in a stone hall with ceilings that would not contain sound but allowed it to bounce gaily. I am here to aid you, Lykoth. It was a half answer, but one filled with enough information to satisfy the initial shock of having a strange woman appear in your midsts like a small blow of the wind tickles your nose without any warning.

The stories...oh the stories that even this room longed to tell! The very stones cried out tales woven years before, legends that faded into dust as the rulers that once stayed here faded, disappearing into the cold ground, never to remembered but for deed and name. How easily humans forgot....how often humans longed to forget and thus erased half of their history.

 
Small Wonder  
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   Darn tootin' I do! What took ya so long!? *swats hand away*
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 It suddenly occurred to Lykoth, as her tired vision steadily began to clear, that the woman before her was in no possible way a servant. And as she noted the star-dusted hair and delicate, impossibly glass-like features that seemed to glow with their own light, she also began to question whether this woman was even human, for that matter. A thought which was further reinforced by the woman's odd way of communicating, her voice having an almost dream-like quality to Lykoth's ears. Which brough up another through: was she really asleep, and this some sort of dream?

No...a quick survey of the sensations around her told that she was very much awake; the fatigue was far too pronounced for this to be a dream.

The woman knew her name. For a moment, this startled her, but then the obvious explaination struck her, and she almost laughed. Of course she knew her name. She was this country's new leader. She had grown so caught up in the oddness of the situation, trying so hard to analyze it as she did any new situation, that an obvious answer had almost slipped by her.

It was too late for this...

"Aid me?" she asked after a pause, voice and features cool, despite her racing thoughts. It wasn't as thoug she'd never seen or even met a non-human before; they dwelled in her country, too. But she had never before met one like this. Other non-humans she'd met always seemed more...solid, less ethereal, and spoke in the same manner as other humans. "I daresay help is appreciated, and there are still council positions that need filling. If you are interested, you may request an audience for tomorrow, and we shall talk then."

It was a polite way of excusing the woman, in other words. By now she was fully awake and functioning, and a hint of annoyance had entered her mind, though she kept it concealed. She'd always thought requesting an audience was a universal protocal. At least, where she came from, people at the very least announced their presence before entering. Which brought up yet another thought. Security. She had known there wasn't much of that when she had come here, but the sheer lack of it was ridiculous if her own chambers weren't even being guarded. She could only imagine what it was like in the village. And that was what truly spawned her irritation. Not the girl's mistake. But that of the guards.

Yes, that would be one of the first things she would address in the morning.  

[transfer: COMPLETE! Resume posting!]
#663
Wester Highlands / Faeries and pixies and demons, oh my!
December 28, 2004, 11:16:26 AM
[MOVED THREAD! And I'm especially lazy right now after moving a ton of threads, so...ahem...I'll clean it up later...]

Small Wonder  
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    Faeries and pixies and demons! Oh my!
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 The sun was fading fast, and with it, Raijah's consciousness. He was exhausted! This day had been especially busyâ€"and trickyâ€"and he hadn't come out of it unscathed.

Sitting beneath an ancient tree, he willed his violet eyes to stay open as he wrapped his left arm with a cloth, wincing whenever he touched the flesh the wrong way. A long, deep gash stretched up from around his elbow to near his shoulder, red and enflamed, though the bleeding, at least, had long since stopped. For the most part. Argh.

Stupid humans!

Well, alright...so it had actually been the bear's doing...but it had been the humans' fault! After all, they had been the ones to set the trap, and the bear was simply acting out of pain, fear, and instinct. And in her panic she'd mistaken him for a human, apparently, because she'd lashed out violently and refused to let him near her. Or tried to.

It'd taken a while before he was able to free her, and that was partially due to the bear's own exhaustion. Which was lucky, because had that not been the case...things would have gotten a lot nastier. Hell, even after he freed her she was violent, and she only came to realize what he truly was when he finally healed herâ€"and he could only heal her after her leg was free of the trap that was crushing it.

Quite a situation, indeed. He was lucky he'd deal with similar situations before, otherwise he'd have come out worse than just a scratch and a mangled quarterstaff.

But, he didn't blame her. He blamed the humans. Idiots. He was always cleaning up after them. If he could only encounter them, they'd get a good talking to. And if he weren't bound by honor, they'd get a lot more than that!

They were free to hunt here. But trapping? That was a big no-no. Especially the trapping of a mother like that bear!

Grumbling to himself in annoyance, he finished binding his wound, and then tiredly laid back against the tree and shut his eyes. Finally. Slee--

A shadow passed over his eyes. "JAH-JAH!"

Raijah jolted upright so fast he nearly toppled over where he sat...but not just because of the motion itself. Pain shot through his arm, and he sucked in his breath with a curse. "Ishtaq!" he groaned, unable, for the moment, to form any other coherant words.

Ishtaq, of course, was immensely amused, and was giggling like the sadistic pixie she was. "Heehee! What? Aren'tcha happy to see me, Jah-Jah? Ohhhhh! I see!" She flitted over to him, hovering near his shoulder. "Awwww...Jah-Jah's got a boo-boo...does he need me to kiss it 'n' make it feel all better?"

Raijah grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like an explicative, and Ishtaq burst into laughter. She reached out a tiny hand to pat him on the head. "Yer so cute 'n' charming when your pissed. Hey! Speaking of which! I brought ya your friend!"

Nursing his arm, Raijah cocked an eyebrow without looking up at Ishtaq. "...Friend?"

"Uh huh! Just wait! You'll love her!"

"...Her?" This time Raijah did look up, both eyebrows raised as he stared at Ishtaq both suspiciously and skeptically. "Ishtaq..."

"Just hush! She's comin'!"

 
Blue the Traumatized
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 "What the hell did you get yourself into this time?" A familiar voice asked, cool and full of twisted amusement. Rakkalepta slowly flitted to the ground, and though in a relatively short skirt, managed not to flash anyone on the ground below. Her characteristic smirk was in place, arms crossed.

"Seems I was right Ishtaq, he did get into trouble. I should have made a bet..." A soft snicker came forth, and she grinned mildly at the little pixie.
Calmly strolling up to the disgruntled Raijah, Rakk knelt and glanced at his arm in a way that proved she did not see as everyone else did.
"That's infected you know." She mused, brushing some blue hair from her face. "What got you that bad?" She glanced at his mangled quarterstaff and smirked.
Oh yes, she was definately amused by his misfortune.
 
Small Wonder  
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    Yep!
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 Ishtaq laughed. "Yeah, ya should! But ya can always make a bet on the future! Shouldn't be too long before he's beat up again!"

"Bets?" Raijah was rubbing his brow with his other hand. Aw man...he should have known Ishtaq would find the fae that so loved to gross him out by mangling her wings every chance she got! Which Ishtaq, of course, found irresistably "awesome". Seemed they were great pals. Not surprising.

And, of course, they both seemed to find his misery amusing.

"A bear. She was in a human trap," Raijah replied curtly, ignoring Ishtaq's snigger. "And howd'ya know it's infected?" he asked, this time in surprise as he quickly unwrapped his bandage a bit to look at it. It was really red...but he had figured some of that was bloodstains. Argh...just what he needed. An infection.

"Yeah right! I'll bet you got tangled in a bush or somethin'!" Ishtaq laughed. "A bear? Really, Jah-Jah, ya can lie better than that!"

Raijah glared at her, and she giggled. "Heehee...you're so cute when you're mad. Isn't he, Rak?"

Rakkalepta and Raijah. Hey...that had a nice ring she hadn't thought of before!
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 "A bear?" She repeated, glancing yet again at the wound that was now open to the wind. She did not see the wound really, but she could see variations between the healthy flesh and that which had been damaged.
And she could see the budding infection, bright against the reddish background.

At Ishtaq's interesting little comment about Raijah's cuteness when angry earned a mildly amused grin, and an interesting response.
"Excruciatingly."
She set her attention back to the wound, apparently pondering it closely, wings fluttering sporadically behind her.
"I know, because I can see it. The vision you use is blinded to me, so I see in an entirely different way. There's an infection starting up, and it looks like it'll be a nasty one."
One that could potentially prove deadly, though she did not let that part out just now. No need to scare anyone...yet...

"Of course, I'm sure you know of something in this place that can help, besides a good cleaning and some fresh bandages."
It was surprising to hear words like that come from her mouth. Then again...this body was that of a fey...annoyingly enough, to Rakk...
The tendency for a caring side was sometimes too strong to override.  


Small Wonder  
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   I'm a healer, not a doctor!
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 Ishtaq was grinning mischievously as she watched, butterfly wings fluttering behind her as she hovered. Rakkalepta thought he was cute, too! Heh heh heh...and awww...they were hitting it off already! Lookit that...they were gonna play doctor together...

So far, so good!

Raijah winced as Rakkalepta spoke--purposely ignoring her previous comment concerning his supposed "cuteness". Geez...alright, so he was lucky Ishtaq did bring her here. He hadn't seen anything unusual about the wound, himself... "Something in this place that can help?" he repeated suddenly, blinking. "You mean...aside from magic?"

He grimaced. Aww man...that meant none of them were healers. He couldn't heal himself, Ishtaq didn't have the ability, and obviously Rakkalepta couldn't. That meant doing it the slow way. Which was always annoying. And inconvenient.

"This place is full of medicinal plants," he told her. "There's a red-hued one that grows in damp, shadowed areas, and it helps promote healing and fight against impurities...think that'd work for infection?"

He was by no means an expert in this area. He was a healer, not a doctor!
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Rakk sighed heavily at his first response. "Yes, aside from magick." She wasn't entirely sure she could still pull on the magickal reserves within this body. Sure, the faerie had been able to heal, but her soul had been replaced with Rakk's, and she definitely was no healer.
Damn...
Well, if worst came to worst...

"I don't know, maybe. We can try, but if things get bad, as it seems it will, I have one last option. But only if it's absolutely necessary."
With that, she stood and moved away from the injured fey. "Stay with him Ishtaq, I'll go herb hunting."
She snorted at the self-appointed job, then took off into the forest. This wouldn't be too difficult...she could look for the auras of healing plants, which should be a dark green...

And so the search began.
 
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   Aye aye!
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 "Another option?" Raijah asked, but Rakkalepta had already started away, leaving Raijah writhing mentally with curiosity. What option? If worst came to worst...

She better not be thinking about cutting off his arm. For some reason, he wouldn't put that past her...

Ishtaq grinned and held up her hand in a salute. "Will do!" she said as Rakkalepta took off into the woods before flitting down to perch on Raijah's shoulder. She shook her head and clicked her tongue as she peered down at his wounded arm. "Geez...I leave ya alone for a minute..." she reprimanded playfully. "Oh well! Look's like you'll be gettin' a cool scar when it heals! Heh! Really lucky I brought Rak!"

Not the best first--well, okay, second--impression...his being injured kinda put some plans on the backburner for the time being, but...oh well!

"How ya feelin', Jah-Jah?" Ishtaq asked, voice this time sincerely concerned.

"Alright..." Hrm. Maybe some of it was psychological, but, indeed, Raijah wasn't quite feeling his best. His arm was really starting to hurt.
 
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 It took Rakk the better part of an hour to find all the plants and herbs with healing auras about them. Of course, she could not tell what plants and herbs did what, so she'd have to bring them all back to Raijah and let him decide which to use.
As she said, she was no healer.

Using the front of her button up shirt as a sort of holding area, Rakk started back. Now held in the dip of her shirt were many differnt kinds of plants and herbs, a few collected of each. She flew carefully, keeping a firm hold of the shirt so as not to drop any of the plants she had spent so much time collecting. The scratched aquired from picking through brambles were quickly healing, though a few deep scratches still remained. Not that Rakk rightly cared.

Coming within sight of Raijah and Ishtaq, Rakkalepta landed and calmly walked over to them both. She dumped the plants before Raijah uncerimoniously and crossed her arms, the shirt falling back in place and again covering her stomach.
"Alright, which ones?"
She asked coldly and without much feeling, staring down at the two and waiting for a response. She really didn't want to play doctor, but it seemed she had no choice...
 
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 Raijah's eyebrows lifted at the sight of all the plants Rakkalepta had collected. He certainly hadn't expected her to collect so many different types. And he certainly had no clue as to what half of them did. He knew they were all medicinal--to live out here, you had to know what plants were good, bad, and completely harmless--but as to what medical purpose they served, exactly...he hadn't a clue.

The only one he really knew anything about was the red one he'd mentioned earlier, and even there his knowledge was painfully limited.

"Which ones? Uh...that one." He pointed to a plant with fleshy, reddish leaves. "That's the one I was talking about. I don't know what the other ones do..."

"Aww! Look whatcha did, Jah-Jah! Rakk went and got aaaall those plants and got all scratched up!" Ishtaq exclaimed, and Raijah winced in surprise when she gave his hair a yank. "And you, dummy, don't even know what they do! Did ya even pay a bit of attention to Makyo?"

"You know botany was never my--hey, you didn't either!"

Ishtaq shrugged. "I wasn't the one being taught," she replied simply. "Besides, my area of expertise is darker stuff, not plants, silly." With that, she fluttered back over to Rakkalepta to watch her progress, butterfly wings shimmering.

Raijah shook his head in irritation and leaned back against the tree, but then sat back up when, through his irritation, something Ishtaq had said rang true. He looked over at Rakkalepta. "Hey, uh...thanks, by the way..." he told her. Ishtaq was right. She had been gone at least an hour scrounging around for herbs for him, something she certainly didn't have to do. After all, she was a dark fae...
 
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 Rakk didn't really want to get into the fact she had just wasted an hour collecting plants nobody knew anything about. Therefore, she simply shrugged at his thanks.
"Want me to get more of those then?"
She asked, kneeling and feeling the red-leaved plant closely with her fingers. She memorized the small differences in it's aura compared to other plants, and hoped she could remember it when she might have to get more.
As she said, she was blind to the vision Raijah and Ishtaq used.
Which technically meant she did not even know what Raijah or Ishtaq looked like in detail...just their auras and heat signatures reflected into her eyes...

The demonic faerie awaited an answer, crossing her arms and continuing to kneel upon the ground.
"Times wasting, the infection is getting worse already." Rakk noted, the only one able to see the infection thus far.
 
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 "I...think that should be enough..." Raijah replied haltingly. In other words, he wasn't completely sure. "Ah...well, we can always go with what we have now, and if more is needed, collect it as we need it," he suggested finally, and cringed when she stated the infection was growing worse.

He couldn't see the infectionâ€"save for the obvious redness and swellingâ€"but he could certainly feel it; the whole area in and around the wound was throbbing painfully, making him wince. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd been wounded; he'd been in actual battles and had suffered injuries worse than this. But there was always a fae healer to tend to injuries and, thus, this was the first time he'd ever experienced an infection. A serious one, at least.

Once this was over, he'd make a point of studying up on plants...

"D'ya need help, Rakk?" Ishtaq asked, hovering over her shoulder.
 
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 Rakk nodded at his words. True, she could get more if they needed more. A small snort was issued as Raijah again winced in pain. She had never had an infection before, so couldn't fathom how painful it was. Then again, she seemed to like pain, so it probably wouldn't have bothered her either way.

Without warning, Rakk grabbed Raijah's injured arm and leaned over it. Taking a deep breath, she blew softly on the swollen wound, covering the entire length of the gash carefully. Within moments the swelling began to go down, and the pain lessoned a bit.
"That'll wear off soon..." She muttered, quickly gathering the needed plants and studying them some more.

Should she grind them? Make some sort of paste for the wound? She knew less about this than any of them, and was left to the task of preparing things.
Damn it all...
"If you can help, then be my guest." She responded, still wondering what the best method might be for this.
If only she had aquired the fae's knowledge along with her body...
 
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 Raijah stared at his arm in wonder. Oh, sure, it still hurt, but not nearly as bad as it had; it didn't look as bad as it had, either. Blinking, he looked back up at Rakkalepta. Well, that was easy. Why hadn't she done that earliâ€"

Rakk's next statement answered that question. Darn...

Ah well. It would be nice while it lasted. Damn...so this was what an infection was like. Rakkalepta hadn't been kidding when she said it was going to get nasty...

Ishtaq grinned. "I think ya should make it a mush to spread over the wound," she suggested, noticing how Rakk stared at the plant uncertainly. "At least, that's what I always saw his cousin do." That was said with a look Raijah's way, which Raijah rolled his eyes at.
 
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 Rakk nodded. "Alright then." Well, this shouldn't be too hard...
With a crisp sound, her arms were suddenly covered in the sheets of silver metal that spawned from the ruby around her neck. Holding the plants in the palm of one clawed hand, she balled the other into a fist and began to grind the strange red-leafed plant.

Soon, it was a reddish hued paste, and Rakk glanced down at it with blinded eyes. The healing aura had increased quite a bit with the crushing of the leaves, and she smirked mildly.
"Guess that was the right thing to do."

Shifting back over to Raijah, Rakk let the metal on her grinding hand retract back into the necklace so she could apply the paste. "Sit still, and try not to scream or anything." The dark Fae ordered gruffly. Then began the, what she would assume, painful process of salving the wound with the paste. She had to get it down into even the deepest crevices of the wound, and that could NOT feel good...
Still, she was as gentle as she could be, so at least it was evident she cared enough not to purposefully increase his pain.
 
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 Easy for her to say.

Even with his jaw set against the incoming agony, he couldn't help but wince and, if he wasn't careful, gasp in pain. The fingers of his free hand dug deep into the ground, bracing himself as best as he could. Overall, though, he was pretty controlled in his reactions.

That is, until she really started to apply the salve deep into the wound.

Raijah gave a yelp of alarm and pain and jerked roughly away from her touch to hug his injured arm possessively to his bodyâ€"an action which, ironically, resulted in even more pain. "Do you HAVE to be so friggin' ROUGH!?" he snapped, his response more instinctive than intentional. Aghhh...his arm was throbbing again like mad, aching horribly up and down the length of his arm.

It was really hard to tell that someone was attempting to be gentle when the littlest bit of pressure set the nerves on fire.

"Oh, suck it up and stop bein' a baby, Jah-Jah!" Ishtaq snorted while shaking her head. Heh, in all actuality, she found this whole thing very morbidly amusing.

Raijah didn't, and he responded to her amusement with a death-glare. "Shut up..." he warned in a venomous tone, arm still smarting horribly.

Edited by: Small Wonder   at: 10/3/04 1:00 am
 
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 My, but that was the wrong thing to do. Just because she was being gentle, and somewhat nice, did not veto the fact she was demonic.
And she did not take kindly to being snapped at, especially when she was doing something she'd rather not do in the first place.

"Here, let me help you with that pain." Rakk hissed, and out of nowhere her metal-free fist came rocketing straight for Raijah's face.
If it were able to smash into his grimacing facade, it would more than likely knock him clean out. Which, of course, was the purpose.
Or...maybe it was just because Rakk was pissed.
 
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 Rakkalepta got her wish. Her fist connected, and Raijah slid instantaneously into unconsciousness.

Ishtaq had frozen for a moment, eyes wide in shock and wings barely moving as she watched the whole ordeal and its outcome. And then, a second later, the surprise passed and she burst into fits of giggles, nearly doubling over in laughter. Ohhh man...this was just too great!

"You go, girl!" Ishtaq sniggered, flitting over to hover at Rakk's side.
 
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 (*Points at dancing bannana* It's peanut butter jelly time! It's peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter jelly and a baseball bat! *too amused*)

Rakk snorted sharply, and continued with the application of the paste as if nothing had happened at all. He was out cold, which meant he wouldn't feel any of it. So she shed the pretense of being gentle and just shoved the stuff onto the wounds as fast as possible.
She was done with this damn doctor sh!t...

Yeah, Raijah had pissed her off all right. Now he'd be lucky to get her help even if his arm was rotting off. Or, she might just cut it off...which wasn't really helping if you thought about it.
Finished, Rakkalepta stood and moved away in silence. Finding a good sized tree, she flitted up into it's lower branches and sat. Leaning back, she crushed her wings against the rough bark, and even went so far as to shift back and forth, tearing them even worse.
Yeah, she was angry all right.
 
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.Freya.


Finely-boned muzzle, that of a fox, peers out from behind the curved surface of a treetrunk, followed by the appearance of a tawny physique. Contented from a recent kill, and energy restored from sleep, the vixen had set about wandering, traveler's mind mapping the terrain of the vast realm her journeying had brought her to. And now, her driftings had brought her here. Lithe limbs folding themselves silently into a sitting position, amber eyes observe the scene before her. Here was a figure sprawled against the ground, apparently unconscious; here a tiny shape hovered in the air, preseumably a pixie-like creature, and perched high in a tree's emerald heights was a winged female, posture speaking of anger. A strange tableau, indeed.

Slight frame raised from the earth, the minx begins to drift closer, movements cloaked in the relative silence that accompanied a predator's gait. Muzzle lifts slightly, nares scenting the air, catching the armona of.. freshly ground plants? Finally choosing to reveal herself, red-gold figure emerges from the shadows, the three white-tipped plumes that proclaimed her different from a common fox waving in her wake. Coming to stand at the fringe of the trees, not far from the three, gaze roves the clearing silently before words are projected to those present in general. Her lips do not move, however, her mental voice clear, almost musical.

"Greetings"
 
Small Wonder  
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 OOC: XD No worries, we don't bite! At least...I don't; I just ate. Eheheh! Welcome to the thread!

IC:

Uh oh...Rakk didn't look too happy at all...she wasn't even talking to her! Argh! Stupid, stupid Raijah! If he'd spoiled all her fun, cool, plans because he was such a hot-head, he'd be in soooo much trouble by her!

Hiding her disappointment and disdain, the pixie went to fly up near Rakkâ€"the fae was doing that nifty trick with her wings again! Couldn't miss that!â€"but a voice stopped her. And, turning in mid-flight, she looked in its direction...then gave a squeal of delight.

"OHH! A kitsune! WHOA!" she exclaimed, immediately fluttering down to swoop before the fox, buzzing around its body to inspect itâ€"especially the tails. "Ahhh! So cool! I haven't seen one of ya guys in AGES! Love the tails!"

Raijah was still silent where he had slumped.

OOC: bad post! ^^;; But I gotta run! Ahahah!
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 (Nah, I don bite either! ^_^)

Rakk was in too deep a brood to really notice the small, multi-tailed fox. Arms crossed over her chest, she sat silently in the tree, only registering the musical voice vaguely.
Of course, her milky white-blue gaze shifted towards the fox once Ishtaq began making such a big racket.

The little pixie was much too easily amused...
Rakk smirked, then shut her eyes and continued her silence. Her body, though fae in appearance, radiated a demonic aura. And she was still crushing her fragile wings ruthlessly against the tree.
She had never been much of a talker anyway, but angry, she was dead silent.

(Argh, tis craaaap! x.X)

 
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 OOC: lol. Thanks!

.Freya.


Black-tipped auditiories swivel toward the high-pitched squeal given by the pixie. Amber eyes, sparkling with amusement at creature's intense curiosity and delight, tracking her as she buzzes around the vixen's red-gold form. She was surprised that the pixie apparently knew of her kind, and even more so to learn that she had previously encountered a kitsune. After all, there were not many, and those that were tended to keep themselves hidden, despite their love of meddling.

A soft mental chuckle can be heard, before further speech is projected, directed toward the miniature figure hovering above her.

Thankyou. What is your name? They call me Freya.

Gaze turns briefly toward the silent figure in the tree, yet as she makes no sound, the minx glides forward a little, toward the figure of Raijah, halting her movement a few paces away. She notes his mangled arm, and the paste spread over it. This was where the scent of ground plants had come from, then. Still, this didn't explain his unconsciousness. Curious, the vix turns to the pixie, addressing her once again.

What happened to our friend here?


.Freya.
..Versifer..Dreamspinner..Clotho's Apprentice..
 
Small Wonder  
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 "The name's Ishtaq!" the pixie introduced, reaching out a tiny hand to stroke one of the kitsune's tails as her rainbow-hued wings worked to allow her to hover there. "Nice to meetcha, Freya!"

She paused in her wide-eyes examination of the kitsune for a moment when she inquired about Raijah. "Oh, and that? That's Jah-Jah, my buddy! Well, his real name's Raijah, but call him Jah-Jah, 'kay? he hates it! But, ah, anyway, he's an idgit, hence the arm and unconsciousness and stuff. Hasn't yet learned that it's not nice to speak bad to a ladyâ€"to Rakk up thereâ€"" She pointed toward the tree, where Rakkalepta was lounging. "Heh, Rakk's so cool. But, anyway! Well, uh, he spoke bad to her, that's why he's unconscious, at least, I mean! The arm and all is from a bear, he said."

She nodded sagely, and through it all, she hadn't paused once for a breath. That was a talent she was quite proud of, actually.

From where he lay, Raijah stirred slightly as consciousness began to return, and he gave a low groan. Damn...everyone was being so loud...

Edited by: Small Wonder   at: 10/8/04 10:04 pm
 
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 Rakk watched Freya and Ishtaq with mild interest throughout the conversation. She still did not speak to them, for anger made her silent, but was was interested in what they were saying.
A small smirk formed as Ishtaq announced that she was 'cool'. Rakk couldn't imagine why, but if the pixie believed it, than so be it...

Finally, Rakk jumped from her place in the tree and landed graceful as a cat. Apparently, Raijah's groan had attracted her attention, and it was confirmed as she made her way over to him.
Sensing he was more sleeping now than being unconcious, a slow, malicious smirk formed.
Metal slid from the ruby around her neck to sheath her left hand. With her right, she jabbed Raijah in the chest a few times.
"Wake up, or I'll start cutting things off." She hissed, her voice dead serious.
Yes, Rakk was a strange one all right...

 
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.Freya.


The red-gold kitsune remaines silent throughout the pixie's long and animated monologue, listening with some amusement while extracting the facts from her high-speed narration. The tale completed, the vixen gives a slight nod, soft laughter colouring her mental speech.

"Well, I think perhaps she has made her point."

Her attention is brought back to Raijah at his stirring, before amber gaze turns to watch the demonic fae jump from her treetop perch to come to his side. Silently, she stalks slightly closer, and upon hearing Rakk's words, rethinks her phrasing. Turning back to the pixie, further words are directed to the tiny figure.

"Or, perhaps she has further points to make yet."

Dancing eyes come to rest upon the form of Raijah, lyrical speech sent towards his mind. After all, what better a wake-up call than one that came from inside your own head?

"Rise and shine, Raijah, you have company."


.Freya.

OOC: Sorry guys, but I'm going away for the next 2 days, and may not be able to get online.  
..Versifer..Dreamspinner..Clotho's Apprentice..
 
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 Ishtaq giggled at the kitsune's pun, and followed her as she crept closer. "Ya got that right! And she'd do it, too...when she says stuff, she means it!"

Raijah twitched slightly as something jabbed him in the chest and a musical wake-up call filled his mind, but kept his eyes shut stubbornly. "Go away..." he mumbled thickly, draping his uninjured arm over his eyes to block out the glaring light. Wonderful. In addition to a painfully throbbing arm, he now had a headache that could kill. Just his luck. And, as usual, it seemed no one could stand the idea of letting him sleep. But what was worse was that damned prodding...ARGH! Whoever was doing that was so gonna diâ€"

"What!?" His violet eyes snapped open at that last statement, the one about cutting things off, and the first thing he saw was Rakk standing over him with that...weapon...of hers. Oh, damn...

"Gyah! I'm awake, I'm awake!" he told her hastily, and quickly sat up straighter, wincing slightly as his head throbbed in protest, in addition to his arm. "So...ah...you can put that away, now..."

(No prob! have fun wherever you're goin'! ^_^)

~*~

RHI'S BUSHEL OF BITCHESâ,,¢

Sachi - Cadmus - Tiaret - Natara - Lena - Rheiku - Hatame - Raijah - Ishtaq - Makyo - Yokanil - Darkfate - Thorn - Pure Magic - Orion - Yuma - Aki - Zeirne - Questa - Makoto - Dokuja - Taidra - Sanyu - Sunni - Kiade - Aniketos - Nakaris - Alice - Kajioh - Kujin - Neviko - Zharith - Raki - Beatrid - Keina - Sougra

FUN GAMES!

Duck Duck Goose - Guess That Style!

CULTS

Proud founder of the "Pet Blue" cult!

Second in Command in the "Goose Gold
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Blinded eyes watched Raijah's blatant refusal to wake in a way no one else could see. He would regret that soon, for she always kept her word.
The clawed hand flexed dangerously, making the smooth sound of metal sliding across metal.

A deceptively sweet grin was provided at his awakening, though the weapon retreated. "And I was hoping you'd sleep in, too."
She mused, her sadistic side not even attempting to hide itself. She stood, but before doing so poked the forming bruise on his jaw. Her handiwork, of course.
But at least the healing paste was on the angry wounds, though whether it would work or not was something for the morning to tell.

And that was some ways away. Night was finally falling, cloaking the world in a thick blanket of shadow. Now Rakk could see in yet another new way; that of those nocturnal creatures, with the washed out coloring of the day, and undefined lines of beings.
Perhaps this was the best time for Rakk to actually see and note what Ishtaq, Raijah, and Freya truly looked like as far as features went. During the day, only the sight of aura and heat were hers, and they did not show where one's eyes, nose, and mouth were placed on a person's face.
However, she seemed little interested in seeing what her companions looked like. At the moment, her gaze was surveying the night sky, more importantly, the large orb that was the moon.
 
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.Freya.


The flame-kissed figure of the Kitsune sat motionless beside the hovering Ishtaq, vivid citrine eyes watching the small drama unfolding before her. Silence ruled her mind for the time being, tracking the vengeful movements of Rakkalepta with some amusement, delicate ears picking up the speech of the two. So different, were the three that embodied this gathering - the fun-loving Ishtaq, the demonic Rakkalepta, and the vioilet-eyed Raijah, whose character she had not had an opportunity to judge as of yet.

The deepening shadows of the oncoming night shrouded the minx's petite form, her stature belieing the power that resided in her mind, young as she was by the standards of her race. Seeing the demonic Rakk stand, the vixen herself rose from the earth, red form, darkened by the dusk, drifting over to stand before the awakening Raijah. Her three white-crowned tails waved in her wake, as her chiming mental speech picked up once again.

"Hello, Raijah. I am Freya."


.Freya.
..Versifer..Dreamspinner..Clotho's Apprentice..
 
Small Wonder  
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 "Ow..." Raijah winced when Rakk poked his jaw, swatting her hand awayâ€"and then raised an eyebrow suddenly and felt his jaw with his fingers. Sure enough, there was a bruise there. And the flesh itself felt puffy and swollen. Like he'd been punched or something. "Wait...how'dâ€"!?"

"Ya passed out from the pain and hit your face against the tree!" Ishtaq cut in quickly, noticing the way he was looking at Rakkalepta accusingly. Erk! Funny as it was, she knew the knowledge of what had happened would set Raijah off...and that would set Rakkalepta off...and then that would royally screw up all her plans! Especially if one of them killed the other! And more than likely, that "other" would be Raijah. "Ya big baby."

Raijah's face darkened slightly with a blush, and he was about to retort to Ishtaq when a voice filled his mind. One that was vaguely familiar, though he didn't know from where.

Turning his head and blinking in confusionâ€"how did whoever was speaking know his name?â€"his eyes landed upon the kitsune. And then he blinked again. Unlike Ishtaq, he'd never seen one of her kind before, though he had heard of them.

Almost immediately, his moody demeanor softened respectfully. "Oh...ahh...hello, Freya..."
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Rakk snorted lightly at Ishtaq's improvised excuse for the bruise. My, wasn't that smooth...
A small roll of clouded eyes was given to Raijah's sudden mood swing from pissed to kind and respectful. Maybe she should knock him out again...

The demonic fae frowned lightly. Damn, he was really starting to bother her, wasn't he?? Time for some away time. People shouldn't bug her like that...

Without warning, Rakk flitted her wings a few times then took off. She easily rose above the trees and began to disappear into the darkened distance.
"See you in the morning...maybe." She called back before her form was enveloped in shadow. Maybe...just to see if Raijah's arm was going to need to be amputated or not.

~~~`**`~~~

.:Creations From Blue's Traumatized Little Mind:.

~Blade~Shadow Walker~Michael Morro~Gabriel Morro~Taracotl Kirvana~Lotha Errdegahr~Akso~Tasarin~Arkarian~Maelthra~Renor Senger~Sierra~Sakkata~Terri~Enyalie~Blue, the Mentally Traumatized~Barra Arisa~Facyt~Kyle~Rakkalepta~Bob~Waelin~Kanto Strike~Serke~Naule~Aya Nightlark~

 
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.Freya.


Finely-boned muzzle gave a slight nod, both in answer to Raijah and to silently commend Ishtaq's smoothing-over. Watching Raijah's confused anger dissipate, flaxen gaze was raised to meet his own violet eyes, further speech breaching the gap between minds.

"You've been asleep for a while.. your friend here introduced me."

She said, visage turning slightly to indicate Ishtaq. The sounds of Rakkalepta's flight then reached her ears, and her amber eyes followed the demonic fae as she took off. Doubtless, she had had enough. A faint smirk formed on the delicate muzzle of the vixen, before she turned back to Raijah.

"She also said your arm was injured by a bear."

.Freya.
..Versifer..Dreamspinner..Clotho's Apprentice..
 
Small Wonder  
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   Heh!
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 Awww...Rakkalepta was leaving, now, Ishtaq noted disappointedly. But...she said she'd be back! Yay! That was good...she'd better come back, otherwise Ishtaq would just have to hunt the "scary-faerie" down again!

Oh well! In any case, it gave her time to formulate plans and ideas. This would be tricky...but she could do it! She had her ways...

Grinning, she flitted up into the tree Raijah was sitting under and perched on one of the branches there (well, actually it was a twig, but to Ishtaq it was a branch) where she could watch and plot.

Using his good arm, Raijah masked a small yawn with his hand. "Heh...I guess I have..." he murmered, still slightly embarrassed. Passed out from the pain? Aw man... "Yeah...a bear did this. I don't blame her, though...I would have probably done the same in her situation..." He glanced down at his arm, then away, again. The wound was still angry looking with infection, but the healing paste had drawn away some of the pain.

Speaking of which...

He glanced around for Rakkalepta, then blinked when he noticed she was gone. He winced. Ah, right...he had been kinda snappy to her when he woke up...whoops...

Much as she irritated him at times, she had gone out of her way to help...

Edited by: Small Wonder   at: 10/13/04 4:46 pm
 
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.Freya.


The kitsune nodded slightly at Raijah's words, amber eyes on the pixie as she flitted up to the tree branches. She had a certain look about her.. no doubt she was up to some sort of mischief. The vixen's attention then returned to Raijah, listening to his last statement. She took a step closer closer, plumed tails flickering absently as she looked at the wound. She did not have any kind of magical vision like Rakkalepta's at her disposal, but from here, even to the common eye, the wound appeared red and inflamed. Surely, some kind of infection was present, if he had been injured by a bear. Although she had limited knowledge of healing herbs and the like, not having much use for them herself, she did not think the paste that had been applied would cure an infection fully, even if it did act as a pain-killer. However, her kind was versed in the arts of magic, and she had a limited range of healing powers. Perhaps she could do something for him. The vixen tilted her head to the side slightly, almost quizically, aureate gaze on Raijah's again.

"Let me see the wound? Perhaps I can help."


.Freya.


OOC: Kitsune in general don't have healing powers as far as I know, this is one of those Freya-specific things.  
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   Hmm?
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 He tilted his head slightly in curiosity, then nodded slowly, uncertainly, and painfully held out his wounded arm for her to see. The deep gash extended all the way up his arm from his elbow to his shoulder, and even with the healing salve masking it, it was easy to tell it was deep and still horribly tender. Yet he trusted the kitsune. To some extent. He never fully trusted anyone when it came to his wounds, much like the animals he tended, but she certainly seemed gentler than Rakkalepta and Ishtaq, both of whom seemed to find his misery amusing, even if they were infinitely helpful. When they wanted to be, that is.

"What can you do?" he asked, curious and yet naturally a bit wary as he watched.

~*~

RHI'S BUSHEL OF BITCHESâ,,¢

Sachi - Cadmus - Tiaret - Natara - Lena - Rheiku - Hatame - Raijah - Ishtaq - Makyo - Yokanil - Darkfate - Thorn - Pure Magic - Orion - Yuma - Aki - Zeirne - Questa - Makoto - Dokuja - Taidra - Sanyu - Sunni - Kiade - Aniketos - Nakaris - Alice - Kajioh - Kujin - Neviko - Zharith - Raki - Beatrid - Keina - Sougra

CULTS

Proud founder of the "Pet Blue" cult!

Second in Command in the "Goose Gold Cult!
 
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.Freya.


For a time the red-gold kitsune remained silent, mind reaching back many human years to the few lessons she had had in this sort of healing. In truth, she knew little, having quickly abandoned the study of healing and medicines for more enthralling and exciting passtimes. However, what she did know, she remembered, and she should be able to do something about that infection, at least. Responding to Raijah's question, her chiming mental speech picked up again, perhaps laced with slight laughter.

"This."

And with that she expelled a breath, the departing air glowing a soft gold. Slowly, it spread up the length of his injured arm until it coated the wound, the magical light blazing a brighter gold before disappearing from vision. The vixen paused a moment before she spoke again, pleased that it appeared to have worked.

"That should clear up any infection you have there. As for the actual wound itself, the healing process will have been sped up a little, but still it will take some time."

.Freya.
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   Silly Jah-Jah.
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 He watched with wide violet eyes as the kitsune exhaled, sending a golden glow upon his wound, coating it fully, glowing brightly, and then...vanishing. Rakkalepta had done something similar not long before the kitsune had come, only she had never promised that it would cure the infection, as this kitsune did. Rakkalepta had only been able to relieve some of the pain. And, as he watched, it appeared that, for a moment, the wound appeared less inflamed, felt less painful, as though the infection really had left. Relief washed over him...finally...

"Thank you, Freya," Raijah murmered, letting his body relax since the first time this whole ordeal had begunâ€"save when he had been unconscious, of course. "Gods, I don't know how I canâ€""

He cut off abruptly, clenching his teeth stubbornly as the pain suddenly returned, the wound once again throbbing and pulsing painfully. And, even as he watched, the redness began to return, once again spreading from the wound to blot the healthy flesh around it angrily. Within seconds, it was once again the horrid wound it had originally been...and the pain seemed to have increased slightly...

He drew his arm back sharply, and immediately regretted the action as pain shot blossomed through his arm as alarm blossomed through his mind. "What theâ€"!? What happened? What was that?"

"Jah-Jah...umm...did you forget...?" Ishtaq had been watching the whole ordeal, and was now peering over the twig down at he and the kitsune.

"Forget what?"

Ishtaq sighed and shook her head. "Does fae magic ring a bell?"

For a moment, Raijah stared up at Ishtaq blankly, as though she were insane. Fae magic? Could she be any more vague? He knew all about fae magic! He was a fae! Did she really think he was that foolâ€"oh...

"Faes can only be healed by other faes...by fae magic..." he muttered, suddenly feeling very foolish, indeed. Argh...how could he have forgotten? Guess desperation had made him conveniently forget. Ah...that explained it nicely. Freya's magic had never worked on him...only given the illusion that it had as his own magics and immunities kicked in. And the whole blunder hadn't made his condition worse...it was only that his condition had worsened naturally as the infection ran it's course...

"Damn..."
 
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.Freya.


The red-gold vixen watched in puzzlement as the redness that marked infection began to spread from the gash once again. She tilted her head slightly to one side, quite perplexed until her delicate ears picked up Raijah's half-muttered speech. His last statement was echoed in the kitsune's thoughts. Yes, damn. That was someting she had not known. Lyrical voice speaks out again, albeit to state the obvious.

"In light of that, then, there is nothing I can do."

Her telepathic voice was tinged slightly with a sigh, before a stray thought entered her conscious mind at a slant, and amused words were sent toward Raijah's mind.

"Perhaps you will seek out Rakkalepta again."

And, no doubt, if the demonic Rakk were able to help, there would be some amount of convincing to do on Raijah's part. Still, the kitsune was sorry she could not do more.


.Freya.
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 Raijah nodded slowly. "It's alright, you tried. I should have warned you about that...but I forgot. Ugh...dunno how I could have...sorry..." His thoughts felt so disjointed lately, and he didn't know why...he never forgot stuff like this, especially when it was important! Maybe he was just tired...that was probably it. He hadn't gotten any real sleep...and he did feel fatigued and exhausted. And very sore and achy and just generally, well...not well.

Rubbing his temples tiredly and holding in a yawn, he grimaced slightly in surprise, blinking. The flesh felt damp, clammy...a sensation he'd never felt before...

"Hm? Rakkalepta?" Another grimace. "If she comes back...yes...but...I don't know where she went, and..." He yawned, unable to hold this one in. "...and...and...ugh, I dunno..." His train of thought was shot, it seemed. He was just so tired...and the coming of night wasn't helping. Neither was the developing fever, though Raijah was unaware of that; he'd never had one before, after all.
 
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.Freya.


The vixen nodded at his first words. His lapse of memory wasn't of great consequence to her; something as simple as what she had just performed would not cost her much energy. Her amber gaze rested on his face as his speech became more broken, finally trailing off into silence. Suddenly her eyes snagged on something, and she re-focused her sight, making out tiny beads of sweat upon his forehead. A fever, then, too. Certainly, that was the last thing he needed. Her mental voice was soft.

"Raijah, you're developing a fever."

The kitsune's three tails waved in a slight breeze, as she stood in the deepnening light of dusk. Her head was tilted up to the sky, citrine gaze picking out the pinpoints of emerging stars. She hadn't intended to stay, but she may as well do so now - she was certain there was enough game in the immediate area to satisfy a predator's hunger should she wish to go hunting. Her thoughts swung back to Raijah's fever, searching her memory for treatments. Although kitsune rarely suffered from sickness, many enjoyed lingering disguised in their human forms, and so were taught the non-magical remedies for human ailments. Her gaze swung back to the injured fae-man.

"You would do well to keep as warm as possible, and drink frequently.. if there is water nearby."

Her jet ears flickered, sifting through the sounds of wildlife for the song of a forest stream before she spoke once again.

"And in the meantime, I will stay."

With that, her vixen's form blazed golden, the light obscuring her from sight for a moment. In truth, the light was unnecessary, but, why not put on a pretty show? The glow dwindling, the slender figure of Freya's human form emerged, clad in a simple figure-hugging, short-sleeved earthen gown, its hem hanging just above her knees. She appeared to be about 18, the approximate human equivalent of her age as a kitsune. Twining around one wrist was a bracelet, comprised of a continuous spiral of gold. Vivid red-gold locks fell half way down her back, a contrast against her fair skin. Her hair framed a finely-boned face, faintly resembling that of her previous form. Her eyes, however, remained the same, the slightly slanted amber orbs of a fox.


.Freya.


OOC: Ooh, feverish ravings??
Yay, finally a decent sized post.  
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   Not good?
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 "What's a fever?" came Ishtaq's curious responce to Freya's diagnosis. Rainbow-hued wings flashing in the fading light, she flitted down from her perch to land lightly on Raijah's knee, peering up at him, and then at the kitsune. She saw the beads of sweat and forming flush against his light skinâ€"all very odd, as the night was cool; there was no reason for him to be hot!â€"and concern entered her usually care-free mind as Freya spoke of ways to treat the affliction.

It didn't sound good...at all. And Raijah was gradually starting to look more and more haggard and tired.

"Is he...is he gonna die...?"

"Of...of course not, stupid..." Raijah muttered thickly, cracking an eye open at her irritably. It may have seemed harsh, the way he spoke to his companion, but in all truth it was how they normally spoke to one another; a sort of...affectionate teasing. Of sorts. "It's just...slow healing. Prob'ly...takes a while...to...to start...to work. Y'know?" It was becoming quite the effort to keep his eyes open. Fever? Ehhh...he had no idea what that was, either, save that whatever it was, he apparently had it. Keep warm? But...but he was warm. And yet, there was a vague sensation of cold, of a growing chill in his spine...and the mere thought of drinking cool water made him shiver slightly. Or maybe that was the fever's doing.

"...Thanks...Freya..." he murmered, allowing his eyes to close heavily, though undoubtedly they would have closed even had he resisted. He just wanted to sleep. That was all. He was so exhausted, he hardly felt the pain in his arm at all.

Only moments later, he was asleep, and only Ishtaq was around and conscious to witness Freya's changing. That ws certainly not something she had expected, and she stared openly. "Whoaa..."
 
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.Freya.


The kitsune, still at this point in the form of a vixen, watched as Ishtaq fluttered down from the tree. Chiming voice began to formulate a reply to the pixie's query, trying to remember the definition of a fever.

"A fever.. it would have been caused by the infection in the wound. His temperature is running high, and his body will try to regulate it, so he'll feel cold and shiver, as well."

In response to the pixie's second question she shook her head slightly, her eyes on Raijah. No, he wouldn't die from the fever.. but he was very ill. She watched him slip into sleep, then the golden glow appeared around her vixen's form.

Her transformation completed and the light fading from existence, Freya took a moment to get her bearings. She had lived in this form before, yet not for some time. She had chosen to travel here in her true form, it being far less conspicuous, as well as swifter. Hearing Ishtaq's exclamation of surprise, she turned to grin at her briefly, before her gaze again travelled the clearing. Lucky Raijah, unconscious with a fever and an wounded arm in the wilderness of a mountainside. Well, he would need to drink, else he'd lose too much water and become dehydrated.

"Ishtaq, are there any streams nearby?"

.Freya.
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 Ishtaq nodded, chewing her lip concernedly. She had quickly recovered from the surprise of Freya's transformation, and was once again back to being worried for her friend. She always had a tendency to jump from one subject and situation to the next with hardly any transition. "Yeah...there's a stream not far from here, not far at all...it's over there!" She pointed with a tiny finger, to the place where the clearing ended and the woods truly began. "It's just right through there...Jah-Jah always makes sure water is really, really close by when we choose an area to stay! It's never fun walking for miles and miles and miles to get water to drink or wash with."

She gave a sage nod. Indeed...they had learned from experience to always seek out a water source before deciding on staying in an area for any given time. Of course, Ishtaq had exaggerated the whole "miles" thing a bit...but exaggeration was in the pixie's nature. Or...perhaps it wasn't exaggeration at all to her. After all, she was only six inches tall, not including her wings.

"Hey...Freya? He's starting to shiver more 'n' stuff..." she said suddenly, and took to the air again to go and hover above Raijah. Rakkalepta had been right...this was turning out to be a pretty nasty infection, and the fever it had induced was slowly increasing in intensity, causing him to shiver steadily nowâ€"even if it was still fairly mild. But the flush had increased...and the gash in his wound was not looking any better. It looked even more enflamed. And, even though he was very much unconscious, it didn't seem as though it was entirely painless; sweat had dampened his bangs, making them cling to his skin, and his brows drew together with every shudder.

Tentatively, she touched his skin. "He's hot!" Well, of course Freya had explained it all...but...still...it was so weird! He acted cold...but he was burning up!
 
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.Freya.


The kitsune nodded at the pixie's words - that was sensible, and fortunate in this case. Her gaze was drawn back to Raijah at Ishtaq's exclamation, noting with slight concern his worsening state.

"Hmm.. he'll be alright."

Her mental voice was reassuring, if slightly pre-occupied. She would go to fetch water soon, but for now, in light of Raijah's increasing shivers, a small fire wouldn't go amiss. She began to walk around the clearing, gathering pieces of dry wood. Choosing a bare section of earth on which to pile them, she twirled a hastily sharpened twig between her hands, the friction caused by the pointed end held against a strip of bark conjuring a spark. The wood crackled as it caught alight, the flickering flame spreading across the twigs, gaining strength until it cast a pool of warm light against the ground. The sort of practical magic that would have been used by some human mages to conjure magical fire was not Freya's own, and so she turned to more mundane methods for tasks such as this. She sat back for a moment, glancing again at Raijah, before she stood, tossing the sharpened twig into the fire. Now, for water. Turning to Ishtaq, the kitsune spoke again.

"I'll be back in a moment."

She set off in the direction the pixie had indicated, small bare feet finding an easy path through the leafy forest trees, guided easily in the dim light by her fox's nocturnal vision. Quite soon, she came upon the stream, kneeling on the bank. She procured a small water flask from somewhere about her person, removing the lid and lowering it into the cool, rushing water. She then made haste back to the clearing, crossing to where the fae-man lay.

Setting the flask on the ground nearby, the girl knelt once again, absently brushing errant strands of red hair aside before shaking Raijah lightly to wake him. Losing as much fluid as he was through sweat, it was important that he drink, or his temperature would continue to escalate. So this, at least, was a necessary diversion from sleep. And, she thought with wry amusement, he was probably too confused and in too much pain to make much of a fuss. Once again came the internal wake-up call.

"Raijah."


.Freya.
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 Ishtaq stayed with Raijah as Freya went to gather the water, watching over him worriedly. The heat from the fire was strong and good...but it didn't seem to have affected the strange cold her companion was feeling. His teeth were chattering, now.

Stupid Raijah! Dealing with an angry she-bear alone! Of course, caring for such creatures was his duty...but he should have waited for her! She could have distracted her, even soothed her with song if it came down to it.

She was relieved when Freya finally returned. Whew! She didn't like being alone and not knowing what to do.

Raijah moaned lightly when he felt his body being shook slightly, and his eyelids fluttered, but didn't open, even though he had been jolted awake by that movement. Gods, he hurt...his whole body felt like it was on fire, and yet he was shaking uncontrolably with cold, the jarring movement and odd, warring combination of temperature painful. He heard a voice call his name, that familiar musical voice, but for some reason it didn't want to register in his mind, it didn't want to stick, and comprehension was lost to him.

His eyes clenched tightly shut for a moment, and then, slowly, opened a little; only enough to be able to register some shapes and colors, but everything was so horribly blurred, and he was so tired, he quickly shut them again.

His wound, on the other hand, had also gotten worse; beneath the damaged, swollen skin and relatively useless healing salve, the flesh was slowly starting to whiten in places even as the area around it grew more enflamed. Now, the infection was becoming more pronounced, more obviousâ€"if it wasn't so already.

It was going to be a long night, it seemed...and this fever wouldn't be broken easily. It was, after all, the result of a steadily worsening infection...

Ishtaq fidgeted worriedly. Rakkalepta...she said she was gonna come back in the morning! Dang...they could certainly use her help, now! Argh! If only Raijah hadn't been dumb and pissed her off!

A long, night, indeed. Ishtaq found herself anxiously counting the hours to morning.
 
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.Freya.


Watching Raijah intently, Freya saw his eyelids flutter, then quickly fall closed again. He appeared to be awake, then.. just. Glancing briefly at his wound, she sighed slightly. It appeared to be worsening, signs of the infection now clearly visible to the common eye. She was sorry to have to awaken him to further pain.

Looping an arm around his shoulders, she helped him into a sitting position, being as careful as possible of his wounded arm. Determined that he would drink, and slightly unnerved by his shuddering state, her mental call intensifed.

"Raijah! Wake up, you must drink."

Taking up the water flask, she held it to his lips as best she could, wondering how much liquid he
#664
Reajh / A snake that wants to kill a cat?
December 28, 2004, 10:52:52 AM
[MOVED THREAD! Authors, in order of appearance: Damaged16, Small Wonder, and Anarchist]

Kyoko Kaishi was reaching the end of his rope. It was inhumane to have so much happiness thrown at him in such a short period of time! Well, served him right, though: He wasn't human. The ceylonese tree viper anthro was a sarcastic, antisocial being whose mere appearance even portrayed it. Yes, he was lithe and thin. He wore a long black leather jacket and because of that one could barely see his blue and teal scales (only on his hands when they were exposed and on his face).

"Heard about it in the bar," Kyoko Kaishi explained to his, sadly, extremely loyal sidekick... Who oddly enough seemed to be more like a cheerleader or fan of his. Kajioh was basically the snake anthro's total opposite.

Kyoko Kaishi found the entrance to the catacombs. It would be well hidden to most people, but Kyoko Kaishi deftly used his sensitive tongue to smell the air. No one had ever caught him doing such a thing, as he merely breathed in the air--nothing suspicious of such a common task.

He ducked his head as he entered and looked around. A long, winding path with many different cut offs and rooms. In all, a maze of rock.

"I heard this is where people who know magic come... Apparently the people of the city above aren't very fond of magic," he explained with a shrug.

Now, where to?

--

 "It's kinda dark in there..." Kajioh said hesitantly, peering in the entrance way. Catboy or not, he was still very human, and the dark scared the bejeezers out of him, even if his luminous yellow eyes were well adapted to see well in the dark. But, he also had some very good reasons to fear deeply shadowed places...

He took a small step backwards and swallowed audibly. "S-so...we're goin' in there?" he asked quietly, black ears drooping and equally black tail hanging lifeless. Eek. He did not wanna go in there! It looked so...scary! Just the sight of it gave him the creeps! So much so, in fact, that he suddenly became aware that his claw-like fingernails were extended in his sudden tension. He quickly righted himself, and looked up tentatively at Kyoko Kaishi.

He had to be kidding! They'd get lost!

--


 "Yes, Kitten, we're going in there." Ah! He'd just verbally referred to Kaji was "Kitten".. Well, he had to do it sooner or later. It was what Kaji was, nothing more. He was a cat. A kitten by nature, really.

It wasn't really that dark... Some light filtered through different cracks amongst the rocks walls from the surface, and in some areas that were being populated, there were torches.

"If you're scared of the dark, grab a torch." he said, tossing back his lighter to Kajioh as he walked along the cavern. His eyes adjusted perfectly fine. And, if he couldn't see.. He oddly enough knew if someone was near. Heat sensor? Perhaps. He didn't see things like snakes did by detecting heat, but when he couldn't see, it was as if he began to see like them.. He could feel and see things and smell them perfectly with his tongue.. it was strange.

--


 Kajioh didn't seem to notice that Kyoko Kaishi was using the term "kitten" as an insult and not a term of indearment--which is what he took it for. And he was right...it wasn't all that dark, but it was dark enough! And scary enough, what with all those pathways. Very scary! At least to poor Kajioh, it was.

But...ack! Kyoko Kaishi was going in, and Kajioh didn't wanna be left out here all by himself! Besides, he went where Kyoko Kaishi went and--ow!

The lighter tossed to Kajioh hit him square in the chest. He hadn't seen Kyoko Kaishi throw it, as he'd been too busy worrying over the place they were soon to enter!

Rubbing the place the lighter had struck with one hand, he bent and scooped it up with the other and quickly scrambled after Kyoko Kaishi. He snagged a torch on the way, and, and lit it with the lighter, and kept very close to Kyoko Kaishi--and was careful not to get so close as to catch the snake anthro on fire!

--

Scarlett aimlessly walked arounf ther catacombs. 'wounderful.' she thought angrily to herself. 'of all the places to go exploring you had to choose the place you would get lost in.' She glance at the quivering light that was emitted from the palm of her hand.
"Don't you dare " she said dangerously to the light as it guttered and died. She sighed, she had been walking around for who knows how long, she was drained up. She sat down in the dark and stretched her legs out, staring at the wall that she knew was jaust a few feet away even though she couldn't see it.
'i'll look for a way out i the morning...night...wahatever...' she drifted into sleep...
 
--


 Chardonnay was walking down a corridor in the catacombs under Connlaoth when he heard the voices. He didn't recognize any of them, the first one sounded confident, the second one sounded scared and the third one just sounded angry. And they didn't sound too distant, they were probably just a corridor away. He pressed against the coarse stone of the wall, sliding to a sitting position and keeping a wary eye on the entrance to his corridor. Who could they be? Soldiers? Refugees? Wanderers? Something else?

Chardonnay really hated checking out those people that found themselves in the catacombs. Maybe they would just happen to walk down this corridor? Maybe, he inched a little closer to the mouth of his corridor. If they went in another direction then maybe Merlot would find them. That would be good, then he wouldn't have to potentially deal with them. That wouldn't be too bad in itself... He scooted a little closer to the mouth and waited.

--

 After what seemed like 2 minuets of sleep Scarlet opened her still tired eyes. Scartlet let out a moan and stiffly climed to her feet.
The only place in the world thats this dark and i have to get lost in it. Fabulous!
Scarlet let let a small beam of light from her hand to eluminate the darkness that was every where. One hand on the wall she stumbled on again...
 
--


 "K-Kyoko Kaishi...I hear voices..." Kajioh whispered from beside Kyoko Kaishi, looking up at the snake anthro with yellow eyes that were eerily luminous as they reflected the faint light. "Who...who d'you think they are? D'you know anything about this place, huh? Where is this, anyway?" Kyoko Kaishi hadn't really told him anything! What if there were monsters down here...? Hairy monsters just waiting to--!

"AHHH!" Kajioh squealed in fright as another pair of glowing, beady eyes met his, and he lunged at Kyoko Kaishi and successfully managed to wrap his limbs around his protector, clinging to him for dear life. "AHHH! D'you see it, d'you see it!? Kill it, Kyoko Kaishi!!! Hurry before it eats us!!! Hurry! Quick! AHHHH! It's coming our way! It's gonna bite us and turn us into werewol--!"

With a small squeak as the light from the torch illuminated its dark crevace, the rat turned and fled down a random tunnel. Kajioh blinked. "Oh...heh heh...a rat. I knew that. Darn rat! Scaring us like...OOO! A RAT!"

Quickly disentangling himself from Kyoko Kaishi, Kajioh dove down the tunnel after the rat, all previous fears forgotten as he went from scaredy cat mode to stalk mode.

Until he collided with something much bigger than a rat at the head of the corridor...something that was not a wall by the fleshy feel of it...

--


 Kyoko Kaishi rolled his eyes as Kajioh started to panic. Of course, Kyoko Kaishi had known it was not anything that could cause them harm by it's scent, the sounds and that eerie second vision he tended to be struck with when it total darkness. Though, aside from the rat, Kyoko Kaishi did know there were others down here--which he expected--and was not bothered by any of it.

Lighting a torch as he walked on, Kajioh racing ahead, Kyoko Kaishi proceeded to light other torches hanging from the walls as he went on and, as he passed Kajioh (after Kaji bumped into someone), he merely grabbed the kitten by the collar of his jacket and continued on walking, almost dragging Kajioh with him.

"Get a hold of yourself," he said in a level voice. "If I have to remind you what happened last time, you can work on your own from now on." He said. He could stand Kajioh's overexcited behaviour, but when he constantly made them stick out in any type of environment... Well it wasn't Kyoko Kaishi's style! He preferred to be a shadow until he felt he needed to stand up and be heard. Now was nott he time. He needed to get a lay ofthings down here, then teach Kajioh what needed to be taught.

--


 "Ow," Chardonnay groaned reflexively after being run into by...whatever it was that ran into him. He tried to fight the urge to squeak and pressed his lips together. Then came a person with a torch, who thankfully didn't appear to notice him and drew the other away.

Not being seen made his confidence flicker up like the light from the passing torches the man in the black coat lit as he passed. Chardonnay rose to his feet and squinted, keeping his eyes on the duo. Once they were a good distance from him, a smirk danced up the man's face and he slipped after them. Keeping to the shadows and moving slowly so he wouldn't upset any rocks or rats or whatever and give off his position.


--


 "Ow! Okay! Sorry! I won't do it again, I promise! I don't wanna work on my own! I can't, I--ahhh! So many rats!" At the sight of the rats skittering away from the torchlight, he squirmed in Kyoko Kaishi's grip, eager to "hunt", though his struggles were useless. Finally, he gave up, and allowed himself to be dragged along.

"Sooo...where we goin'? Are we there yet? When we gonna be there? What're we lookin' for? Do you know? Are we...?"

Poor, poor Kyoko Kaishi.

--


 Kyoko Kaishi had released his grip on Kajioh when he said he'd behave. He continued to walk through the cave, glancing at the chambers and such as he passed them.

"We're going to find a place to stay so I can teach you how to survive," Kyoko Kaishi said, finally stopping and checking one of the chambers. Seemed as good of a place as any, but Kyoko Kaishi had been looking for one closer to the surface and preferably with a crack or two for sunlight. He was cold blooded after all!

He lit a few torches about the rather large "room" and noticed there was a narrow crack at the wall of the cavern that filtered in light from outside but not so much as to provide a window for people from above to see.

"Follow somebody else," Kyoko Kaishi said, not even glancing back to Chardonnay. He had... smelt her. Not with his nose, but rather with his tongue. He didn't have to stick his tongue out to gain a scent, hell he doubted Kajioh even knew he had a forked tongue! He just had to breathe through his mouth to gain the stronger scent.

--


 Kajioh stumbled slightly when he was finally released, but regained his footing and continued jogging after Kyoko Kaishi like the fawning kitten he was. However, he stopped suddenly when Kyoko Kaishi spoke, his black ears perking at his words for a moment, and then drooping suddenly. Teach him how to survive...? Well...that sounded all well and good, since Kajioh had zero survival skills--after all, he'd been a domestic cat--but there was something else that worried Kajioh.

Wait...maybe that meant that...

With a small squeak of alarm, he rushed into the room after Kyoko Kaishi and nearly threw himself at the snake anthro. "Waitaminute! Ya don't mean you're gonna leave me after you teach me, d'ya!? You can't do that! What'd I do!? Where'd I go!? I'd be all alone!" Kajioh cried, arms wrapped around Kyoko Kaishi's neck as he clung to his companion for dear life, it seemed.

Eek! He didn't wanna be alone! Kyoko Kaishi wouldn't ditch him, would he!?
 
--


 Kyoko Kaishi had heard those ominous steps as Kajioh ran at Kyoko Kaishi and, before Kyoko Kaishi could duck or get out of the way, the kitten had a firm grip on him and they both went tumbling to the ground.

Kajioh was a fan girl.

"Gerroff me!" Kyoko Kaishi yelled in a tone that was much less endearing than Kajioh's. Kyoko Kaishi and Kajioh were getting completely different things out of this relationship--if one could even call it that.

Kyoko Kaishi tried to pry Kajioh's arms off his neck, but the kitten had a rather good grip and, for the position they'd fallen in, Kyoko Kaishi was in no place to overpower the kitten and get up.

"I'm not going to leave you--not unless you pull a stunt like the one you did in that village!" Kyoko Kaishi said, annoyed. "Get yourself together and get off me!"

If the kitten had ruined his jacket, that'd be it. So, Kyoko Kaishi would abandon Kajioh if he got them into a horrible mess (and made them slaves) or ruined Kyoko Kaishi's leather jacket. There wasn't much room for error! Kajioh had to calm down!
 
--


 Whoops, Kajioh hadn't exactly meant to topple them both over...oh well!

"I won't! I'll be good, really! Won't do that ever again! Cross my heart!" Kajioh promised quickly, relief flooding his voice. Whew! Kyoko Kaishi wasn't gonna ditch him, after all! He'd been really worried about that...

Contented, he gave Kyoko Kaishi one last squeeze--this one more affectionate and less clingy--and hopped off his companion to stand nearby, watching him.

Whew...well...now that they got that covered...

"So! Whatcha gonna teach me?" he asked excitedly, all previous traces of fear gone and replaced with excited expectation. Kajioh really was a simply little guy...
 
--


 Kyoko Kaishi was quick to get up and dust himself off. He'd have to work on teaching Kajioh not to lunge at him! Especially when it involved a hug. If he was going to jump, better to put Kyoko Kaishi out of his misery and just kill him.

Kyoko Kaishi found a completely luminated room, two torches the walls and decided this was as good of a place as any to make their temporary home, at least until they figured out where to go from there.

"Aside from that fact that you need to learn to keep your mouth shut," he said.mostly referring to Kajioh's ambitious attempts to free a slave, and ended up getting them into being slaves! "You have to learn how to defend yourself."

Kyoko Kaishi was definately not going to be doing that for Kajioh! Kajioh had to learn to fight his own battles. Kyoko Kaishi also thought he might teach the kitten how to steal, or at least how to pick-pocket, so he could survive on his own.
 
--

You know what they say about my type of people? They call us monsters and abominations. Are we abominations? Are you sideshow freaks that people would pay to see? I don’t think anyone would waste money to see me. Maybe to see my death at the hands of the normal folk, wouldn’t that be amusing for them? I just wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of that. Of watching the hunter, die, though I don’t think I could be killed so easily. I am immortal. Or so I think. I can cast spells and more spells to save myself. Its what I do. Its what I have always done. I use my magic to win my battles. Though I would never choose magic over a nice hand-to-hand battle. Its how I’ve gotten where I have gotten. I’m like the Amazonian warriors only they would think we to far dishonorable to be apart of them. But does it really matter? Who gives a rat’s ass? Not I. I’m apart of no one much less some group of females. I’m a stealthy huntress always out to make a kill. That’s how I work. Its what I do. I wait for someone to speak to me in that old forbidden tongue… then I remove his or her tongue. Its how I work.

Vera had found her way in to the catacombs. How she would never be sure. But she was quite interested in the darkness that surrounded her bubble of light. She was stalking. What she of course wasn’t sure. Only that she knew it was two males. One seemed to be the master of the other. And the other by the smell was a kitten anthro. Oh so curious of her newly found pray. She followed them for a bit before another found his way in to the picture. Her black tipped tail twitched as she observed the other follow. She figured he would be made soon. Oh… sooner then she thought. She merely gave an amused smile as she leaned against the frame of the wall. She would go unnoticed for a bit. She was down breeze and a nice invisibility spell casted. As they spoke, she stepped forward. The spell retreated and she faded in to sight.

“Yes. You never know who is lurking about… It would be a shame if you were caught alone.�

--

 Kyoko Kaishi could smell Vera before he saw her. He stood there, looking at her. My, what was it about people feeling an undeniable need to jump into his life. Given, he'd found Kajioh and had helped him, but Kaji had since followed Kyoko Kaishi like a loyal pet.

Kajioh wasn't exactly a kitten, though one wouldn't know it from the way he acted. Kajioh was tall, old enough to walk as an adult but his enthusiasm and energy made him the perfect playmate for any child--which was, as Kyoko Kaishi had yet to learn, what he had been doing before he went solo, then leeched onto Kyoko Kaishi.

Something about the way Vera appeared, without Kyoko Kaishi being able to at least pick up her scent or see her through the darkness, was suspicious. Kyoko Kaishi could always at least smell what was around him. The forked tongue he was careful to keep hidden behind his teeth--one he doubted even Kajioh had ever seen--had a better sense of smell than virtually anything. It could pick things up quick.

However, the fact that Vera was an anthro proved to be some kind of relief. For reasons all his own, Kyoko Kaishi trusted other anthros more than he'd ever trust any human. Anthros, at least from his time, had been reduced to slaves or were on the run from the law.
 
--

 Kajioh jumped in surprise when another anthro suddenly appeared out of nowhere and, jumpy as usual, Kajioh leaped behind Kyoko Kaishi for protection. After all, from Kajioh's experience, other anthros had in the past been pretty mean to him...domesticated anthros did not fit in well with those who had been living on the street and dodging their persecutors for ages.

Indeed, Kajioh was far from a child--he was sixteen years old and stood at around five foot eight. But domestication had impeded his growth and left him suspended in a kitten-like mindset.

He'd been raised to be a pet, toy, and bauble. It wasn't really his fault!

Flicking his black tail nervously, he peered around Kyoko Kaishi at the new anthro with big yellow eyes, shyly yet curiously. "Who's that?" he asked Kyoko Kaishi, tugging on his sleeve. As though he'd know. But, hey, Kyoko Kaishi was knowledgeable in everything else, so it wouldn't be surprising!

--

You know what is so fun about life? Of course, its the little games you can play. Take for example me. I'm 150 years old, a master level mage. And what do I do in my spare time? I toy with world. Some could say its naughty. But I've never really considered myself nice. Games keep the world turning, keep the world laughing, they keep the world amused. And I do adore my little games. I wouldn't call it terrorizing. Because that would be cruel. Just merely... tormenting with a smile.

But my games go far beyond just simple tormenting. Mind inflict fear, hate and agony. Fear for those that feel they might be nexted. Hate for those that can't understand. And agony. Agony for those left behind. I believe the fear is the worst of the three fates I produce. Agony fades away after time. Hate fuels the fire and for the most part just gives you an ulcer. But fear... ah... Fear eats away at you. Day by day, taking pieces of your freedom, your mind... your soul. I cause fear. My games are really games of terror. But I suppose, as long as I am not on the receiving end, its just a game to me.

These two amused her. The kitten, though he not actually one, was her target. She wasn't planning on hurting him. Just scare him a bit. It amused her to watch him bound behind the reptilian and through body langauge beg to be saved and protected. She imagined that he had been kept as a slave or toy for a human kid. The other did little for her. The feline made a slow trail towards the duo, slowly fading in to tongues swirls of black smoke. She roamed about the room for a moment before reappearing as she laid her long slender fingers upon the other feline's shoulders. She leaned over his shoulder to peer at his profile. Her voice was soft and almost playful as she spoke. "I'm me, silly." Brow tipped upwards as she tilted her head a bit more. "Why are you asking him who I am? I don't think he has the answer to that." She leaned back to stand erect, fingers linked behind her back as she moved toward the reptilian. "And as I know you don't have the answer to that. I'm Vera Lang. A... wanderer... of sorts." A catlike smile crept on to her looks. The usual "I know something you don't know" ex-pression poised on her white and pink features. Her long pink spotted tail twitched and tuffed ears tilted with each sound from outside the cave room. She was sure the other two were somewhere close. She had found it easy to follow them around. They were far from silent and not the greatest of observers. "You know there were two others behind you? Talentless in the tailing department. I'm surprised you didn't make them sooner." That seemed like a conversation started. Good one, Vera. Go with that.

--


 Kyoko Kaishi grew bored quickly with Vera's little game. What she found amusing--flaunting her perceived talents, playing her little game--was truly unnecessary. Oh, the talent of toying with the kitten! Anyone could send Kajioh up the wall... Vera's game was one anyone could play, well... Had Kyoko Kaishi not been with Kajioh, then anyone could play. But with Kyoko Kaish around, it was a different story.

"Knock it off," he scoffed with an impatient look. If Vera wanted to look superior she should have picked a better duo to play with.

"I could care less who is following us, actually." Kyoko Kaishi replied without much interest. "The point about these caves is that those down here are here for the same purpose."

He glanced at Kajioh quickly before looking back at Vera. However snappy he was, and antisocial, he wasn't completely rude. She had given her name, he'd give their's.

"That's Kajioh," he said, nodding his head to the kitten. "I'm Kyoko Kaishi." He added.
 
--


 Well, Vera certainly got her wish. Kajioh was positively shaking with fright, black tail bristling and ears flattening against his head as Vera walked slowly toward them...and turned to smoke as she did so, so that before long, Kajioh was unable to see her in the darkness! With a yelp, he huddled closer to Kyoko Kaishi, yellow eyes darting about the room as he looked for her, whimpering softly. How was she able to do that!? How was she able toâ€"what was she doing!? What was she gonna do? What wasâ€"

A hand was suddenly laid on his shoulder, and someone leaned over him to speak softly to him. For a moment, Kajioh was deathly silent and still, save for the icey chill that was slowly working its way up his spine, his heart seeming to stop...

And in the next moment it was a great effort on Kajioh's part not to accidentally maul Kyoko Kaishi as he wildly twisted out of the other anthro's grasp and scrambled around to his protector's front, once again putting Kyoko Kaishi between he and Vera. At this point, he was freaked, quite frankly, beyond words, and it felt like every hair on his body was standing on end. "K-Kyoko..."

Oh, wait...Kyoko Kaishi was telling her to stop! YAY! Relief began working its way through his thin body at his words...
 
--


 The very example as to why Kyoko Kaishi had decided the kitten mustbe taught how to live independently. He let strangers get the upper hand so quickly and without thought. That had to change.

However odd it was that Vera had vanished, Kyoko Kaishi was not quite surprised about anything in this world. It seemed that the abnormal was quite normal and the normal were left in the dust.  

[Transfer: COMPLETE! Resume posting! XD]
#665
[MOVED THREAD! Authors, in order of posting: Small Wonder, Invisible Sweetness, Zombified Poet, and Leviatharia]

Aki didn't know how he got to this place, nor did he really care. The fact was, somehow he had arrived here, and he was all the more glad of it. Finally, after so long, he had gotten his wish--he had escaped from his homeland, and all the memories it held.

Now, he could finally seek to bury his past and start anew, in a place where he wasn't known, where his history wasn't known...finally.

He didn't need all that crap.

Of course, some of the things he had left behind were regrettable. No, actually, only one thing was regrettable--the loss of his soul sister, Mataki. She was the only one he had ever cared for...hell, he hadn't even cared for his son, Makuta. Especially not after he switched allegiances and decided he wanted to walk in the blindness of the Light.

No, whatever had happened that had made him wind up here...it was the best thing that had ever happened to him since he had been rudely awakened and fed knowledge of who he was.

He grimaced slightly in distaste, glowing yellow eyes set in jet black fur closing. Yes...that newfound knowledge had certainly screwed him up for a while back there, for it had played on his greatest weakness. But...now, he wouldn't have to worry about that ever again. Here, no one would know about that--and they wouldn't ever need to know, either.

Here, it most certainly wouldn't be important, anyway.

Loping along at a relaxed pace, a slow grin formed on Aki's muzzle as the scent of wolves touched his nostrils. It was a faint scent, an old scent...but it was there nonetheless. It was also the first time in months he had smelled another wolf.

And it was a pretty familiar scent, as well. The scent of blood and death and destruction. Oh, sure, it was an aged smell...but it filled him with a sense of...welcome...nonetheless.

So, there are Darkwolves here, as well... he thought absently, stepping casually into the territory and gazing around. They may be long gone now, but they were once here. They still may be here, even...just few in numbers and in seclusion, as in the case of the Deathmaker Clan long ago. There was only the two of us, Vertigo and I, but we were able to build the Clan up from dust into an army of legends...

Smiling to himself, he leaped up onto a fallen log and sat upon it, physically relaxed though his mind and senses were alert.

All it took was a little nudge and the planning of two wolves. The same can happen here...but first...let's see if there are others...

Throwing his head back, he opened his jaws in a deep, haunting howl, perfected to carry over quite a distance...

--

+From somewhere behind the male, another walked near. She did not quite enter the border. Her raven coat looked healthy and rippled with muscles. Blood red bat-like wings rested upon her back. Many silvery tattoos upon her beautiful face and shoulders. Her voice rung out.

"Male, do you as well seek acceptance to these lands? I have only just come, but it seems that no one is here. If that's the case, will you be taking it over or shall I have the pleasure if it is truely unhabited?" Raidne's voice sounded very official. Her wings opened wide, much larger than her body, and lifted her into the air many feet. She swiftly flew over the border and up to the large brute.

"Well?" her voice asked, more peacefully now. It was well past sundown now. Night. Raidne's favorite time of the day. Her ice blue eyes swiveled up to the sky and looked upon the moon for a moment before returning to the male.

"You know, I haven't given nor asked for your name... I am Raidne, may I know what you go by?" Her voice was now completely normal. She sat before him and flapped her wings for no good reason but out of habit. She paid close attention to the male's actions and any sounds made by other creatures. A rat scurried near and she growled to herself as she watched it run.

With a devilish smirk, the femme looked once more at Aki. It was nice to be in the presance of another evil. She had been alone for nearly a year now and as luck would have it, she found this place. And a wonderful place it was to be. The darkness of the lands filled the air. Raidne would love to have, or live, on lands as beautiful as these. The tip of her tail flipped as she thought of this.+

--

*from the faraway treetops, he looks upon the pair of wolves, studying them, searching them for any signs of weakness... he grins in delight of what he sees, his over-dialated red eyes fixed on the "couple", the thought of which makes him laugh silently to himself.* hm hm hm let us join our evil bretheren, yessss? *and with that, and a swift unfolding of his fierce, black wings, he sets off to his quarry and reaches them with relative ease, slowly landing in front of them, a relaxed grin on his muzzle, he glances at the red-winged wolf, in awe of her delightfully evil wings, and quickly turns his attention to the local magnet, sitting on the log in front of him* you! we hear you're looking for a few bad wolves to rain terror upon this land, and to be the Sovereigns of Destruction to these weakling Wolves of Light, yesss? Allow us to join you and your partner here in your Quest of Darkness! Together we will make this land quake in fear! *and with that he grins menacingly, bearing his fangs, and begins to laugh a psychotic laugh heard throughout the plains*

--

+The wolfess smirked as the newest male showed himself. She listened to his words with delight. With a nod she spoke.

"I'm game. Male, what do you say?" She turned to Aki. Raidne didn't feel the least intimadated by there two. The tip of her tail twitched. Her eyes were dark. Why did she care at all what that wolf thought anyway? She reached out with her long front legs and gave a good stretch and yawn before her eyes swiveled to the new one. "Do you happen to know what wolves live within these lands? Or at least what happened to them?" Curiousity filled her voice and she smirked, waiting for both their answers.+

--

Welll... from the tales we've heard.*He said with a psuedo-pondering look, all the while, his ever-present grin, shortening slightly* This was a land of great bloodshed, so many a battle raged here that the very earth was said to have been soaked with the blood of the fallen, which is why one could smell the scent of wolves of days long past here, such as you Aki.* saying this, he turns to the silent "host" of this little get-together, who has yet to speak, and turns back to Raidne, and with a strange tilt of his head, and a widening of his fearsome grin, he continues* And, tales speak of this area being the very spot that our gracious leader, Darkfire, was risen from the dead, in fact, the "log" on which Aki is sitting, is the remains of the very tree that she first had laid under to die. Strange, it is, almost an act of fate itself, that Aki, the leader of the very prestigous Deathmaker clan, would sit at that most infamous spot. And, to my knowledge, this land is watched over by a band of light wolves in the mountains to the south, to ensure that this dark land be not used again in the formation of great evil, and it is said a tribe of dark wolves roam the woods to the west, possible allies, but as far as we're concerned, all of them are just a potential kill. *after saying this, he turns to Aki, with a curious tilt of his head* But, yet, if you are here, then what of this "Vertigo", second founding member of this vicious clan of the past, was there not two in the beginning?

--

+'Aki, so that's his name.' she thought after shehad listened to the story of the lands. She did not speak though, her eyes danced to the male, now known as Aki. It seemed that the question Razien asked him had an answer of interest. Raidne Sidera's eyes danced to the stars above, for it had become night((if it wasn't already)). The beaurtiful black-blue sky over head of the beautiful wasteland of the terra of the Nightmare pack. The scent of long dead darks, the feeling of power, and the evil that called these lands home. All together, made for one great place to live!+

--

Aki couldn't help but grin wolfishly, just a little. Heh...his prediction proved true. So, these lands weren't altogether dead--all it took was someone to initiate their rebirth.

Three wolves...not a bad start at all, considering that resurrecting the clan of his old homeland had taken two.

And now, bombarded with questions, he decided to take them slowly, starting with the most recent.

"Vertigo...I know not what became of her. That was ages ago, and in a much different realm than this. She vanished shortly after my old clan was rebuilt." He gave an indifferent shrug. It was the truth, and something Aki had always found peculiar...there was just no explanation for it. Not that Aki worried himself with it. Truth be told, he concerned himself over little, and allies were only as useful as they made themselves. Vertigo had been useful while she had been around. Gone, she was of no concern to him.

"And of course I'm interested in both of you joining. A pack cannot very well function with only one wolf, can it? Now, you have both asked me a great many questions...I now have one for you." That was said with a look at Razien, bright yellow eyes revealing nothing.

"How did you know my name? And of Vertigo and the Deathmakers?" He had never voiced those words...so how should he know? Unless he had a way for delving into the minds of others...

Inwardly, he cringed. He had left his homeland to break away from those that knew of him--and thus knew the one weakness with which he could easily be manipulated. Having that brought to light again was the last thing he needed.

--

+Red wings rested upon her back in a calm fasion. No question had been directed to her and no eyes upon her so she hadn't any reason to be answering. Truth be told, she was very new here. It seemed now of course that this male planned on taking over these lands indeed. It only seemed right though, for as she was told of the pack's past or at least what she believed was the pack's past, she suddenly seemed unfit to rule them, at least on her own.

Icy blue orbs showed the respect she held for both males, but also the fact that she wasn't the lest intimadated by either. Raidne turned her head to peer at Razien to hear his answer out of curiosity.+

--

Hm hm hm. *he laughed silently as the group turned their attention to him, so delightfully curious* Silly, little Aki, you see, we've heard many legends of your clan and your terrorizing of the lands from whence you came, and yet, we never put much belief into the tales, until now of course, hm hm hm. *his demonic grin widening* And as for your name, well, many of the stories told of a raven haired, yellow-eyed wolf such as yourself, and so let's just say our... abilities combined with the knowledge of the legendary leader of the Deathmaker clan, led us to believe that you were he. *his ear twitching slightly* And yet, as one question is answered, another arises, Raidne. *twisting his head over to Raidne, his over-dialated red eyes staring piercingly into hers* What is your story, little Raidne, if you don't mind us asking.

--

+The femme looked eerily at the male. "It is a fair question...yet, the answer is not one I wish to give." She became colder in her mood and posture. Her voice held a very deffinate tone. Raidne's past was one that was very dark and and full of distrust. She hated to tell it and therefore, she hardly did.+

--

Aki smirked lightly at Raidne's response. Ah...so like him. He, for one, could definitely understand her unwillingness to relate her life's story to a perpetual stranger. Or, to anyone, for that matter.

However, now the three of them were greeted with a silence Aki found uncomfortable...and thus strove to break it.

"So...what is on the agenda for today, eh?" he asked, grinning slightly. "It seems we now have our pack--or the beginnings of one, at least. And it will grow larger given time. But, until then..." He left the question unspoken, looking at the two wolves before him curiously.

--

*turning to Aki, with a freakish grin* We suggest that you, Raidne, and ourselves, journey to the West, into the woods, to try an locate the tribe we mentioned earlier, to maybe recruit them into our ranks. Or we could travel to the mountains of the North, and kill the Wolves of Light that reportedly dwell there. Either way's alright with us, just so long as we get to taste the blood of the fallen at some point. *and, having said this, he flops down to his side and rests his eyes as he waits for their decision*

--

+Raidne nodded to Razien's responce. She decided, after a few moments, that it would be best to give her input.

"Mattering on how many wolves dwell in the Wolves of Light pack, it may be better to recruit others first, so as to even the numbers, that's saying if any even wish to join." Her eyes went from Razien to Aki, they spoke to him and so she didn't need words. They said 'what do you think?'. She was quite happy that her past hadn't been demanded to come forth. Maybe if they asked later she would be willing, but untill later times, the present was one of considering what to do next.+

--

He nodded at Raidne's words. "Raidne's correct. We would do better directing our energy toward building our numbers and recruiting others before making any plans of harrassing lightwolves." He grinned amusedly.

"I know not how many reside in the neighboring tribe, but that shouldn't be our sole source for finding allies. There are lone wolves, as well, I'm sure. Perhaps we should split up and search that way, and then meet back here at day's end? We would accomplish more separately than together, at least on this mission where our goal is to make ourselves and our purpose known."

He looked to both Raidne and Razien for imput.

--

"hmmm... yes we see, but, before we go, will our clan name remain as Deathmaker, like your former clan's moniker? Or shall we make a new title for ourselves? And shall we incorperate the use of a howl to communicate with one another over great distances?

--

Raidne listened carefully to Razien. His inquiries were important. Once he was finished, she spoke.

"What about the strange creatures who want to live with a pack? Ones that may not be full blooded or maybe even young and inexperience ones...What should we do with them? Ask them as well?" She looked first to Razien to see his response and then swiveled eyes and head to Aki for his. And that is where her sights remained for many moments.
#666
Reajh / Cleansing...
December 28, 2004, 10:10:03 AM
[MOVED THREAD! Authors, in order of posting: Small Wonder and Damaged16]

Makyo stayed high in the secure branches of the tree long into the night, not daring to move, hardly, as he listened intently for the sounds of those that had pursued him earlier that day. But the woods were silent, save for the occasional rustling of bushes and leaves as some animal went about its business. And he couldn't help but move a little, shivering as the air grew cold, a sure sign that winter was fast approaching.

But as the night wore on, and Makyo heard not the slightest sounds of human activity, he slowly let his guard down and slowly descended from the tree, wings working hard in his exhaustion. But he hadn't dared to sleep, not even a little. And even if he'd had the peace of mind to close his eyes, he couldn't have been able to doze in the slightest. A broken arrow shaft was still lodged painfully in his arm, sending red-hot pain racing horribly through the limb at the slightest movement. And, motion or not, it ached and throbbed at a consistent, sharp pace.

He knew it had to be taken care of, and that was the first thing he set off to do. If he left it in much longer, it could get infected or, perhaps even worse, the wound could start to heal around it if it was especially neglected. Either way, it was an agony-inducing bane he wanted to be rid of as soon as possible.

It took the better part of the night to return to the river he had visited that morning. If he could have flown, it would have taken a mere few minutes, but he was much too tired to attempt that, and too cautious, as well. Walking along the earth in the darkness, he could blend in more easily with his surroundings; just another shadow in the night. Of course, it also made for some stumbling and, thus, some soft cursing as the jolting movements agitated his wound...but it certainly kept him awake, if nothing else.

After a timeâ€"amidst all the pain and exhaustion, he'd lost track of timeâ€"he came to the river, and promptly made his way to a shallow portion of it that was close to the trees, providing an easy escape route if he needed it. Glancing around the area cautiously, he finally knelt when he was sure it was safe and dipped his wounded arm into the chilly water, which immediately induced more shivering. But it also felt good against the sore flesh, and he held his arm under the water until it had soothed and numbed the pain to some extent. That would help...because he knew what he had to do next, and he wasn't looking forward to it...

Drawing his arm from the water, he glanced over the wound, and felt it gingerly with his fingers, fingers tracing over to the other side, where the shaft would have to exit. He had never had to deal with an arrow wound before...but many of his own kind used such weapons, and he knew all about their structure. Arrowheads were designed to pierce and lodge in the muscle, and to stay in the muscle. They were tapered, so that they could slide in easily...and not be removed easily. Pulling it out the way it had come would only result in the already damaged flesh being further damaged...he would have to push it through rather than pull it, so that it exited the way it had been traveling, resulting in a clean exit wound.

Shouldn't be too difficult. As he felt the wound, he could feel the tip of the arrowhead poking just slightly through the skin...

Makyo took a deep, slow breath, feeling suddenly ill, and submerged and soaked his arm again to restore the feeling of numbness. And to regain his nerve.

Damn...how did he ever get himself into this mess? It was just his luck to be assigned to the one place on Earth where mages were hated.

--

Green hair flowed in the wind, his body twisting to avoid making any noise. Feet hit the thick branch of a tall tree with velocity and precision, a body following effortlessly to crouch where the feet had landed. It was silent.

Nikao looked about where he had landed. There was nothing around; no animal stirred and no signs of company anywhere. He continued onward, leaping effortlessly from tree to tree; seemingly flying. His hands flowed on the tree's bark as he slowly descended further into the darkness.

Something was there. He slowed his descent. Silence. He leapt off the tree branch he was on in time to come between the fae in the water and a unnaturally large wolf. Nikao's arms widened at his side to make him appear larger and he let out a sound that resembled much like an animal--though, which animal was unclear. He watched the wolf flee, then waited to make sure it was gone.

He turned to see Makyo and resumed a crouching stance. He glanced at Makyo with interest. He'd seen faes before, but never conversed with them. Or perhaps he had, years ago, when he had enjoyed the company of others in the forest. Before vengeance had plagued his mind.

Nikao could smell the blood. Very little blood, and a very faint smell, but he could smell it. Makyo's arm was the source, the blood having stopped flowing long ago and now just waited to resume when he took what was clogging the wound out.

--

Taking a deep breath, Makyo finally lifted his arm free of the cold water when he was convinced it was as numb as it was going to get. He had to do it now...and fast, before the numbness, yet again, wore off. Not that it would help much to begin with, but if it would relieve any of the pain he was about to feel, it was good enough for him. Pain or not, he had to be quick; the sooner it was over with, the better. The worst part of anything was always the anticipation, right?

He'd just keep telling himself that.

Clasping his hand around what was left of the broken end of the shaft, he took another deep breath. Alright. He'd just count to three, then he'd push it the rest of the way through. It'd only take a second. Just one moment of pain, then his body could finally begin its natural healing process. He took yet another deep breath, then began to count, keeping his eyes riveted on the wound, even though he wanted to look away. He had to watch, just to make sure he didn't do something wrong.

One...two...thrâ€"!

He jumped in surprise as a strange sound, eerily close by, filled his ears, a fierce, animalistic sound, and in a split second he had forgotten all about the shaft lodged in his arm. Well...for the most part. He bit his lip to refrain from cursing as his sudden movement made the wound ache even more, but nonetheless he scrambled awkwardly around to confront whatever it was that had just made that noise, heart beating fast and yellow eyes wide with surprise and fear. With all that had been happening lately, fear had become a very natural response for him; his nerves were frayed.

And the sight of a human didn't help those nerves much.

Cold, exhausted, wounded, and frustrated, he soon found that he no longer even cared at this point. It seemed he couldn't even breathe without rousing armies. Quite uncharacteristically, as his stare turned from fearful to blank, he found himself seriously considering the idea of just up and surrendering to the human. This was ridiculous. He was tired. All he wanted to do was get this bloody arrow out of his arm and sleep. He just didn't have it in him, not the energy nor will, to run anymore.

Well, at least not this night.

But then, as he actually looked at the human...it soon became obvious that he was different. The way he held himself, the way he looked at him...everything about him was less like an actual human and more like...well...a wolf, almost.

Blinking tiredly, Makyo tilted his head to the side slightly, regarding the man warily. Perhaps he was the one who had made that sound...? Still, Makyo was cautious. Faes were guardians of all creatures, but that didn't mean all creatures realized that. Faes were sometimes attacked, as Makyo very well knew, and had to be careful.

Besides...not all faes were benign. Just like any other creature, some were malicious...and the malicious ones could oftentimes give the rest a bad reputation.

--

Nikao looked at Makyo for quite a while, not noticing or even caring that he was staring at the fae. Finally, as Makyo began to stare back, Nikao lept up into the branch above him, the lowest to the ground, but still high enough to almost be completely out of sight in the darkness.

He watched Makyo. Something about him told Nikao that he was not like those he'd met before in the Dark Mage Village.

Nikao knew he had more pressing matters to tend to, though at the time he couldn't decide which of the two ideas he had created in his head to tend to first. And... He couldn't understand why, but the fae was different. Maybe it was because Makyo was rather alone in this forest--with the Kingdom so close--and Nikao could relate... And odd animal instinct acquired

--

Makyo jumped slightly as Nikao vanished up into the trees, no longer able to see the man in the darkness the trees provided. Numbness was once again leaving his arm, the throbbing, sharp pain returning, but he didn't dare turn his back. He didn't know what to expect, and being hunted had made him jumpy and far more cautious than he had ever been before. Before being assigned to this forest, he had never had a need to be cautious; his life had never before been in this kind of danger.

It was a harsh wake-up call for him.

He cleared his throat nervously, shifting slightly so he was crouching on the balls of his feet rather than kneeling. From this position, he could jump to his feet quickly if need be...but he didn't want to rise to his feet just yet. The humanâ€"was he a human? He looked like one, regardless of how he behavedâ€"seemed wild, like any other creature of the forest, and Makyo knew very well not to make any sudden movements. It could very well be that he was just as nervous as Makyo was, and a nervous creature was a creature that was likely to either flee or attack. And, though faes were intuned with nature and nature's children, accidents and fatalities weren't all that uncommon.

"H-hello...?" Makyo spoke quietly...but his words were no longer that of the common tongue spoken by most of the inhabitants of the land. They had shifted, changed to suit whatever language, if any, the shrouded man spoke. All faes possessed the gift of tongues; they could fluently speak any language in existence, even ones they had never before encountered, and shift back and forth between languages without even realizing it. The gift was just that naturalâ€"so natural it was almost done unconsciously.

And it could be a very unnerving ability, as well, to anyone who was unfamiliar with it.

--

Nikao watched Makyo for a while longer. He could see the wound on Makyo's arm; he could smell the blood from it and most importantly; he had heard the quiet uncertainty in Makyo's voice. No, Makyo was of no harm to him. He was not a human and was not the magic wielder who had ruined all Nikao had once lived for.

Letting his feet slide the diameter of the tree branch he was on, Nikao swung once around the branch before letting himself fall right in front of Makyo and, without missing a beat, he grabbed the arrow shaft and pulled it skilfully from Makyo's arm.

Makyo had been taking much too long. He was creating more anxiety for himself just waiting to pull the thing out and, like an animal; Nikao sensed his fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Though, Nikao knew this would hurt as well, but the fact that it had happened so suddenly may have taken away the pain. After all, pain was all a state of mind. If Makyo had not known the shaft had been taken from his arm he would not have felt half as much pain as he would if he knew. Nikao knew that. So, perhaps he had relieved some of the pain that may have came if Makyo had pulled the arrow out on his own.

Nikao leapt back and watched Makyo. "Who did this to you?" He asked, holding the arrow close to his nose and inhaling the scent. No, not one he knew. Well, it was around the forest--the scent--but it was not one he wanted to find. It was not one he cared about.

--

Pain was only a state of mind, huh?

Makyo could vouch otherwise.

Nikao came so quickly, he hadn't the time to react, and a second later...

"Are you INSANE!?" Those were the first words that popped out of his mouth, a whole hell of a lot louder than he had intended, too. Bent over, he hugged his arm protectively to his chest, feeling the warm blood trickle out. That he'd been expectingâ€"once it was dislodged, it was only expected that it should bleed, so that wasn't a concern at all. What he hadn't been expecting was for this stranger to dislodge the bloody shaft for him! The part of his mind that was still rational and unclogged by pain knew that, from the stranger's question, he was only trying to helpful. But the irrational part of his mind could only register pain and some other choice words that he'd picked up from Raijah.

Oh, he knew that shaft had been removed, all right.

But, whatever Makyo currently thought or not, Nikao had probably had the right idea. The way Makyo was carrying on, it would have taken an hour of painstaking torture before he pushed the thing out, which would have been far more painful than a quick, clean motion.

Gritting his teeth, he waited for the pain to pass, and as it settled down to a sharp throb as opposed to a searing, stabbing pain, his rationale began to return, as well. Well...that was one way to get an arrow out...it was done and over with, now...he wouldn't have to worry about it any longer.

That was good.

It just would've been nice had he been warned in advance. Though, that was probably the point...

"Ah...some...some humans...the humans that live in the village a ways away," Makyo finally answered as he slowly released his arm, turning to soak it in the stream. A delicate ribbon of blood colored the clear water for a moment, streaming from the wound, but soon it was washed away by the river's gentle current. Makyo closed his eyes for a moment, letting the cold water soothe away the pain. "They...don't care much for, er, my 'kind'."

Opening his eyes, he looked back over his shoulder at the...man? "Thank you, by the way. Ah...sorry for my outburst. I just wasn't expecting that..."
#667
Wester Highlands / ..Drygan..The Trek Continues..
December 27, 2004, 05:45:36 PM
[Thread continued from <a>HERE</a>. Authors, in order of posting: Blue-chan as Terri, Sakkata, and Torr. Rhi-Rhi as Hatame]

It had taken a good day of quick traveling to actually bring the Mountains within range. Terri's durable muscles were burning, but she was not yet exhausted, thankfully. Dropping gracefully from the treetops, she awaited Hatame's approach. He was stuck in human form, and could not travel nearly as fast as she could with her lithe draconic form.

Terri was still carefully hidden within the folds of a dark brown cloak, the hood pulled up to cover her inuman form. From what one could see of her face, she was relatively young, perhaps 17 or 18. However, her skin was pure white. Well, until the sun hit it that is. Once the light touched and bounced off the color, it exploded in a dazzling array of colors that changed as she shifted. The color prism was all there, thanks to the odd properties of her skin. It was rare even among Drygans.
Eyes of ice blue were sharp and wary as she waited for her companion to appear.

Not too much further, and they'd be near Sakkata's still-stationary form...

--

Finally, finally, Terri came into his view, a figure in the distance, and Hatame picked up his pace to sprint the rest of the distance toward her. This whole time, he had been relying solely on their connection to follow herâ€"as she was far faster, and even if she wasn't, there was no way he could see her up in the trees from the groundâ€"and he had actually found the experience useful. It forced him to really concentrate and study how the connection worked, and to interpret what each sensation he got from their connection meant.

Being forced to do something could teach one quite a lot.

Slowing to a stop beside Terri, only then did he allow himself to rest, leaning against a tree to catch his breath and brushing his currently disheveled white hair from his dark-skinned face. Well...at least, his jaw-length bangs were white; the rest of his hair was coal-black and reached midway to his back. Like his companion, he was young, appearing maybe only a year or two older than her.

Under good conditions, and in good health, if he ran at a steady pace, he could go for hours. After all, he was in truth a Gryphon, and retained something of their endurance, even while in a human body. Of course, he wasn't exactly in good health anymore...his curse had sapped that a good deal, making his muscles burn and limbs ache whatever the case, but with Terri's healing, he was in as good a condition as he could get. And what with the current situation...that was incentive enough to keep him moving.

Aside from some breathlessness and achiness, he was hardly fatigued.

"She still hasn't moved, huh...?" he finally commented when he had regained his breath, green eyes looking toward the mountains that were now so close...

--

Terri waited for Hatame to catch his breath, able to feel his aches and pains due to her healing magick and the fact she had used it on him more than once. It was a nifty trick, to be able to search out and find what was wrong with a person by touch. Even more nifty if you had healed them before, because then you didn't need touch.
"I bet Sakkata could break that binding spell if she really tried." She started at length. Not the best thing to bring up, but it bothered her nothing had been done about the painful affliction yet. It zapped so much of his energy away...

With a sigh, Terri looked back towards Sakkata's signal. "No movement at all. I'm really worried Hatame." And it showed in her voice. Sakkata shouldn't have been so still for so long...
Damn it, what had happened to her??
"Are you ready to go yet?"

--

He grimaced slightly when Terri brought up his condition, and made a point to seem not to have heard. It was a touchy subject...and he didn't think Sakkata could break it. Hatame had confided in her about it, before, and the solution she had offered was ending his lifeâ€"which was the one solution he knew of, as well. He didn't know of any other solution...and it didn't seem like she would, either. But who knew? Maybe Terri was right. Maybe.

Not that any of that mattered, now. That wasn't what he was worried about. His sole focus was getting Sakkata back...everything else could wait.

"I'm really worried, too..." Hatame muttered, equally anxious, though he tried hard to reign that emotion in. Freaking out would do Sakkata no good. "But...yeah, let's go..."

Taking a deep breath, he set off again, a little quicker this time despite the pain that wanted to slow him. Try as he might to stay positive, this was really bothering him, and he wanted to get there as quickly as possible.

Please be alright...

--

Terri dashed after Hatame, a growing dread building in her stomach. Now more nervous than ever, she bolted ahead of Hatame, forgetting the earlier incident of getting blasted in the face.
This was just too important for her. So what if she got blasted again, at least she'd know Sakkata was alive and well!

After a few moments of Terri's disappearing from Hatame's view, her signal joined Sakkata's in the distance. It stopped then, and after a moment of silence, a piercing scream split the air.
And it was Terri's scream.

Right in front of her was what was left of Sakkata. Stripped of clothing, Sakkata hung from her ankles by a strip of rough rope which was in turn tied to a tree limb. It was more than likely she had been raped, and there were bruises all over her blue tinted flesh. Her face was battered so badly, and so swollen from it, that she hardly looked like Sakkata anymore. Her hair had been cruelly chopped from her head, and her ears were masses of flesh. Her tail lay in a bloody curl at the base of the tree, no longer attached to her body. Blood was smeared all along her frame, large claw gouges evident.
And her throat and wrists had been slit, now gaping red mouths of the grizzliest kind. She had been violated in every possible way...

Terri stared in horrified shock, legs trembling until finally she collapsed. She...the Chosen...she was dead...dead!!
No...it couldn't be...it just...no...
"Sakkata..."

--

Terri's scream jolted through Hatame, and he picked up his pace, fear coursing through him like wildfire and making the everlasting pain he felt seem non-existant. Thoughts of what could have happened coursed through his mind, despite how he tried to reign them back. He had to stay calm...fight for calm. Panic would help no one...Gods, let them both be alright...let themâ€"

He stopped dead.

The scene he came upon wasn't one that existed in real life. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, and all Hatame could do was stare blankly, unmoving and unblinking, at the violated figure that bled and hung from the tree limb, numbness coating him, even as a terrible, clenching nausea gripped him. No...that wasn't...it wasn't her. Things like this...they just didn't happen. It just...it wasn't real. He was still unconscious, and this was all a dream. One long, drawn out, horrible nightmare...the worst he'd ever had...

Sakkata wasn't...she just couldn't...

His body seemed to move automatically, as though without him even realizing, as he moved slowly toward the body with unnatural, cold calm, the only thing betraying that calm being the shakiness of his limbs. Standing beneath her, he glanced up at the branch she was tied to, and the only thought that came to mind was that it was too high for him to reach. Alright...

Pain raced through his limbs as he embraced the source of his magic, but it felt so distant. Someone else's pain. A second later, and fire had gnawed away at the rope that suspended her, and he caught her body mechanically as he released his hold on his magic's source, the force of her weight and the force of the magic's attack sending him crumpling. But he seemed not to notice, even as he coughed up blood. Instead, he worked on pulling the remainder of the rope off her, gently supporting her.

"Terri, heal her..." He said it calmly, not even looking up. He had gotten the rope off her, and was removing his overcoat, covering her battered body with it. God damnit...he'd KILL Torr for this... "Terri? God DAMMIT Terri, why aren't you healing her!? I can't heal her! I can't heal! You HAVE to heal her, Terri, I can't! Or just bloody tell me how to! Earth magic, right!? I have Earth magic! Just tell me, and I'll do it!"

Pain scored every inch of his body as he once again reached for his magic, creating a sensation akin to having ones insides shredded. But that agony had nothing to do with the moisture in his eyes, which he stubbornly blinked back. He didn't care...he didn't care if his magic killed him, he'd heal her if Terri wouldn't...somehow...

--

Terri had gone numb inside. There was nothing left. Nothing. One look, one good look at the scene before her had blasted everything away, and it had fallen like shards of broken glass.
There was nothing...

Turning her head painfully slow, Terri watched with clouded eyes as Hatame passed her and moved right up to the tree. What was he...? No...he was using magick...
Her body...it had to be...burned...and...
Terri trembled as she watched, tears finally breaking free and cascading down her face. It just wasn't right!! IT WASN'T RIGHT!!

She shook her head mechanically as Hatame shouted at her. His frustration and despair poured out with his words, and though she opened her mouth, no sound would come forth. Slowly, she crawled toward him and the corpse that was Sakkata.
"I...I can't Hatame." She hissed lightly as she felt him pulling up his magick. "Please...don't. She isn't...she can't be..." Terri clamped her teeth together and hung her head. "She's dead Hatame! Dead!! I can't bring the dead back to life, no matter how hard I try! And neither can you!"
Her head snapped back up and she stared straight at Hatame. "Don't kill yourself Hatame. We...we have to find Torr. We have to make him pay for this!"

"Make me pay? Whatever for?" The cold, cruel voice of Torr came from behind them. Standing calmly upon a tall, craggy rock, the demented Drygan looked down at them. His hair was completely white, and he had a maddened look of power in his eyes.
"Well, here I am, if you really need to 'make me pay'." He smirked, sharp teeth flashing. There were no traces of blood on him, but one knew he had drank Sakkata's blood in order to gain her power.
And just the thought made Terri shudder with fury, her pupils narrowing to tiny slits as energy shot from her small form. Damn him...DAMN HIM!!!