No such thing as mirages... (Tebby)

[Lion]

It could be said that there was never a time where he wasn't busy, at least not in the normal sense.  His duty extended little beyond standing in front of the doorway of the chamber to the Haremites, for his purpose, from birth, was indeed to stand there as a guard.  In fact, he was lead guard and not by mistake.  In the house of Kushumoro, one's rank increased based on how much the master valued that person as an asset; when they were no longer an asset, he did away with them as he did with his other servants.  And though the master lived like a king, complete with his own desert sanctuary, and a number of wives to call upon, he was anything but a king.  Kushumoro was the King of the Desert, or so he so claimed, and the whole of his wives were considered his greatest treasure, whom he protected to the best of his ability.  And the latter basically meant, finding men loyal and intelligent enough to defend his women without defiling them.  And that's where the eunuchs came in.

True, the master hated men with a vengeance, and was a womanizer at heart.  Even the stupidest of the eunuch knew this.  However, even with his status as head eunuch, the one that was there to keep everyone else in line and responsible for everything, Euzec couldn't shake the fact that Kushumoro certainly liked him the least of all his guards.  And that was for one reason alone: the fact that he was an incubus.  Sure, he couldn't have helped what he was born as, or his parents' decision to send him here.  He wasn't even sure if he had parents! But what he wasn't sure of, above all things, was that he had a job to do and even if he was only partially trusted.

But today was different.  There was no angry glare, or the threat of being groped or fawned over by the Haremites.  Instead, today, Kushomoro decided that it was best to send Euzec on an errand to one of the tribes of the desert while he spend the day with them alone.

"What about someone else?  Should another go with me?  Perhaps one of your wives would like to go outside the palace?" Euzec asked innocently, garbed in his idiosyncratic white robes and staff, which was in its retracted form.

Kushumoro, in his own desert regalia of velvety purple, gold, and layers of other clothes, couldn't help but glare at his best eunuch.  "You'd like that wouldn't you.  No, you should be quite capable of doing this alone.  You're the best man I have, so you're the only one needed.  I request only that you do not be late this time!  Of all your imperfections, I despise your tardiness most of all."  Of course, he said this all out of envy as the entirety of his wives behind him all blew kisses and waves to Euzec as he departed from the immaculate palace's main hall.

Outside of the palace, the dusty wind of the Moraki desert swept against his slightly swarthy skin, which was a result of years in the desert, and sand blew in his dark blue hair, which set against the gold of his eyes surrounded by a ring tinge of pink.  Such an odd yet inexplicably beautiful man to set out on this journey of retrieval; and what it was he was to retrieve from a neighboring settlement back to Kushumoro's palace was, of all things, a lone necklace of sapphire.  However, as he walked north into the desert, going in several miles toward the town of J'hek, he could shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong with this request.  Kushumoro never asked another to retrieve jewelry for him.  So what was it that he really wanted?  Well, in the miles that passed him, only J'hek would have the answer.

[Anonymous]

"Sigh." She stopped to look at the continuous range of desert. Three weeks she had been traveling, looking for anything that resembled civilization. So far, nothing; a few lizards here and there, snakes of all shapes, sizes and colors, even a few exotic plants. But she hadn't spoken to a person which, especially for Cosette, drove her crazy. "Why am I doing this again?" She shook her head and continued forward.

After a few hours, the sun began to set. Cosette looked up at the sky and figured she had gone far enough today and decided to set up camp. Having done this too many times to count as a little girl, Setting a tent and starting a fire came naturally to her. She pulled the hair tie off her wrist and put her hair up in a tight bun so it would be out of her way as she worked quickly to beat the desert cool. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and knelt down to grab what she needed. She untied her tent from the top and then grabbed all the flint and sticks she would need to start her fire.

As she finished tying her tent to the ground and starting up her fire, she heard a faint noise from the distance. A loud bang, like concrete on concrete. Automatically her mind thought of what it could have come from. She came up with two explanations. It was either a nearby village, maybe a few miles in the distance, or she was being hunted. Her heart began to race as she considered the second option more then the first. She looked around the area she could see before preparing to run. If it was something after her putting out the flame wouldn't help much. Whatever it was, if there even was anything, was going to be nocturnal.

Cosette breathed as she tried to relax herself. She had only been hunted one other time and, well to put it softly, that was the last time she had seen her father. All she remembered was what her father told her: " Don't bother with the things! Just look for an in ground cave or a steep hill to hide on." His words didn't make much sense to her, but she followed them anyways. She grabbed a stick and lit it on fire as she got to her feet and jogged in the direction she had been going not an hour before. And she thought today was going to be boring.

She jogged for a couple minutes before slipping into a hole in the ground. BINGO! She dropped to her knees and hovered the flame over the crevice. It was barely big enough for her to fit through but a lot was at stake right now, you know, her life. so she sat at the edge and dangled her feet in and began lowering herself to the ground. When ground didn't come right away she panicked. How far would it go down? Cosette heard growling nearing her area. She decided to let go and trust fate. So she let her hands relax and she hit the ground a millisecond later then she thought she would. "Great! Now how am I going to get out of here?!"

She sat down on the cave floor and decided to wait until morning to think of a plan. She was exhausted from hiking all day and she needed to regain energy if she wanted to survive out here. So she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

[Lion]

By morning, should she truly wait that long, the cave would eventually grow so hot as the sun would pass over it, that the very risk to burn to death was likely.  Well, that was the exaggerated norm around here.  In the desert, the bottom line was that everything was not and there was a bit of shade, chances were that it was occupied by some type of monster that too wanted to escape the heat.  Of any and all places to reside and bide one's time, the desert was truly it.  Like the tundra, the terrain was nigh unlivable; 'hotter than hell' as many who were not indigenous to the area would say.  If the monsters lurking around every corner, bush, crevice, and cave, be it a giant sandworm or dusk tiger, the sun definitely would if you were stupid enough.

Euzec kept walking, his calabash filled with water beside him, his legs taking him miles and miles into the desert.  Kushumoro's palace was so far from town for all sensible and legitimate reasons.  Though it was a good possibility that the master had ordered him into the desert to wander get lost, eaten or die from dehydration, such a concept was beyond him.  It wasn't like him to think negatively.  He knew that he had to travel to successfully do what he was told to do, as the length of the journey was merely because Kushumoro didn't exactly appreciate unwanted travelers coming to his palace.

But along the journey, though an hour or so passed by without much incident, Euzec started to see the sun falling down on the horizon, an indicator that the dusk tigers would be prowling out soon.  Along to the left of him, there stretched the expanse of the desert, and to the right there rose a rocky cliff side.  And just when he thought the coast was clear it seemed the sun was falling faster than he'd initially imagined.  Suddenly out of nowhere, he heard the sudden roar of a nearby creature.  "Oh no!" he muttered as he abruptly paused and looked to the left of him.  In the desert, seeing nothing, he turned to the right and upon the horizon of the fading sun, he saw the form of one of the largest dusk tiger he'd ever had the misfortune to encounter.

A giant cat, the dusk tiger was a feared creature in Moraki.  The animal was a large striped cat, about ten feet in length, and with large bone spikes protruding from its back.  Two horns also came out from the top of its head that served as a method of intimidation toward it's prey.  As this particular tiger stood atop the cliff, it stared down at Euzec, roared and then made a leap for him.

The move was so swift that he barely had time to move our of the way as the cat came down at him with a crash, shaking making the earth quake with the ferocity of its landing.  Euzec rolled out of the way and then readied the staff in his hand, prepared to strike the cat down if it came to turns where only one of them would make it out alive.  The tiger let a rumble roll out of its throat as he circled Euzec.  Suddenly, it made another lunge for him and as he shifted out of the way, he suddenly thought that it was better to attempt to calm the tiger than it was to fight, and possibly kill, the poor creature.  "Don't try to get the better of me," he tried to soothe, wrestling the large cat into submission.  It took a true beast master to soothe the wild beast, and though his affinity with animals was next to nil, the fact remained that he had a great respect for them, as much as they were intent on killing him for survival.

Finally, with a great whump! on the tiger's head he knocked the creature to the ground.  The tiger, falling, looked up at him dizzily, unsure of what just happened.  And slowly but surely, it climbed to his paws and looked up at Euzec, seeming to know that he'd been bested once and for all.  And, without reserve, it approached him and rubbed up against him, purring as a sign of his submission.  Euzec stared at him bewildered but certainly pleased that he didn't have to shed unnecessary blood.  Smiling, he pet the tiger and turned to walk on.  But just as he walked no more than fifteen feet did he hear paws hurrying after him.  What the! Turning, he witnessed the tiger quickly following.  "Oh," he smiled. "So you want to com to J'hek too?  Well, we'll see how it goes.  Come along."

Even with a dusk tiger following him, Euzec was sure he wouldn't be too safe.  It was best to hide out for now lest he risk more beasts to come to him.  So, wandering further, he saw a slight along side the cliff and stalked toward it, his staff now retracted.  Once close, he got a better look at it and saw that it seemed safe enough.  The tiger sniffed it once and licked his chops, peering curiously up at Euzec.  "What? Is there someone in there?"

Considering the thought himself, he leaned into the darkness and called out that very thing.  "Hello?"

[Anonymous]

It was warm. Everywhere she turned there was heat. Heat and sand. But somehow it was dark and wet. Cosette would try to escape it, but it was a never ending trail of torture. She turned to the right and came face to face with a beast she had never seen in her life. Huge, about twice her height and five times her width, was a tunnel, or so it looked. The only problem with this tunnel was it breathed, it had a putrid smell, and it had fangs, about four rows of them. Cosette caught her breath and stared in horror as the beast slithered towards her. She tried to run but her legs were failing her. she tried to scream but nothing came. She could only watch as the thing came towards her, salivating, ready to rip her apart, piece by piece.

She shut her eyes and waited for life to be over when she heard a voice. She listened harder and heard it again. The voice must have been speaking to her, who else would it be speaking to? She tried to respond but still couldn't find her voice. The voice called out to her again. Try as she might, no response would come. The monster came nearer. As it did the voice called louder and clearer. The monster was letting out growls. Loud, ear shattering. Cosette shut her eyes tighter, hoping that would decrease the pain about to come. She heard the creature, nearly on top of her, breathing. Right as she expected it to finish her off the voice shouted to her.

Cosette's eyes flew open. She was covered in a cold sweat. A dream, only a dream. She tried to calm her breathing, which was rapid fire at the moment. With little luck on that, she sat up and closed her eyes. What a strange happening. Nothing like that had ever happened before. Could it mean something?

She looked at her surroundings. Oh yea, the in-ground cave. She sighed. With her breathing and everything as close to under control as it would be, she figured she may as well try to stand and look for a way out. She heaved herself off the ground and teetered a little bit but then steadied herself. She found her feet and took a few steps forward. She would survive. She wandered around the small area in search for anything that would allow her to leave and continue on with her journey. As she searched she found the stick that had been on fire a few hours ago. She picked it up and looked for anything to start a fire. Nothing, go figure. She threw the stick to the ground and leaned against the cave wall to think of a plan.

She thought for a few minutes before she heard something from up above. For the first time she looked up and realized how far down she had gone. The was not way she was getting out of here by herself. She looked up at the entrance where she came from and saw nothing. No one. She moved off the wall and stood underneath the entrance to get a better look. It was then that she realized she was not alone in the desert tonight. She froze and waited for something to happen.

"Hello?" called a voice from up above. She smiled. Maybe there was hope of getting out of this cave after all. She would risk her chances of being rescued by a criminal just to get out this cave. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "hello? I'm stuck! Can you help me?"

[Lion]

Euzec was the farthest thing from a criminal that he knew of it.  There were plenty of bandits to go around in the desert, most of the knowing they were rather safe from local authorities with the expanse of nothingness to surround them.  Sometimes it was better than a mountain hideout or even Zantaric.  The desert had a spell of its own, warding off those who were incapable of surviving and swallowing those whole who were determined to do so but simply couldn't.  Euzec was nothing like that; he just worked for a criminal.  That didn't mean he was one.  Or at least he was sure that he wasn't.

When he heard a response come from below inside the cave, he grew momentarily excited and peered further into the darkness in an attempt to see something.  "I think I can.  How far down are you?  Maybe I can reach you.  I have a staff with me, try to reach up and grab it.  I'll pull you up.  And if that doesn't work I'll come down and get you.  How did you get in there?"

The hole was slightly diagonal and as slanted as it was inside, it led down to a straight drop.  Euzec wasn't sure how a person of his size, though he was rather slim, would be able to fit inside without slipping in himself.  The cold nights of the desert were rather icy and layers of dew would form on rocky surfaces and the nearby foliage.  Already, since the light had fallen, it seemed that night was determined to make an early rise and drop some light rain in the desert, a rarity if there ever was one.  If that was the case, and from the looks of it as he peered up the sky it was, then he'd have no choice but to get this girl out of here as quickly as possible.

Euzec fell to his knees and then his belly, working himself partway into the hole until he was angled just right.  It didn't seem very big, but surely the cave when for miles in any direction that he could tell.  It was just wide enough for a woman to squeeze into, though he couldn't quite imagine why anyone would want to.  Shelter in the nearby town wasn't too far away and he was sure that now there was a dusk tiger in his presence, getting there in time and with safety was actually quite possible.  But still he reached in, staff now extended and holding the far end of it with a firm grip.  "There!  Can you see it?  Can you reach for it?  If not, I'll slide in a little further."

[Anonymous]

Cosette looked around for something, anything to make it easier for the man to be able to see her. She stumbled across some rocks and the stick she had from earlier, but making a fire with these supplies could take longer then she had down there. She also had her magic, but with the little skill and little time she had to experiment, that too would take longer then she had. So she just looked up to see about how far down she was. She didn't remember falling too far, but gravity worked fast and could have made it seem shorter then it was. When she looked up, all she could see was the dark mass leaning into the hole. This gave no measurment what-so-ever.

"No need to know how i got down here. How am i going to get out if i can't see the staff?" She sighed. She racked her brain for any ideas. She thought off all the spells she knew. " Do you know any spells? You know, to start a flame or something?"

Cosette's eyes darted from the ground, to the stick to the dark mass above her, constantly thinking of everything she knew about caves, which was little to nothing. Real smart Cosette. You got yourself stuck. She grumbled to herself. She looked up again and started whimpering a little bit. Maybe she could reach it by jumping. She jumped straight up from where she was, and grabbed nothing but air. She tried to jump and little higher and touched the end of the staff with her fingertips. She grew excited and hopeful for the first time since going into the cave. She decided to try once more before moving onto a new plan. Backing a few steps to allow for a running start, Cosette readied herself. She looked two short steps and leaped into the air, grabbing the end of the staff as gently as she could so she wouldn't knock the man into the hole along with her.

When she had a good hold of the staff, she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she had a chance of escaping with her life. She just prayed the man was strong enough to lift her out.

"I got it, though you probably already know that." She blushed a little. "you ok? can you lift me out?"

[Lion]

Didn't need to know?  Now why was that?  Was it some sort of secret, or was she just ashamed?  Euzec wasn't much for secrets but he was curious enough to inquire about it when he had the chance.  Why wouldn't anyone want to talk about why they were in a hole?  Maybe it was just him and he was just too serious for his own good, suddenly sticking his nose in business where it didn't belong, but sometimes, his curiosity got the better of him and he just couldn't help it.  What he wanted to know, he often investigated until he knew everything there was to know about that subject until he knew everything or lost interest.

"Uh...no, I don't know any spells right now....  Um, none that would help in this kind of situation I mean.  I mean, it's not everyday that I find a girl stuck inside a hole.  I just wanted to know....  But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."  He tried to comfort her with his words, thinking that she may well be under a great deal of stress.  He didn't know about her, but he sure would be if he was stuck inside a dark cave at the risk of being eaten by anything crawling inside gnawing at his sanity.  He'd rather just fight the dusk tiger all over again.

The giant kitty by his side simply lied down as he watched the man slide a little further into the whole.  He didn't have much of a purpose other than to recover from the pounding headache that rod gave him when it went across his head.  But he knew better than to attack a being that was superior to him.  He would make this man his master for how, have a person to follow, protect even if he had too, until he wasn't superior anymore.  Then maybe he would attack him...unless he didn't have a reason too.  He was a dusk tiger, a beast of the desert wilds; he was sure no attachment could come between them.  They were two creatures destined to kill each other if nothing else could be developed.  But why the man hadn't killed him, he just didn't know.

Euzec nearly felt his staff slip from his hands just as he felt her grasp on to the other end.  Just then, the stick became taut and he knew that he could lift her from there.  At her question, he answered, "Yes! Just fine.  I'll have you out of there in no time." And he wasn't kidding.  Though his own clothes were getting dirty by the sand, he didn't care so long as he could take the time to help another in need.  He was benevolent in that sort of way, he knew kindness went a long way more than anger did.  And besides, he didn't have much to be angry about aside from those few times of the month....

Scooting himself back, he worked his way out of the cave all the while keeping a firm grip on his end of the extended staff.  He was built in his own right as Kushumoro wanted to make sure all of his guards were physically fit for their job, he couldn't have sloppy guards after all.  Euzec carefully lifted her from the whole, using all the toned muscles of his body, or most of them, until he saw her head reach the entrance.  "Almost there, keep holding on!"

[Anonymous]

Secrets were not normally Cosette's thing, but for some reason this detail either didn't seem important or seemed like it would just be good to keep to herself. She couldn't explain why but she chose not to say anything about it. And unless he really pushed her to say something, it would stay secret the way it was.

She heard his response and sighed in relief that he managed to hold on when she jumped up. Cosette felt as she began to be pulled out of her doom. She rejoiced silently to herself as much as she could without altering her hold on the staff. Maybe there was hope for her to survive to next morning. She looked up and was nearing the entrance from which she came a few hours ago. Her heart rate increased and a smile grew on her face. She told herself she couldn't grow too excited until she was out of the hole and back on the ground above the surface. If she grew too excited and ended up not making it out of there, all hope would be shattered and she would have not have strength to try again. So she took a deep breath and waited as the man pulled her out slowly.
But as she waited, her hands started to sweat. She struggled to hold on. Not only that but she was tired and had forgotten to eat dinner, always a bad way to hope to survive in the desert. Also, the longer she held on, the moister her hands became. She readjusted her grip and started slipping more. She closed her eyes and prayed she could hold on just moments longer. His words helped a little. She held on not only for her life, but also to meet the man who risked his life in the desert to save her. "I'm trying!" She clentched her teeth and held on for dear life. She felt as stones and rubble began brushing against her side. The wall threatened to loosen her hold. Cosette didn't know how much longer she could hold on

She looked up and saw the edge of the hole. If she were to try to reach out and grab for it, she risked falling back into the cave, but if she didn't, the cave wall threathened to knock her back in anyway. She closed her eyes tight, hoping it would make the time pass sooner if she couldn't see how far down she was from getting out of there. As she held on, her hands began sliding, little by little. She panicked and decided weighing her options with the edge. She let go with one hand and reached up for the ledge. Her fingertips reached above the edge and latched on to solid ground. "I've got to let go now." As she said that, she let go with her other hand and swung it next to the first one on the edge. She swung her legs back and braced them against the other wall, pushing herself up and out of the hole with her legs alone. She got about halfway out before she could no longer touch the wall with her legs, so she proceeded lifting herself out with her arms. But the sand provided little to hold on to so she couldn't get herself much further. She began to slide back down. Perfect.

[Lion]

The dusk tiger sat and stretched on the quickly cooled sand, as there was nothing else for him to do at the moment.  He could leave, but he would be lonely and he didn't want to risk invading another tiger's territory.  It was safe here for the moment, though there was nothing to eat, he had a feeling the man would provide food in the next few moments.  He wondered what he was doing squirming down the hole in the middle of the desert.  What could be so interesting down there?  Maybe he was hunting for food for him.  At the very consideration of this, the tiger ran his long tongue along his lips.

Euzec was confident now that all would be well...that was until she suddenly let go.  He felt the staff becoming instantly lighter and he pulled it back as he considered that she would climb up then on her own.  And that was just what she did, swinging her leg up and grasping desperately at the sand around him.  At first he was sure she would be fine and so he simply sat back and watched her efforts.  But the moment she began to slip back he realized that she would not and abruptly he lunged forward, landing on his belly, and grappling for her leg, the closest appendage still hanging out of the hole.

Focusing his strength, he pulled back with everything he had, hoping that this was enough to yank her out.  It was all in one fell swoop and if this didn't get her out then nothing would.  He was willing to take that risk to help her, he wasn't so heartless as to let her just fall back in.  When he felt something pass through the hole, he fell back onto his haunches, staring at her wide-eyed.  "Are you okay?"

[So short, so sorry.]

[Anonymous]

A lifetime passed by as she felt herself slipping and falling back into the hole. She scrambled for anything to grab onto but found no luck. Her hands slipped past the wall of stone followed by her head. She was sure she was going to fall back to where she came from when she was immediately stopped by something wrapped around her leg. She was surprised at first but then that feeling was taken over by pain, starting in her back and neck then shooting to her leg. She let out a yelp as she was pulled sharply out of the hole. She landed with a Thud! in the sand. When she realized she was on solid ground she grew excited.

"You did it!" She then remembered her leg and doubled over in pain, holding her leg tightly and tearing up in pain. She had broken bones before, to many times to count. She never was a safe child. Cosette was the type of girl who one would see jumping out of trees or climbing in wells. She was a frequent patient to the local hospital and, as a child, was rarely out of a cast or without stitches. She had many injuries and should be used to pain by now, but she wasn't. She was a total wuss when it came to anything being bumped or bruised. So this reaction could only be expected from her.

She barely comprehended his words through her pain but she managed to sort out what he had said. "M-my leg! I think it's br-broken!" She winced and let out a squeal as the pain returned and faded like an annoying fly buzzing in your ear. She clenched her teeth and blinked the tears from her eyes and looked around for anything to stop the pain. She had a first aid kit in her back pack, but she left that back at the camp she fled from a few hours ago. She only wished the pain would go away.

As she was looking around, her eyes fell upon the dusk tiger. She didn't take note of it at first, but when the image sunk in, she screamed. "Behind you!" she pointed and screamed, forgetting her leg for the time being. She began to stand up before being painfully reminded of the injury to her leg. She fell down and stared in horror as the beast began to rise and walk towards her, licking its lips.

OOC~ that is quite alright ^^

[Lion]

The tiger immediately climbed to his paws, which each spread finely on the ground,  as another humanoid creature was pulled out of the hole.  Yanked out was more like it; he'd never seen a humanoid be taken out so swiftly before.  And, if he could laugh, he probably would.  But he was Beast, and beasts thought little beyond kill or be killed, survival of the fittest.  She looked like a meal.  But he wasn't sure yet.  If the man was intent on eating her first, he would have to wait his turn.  But then suddenly she screamed and startled the large cat.  Out of instinct, it roared fiercely and made it's stalking way toward her, intent on tearing her throat open.

But Euzec put a hand up just in time and grabbed the large cat by the neck just inches from her.  After studying the natural local animals of the desert for years, he knew just how to keep the tiger from pouncing on her.  He didn't need to clout the animal on the head once more at the risk of being bitten.  Instead, he found it was quite enough to hold the beast by the fur and then start petting it.  Sooner than he'd imagined, the giant kitty started to purr and lean into the caresses. At this Euzec couldn't help but laugh and patted the cat a few times.  "So cute," he murmured, smiling.

"He's not going to hurt you I don't think," he said, looking at her now and then glancing back at the cat every now and again.  "Not as long as I'm around.  Here, let me take a look at your leg." He examined it carefully, sure that he did not grab her that hard.  There was some bruising around the area, at least where he had grabbed and it was then that began to poke it tenderly.  "Hm....  Doesn't seem too broken.  Looks like there might be some bruising on it later, but nothing deathly serious.  We should get to town as quickly as possible.  Can you stand?"

Euzec then climbed to his feet and reached a hand out to her.  It was best, to him at least, to at least try to get her to stand.  If she couldn't, he would be forced to carry her.  "Uh...sorry for yanking you out like that," he remembered to apologize at the last minute, scrunching his face innocently.

[Anonymous]

Her eyes darted back and forth, from the hungry looking beast to the man who was crazy enough to approach it. 'Cute' was not quite the word she would use for the giant cat. She stared intently at the duo as they interacted, first the man stroking it's pelt, then the cat replying in loud purrs. Cosette grew curious. "Is that your pet?!" Her breathing quickened at the thought of this. She did, though, relax when the beast stopped it's approach towards her. She tried to gain control again of her breathing and forget about the throbbing pain in her leg. No such luck.  

She had never once in her life heard of a tame or civil dusk tiger. She had also never seen one. All she remembered were the stories of friends who's relatives had been torn piece by piece by ferocious monsters of the desert. She knew no specifics of what played a role in these stories but she didn't really want to take chances. She eyed the dusk tiger who was perfectly content with being stroked by this man. She then looked up at the man who was glancing back and forth between the dusk tiger and herself. The desert night made it hard to see anything of detail, especially since they were so far away.

As he neared, more things became evident. He was tall. Very tall, at least from where she was at this very moment. She also noticed his hair was dark, though the color it was she could not be certain of. As he crouched down to examine her leg more details became clear. He looked young, but looks (as Cosette had learned in the past) could be deceiving. He had lean muscles, not like those of body builders or high contact sports players, but those that keep a man looking slender and agile. But the one thing that caught her most off guard, that she could now see at this level of closeness, were his eyes.

Her breath stuck. She stared in pure astonishment, and try as she might, she could not look away. They were so unique, to the extent that Cosette began to grow jealous of them. The gold stood out like diamonds in the sunlight against charcoal. They glistened, even with the limited light of the desert dawn. But the part that hypnotized her the most was not that. It was the ring of pink around the edges. So sharp, so vibrant. Feminine but strong in a way that could attract any woman. She blinked and looked away before opening her eyes again.

She had forgotten his question. Racking her brain for a quick moment and seeing his outstretched hand, she thought of the only question he could have asked. "I can try." She grabbed his hand and, with his help, heaved herself off the ground and stood, off-balance, on her one good leg. She used him to help steady herself before daring to look once again at him. She took a shaky breath.

"If you don't mind, may i please know your name?"

[Lion]

It seemed forever that she took before she made any effort to answer his questions.  She looked at him oddly, if in a somewhat fascinated way.  All he could ask himself and still maintain his thoughts without losing track of the task at hand was to wonder, What the hell was this girl on!?  He didn't think there were very many drugs in the desert, since most of the plants were more water based than hallucinogens.  He wasn't a botanist or had any expertise in herbology, but he had been on several desert treks where he was forced to eat some of the local flora to make it out alive.  It was just then that he remembered he had his water container with him.  Maybe she was hallucinating because she was thirsty!  Yeah, that had to be it!  What else could explain it?

But then she asked his name.  Oh well, he couldn't deny her that simple bit of explanation.  And as he thought about it, he nearly smacked himself in the face at the thought that he hadn't introduced himself sooner.  Or had even bothered to ask her name, himself.  "Oh, uh. I'm Euzec," he said with a trying smile.  The night was getting colder already, a great relief to the blazing heat of the day, but there was still plenty of time to get to a town.  "Euzec Drajiin is uh...my full name.  What's yours?"

Pulling her up was rather easy as she was lighter than he thought.  But that didn't stop him from wincing as he glanced at the state of her leg.  "I'm still sorry about that, by the way.  Here let me help you."  He wasn't perturbed by the fact that she was a very pretty girl.  In fact, to most men she would be the dusk tiger's roar (the cat just glared at her), but to him, she appeared rather ordinary.  He was surrounded by pretty women day in and day out; Kushumoro wanted only the best in his life and his women had to be the most beautiful the desert could offer.  Hm, maybe Kushumoro would like to meet her...  Well, that was a consideration for another time.

Though he was approximately five inches or so taller than her, Euzec made the effort to help her start walking.  It appeared that her leg would be useless for a time.  Though he wanted to help her, he wasn't sure how to go about it.  "Um," he said, looking down at the state of her leg.  "Should I carry you, or just help you walk?"

[Anonymous]

She listened to each word. His voice was probably just as beautiful as he was. It was a bit strange, her feeling this way towards any guy. Normally she took in any guy who was willing to fight for her, not the other way around. This was a whole knew experience for her. She shook her head slightly. She needed to concentrate on answering him back so she wouldn't look more stupid then she already felt. "Euzec. That's an interesting name." She smiled to herself and blushed slightly when she saw him smiling back. She cleared her throat before continuing. "It's Cosette. Cosette Anastasie." She said, shivering slightly. The temperature had dropped significantly since the last time she had been on the surface. Plus she could feel the tiger's eyes staring at her which made her feel a bit uneasy.

Euzec stared at her in a way no other man ever had. He stared at her not like a piece of meat, not like a prize to be won, but more as a regular person who needed help. Cosette couldn't explain it, but her stomach turned slightly with a feeling she didn't quite recognize. He had friendly eyes, not lustful eyes. But they then wandered away, as if he had thought of something else. He helped her up and his face crinkled slightly as he stared at her leg. She had almost forgotten it was injured, until she tried standing on it normally and nearly collapsed. "It's uh...it's no big deal. Like you said, I don't think it's broken, just badly bruised. Besides, I never properly thanked you for saving my life." She did her best to curtsy, but ended up just bowing slightly instead. He would get the message.

It was quite difficult, keeping up with Euzec. He was a good five or six inches taller then she and had a quicker, longer stride at the moment. Though he tried to help her, they wouldn't make much progress before the sun came up. Also she hadn't slept in a good 17 hours and still hadn't eaten dinner. She didn't know about him but she was exhausted. He offered to carry her but she felt that would be too much to ask. "I can try walking, but do you think we could eat something first?" She clasped one hand around her stomach, indicating her hunger. Her curiosity about this man grew. What was he doing out here? Why had he risked his life to save her? Where was he from? So many questions and time could be coming to an end for her adventure with him. She couldn't help but asking questions, finding out anything she could.

"Can i ask you, why did you stop to save me?"

[Lion]

When the dusk tiger saw that they were all getting a move on, he too followed, determined not to leave the side of his superior until the moment was right.  Instantly, though it couldn't tell why, did not place any sort of trust inside this female that was smaller than the man.  Obviously, she was inferior too him, in the tiger's eyes, as she had gotten a wound inflicted by him and didn't even work to fight back.  He didn't think he'd ever understand these two-legged beasts that attempted to claim superiority over him that he knew; it was better to bide his time before showing them what real power was like.  The dusk tiger hung to the man's left in an effort to distance himself from the female that smelled of weakness...or maybe that was just sweat.  Either way the cat obviously didn't like it.  It slinked along, paws spreading wide along the sand and distributing it's weight evenly.  And the marrow spikes along it's back waving back and forth like a slithering snake along its gait.

Meanwhile, Euzec worked to help her along.  "Cosette is a very nice name!  Are you from one of the cities up north?  I haven't been much out of the desert in my lifetime.  So naturally, I'd assume that that's a city name.  It surely does sound like one," he said, trying to make small talk.  He laughed in the process, knowing the distance between them and the small desert settlement of J'hek was closing in rather swiftly.  In the town, they would find an inn, a small one, some small-time restaurants, clothing stores, and various other emporiums to be found there.  In addition to the water.  And it was just then that he remembered.  "Goodness, I forgot to tell you.  Would you like some water?  I have some in a flask here."  With that he took some time to pause and pulled the rope from around him and offered the round container to her.  "Yeah, when we get to town, we can eat something.  I don't have rations on me.  They tend to attract things like dusk tigers."  And he pointed to the large cat at his side.

"Uh, well, there's really no need to thank me.  I wasn't actively look for anyone to save.  I mean...I just happened to be in the area and the cat sniffed out something in there and so I just gave it a shot.  I like helping people when I can.  I feel it's better to be kind rather than let people suffer.  I know what that's like, to suffer I mean. Not fun. Oh but look at me, I'm going on and on.  Sorry, you should tell me how you ended up in that hole in the first place."

[Anonymous]

Cosette never relaxed with the cat right there. In fact, as time went on, she grew more and more tense, as if waiting for it to turn on both of them. Now would have been the perfect time to attack, too, since Euzec had his hands full helping her to hobble along. If it decided to attack, they would get picked off easily and painfully. She shivered at the thought. She didn't want to die after what had just gone on. She survived her escape from whatever was chasing her before and was rescued from the hole that would have surely brought death come sunrise. I guess that was just the perks of traveling in the desert. Death around every turn.

She shook her head of those thoughts. Nothing had happened. She was safe for the moment. She was just grateful to be alive. She looked straight ahead while answering, concentrating on not stumbling. "Well originally, i am from Serendipity...err a small corner of Atlas Verde. I lived near the mountains and i loved it there." A small smile appeared as she recalled the memories of her childhood oh so many years ago. But that was dangerous territory for her mind to wander to, so she snapped back to the present and continued before Euzec noticed she paused. "Then when I was about 13 i think, my mom and my dad separated. I went with my dad and we traveled south looking for our perfect life." She choked slightly on her words and took a deep breath so tears wouldn't escape her eyes. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

Her stomach tightened at the sight of water. She nodded slightly and took the flask from his hands, drinking an amount big enough to allow her to continue but small enough as to not finish off the remaining water. While gulping the mouthful down, she realized she had no idea where they were going. "This town you speak of, what's it called?"

She bit her lip slightly. She knew little of what it was like to suffer, aside from the minor injuries she got as a kid. Looking at her foot, she thought of his words. She barely noticed when he stopped talking. She cleared her throat and thought of a way to explain in a way that wouldn't sound idiotic. "It's just...i heard a noise, got scared and ran into the nearest shelter i could find. I am not all too familiar with this area of the desert. It's a little further south then i have ever been so i didn't know there was a town so close, otherwise i wouldn't have...jumped" She broke off and blushed. Wow. She really was and idiot. What was she thinking? It was like she had forgotten everything she had learned as a small girl. She never had major problems on her trips through the desert in the past. Why had she chosen now to forget everything. "And you know, if  it weren't for you I'd be dead. So you definitely deserve a thank you."

They continued on when a thought came to Cosette. "I'm sorry for being so nosy, but what brings you out in the open desert?"

[Lion]

He took back the water and placed it only the loops of his belt, securing it before moving on.  He was a little surprised when she asked the name of the town, but then it became readily apparent that she wasn't from here.  Especially as he remembered her story.  That she was originally from Serendipity.  Oh, a far off land.  Perhaps she'd have some interesting stories to tell him if she ever found the time and the interest to elaborate more on her life away from the desert.  Nothing exciting ever happened here, at least, nothing worth noting.  Not even the frequent deaths that happened when people fell into sudden sand pits or were killed by wildlife.  But that was the was the daily news.

"Oh the town," he began, remembering himself.  "It's called J'hek.  It's nothing but a small town, hardly on the map and barely anything to do over there.  I was born in the desert, been here pretty much all my life and though I don't know who my parents are, I know that this is where I belong.  Even though it's really hot...as people would say."  Euzec didn't mind the questioning and even encouraged it.  It really passed the idle time quite effectively.

"We're almost there.  I just need to buy a few things: Rations, water, a necklace, the usual.  Would you like me to leave you there?"

[Anonymous]

She nodded and listened, growing tired and weary. Her head drooped a little and she struggled to keep her eyes open and continue hopping forward. But her attention was there. Right now, she only wished to sleep. She could eat in the morning but sleep was creeping steadily on her with each step. Even as he talked to her, his voice became more and more distant. She shook her head to keep herself awake. She cursed under her breath. She agreed with her earlier statement about herself. She was the stupidest person in the desert.

J'hek. That name sounded familiar. Then again, all the names of the desert kind of meshed together after a certain point. She nodded again and took note of the town so she knew the general area of where it was. As for his story, she couldn't believe he had been born here, not to mention left here. Desert life wasn't easy. The climate grows very little and allows for little to no agriculture, there is few living things to eat, aside from lizards, snakes or something that could eat you, and the closest towns are hours or days away in any direction. She eyed him. He looked like he could handle it. She could only marvel at the boy he had to have been when he was a child. "So wait, did your parents leave you here? In the open desert?" She didn't know how an infant would learn to survive in such harsh terrain.

She woke up a little as he mentioned that they were close. "Um, i hadn't much thought about that." She didn't want to be a burden to him, but she didn't want him to leave either. She racked her brain for any excuse to make him stay, with little luck. "If you have other affairs to attend to, I won't hold you here. But I have no money and nowhere to go from here." She figured that would work. He didn't seem like the type to leave a pretty girl alone in the wide open desert. She manipulated her body a bit to look helpless and weak. Along with being tired, it should do the trick to make him stay.

[Lion]

He considered himself rather immune to manipulation, at least of the physical variety.  He was used to most women making themselves bare to him, feeling that his essence alone was enough to drive them to distraction or escalate to the combustible heights of ecstasy...before he even got in the room!  All because of the burden of his blood!  Oh, by the gods, that was why he never told anyone, especially strange females, that he was an Incubus for fear that he would never be free of them.  And so it was with the Haremites.  Though the name itself would never be thought of as a kind one to outsiders, to the actually wives of Kushumoro themelves, it was considered a compliment.  It was better than being called a lone man's whore to people that didn't understand.  And to be honest, the term was there long before Euzec ever became apart of the pack.

The bottom-line remained that he was positively their favorite eunuch to be around.  And the reason to that one was obvious.  But it also remained in stone that, despite Euzec's kindnesses, he always looked for ways to get away from their attention.  That was...groping him and petting him and other notions toward him that would be enough cause for Kushumoro to go wild with rage and mutilated his body!  He liked his body to stay as whole as possible.  And that very idea was only one motivator why he stayed away from the Haremites.

But this woman seemed slightly more sane and he was quite thankful that she kept her hands to herself for the remainder of the walk.  He wasn't too sure about leaving her at the town alone, but if she was strong enough to survive that fall in the chasm, then she should fare well enough alone.  That was if she was willing to be alone.  Most women these days wanted to be independent and, as long as they left him alone, Euzec was all for that.

"No!  Of course not!" He laughed and readjusted his hold on her, dragging her with a few more steps into the small town which was already awakening in the early hours of morning.  Normally, the walk wasn't that long, but as he helped her hobble along, they were dragged down to taking a few hours more.  At least here he would have a chance to refill his supplies, get some rest and be on his way back toward Kushumoro's palace.  "I was taken in, in fact.  Raised by a bandit king and now I work for him.  Do you know a man by the name of Kushumoro?  That's him."

Euzec glanced at her now and only now noticed the helplessness in her face.  Oh, no!  Could he not leave her now?  She didn't seem all that unconfident back by the cave hole.  Would she not survive here in town?  Hm...  For a time he considered a thought....  "Uh, I'm going to be staying in town for just the day or so, resting.  Then, on the morrow, I'm headed back to where I came from.  Would you like to come along with me?  I mean if you have nowhere else to do."  Please don't cry, please don't cry!

[Anonymous]

She smiled randomly. Apparently as they had been making their way towards J'hek her brain had been reviewing the past couple hours. Being stalked by an animal of some sort, which she now realized was probably the dusk tiger Euzec had controlled, falling into a hole, bruising her leg, and not sleeping for about 18 hours now. It was all quite confusing as to why it all happened today but she was somehow glad it did. If it hadn't, she would have never met Euzec who she would really like to keep with her for as long as possible. She had met several men in her line of work. Even men more attractive then he, but none would have ever stopped to help her like he did. She would be forever thankful and would never forget him, as long as she lived.

It wasn't until he readjusted her that she realized she had nearly fallen asleep. Her eyes opened slightly to see that they were at the town he had been talking about. She had seen many desert towns on past journeys, but none as small and quaint as this one. She awoke a little more as she glanced around at the town. She felt like a little kid in a candy store, gazing at the jewelry and clothing surrounding her on both sides. They all looked so exotic, nothing she had ever seen or thought could possibly exist. She then breathed in the aroma of food of which she was all to familiar with. She wrapped her arm around her stomach once more as it let out a angry rumble of hunger. She felt no sleepiness anymore. She was amazed that a village this small could appear as beautiful as it did to her. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep playing tricks on her. Either way, she couldn't wait for a descent meal and a good night (er day) sleep.  

"Kushmoro...I've never heard that name before." She looked at Euzec, then went back to gazing at the town. "Is he a nice man?" She figured his answer would be no. Kind kings were hard to find and rarely would put young men like him to work. But she figured she would ask it anyway on the off chance that he was. She wanted to know as much about Euzec as she could. He was fascinating to her, a rare gem among the pile of rocks she's come in contact with. She was afraid to lose him even though she had only met him a few hours ago.

She glanced at him and saw him looking at her. Trying to keep up the helpless façade would be hard if he caught her blushing, so she looked sleepily at her feet. She didn't know why she was blushing so much today. She rarely gained color over anything, especially men. She needed to know what it was about this man that made her feel this way, the extra spark he had that no other man had had. When he mentioned the option of going with him, Cosette grew excited, trying hard not to show it. She paused a few seconds. "I don't want to be a burden, but I would love to join you." She smiled and hoped that wouldn't make her sound desperate to stay with him, even though she was.