Trials and Travels (Semi-lit)

[Nasa13]

Eirikr

 

Eirikr crossed his arms as he listened to the man who called himself Kai. He noticed how Kai's kind tone didn't travel to his eyes.

 

"I apologize for the volatile circumstances," responded Eirikr, as he felt the ground shift. The corner of his mouth twitched with grim humor at the move. Hidden by his elbow his hand made a lifting motion, raising a spike of stone beneath Kai's foot.

 

"Be careful Terran," warned Eirikr in a low voice so only the other heard him. "Don't make me break you. The ground may not be as solid as you think."

 

Finished with his threat he raised his voice back to normal volume. "I had to be sure who you were aligned with. Unfortunately I have little knowledge you might find useful."

 

With a flex of his foot he raised the stone spike enough to make Kai uncomfortable and hopefully break his concentration. He uncrossed his arms and motioned to his pack and pickaxe.

 

"I am a miner. From Terra much like yourself," Explained Eirikr, adopting an easy tone. "I've been traveling around since i left my home a couple of months ago. The Lord Gerald requested that I leave, for reasons that will remain unsaid, effectively exiling me. I've traveled quite a bit, staying in one place until I can't find work, then I leave."

 

Though something bothered him about this group. Why were they here? What information did they need?

 

"So tell me, why are you all out here?"

 

And what can you tell me about Noe thought Eirikr. She was a nice girl, he wondered about her history.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Nasa13

[Lore_Master]

Once Kai had began to talk Eirikr, Loren took a seat by the camp fire and grab some of the hunted game on the rack. He ate slowly, keeping an eye on the new guy. He was a bit suspicious about him, he suddenly showed up here... why? He shrugged, Kai knows what he's doing, Eirikr wouldn't try anything funny with him around. As he held the piece of meat with merely his mouth, he got up and began to stretch. He had his training plan out for tonight, no sense being the weakest encase something bad happens. He had an idea of what he wanted to do, he wanted to create a 'battle stance.' He merely smiled as he pictured his idea; floating off the ground, doing flips as he counted... maybe even improving his speed. For now, he was merely content with eating his meat. He grabbed his little sketch book and began to draw whatever appeared in his head.

[Rakashua]

Kai's face didn't register that he felt the spike, though he did, first a small discomfort and then a bright pain on his mind. The man knew what he was doing, and didn't like it. But he wasn't being overtly hostile, he was simply trying to break the concentration. Unfortunately for him, Kai was not your average Terran, raised in a monastery in the middle of the desert, taking trips into the wilderness with no supplies for days on end... and the harsh training of his master, he was no stranger to pain.

 

His stance remained the same and he put it out of his mind, focused completely on the other man and his words, willing his foot to not exist for the time being. And he got what he was looking for, the man was not lying, he wasn't telling them everything, but he was at least being truthful about what he did say.

 

Kai stood still for another moment after the man finished, and then lifted his foot gingerly off the ground, it was bleeding slightly from the heel and he closed his eyes, now allowing the pain to hit him, he accepted it, welcomed it, and let it go.

 

"Though I know the traditions of the Terran people, I am not from there," He replied, "and you would do well not to test me. I am a monk from the desert shrine of Antioch, a monastery in the midst of the wastelands, pain, is nothing new to me. My mission, our mission here, is very important, more so than your life is to me." Kai, though his threat was honest, wasn't sure if he had enough strength left to kill the man himself, he was exhausted from the day of training and thinking by himself. The others would aid him of course, but he didn't want it to come to that, he didn't want to harm the man, but the mission came first, and he wanted to communicate how serious he was about that fact.

 

Kai raised his hands and allowed a stream of electricity to form between them, not in a threatening way, more as a demonstration that he could use both elements, something all of the group knew now... and though it had brought some mixed feelings at first, his honesty had seemed to make things better all around and for that he was glad.

 

He lowered his hands and the lightning went away. "Our mission is complicated, if you spend the night, I'll speak with Aketsu, the other leader of our group, and we'll decide how much we can tell you, and perhaps you may even be interested in joining us. Now, have I made things clear to you? Are you willing to accept my word as authority while you are here in our camp?"

 

The question was clear. Kai was asking the man if their positions relative to one another were clear. Kai wouldn't be bullied, in any sense of the word, and he wasn't going to tolerate any mischief, but he wasn't hostile, and he was willing to let the man in, under those conditions.

[jaina]

Cielo

 

Cielo sighed slightly in response before saying, "I fear that that is quite accurate as the odds are certainly against us right now and returning for reinforcements isn't practical as by the time we return they will either have left or will have advanced on our heels." Cielo ate her food in silence for a little longer before speaking saying a bit more. "I think it's time I stopped holding back during these fights..." she said, her voice mildly depressed at this. She didn't like the idea of pulling out both of her elements when it wasn't possible to hide her weather abilities, but at this point she didn't have much of a choice.

[Silver_Voices]

Isis

 

 

Isis crept towards the warmth of the fire. He saw several figures sitting around it. Looking back, he saw Zepheena directly behind him. He put a finger to his mouth and motioned for her to get back. She threw her hood over her blond hair and retreated into the shadows, practically disappearing.

 

Again, Isis looked towards the people. It was unclear if they were with the Light or the Shadow alliance, the brightness of the fire just left silhouettes, walking back and forth. He decided it would be best to go around the encampment and continue through the night, and turned to go back to where Zepheena was hiding herself. Just then, he stepped on a twig, and it snapped. He looked towards the camp and froze.

 

Zepheena

 

Zepheena sat under a tree, waiting for Isis to come get her. She blinked in the darkness, only seeing a faint glow from the fire. She would wait for Isis. She wouldn't do anything without him. She shivered, and gathered her cloak closer to herself. She wished he would hurry.

 

They had waited all this time, and they were finally on their way to Mercy Island to find her father. They had managed to sneak away from the academy, but someone might come looking for them. The farther away they got, the better. Thankfully, Isis hadn't asked any questions about why she wanted to go so desperately, but it was only a matter of time. He was patient, but not that patient.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Silver_Voices

[Nasa13]

Eirikr

 

"Peace friend," said Eirikr holding up a gloved hand. "I don't come seeking blood. I will accede to your request." For Noe's sake

 

Eirikr withdrew the spike back into the ground. He would need to keep himself on their good side. But he wouldn't follow orders like a trained dog.

 

"I don't want my powers to become common knowledge," it was as much a request as it was a demand. "A monk and a miner. Well if you'll excuse me I'm going to settle in for the night."

 

With a tip of his hat Eirikr walked away. He went looking for Noe. He put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

 

"Would you mind if we talked?"

[BlueApollo]

Luna

 

Luna silently sat on the fringes of the firelight, picking at her meal as the thoughts of the others wafted in and out of her mind. It had appeared quite calm save for the some of the more heated conversations, but she had decided to block them the moment they got too prominent in her head. She had heard Kai's ball of insanity before it even came close to them, so the surprised looks on everyone's faces were merely a humorous bit of entertainment to a rather dismal meal. Things didn't start getting interesting until she sensed someone new in their surroundings. Luna instantly shut off all thoughts except those of the two newcomers, listening intently as they analyzed their movements and each person huddling around the fire. To Luna they seemed perfectly harmless, just two people a little lost. Of course, nothing was truly what it seemed. She instinctively gripped her cane in anticipation of any foul play, but the rest of her remained calm and still.

 

A twig snapped and suddenly Luna's knowledge wasn't a secret anymore. Her eyes instantly found the location where the sound had emanated from. She closed her eyes and began to reach for the newcomers' minds. The boy's was easier, and she soon found her words floating to his mind. Who are you? she asked. What are you doing here? She only hoped her voice wouldn't be too soft to be heard in the boy's mind.

[Silver_Voices]

Isis

 

 

Isis physically drew back as he heard an unfamiliar voice in his head.

 

Who are you? What are you doing here?

 

He didn't know how to respond directly, so he tried just thinking his answer.

 

Um, my name is Isis. My friend and I, we were just passing through.

 

He hoped this would be enough for the stranger. He quickly and quietly ducked down, not sure if the people here were friendly. He slowly reached out and touched a nearby tree.

 

"Where's Zepheena?" He whispered.

 

Close by... the tree breathed.

 

He bit his lip and looked back towards the camp fire. There was a female sitting there, facing him. He assumed she was the one speaking to him, figuratively. Is that you?

Edited January 25, 2012 by Silver_Voices

[LoveLost]

Noe listened to what was going on between Erikr and Kai and when she heard a sigh from Kai, she turned just enough to see him lift his heel from a spike in the earth. he would do something like that to himself and after the show of his electrical abilities, she knew that Erikr had hurt him. She turned back to rinsing the dishes and finished before she started to sharpen her sword to make sure that it was always perfectly honed.

 

Her back was turned from Erirk when he walked up behind her and she was distracted with the methodical sharpening of her sword. When he touched her she jumped then took a breath and turned. Instead of the kindness that she had been so quick to give, there was an angry spark but her voice was just as kind as it had been earlier. "Anything that you wish to say can be said here." She leaned forward slightly towards him an almost dangerous look on her face that was hidden by her hair from the others. "You harm them, and you will find no peace while I am yet alive." Was what she said before leaning back.

 

He was a newcomer and she wasn't as stupid as some as to allow private audience when it was easy to keep ones voice down and speak while the others spoke. Her gaze shifted to Kai for a moment then back to Erikr.

 

At the feeling of something amiss in the group, Z'fan stood out of her hiding in the forest where she had eaten with her battle mate and looked at the young man. Her penetrating light green eyes seemed to examine his very being as she tried to assess why he had shown such hostility. The vines woven through her hair to hold it back shrunk away form her face slightly to allow her a better view of all around the entire camp. Her fins that seemed to be substitues for ears flared a little bit at the sound of a branch cracking and the fins along her arms also flared until she noticed that Luna was looking in that direction and seemed to be engaged in mental thought with whomever it was.

 

She looked back at the boy and then stepped beside Kaimaru and knelt down to the ground to place her hand on his heel. "Do not move." she stated and from her hand there grew a plant that quickly crushed itself into an oil. She then grew another leaf which had a soft, spongy interior which she used to wrap around Kaimaru's heel. "Do not tire yourself so that you cannot feel the vibrations of the earth beneath your feet." She stated and walked back to where her battlemate had stepped out from the tent. His light hair and eyes shone in the moonlight and firelight and the metal coated spines along his back were erect and tense as he looked around the clearing.

 

With a huff he walked off towards where Luna was after casting a glance at the new boy. When he arrived next to Luna he added his mind to hers, but allowed her to lead the conversation.

 

Nerio looked at Cielo and wondered why in the world she was so depressed about showing all of her powers. She was a brilliant water elementian and would love to have her by his side as a fellow warrior if the time came. "Holding back enough not to harm someone permanently and holding back to your own detriment are two different things my dear." he said and decided to play a little water ball with his brother. It was a game that he loved to play to pass the time and who knows, maybe Cielo would join in.

 

[Rakashua]

Kai nodded at Eirikr, it was good enough of a reply for now. He didn't have the energy to put up more of a fight or push the man further, so he let it drop and watched as the newcomer approached Noe. He suddenly felt the urge to... to... He shook his head and turned away, Noe may speak with whomever she wishes, she's not my little sister, and she's not mine in any way, I would have no right to do that... He frowned at himself, the fact that Eirikr's action bothered him was a sign that he was becoming attached.

 

Attachment is good, it binds people together, it harmonizes groups, but it also takes away balance. He couldn't afford to let himself lose his balance, their mission was too important, so he shoved Noe to the back of his mind. But he couldn't rid himself of her completely, it was apparently too late for that, she was after all, the only one of the group he would actually grant the title of friend to. Though they were all "friends" there was of course a difference of degree.

 

Suddenly Z'fan was beside him and he calmly lifted his heel for the other to examine and to begin the healing process, cleansing the wound and wrapping it.

 

"Thank you Z'fan, I will be more careful in the future, I appreciate your advice." Kai spoke most respectfully to Z'fan, her mate, and Ayame, the three of them he held in high regard, because of what they were, and their age. His monastic order did not worship such different creatures, but they did revere them as wise individuals, and look up to them.

 

Kai gave Noe one last glance, making sure Eirikr wasn't crossing any lines, before turning back to camp, and moving to find Aketsu, walking slowly as he favored his left foot.

[SkySong278]

After awhile, Sky woke up but was still a bit exhausted; just wasn't as exhausted as she was earlier shortly after the incident occurred. She looked over at Marc and said with a slightly worried tone in her voice, "Promise me you won't get hurt during tomorrow's mission." She was worried that he would get a bit too cocky, as he sometimes did, and get himself hurt. Especially when she and Celeste were supposed to live if anything starts to go bad or whatever. She would never forgive him if something bad were to happen to him. It might take her awhile to get over it but yeah; she wouldn't forgive him during the first few minutes of him getting injured.

[jaina]

Cielo

 

Cielo gathered several balls of water above her now empty plate as she listened to Nerio. The balls were of different sizes and all began to orbit around the largest one which spun serenely on its central axis. After watching this for several moments she finally replied, her voice dark as could be. "The issue is when I stop cutting back I can protect people better, but it means I'm more than likely to kill, even if I stop holding back just a little and it grows more and more the less I hold back." She had already refined her super cooled rain to the point where the water caused heat loss instantly, and nearly a half a minute in the rain she could create would cause severe hypothermia, but as much as she hated it, it still wasn't good enough. Her ultimate goal was to super cool the rain she brought down to where it froze on contact making mere seconds of exposure lethal to an enemy. She wanted to be at the point where it was idiocy just to contend with her. "Nerio, when I stop holding back, I bring something completely new to the field, and it's just frightening what I can do when I don't pay attention," Cielo whispered in finality. Noe was the only one who knew she was a dual elementarian, while her weather wasn't as strong as her water together the two were more than terrifying.

[Nasa13]

Eirikr

 

"Never mind," whispered Eirikr, withdrawing in the face of Noe's anger. "I just wished to talk as friends but... you don't seem in the mood."

 

He walked away from her, disappointed. She hated him now, but in his heart he still felt a tug towards her. He picked up his pack and pickaxe and headed towards the shadows around the camp.

 

Maybe I should just leave and head towards Aero on my own. he thought as he dropped his pack against a rock. In a flash of rage he slung his pickaxe into a tree one handed. Still fuming he walked over and yanked it out, splintering the tree. If only she knew the whole story... Why I did what I did.

 

Dropping the pickaxe he formed two more stone blades. He hacked at the tree over and over, each time a different cut or strike. Tired he released the blades and sank against the rock next to his pack.

 

"Tomorrow I leave early" he murmured to himself as he slipped into sleep.

[LoveLost]

Noe was surprised at the word 'friends' from Erikr. She really wasn't one to form friendships that quickly and it surprised her. She would have spoken to him easily had he not harmed Kaimaru, but now that he had, she was wary of him. If he had hurt anyone without just cause, her mind would be altered in its opinion of him. With a shrug she turned away from him as he walked the opposite direction and seemed to be slightly frustrated that someone would do that.

 

She stumbled a few times on rocks that she didn't see in the night until she almost walked right into Kaimaru. "Sorry." she muttered and then looked up. "oh!, Kai your foot...." she said with worry as she noted that it was wrapped in a green bandage which on further examination was a plant. Overhead, Noe could feel clouds building up and knew that she had better get out of camp before she got them all wet. "Uhm...." she quickly looked around until she found a branch on the ground that looked to be the right size and strength for kai and handed it to him. "i would stay, but..." she pointed to the sky.

 

Clouds were starting to become visible when she set off at a jog to the far side of the meadow that they used as a training ground which was also on top of a hill. With a deep breath, she tried to do what Kai had been trying to teach her about finding peace. She had to admit that it was hard when she was confused and upset that someone would find it right to hurt her friends. But it also didn't help that there were enemy camps far in the horizon on the flat lands. They were at least another day out but that didn't calm her fears.

 

Around her in her own little world, the wind started to kick up causing the skirt that she now wore instead of pants (thanks to a horse that found her pants to be rather yummy), to billow and tug at her legs. The baggy shirt that she wore whipped around her just as her raven black hair did. The clouds above her and out towards where their enemies were, started to grow dark except for a small circle allowing moonlight around Noe so that she could see.

 

It was hard for her to realize that the men were acting weird, and hard for her to understand why they were so defensive over her. But then again, she found herself liking one or two of them, but knew that that couldn't stay as a possibility. War was upon them.

 

Noe allowed one arm to hang loose by her side as she felt electricity building up within the clouds. A flash of light walked across the clouds joining them as brethren in the sky. The resulting boom caused a smile to cross Noe's face. "hello my friends." she whispered and watched as the storm grew out across the land for a ways to the max of her abilities when she was calm. Thunder and lightning called and answered one another with a few bolts striking the ground.

 

((will post as the other two tomorrow when i get the chance))

[Lore_Master]

As the night passed through his eyes, he noticed several things. During his travels as the wandering artist, he had gotten really good at noticing the subtle body language of people. He kept it to himself though, it wasn't his business to be into everyone's personal trouble. He wasn't much of an advice person either, so he merely watched the situation between Kai, Noe and Eirikir. Cielo and Nerio talking about something... And Luna sitting down, thinking. Realizing he was not need, he stood up and began to wash his hands. Once he was done, he slipped away from the camp and into the woods. He had seen a spot, a place where he could train to not just practice his gliding... but to achieve Garuna, "True Flight." After seven minutes of walking and jumping over underbrush, he had found a small cliff face about five feet off the ground. It won't seriously injure him, but it would provide motivation for success.

 

He got to the edge of the cliff, and stood there for a moment. He closed his eyes as he mentally focused the wind around him. A rustle in the trees meant that there was a breeze tonight. With a breath, he jumped off the cliff and tried to make his hands and feet push the wind, in the form of propulsion... only to find himself saying omffh as his mouth gets full of dirty. Spitting it out and rubbing the sore spots, he climbed back up, and tried again... This time, he still got the same result, a mouthful of dirt and a bruise.

 

Once more, he climbed back up and kept at it... over and over he kept falling... but Loren wasn't going to give up. "Do it until you get it right. Then do it until you can't get it wrong..." Loren panted to himself. He knew that he was a burden to everyone... he couldn't fight, he could only just defend himself. If he was forced to fight... Forced to kill, he would need a fighting form. Garuna was that fighting form.

[LadyNatasha]

((wow, you guys fly! I'll be able to answer PMs later today, but I have to leave soon now. Will color code when I come back!))

~Yuaki~

 

“Why in the heavens are you whispering?” Yuaki smiled at Isa. Her friend was in such a good mood... she decided that what she had wanted to say could wait. She returned Isa's hug happily and without reserve. Having a real friend was rather nice, and their social stances made it rather ironic unbeknownst to Isa or the rest of the group. “Are you bored?” The question surprised Yuaki and she grinned. "Nah, I guess... never mind, it'll wait until tomorrow. Say, something smells good. Let's go get a bite to eat!"

 

When she arrived at the fire, Kai had just finished making his entrance, and Yuaki couldn't help but giggle. She had no real romantic feelings towards Kai at all; she simply enjoyed flirting, and Kai was really really good looking in her opinion. The new guy wasn't so bad looking himself, and Yuaki openly stared at him as the conversation went on. She didn't really react to anything going on, as she was deep in thought. What was she thinking? No one could know...

 

~~~~~~~

~Aketsu~

 

Aketsu had to agree; the name of the group needed to be more original. He wasn't very creative when it came to names and in fact had been planning to name his first son after himself and his second child after... well, a mix of the name of him and his soulmate, his wife. The word gave him strange feelings and he forced himself not to start making up names there and then. Deciding he needed to get things done, he quickly excused himself from the fire; he had to think clearly about their journey tomorrow.

 

He had only just rounded a corner so the fire was out of sight when Ayame approached. “How comes the plan Aketsu?” Aketsu smiled tiredly at the wise creature. "I'm going in circles in planning, actually," he admitted. "I'm not sure how we're to confront the enemy travelers when we meet them. I actually had more questions about what you saw, but I wanted to ask in private. How many were there, and did they look prepared for battle? Like spies or scouts?"

 

All of a sudden there was a crashing sound, and Aketsu turned and drew a scimitar from his back. Whatever it was was coming towards camp, and so Aketsu dashed around the corner... only to see a giant ball of dirt. Loran was laughing, and the others looked surprised. It rolled around and Aketsu sighed. "Looks like Kai's back from training," he said with a small smile. Something in his mind told him something was different about the scene at the campfire, but he was tired and paying too much attention to Kai to notice.

 

Indeed, Kai did emerge from the ball of dirt and dust, and he emerged in a small lightning show. "It's-okay, small accident in the clearing..." Aketsu chuckled and shook his head. He was about to make a smart comment when suddenly Kai pointed and said, "who's he." It was more of a statement than a question, and immediately Aketsu realized that the reason he had thought camp looked different was because there was an extra person there. Aketsu followed Kai's finger and blinked in surprise as he saw someone he didn't recognize standing next to Noe. He frowned and rubbed the handle of his scimitar. He leaned against a tree quietly, staying in the background. He glanced at Ayame; the birdman didn't seem too unhappy about the newcomer. The conversation went on and Aketsu stood silently, simply observing the newcomer. Normally that was Kai's job, but for some reason Kai had chosen to do the speaking this time. Aketsu couldn't help but wonder if this had something to do with the fact that Noe was involved.

 

"I am a miner. I've been traveling around since I left my home a couple of months ago. The Lord Gerald requested that I leave, for reasons that will remain unsaid, effectively exiling me. I've traveled quite a bit, staying in one place until I can't find work, then I leave. So tell me, why are you all out here?" Aketsu raised a brow as he noticed Kai's heal was injured. Interesting. I wonder why he was exiled? The man is scared, and he has a right to be. Kai must be doing his little bone-searching-thing, or whatever Yuaki called it...

 

Aketsu couldn't help but get reddened cheeks at the thought. It was highly distracting to know that Kai had been 'watching' him kiss Isa through the wall, and watching his skeleton at that. Yuaki had told him so and had made it seem gross, but to Aketsu it had been a wonderful thing and even Kai couldn't change that. He watched Kai display his electricity and realized that Kai was probably tired from all the crazy training he had been doing. Aketsu whistled quietly, forcing his mind to stay on the present, and watched the Eirikr carefully.

 

Kai spoke well, much better than he would have a week ago. Aketsu had been painfully teaching Kai social manner. It wasn't like he officially sat down and taught it; that would be awkward at the least, and dreadfully useless and boring at the most. He simply corrected Kai whenever he got the chance, when it came to speaking at least. He had had the most opportunities to do this when they had passed by random other travelers and had stopped to speak or trade. It was nice to trade goods once in a while and get a little variety in the meals they ate. The one that had been served at the fire was exceptionally delicious, and Aketsu made note to thank the cook.

 

"I don't want my powers to become common knowledge. A monk and a miner. Well if you'll excuse me I'm going to settle in for the night." Aketsu watched Eirikr with a blank expression. Aketsu was still leaning against a tree and was in the shadows, but certainly not out of sight. He watched with caution as the man tried to get Noe's attention. He certainly was a confusing person, Aketsu decided. He couldn't trust anyone from Terra, because they weren't officially with the Light Alliance, and this man had been exiled from Terra. Aketsu stayed in the shadows and watched Eirikr as he moved away and slashed at a tree. He was good with his element, quite good, and he knew how to use his pickaxe.

 

When Eirikr seemed to be asleep, Aketsu approached. He had finally decided what questions he wanted to ask. "Hey," he said loudly. He sat down on a small rock. "Nice pickaxe. Where'd you get it?" His arms were crossed, but he was smiling. The guy was a miner? Had to be a good one, with the way he handled the axe.

 

Aketsu's hair was pulled back as it usually was when he was training or thinking hard. He had used to always let some hang down loose near his face, in a sort of priss-noble way, but he was far past those days although it had only been a week before that he had been trapped in a mental cage. Again his thoughts went to Isa; she had saved his very existence, helped him rescue his family, and now had encouraged her father to make the Momoa family leaders of New Aero. Royalty! It was something Aketsu had never wanted but had always admired. Leadership was in his blood, and in the blood of all of his siblings. Of course his brother Chaix would be the heir, but Aketsu was fine with that; he didn't have time to lead the nation so long as he was out fighting the darkness. Duel-leadership was not unheard of--leadership where two siblings or cousins or close friends both led a nation. However, usually something bad happened that caused the leaders to disagree and broke up the nations. This hadn't happened for a long time (there hadn't been such leadership in a long time), but something similar had just occurred with Aero; the High Council had been divided and nothing good had come of it. Still, Aketsu trusted that if his four brothers were to lead the nation together with his two sisters to keep them on track, nothing would go wrong. The family had gone through too much together for that.

 

~~~~~

 

~Jahanshah~

 

At first it seemed no one had questions, and Jahanshah watched as they dispersed. He was about to ask Betzalel a question when a nicker and a thud caught his attention. He blinked and snapped his head in that direction as Marcus took off. A minute later Marcus came back up supporting Skylar. She looked alive enough and Marcus hadn't called for help, so Jahan left it at that. Normally he would have jumped to his feet and been prepared for battle the moment he heard the thud, but he had come to learn that Daedureth gave him a sort of sixth sense; the sword could see in every direction at once and could see through the ground, through the very ground. That was how Jahanshah saw it. Being young, he didn't acknowledge that trusting the sword to be his deciding factor in circumstances could be dangerous.

 

"A question, my lord." Jahanshah's curious eyes turned to look at Betzalel, at first seeming to look through him until Jahan focused his attention. "If the weather machine is as large as I believe it to be, I should I make myself... more "earth-like?" Jahan frowned, not quite sure what Betzalel meant. "What I mean is, if I have to turn into my beast form, shall I use the earth itself to cover my dark scales?"

 

Understanding dawned on Jahan's face, and he nodded. "Yes, if you can. Remember, if we can't get the weather machine for any reason, it must be destroyed. The more we use earth the better, because if we can make Cumulus hate the Earth Elementians or have a quarrel with them, we can definitely get Cumulus on our side. I know that the Earth Elementians have been leaning towards the Light Alliance, so it's pointless to try to get them on our side. And, as our recent contact said, the treachery of Aero has been revealed and many of their people are defecting to us. If they see Cumulus is joining us as well, they will more likely join us. I think." It made sense to Jahan. Just a few days ago a messenger had come and told that Aero's treachery had been revealed and they were splitting. More than half were staying with the Light Alliance, but more than half that HAD an element ability were defecting to the Shadow Alliance. Jahan had no feelings towards warriors without elements, so he felt the Shadow Alliance had the benefit.

Edited January 26, 2012 by LadyNatasha

[Nasa13]

Eirikr

 

"Hey, nice pickaxe. Where'd you get it?"

 

The voice surprised him. Enough so that he almost hit the intruder with his pickaxe.

 

"Didn't anyone tell you to never bother someone who is sleeping," grumbled Eirikr. He got up and picked up his pickaxe from where it was impaled in the ground. "I could've hurt you."

 

He looked at the man before him. His hair was slicked back and he stood arms crossed, with a smile.

 

"I was a miner in Terra before I left," said Eirikr sitting down against the rock. "I am almost unmatched in stone working. I can analyze damage and tell you what caused it and how. I can tell where the best place to hit is to take down a wall. Why?"

[BlueApollo]

Luna

 

Just passing through? Luna thought over the boy's words, but she wasn't entirely sure if they were true. These were not the greatest times to be coming across random people in the middle of a forest, so she was on high alert now. Her grip on her cane tightened, her finger hovering above the button that would release its hidden blade. She kept listening to the boy's thoughts. Apparently he had lost someone nearby. Well, that was just great. If this girl he was worried about showed up completely unannounced things could get dicey. Luna glanced over to her side to see that she wasn't sitting alone anymore. She was about to step away when she sensed his mind settling into the conversation. It was something that she rarely felt considering how little time she spent with fellow Space Elementians. It had been such a long time since she had even visited her home city that she could barely recall sensing more than two or three other Space Elementians around her at the same time. When the guy stood next to her and added his presence to the conversation, though, it felt like something along the lines of a hand being placed on her shoulder. Whether it was in support or disdain was a mystery to her, though.

 

Is that you?

 

She heard the voice call out to her and she blinked, instinctively acknowledging that she had heard him. She could still make out a shadow, hiding from the fringes of firelight in the silent shadows. She glanced to her side to see if her new companion had anything to say, but his silence left her to speak for herself. Great. She just hoped she didn't mess this set of words up.

 

I am here her voice echoed softly. D-do you need help any?

 

She just knew that she screwed up her last two words, but there was no way she could repair that. She knew her telepathy needed work, but at least the meaning was not lost.

Edited January 26, 2012 by BlueApollo

[Silver_Voices]

Isis

 

Another figure joined the mysterious girl. Isis couldn't tell who, or even what it was.

 

I am here, The voice echoed softly. D-do you need help any?

 

I'm not sure... I'd have to ask my friend, but I don't know where she is. She's close... The tree- He cut himself short. If this encampment was part of the Shadow Alliance... But she was a Space Elementian. They should be safe. The tree told me she was nearby.

 

Isis looked back into the shadows again. She wouldn't go anywhere without him, which meant he would have to go get her.

 

My friend and I are trying to find someone... We came from the academy.

 

 

Zepheena

 

Thump. Thump. "Do it until you get it right. Then do it until you can't get it wrong..."

 

Zepheena leaned out from behind the tree. A young man was jumping off a small hill, trying to achieve something, but she couldn't see what. His grey eyes flashed in the moonlight and short white hair bounced as he jumped on top of the small cliff. He appeared to be a wind elementian, but... What was he doing? Zepheena pulled her hood back and stepped out of the shadows. "Hello?"

Edited January 26, 2012 by Silver_Voices

[Lore_Master]

After the eighth time, his body had several bruises, his clothing was covered in grass and dirt and he was panting. He would keep trying all night if he had too. As he climb up the cliff for his ninth try, he heard someone calling to him from the treeline. He turned towards the sound, and remained silent for a moment. It was strange enough that one person decided to make his presence know, now there was a second one. If they were spies or whatnot, then they are in serious trouble.

 

"Hello, who is there?" He calmly called out, before he jumped down once more, this time landing on his feet. He calmly walked towards where he heard the voice. Eventually, he stood about twenty feet away, and saw that it was a woman who had called out to him... one that he did not recongize. He made eye contact and said in a semi-quiet voice "Who are you?"

[Silver_Voices]

She watched him walk closer, and he finally saw her. "I'm Zepheena." She said, not caring about her volume. She gestured toward the little cliff. "I was watching you jump off that hill. What were you doing?" She looked at his face, covered in dirt and his cheek was slightly bruised. She stepped a bit closer, and put a hand out towards his face. "Oh, you hurt yourself..."

[BlueApollo]

Luna

 

The Academy?! Luna couldn't help but blurt. She caught herself before she could sound any more stupid, though. Instead she began to reach out with her mind.

 

I'll see if I-I can find her somewhere around here...

 

Luna closed her eyes, allowing her mind to seep through the ground like water, feeling for any human life that might betray the girl's location. Her eyes flashed open once she felt what could only have been the girl, but something was wrong. It was like there was a locked door in the girl's head, like she was protecting something important that even Luna couldn't know. Her nose wrinkled in frustration as a thought of what her father would think of this failure popped into her mind. She really had to stop letting him in her head. She hadn't seen him in such a long time that his opinion should not matter to her anymore. She pushed the thought away as she focused on the missing girl. Apparently she had struck a conversation with Loren.

 

You're friend...she's over that way. Luna stood up and looked in the direction that she had located Zepheena, her cane tapping the ground with a light thump. Do you want me to come along?

[Silver_Voices]

Isis slowly stood. These people weren't dangerous.

The Academy?!

Um, yeah... Isis wrinkled his brow, confused. Was that the wrong thing to say?

I'll see if I-I can find her somewhere around here...

Thank you. He nodded toward the girl. Waiting, he let his eyes wander to the others in the camp. He counted five that he could see, but he was pretty sure there were more. His thoughts were interrupted by the voice in his head.

You're friend...she's over that way.

He looked up in time to see the girl stand and face somewhere off to his left.

Do you want me to come along?

Isis looked at the other figures who had their backs to him.

That would be great. But, are you sure it's OK? Your friends seem on edge. He looked once more at the others and moved the brush aside for the girl to pass through.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Silver_Voices

[Lore_Master]

Loren took a step back when the woman tried to reach her hand out to him, he wasn't used to psychical contact, especially from a stranger. "I-I'm fine" Said Loren, a bit louder as a faint pink crept up his cheek. "As to why I'm jumping off this hill... its because I'm training" Spoke Loren, this time his voice level was back to normal. He felt no reason to tell her what he was training on. Besides, he wanted to keep it from everyone else, he didn't want to make them worry about his training methods.

[Silver_Voices]

Zepheena pulled back quickly and clutched her hand to her chest. "I'm sorry! I just..." She held out her hand as a small orb of light formed at the center of her palm. "This can heal you." She nodded at his bruise. "It doesn't look that bad. I should be able to cover it." She wanted to ask him what he was training for, but he didn't seem to want to say anything more on the matter. Edited January 27, 2012 by Silver_Voices