Balance

[Kira1]

Kira listened as Fraener spoke about this next mission which was from some higher-ups. It made her wonder who exactly these higher-ups were that they received this mission from, however, the large sum of money that was to be promised could make her forget her curiosity if the price was right. A boat was no trouble, though she saw the discomfort that Sooty and Xtero exhibited. However, they did not speak out right that they did wish to be on a boat so Kira assumed that they would bear it.

 

Zhiess had no problem with a boat. He liked being out on the sea with the ever changing winds that resided over the water.

 

((hurried post 'cause my next class starts soon >.>))

[Forsaken Rider of Dreams]

The Jackal stood in the corner of the room where a shadow fell. The Jackal's clock blended well with the shadow, concealing him parshly. His eyes flickered around as a twisted grin forms under his mask. His left hand sat on one of his swords' handle. He slowly tapped his finger against the handle, creating a quiet thud sound. He did not care about the boat ride or the mission for that matter. He was here to kill. He was God's black hand after all. The Jackal gazed at the reapers, both of them, then to the lower class fighters. It was an odd group he thought, having ungodly creatures doing God's deeds. The Jackal heard Signum speak. He chuckled again and made a semi-ooing sound. "Are you scared Signum?"

 

Jeff smiled when he heard the word boat. To him 'boat' means 'water' and that means heaven in his eyes. It was were he was strongest after all. A water elemental surrounded by water, how much better can it get? Jeff watched a few members make a couple of comments and a reaper ask a few questions, of which he ignored. He wasn't worried. To him, if he has water and his magic he will be fine.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Forsaken Rider of Dreams

[WonderBubbles]

((I just realised our next location's gonna be horrible for Jeff, but we might be able to do something to make it easy on him~))

 

He glanced around at the various reactions of the Slayers; some seemed eager, while others nervous. He raised a greying brow at the chair clattering onto the floor, then looked to Signum with a grin.

"They called on me because of your high success rate as a whole. Several Teams from the country of Digypt, where this creature is, have failed. The desert was harsh on them, because they went in unprepared. You will all be well prepared for this beforehand. Plenty of supplies and transport across the desert. Your accommodation will not be particularly pleasant, but that can not be helped."

 

Fraener pulled out the scroll and displayed the image upon it. Unlike the others before it, this was in colour, and obviously by a much different hand.

"This was done by a Digyptian artist. They're so much more skilled than our own Denglish ones," he commented quietly, before clearing his throat and continuing. "This is the Pharaoh. His venom is toxic, and can be injected in two ways. From these ankle-claws, and his tail. Surprisingly, his fangs are just teeth. He is fast, incredibly fast, and very intelligent. He gave himself that name. He can blend into the sand and scrub quite easily, so be on the watch for any movement. Thin blades can pierce his thick skin, and he has no magic whatsoever. Any questions?"

[warewolves]

A knock sounded at the door, and after a pause, Tia walked into the room cautiously. "I-I'm sorry I'm late....Fraener was it? I'm the guide the Digypt sent here with the boat. To make sure you don't get lost in the dessert. They sent me here to tell you the boats arrived." She stared down at the ground timidly, and fingerd her nails. Her appearence was one of a human, but her clothes were not. Mitotsu opened her eyes and looked at the girl once, then closed them again. Zach blinked once, and then turned his gaze back to Fraener.

[Neutual Demon]

Xtero didn't go looking over at the picture that Fraener had in his hands, showing the others what the creature looked like. He could figure it out by the way the man described it- besides, there was a devil of a chair he had to push as far away from him as possible. From what he understood by the conversation above him, their next monster in line was a Pharaoh that had some poisonous qualities that weren't in its teeth. "Even slippery snails disappear amongst the leaves," the Necromancer murmured quietly, his foot no longer long enough to push the fallen chair any further away.

 

A knock on the door caused the Necromancer's dark eyes to gaze over, looking up from the side of the table. She seemed human, but her clothes... "Even devils masks their faces while stalking their prey," Xtero muttered with a shudder. This new person, their guide... he didn't like her too much. Well, he didn't like much of anyone in the room, so this newcomer only added to the list in his head.

 

Turning his eyes to Fraener, Xtero rose to his feet from his sitting position on the floor, frowning quietly. "Is the sun which passes by gone?" he asked, wanting to leave. If there was little else to talk about, he wanted to get out of this room with all these unfamiliar and strange people. He avoided eye contact with any of them, staring mostly at the tabletop.

[WonderBubbles]

A knock at the door drew his gaze, and he smiled as the woman entered. An fairly new-age elemental, clothed in vines, apologised and introduced herself as the guide for the trip to Digypt.

"Welcome, Tia," he greeted. "Thank you for telling us."

The Necromancer, having pushed the chair as far away from him as he could, stood and rattled off a riddle to the dragon. Fraener nodded slowly, not quite understanding the question.

"If there are no further questions, I suggest you all gather your things and follow Tia-" he gestured to her with his hand, "-to the boat. She is going to guide you through the desert, to the creature and back again."

 

~

 

Sooty stood, smoothing down her clothes and picking up her backpack. She'd asked beforehand what the climate was going to be like, so she was ready with heat-suitable clothing. The leopard didn't have much, so she figured she'd just buy more when the ship docked. She glanced to Zhiess, wondering if he'd like to walk with her. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him.

 

((*gave up waiting* ^^'))

Edited September 26, 2011 by WonderBubbles

[Kira1]

Kira gave a slow nod of understanding at who their guide was, ready to head out when the rest were. This next beast that they were to kill sounded quite challenging. Perhaps it would weed out the weaker members of the group and make the rest stronger.

 

Zhiess saw Sooty smile towards him and he smiled back, going to stand by her. He was glad to have made a friend with someone in the team. The others seemed kind of distant to him, giving off an air aloofness. Sooty was just all smiles and sunshine. He liked that.

[jaina]

Signum nodded and readied herself for the coming fight. She had prepacked food already, but more would be better along with water that had small amounts of wine in it to keep it pure. She wasn't sure what Fraener had meant by unpleasant sleeping arrangements, but she was sure it would not be worse than one of her sleeping shields.

[warewolves]

Tia gazed at the ground shyly and said "Well...If you are all ready I will take you to the boat now...If it's not too much trouble..." She gazed at them from the edge of her eyes. Mitosu shifted her position, but left it to others to make the first move. Zack(or is it Zach? ARGH!!! It's Zack from now on again) Gazed around and saw Zheis and sooty getting close. He sighed mentally but otherwise made no outward move.

[WonderBubbles]

((At least five sentences, guys. ;3))

 

Sooty stretched her arms up, not acknowledging she was also pushing her chest out at the same time as a result of her stretch. Her shirt lifted slightly, showing her lower abdomen, falling back into place when her arms dropped back to her sides. Undulating her tail slowly, she glanced at the others and noticed no one was making a move to leave. With a shrug, she walked out of the room, inviting Zhiess to follow her, and smiling at the shy Tia. She paused in the reception to wait for the group and the guide. Lindon was a fair way from the coast, but the sea-ships could fit through the massive canal. She had theorised that their ancestors were just too lazy to travel by land, so they endeavoured to create the river-like system cutting through the Denglish countryside.

 

((Your turn to lead, ware. :3))

[warewolves]

(Nyeh nyeh :3)

 

Tia returned a small, shy smile. Mitosu got up and followed silently, Zack not far behind. Tia waited untill all were following her, or most of them, and then set out for the ship. As they walked, her long stride made up for her slow walk. She seemed to hold herself apart, but also not, from the world. As they made their way towards the docks she grimaced softly. "I hope you are ready, this isn't the best sleeping arangements they could have organised. Oh, and the only food on the ship is beans.." she trailed off, getting silent again as the ship came into view. It was a ragged, and tired looking ship. It was groaning loudly, and looked like it wouldn't survive another minute. Tia paused, taking in the extreemely small ship again, before stepping onto the rotten plank that led to the deck. There was a man watching them come abord, he was in desperate need of a shower, and missing an eye and a leg. "Bout time, we're leaving." And he went to his spot. The crew, even more unsightly then the captain, rushed to do their jobs. Tia looked to the group and said "We best get down under the deck, if the captain sees us out here when he doesn't want us, he could very well sink the ship just to get his point proven." And she briskly walked into the ship. Inside there were two rooms, one with food and one with nothing. She ointed to the food room "That's where we eat." And then she pointed, almost shudderingly to the other room, "And that is where we sleep, with the other passengers. I suggest picking a corner." She glanced down again, "Well, any questions?" She whisperd.

[Neutual Demon]

((Whee, fail post~ ))

 

Everyone filed out to follow the newcomer. Xtero frowned, but reluctantly walked after them behind everyone else, his face sporting a rather dark scowl. He wasn't quite happy with what was happening, but there wasn't much he could do or say about it. He would just fumble over his words and make everyone confused, and there wasn't exactly anyone who would back him up, so it'd be pointless to argue against the arrangements he was thrown into.

 

The Necromancer sighed softly, his mind soon wandering off as they made their way towards the docks, his scowl soon darkening even more as they came into view of the ship they were suppose to be taking. "Even rocks are more suitable for the stormwatch," he muttered, frowning and shaking his head. Xtero was beginning to think that maybe it was best for him just to stay behind. From the looks of the ship, this group probably wouldn't even make a third of the way to their destination, no matter what the weather was doing. However, he followed behind them as they boarded the boat, ignoring the man who came up to them and spoke about three words to them.

 

Going under the deck with the others, the conditions were getting worse by the step. Xtero decided that he really should've just stayed behind as the weird new person that he didn't know pointed out the rooms. If his sister was still alive, she wouldn't even had let him onto the ship after taking one look at it. The thought of his deceased sibling made the Necromancer sigh softly, frowning as he crossed his arms, gazing at the others in silence. He wasn't going to ask any questions, knowing that he'd mess it up if he tried, and if he didn't it would be rather insulting, so it was best to keep quiet.

 

[warewolves]

(*Grins* Glad you like the living conditions*)

[Forsaken Rider of Dreams]

Jeff sighed in frustration. He felt annoyed with the fact that they were going to be in a desert. His powers were almost useless there, the air as dryer than you could imagine and the ground dryer than the air. He stood silently and looked around before falling on his old teammates. Silently he was asking them if he should go on the mission. After being answered with only turned backs walking away, Jeff sighed and followed.

 

The boat didn't make him feel any better about what was happening, considering it looked as if it should have sunk years ago. He took a step up onto the ramp onto the boat only to be met by a slight cracking and an ear-piercing screech sound. When Jeff got onto the boat, he looked silently at the captain and wondered if him, or any other crew member was a water user. Maybe, Jeff thought, maybe he could stay at the boat and guard it... That way he would be useful. The jackal, however, wasn't as worried about the boat. After all he was a reaper. What did he have to worry about. When Jeff and the Jackal were brought to the 'sleeping quarters', the jackal instinctively moved to the darkest corner and sat down, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees. He also laughed silently his mind slowly losing grip. Jeff merely sighed, and walked into the room and to a wall in which he claimed the spot.

[warewolves]

(You could always use a bottle of water.

 

And I'm glad to see everyone loves their ship and accomodations

 

Bubbles, can I continue yet?)

[WonderBubbles]

((Use the OoC if you want to post OoC comments. ;3))

 

Nerves wracked the shifter as they walked onto the boat. A horrible smell filled her nose, and her stomach turned uneasily at the gentle rocking. Her black ears flattened against her head and she clung onto Zhiess. She gave a horrified look at the Captain and crew, tucking her tail close to her legs. They were quite possibly the ugliest looking bunch she'd seen in her life; these beings seemed to have gained a bad mix of the genes of humanoid and animal, with possible cross-species breeding involved. One looked as though he was half otter and half seagull, which was rather odd.

 

The sleeping quarters were even worse. They smelled as bad as the Captain, with damp and mould creeping across the walls and floor. She could see the hammocks along the sides, moth-eaten and in tatters. Sooty gave a disgusted whimper, turning a wide-eyed gaze toward their guide. Couldn't the Board of Slayers get a better boat?

 

((Now you can continue. c:))

Edited November 8, 2011 by WonderBubbles

[warewolves]

Tia walked into the food room and grabbed a bunch of water bottels and some of the food and put it in her bag. She then picked a corner by herself and curled up. Zack noticed this behaviour and walked over and sat down next to her. His wings furled up behind him as he bent down to look up at her downturned face. "What's all the food for?" he asked like a curious boy. Tia looked away shyly, blushing, "Well, if you want to eat well on the trip you have to grab what you can and hide it before the sailors eat all the good things." Zack raised his head and looked toward the food room, his eyes passing breifly over Sooty. He nodded "Yeah, that makes sence, but I don't have anywhere to hide my food." Tia raised her head and smile in a shy, sweet manner, "Oh that's quite alright, I managed to get enough water to last untill we make landstop, and the food we'll have to ration. Well for two people, I don't know about the others." Her face lowerd again, her voice going softer as she finished the sentence. Zack nodded and turned his eyes back to her, "So, how long will this trip be?" Tia grimaced softly, "Too long." Zack groaned, and layed down beside Tia, his back to the wall. "Well, I guess I'll conserve my strength, and my liquor." Tia let out a small chuckle, before she was silent again. Zack closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

 

The trip was long, smely, hard, and above all very thirsty for Zack. Even with the small amount Tia had given him, he found himself diving to the nearest foundtain when they landed to drink. They met a storm halfway through, Tia mysteriously slept through it. The boat seemed to turn over on itself, and staying in a corner was just as impossible as making sure no one was squished next to you. Zack used his wings to jam himself into a corner, Tia's sleping body in his hands. He gazed around for anyone else he could give a hand, but couldn't see a face he knew. As soon as they landed on the coast he didn't spare another thought as he ran through the sand and dived into the fountain. He sighed hapilly, and drunk his fill. He then gazed around him. Beside the fountain, there were a few speciality shops including one with camels out the back. He paused in his water enjoyment, and walked over to examine them. Tia waited for the group to recoperate and pointed to the camels. "If you have any special supplies you need before we head out, I siggest you buy them along with more water. I wil be only bringing enough water for you to survive on, so most of you will probably feel like you are dieing of thirst, but I shall do my best to provide for you. Meet here in a few hours, the sun will be two hours past the noon."

[Neutual Demon]

It felt like they were stuck on the boat for eternity, every creak of the ship threatening to break at any second. Xtero didn't sleep all too well through it, either spending the day with his eyes closed or gazing absent minded at the opposite wall. The swaying made him rather nauseous, so the Necromancer didn't eat much at all, maybe a piece of bread along with a drop of water and that was all he could tolerate for the day for the entire trip. During the storm, it only made him feel more sick than he felt, and ended up not consuming anything for a few days afterwards. His sister would've scolded him and forced something down his throat if she was still around...

 

When they finally reached shore, the nausea didn't stop as he stepped off into the sun. Xtero wasn't as thrilled as some of the people were, only giving the fountain a sickened look. He glanced over at Tia as she said something about getting stuff before they left. What he needed he already had... and he still had water stashed away from the boat trip, so he was ready to go. Though, he had a sinking feeling that this entire trip was going downhill, the boat only a taste of what was going to unfold.

[WonderBubbles]

After spending most of the trip with her head unattractively over the railing as she retched up the contents of her stomach and more, Sooty wobbled off of the boat and onto dry land. She fell to her knees, shocked at the lack of motion beneath her feet, and had to rest for a short while. Her head swam and her stomach gurgled uneasily as she ran a hand through her messy hair. She briefly glanced at the camels, wondering if they smelled as bad as they looked, and attempted to stand again. With shaky movements, she began to move off in the direction of the colourful market stalls. The shifter intended to buy some more supplies for the trip, as well as suitable clothing. The seemingly ever-present heat of the sun beat down on the Slayers, uncomfortable for the Denglish feline. The sand sunk beneath her feet, slowing her footsteps, as she cursed the country of Digypt.

[warewolves]

Tia walked over to the fountain and took a few gentle sips of water. Zack walke over and smiled lazilly at her. "There's not a single pub in this joint is there." Tia smiled, blushing a bit as she said quietly "No, alcahol only makes you thirstier in the desert." Zack nodded, and they both took a seat. Zack yawhned, and streached his wings out before shifting back into their normal position on his back. He grinned at Tia "So, you must have some small power, otherwise they wouldn't send you to travel on such a dangerous trip right?" Tia nodded barely, "Well...I can heal injuries kinda..." Zack turne and gazed at her properly, "Really? Can you do me a favor?" Tia nodded once, slowly. Zack turned and spread his wings halfway, "I got this awfull kink in my wings on the ship and the pain is really bothering me." Tia looked down, "I'm sorry, I can't stop pain, and it's only cuts and bruises normally." Zack smiled his charming smile and gazed at her from over his wing "No sweat Tia, could you just try and press gently somewhere near where my wing is folded? If it's not too much trouble?" He pointed to the spot awkwardly with a hand over his back. Tia paused, but eventually went and found the spot and pressed it gently. Zack immediately relaxed his wings and sighed greatly. "Thanks..." he said as he closed his eyes, embracing the feeling of the pain being gone. Tia held her hand gently where he had pointed, and a shy smile watched him as she saw him relax. "Your welcome..." she said, her voice a little surer then normal.

[WonderBubbles]

The fallen's voice reached her ears, piquing her interest. She only caught a few words; "pub" being one of them. She rolled her yellow eyes, turning her gaze to him as she brushed her fingers over a lightly coloured garment. The guide stood with him. Sooty frowned as Zack grinned at the girl, fixing his gaze on her. The shifter forced her eyes back onto the clothing, nodding at the salesman to say she'd take it. As he bundled it and a few other things into a bag, she glanced back over to the duo. Her hands were pressed against his back, and the fallen had an expression of pleasure on his face. A growl rumbled in her throat and her ears pinned back against her hair as she tore her eyes away. Her tail flicking, she quickly paid the merchant and stalked to another stall.

[Forsaken Rider of Dreams]

Jeff looked around and noticed how everyone seemed to have had a horrible experience on the boat. Jeff shrugged, his travel wasn't that bad, though, he also cheated in the way that he basically made a bed of water where he was laying. This made it easier for him to get through the ship without getting sick. When the boat came to a stop, He got up and dispelled the water formation, the boards of the ship instantaneously drawing the water into it. Jeff stepped out of the boat and immediately drew back from the heat. It basically sucked his energy out of him and made him feel dry. Which is typically not a big deal, but for a water elemental like him, it was. He used his strength to make a very thin layer of water vapor around him that only lasted until he got to the fountain. Jeff collapsed next to the fountain not used to the lack of water and put his hand into the water. With this he funneled the water to his mouth and sat there drinking water.

[warewolves]

The next day, Tia waited by the camels while the group prepared their things. She had a camel for everyone, plus two camels with enough provisions for the trip and back. Tia had one bag full of bottles of water for the trip. She gazed at evryone and noded once before grabbing her scarf and using it to cover most of her face bar her eyes. Zack, who had bought a similar thing, and carrying two bags of water, did the same thing. tia pulled out a sun umbrella and handed it to Jeff and said "Here." She shoved it into his hands and quickly retreated. As she made sure everyone was prepared, she checked the saddles. "Alright is everyone ready?" She gazed at everyone, then blushed and hopped betwen the two humps in a camel, where people sit, and waited for the others. Zack gazed at his camel warilly, but followed Tia's example. He flared his wings, then settled them to cover his body from the sun and heat. he had brought the traditional garb, meant to keep out heat as Tia had told him to, but he trusted his own wings more then clothes. As soon as everyone was ready, Tia 'yah-ed' the camel and it began to move. They set out on a small well beaten track into the desert, which quickly vanished. Zack gulped, if things didn't turn out well, he would die. He hoped he hadn't misplaced his trust in Tia.

[WonderBubbles]

The heat of the new day was much fiercer than anything Sooty had ever experienced in Dengland. Her desert robes, with their head-scarf, seemed to help a little. With a mistrustful, wary look at the smelly creature, she scrambled aboard. The odd beast, world-weary in its own way, just huffed, as if in disappointment at her lack of skills. The leopard took up the reigns, which were beautifully adorned in frills and bright colours, and glanced around. The strange saddle carried the same decorations, but was comfortable and seemed suited to long-distance travel. The lurch of the animals standing caused the feline to yelp and cling onto whatever she could hold.

 

Her world became stable again for a few moments, before the camel began to walk. Long strides mimicked the rolling of the boat they had vacated the day before, bringing her sea-sickness back all over again. Her long tail hung limply, and she leant forward over the front of the saddle, groaning. The heat of the sun burned on her back, almost impossibly increasing it temperature the further they went into the wide expanse of the desert.

[Kira1]

After the boat ride and they made it to the desert land, it was time for a camel ride.

Zhiess had never rode a camel before so he found the ride to be fun and interesting, especially the humps on the back of the camels. It certainly made sitting on their backs interesting. He looked over to Sooty who was beside him but she wasn't finding the ride as exhilarating.

"Are you okay?" Zhiess asked her.

 

Kira was indifferent to the camel ride and heat, but the sun above was trying to kill her with its deadly rays. She was completely covered from head to foot, to keep the sun from touching her skin, even wearing goggles over her eyes. It would be no good if she fried to crisp out there. Before they set out through the desert, she practically gorged herself on blood to make sure she would be fine for a long period of time with drinking no blood.