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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:36:25 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
Two years older, two feet taller (I assume?). Kira was flabergasted, but recovered quickly acting as if it was nothing. "No, no, I was just curious..."
Eniisa patted her horse on the side slightly, letting it go faster until she was next to Mimix and Akeil. "Start breathing, kid. You're beet red." Akeil started, turning an ever deeper shade of red.
"Eniisa..." he warned. Embarassment wasn't the only thing changing his skin color. The heat was rather much for someone used to artic temperatures.
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:36:46 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
(XD! Poor Aki! After your post, I'll bump things along >3!)
Mimix obviously did not seem to notice Akeil and Eniisa talking, her eyes focused on the sand. Was it just her, or did it actually move? Like a cat waiting patiently to pounce upon its prey, Mimix remained focused on the sand, still and silent.
A moment later, a fist-sized portion of the sand moved, then was still again. She felt herself tensing, but didn't panic just yet. It could just be her imagination, or...
Being the guardian of Liberta, Cloe had grown a sense of when people were rather uneasy, scared, and other such things that would probably predict trouble. So it wasn't unatural when she looked over her shoulder to Mimix. Motioning for Silv to continue leading them, Cloe slowed down her horse until it was on the other side of Akeil and Mimix. Mimix was still focused on the sand, a slight frown creasing her brow. Seeing Akeil, Cloe gave a small smile, and fished around in her pocket.
"Here Akeil, this should help you. I am probably right to assume you are not use to such heat?" Cloe asked, setting a single light blue berry in his hand. "Just eat it, trust me. This is called a chill berry, reserved for desert travel."
Cloe then tossed a chill berry to Eniisa. "It will get hotter, so I suggest we all have one." When Mimix finally let one hand trail away from Akeil, Cloe pressed a berry into her hand, and gave one to Kira as Cloe bade her horse to catch back up to Silv. Whatever was bothering Mimix, it didn't seem to be there as bad.
Mimix popped the berry into her mouth, and chewed. A brief shiver traveled down her spine, but the sweet cool liquid seemed to go through her own body in a matter of seconds. The heat of the desert didn't even seem noticable anymore. Mimix tried to focuse on anything but the sand, but arising paranoia kept making her glance down every once in a while...
-----
"Ruja, you are going to have to go after them," Dunstin insisted once again, tucking a blanket around the now slumbering Bliss. It had taken a while, but they had managed to get some potion down her to make her fall into a deep sleep and get her onto a cot. Ruja stood from her spot on the end of the bad, and nodded.
"You are right, I should. I should be able to get there after dark if Nix takes me. I'm not sure when I will be back, but make sure you are not here alone with Bliss when she wakes up. Whatever it did to her won't wear off for a while." Dunstin nodded, and watched as Ruja exited the room.
Now out in the busy street, Ruja looked up to the afternoon sky, her eyes briefly turning orange. A second later a dark speck appeared in the sky, and soon a large phoenix was hovering above her, making the people gathered around Ruja scream and run away. Ruja leapted up and settled on Nix's back, and they were soon zooming toward the south.
I hope I get there before it gets one of them. Ruja thought, knowing that this whole mess just may have been her fault to start with. She had to recapture it before the wrong hands did.
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:37:08 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
Akeil shook his head with a slight grin. "I really should be, but...no..." Gratefully he took the berry and chewed, instantly relieved. Eniisa did so as well, although she waited a bit longer. Not only was she more used to the heat, but she was concentrating on something else...The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and she could sense tension in the air...
Kira's ears twitched as she muched on a chill berry and licked the blue juice from her fingers. She looked up with curiosity. "Huh...It must be pretty windy up ahead. I can hear the sand moving"
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:37:36 GMT -5
Posted by Hisori:
Cloe glanced down Kira, then focused up ahead once again. Then she sighed, not seeming too happy at the moment, if not a little disapointed.
Silv, however, was grinning.
"Sanders! Excellent! Haven't seen them for a while!"
"Sanders?" Mimix inquired, forgetting about the shifting sand and looking around Aki to Silv. Silv looked over his shoulder, still grinning.
"Yep! I named them! Sanders are terrible little creature--they'll drag you right off your mount and down into the depths of the sand if they want to. They are only seen by those who they are hunting."
"What?! But I'm seeing them!"
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:37:52 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
Akeil stared at Silv in absolute shock. "What are you so happy about?" he exclaimed. Great, he thought. We're being co-led by a crazy person.
"Erm, hearing them doesn't count, does it?" Kira asked, wide-eyed and scooted closer to Cloe.
Eniisa almost laughed, placing a hand on her dagger. "And I suppose just closing your eyes won't help."
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:38:15 GMT -5
Posted by Hisori:
Silv rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "No offence to dear Mimix, of course! I just like sanders."
Behind Mimix and Akeil, Dest rolled her eyes at her brother.
"Don't worry, Mimix. If they try to get you...let's just say their whole race could possibly go extinct with a simple snap of my fingers."
Mimix believed her--and she stopped seeing the sand move.
-----
They traveled until the sun had descended, and the horses got slower and slower.
Cloe slid down from her mount, and the horse winnied gently as Cloe patted its muzzle.
Mimix, glad to finally be getting off, slid down and instantly felt her legs give out on her. She sat there on the sand, and sighed. Well, not bad for a second time!
Silv was already off and making a fire--with no wood. Humming to himself, he smiled as his fire floated but a mere inch from off of the sand. "Gotta love magic!"
Dest took down her pack, then stretched out her legs. "Yeah. Don't forget to put it out this time. Remember what happened last time? You almost woke up dead."
Silv gave her a friendly glare.
"Kill joy."
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:38:32 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
Kira almost literally fell off the horse as Cloe slid off, limp from the hours of riding. "Oooooh," she groaned. "Why isn't there any water here..."
"It's a desert for a reason." The Ethornyan mage chuckled slightly. "I seem to recall a certain person asking the same question once upon a time...Now, who was that..." Eniisa mocked, tapping her chin with a finger. Akeil shot her a playful glare.
"Haa, very funny, Enii," Akeil replied, hopping down after Mimix, being careful to not boot her in the head. "Are you alright?" he asked the Time Apprentice.
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:39:01 GMT -5
Posted by Hisori:
Mimix tilted her head back to look up at Akeil, and she smiled.
"Yes, I'm fine. My legs just need to recover."
"Aww! I wish Chiyo was here! I'm suddenly in the mood for fish," Silv said randomly, looking at the fire as he wondered what they should eat that night. Dest raised an eyebrow at him.
"And how would Chiyo's presence help us get fish?"
"Aah, you forget little sister! Chiyo could be to the Jehm Sea and back in a mere three seconds. Well, we'll give her an additional two seconds...so in five seconds, we could have some yummy fish!"
Mimix laughed at Silv, slowly getting to her feet, using Akeil as her support just incase her legs gave out again. "Slow down, Silv."
Cloe was just handing her water flask to Kira when she paused, and looked up to the night sky.
"It appears we have a visitor,"
-----
It was easy to find the traveling group once they had set up a fire. Nix adjusted her position and began to dive toward the bright dot on the blackend landscape. There the figures of the small group began to be more noticable. And, to Ruja's relief, It wasn't there.
The large Pheonix smoothed out from her dive and began to descend a yard or so away from the fire, stirring up a bit of dust that the fire hissed at. Nix landed, and tuked her wings to her sides. Ruja slid down, and brushed a hand over Nix's smooth feathers.
"Go rest, my friend. I'll call you when you are needed again." Nix cooed and gently nudged Ruja's shoulder, then suddenly took off, engulfing Ruja in a swirl of sand and wind. When it settled, Ruja brushed the sand from her hair and approached the group.
-----
"Welcome to the group, Ruja." Cloe said, now finally able to hand Kira the water flask.
Ruja nodded, and looked toward Akeil, Eniisa...and Mimix. She had to grin then.
"So...the Apprentice returns."
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:39:21 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
The Ethornyans' jaws dropped, Akeil's physically and Eniisa's mentally. "Well," Eniisa started. "You certainly know how to make an entrance." Akeil nodded dumbly in agreement and shut his mouth. He had never seen a Phoenix before. They were rare in Ethornya and symbolized the goddess, so the shock was a little much.
Kira, a little more interested in the water, simply blinked when Ruja appeared, muttered something about a big bird, and hulped a little bit of water. An otter like herself did not fare well in deserts.
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:39:41 GMT -5
Posted by Hisori:
Ruja almost laughed at the two Ethornyans, but instead gave a simple nod to Eniisa. Mimix, however, crossed her arms.
"What do you mean, I return? Anything like that has hidden meaning behind it."
"Oh stars, here we go." Dest chuckled, following Silv closer to the fire, where they began to discuss what would be good to eat tonight that would help them throughout the day tomorrow. "It's been years since the last time this happened."
Cloe looked briefly upward before glancing to Ruja and Mimix. "Play nice now. We all need to rest soon."
"Hey, I am being nice." Ruja insisted, holding her hands up. "That's why I won't answer Mim's question."
"Fine, answer this one--why are you here?" Mimix asked, curious. "And why on Nix, of all...creatures?"
Ruja paused for a moment. It apparently hadn't shown up yet...she did not want to tell them her true intentions yet.
"Why, to help you guys find Bliz, of course. We have a bit of a situation over in Liberali, and the master healer is wanted." With that Ruja turned away, quite serious in what she said. But she looked over her shoulder and grinned at Mimix."So...did you have fun with any sanders? When hunting, they pick the weakest out of the group." Mimix glared slightly, then sighed.
"My first day back in Liberta has been...swell. Swell indeed."
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:40:00 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
Akeil and Eniisa sat by the fire as Ruja and Mimix bickered, relaxing after the long days ride. Akeil removed his sword so he wouldn't break it and laid back, still in his armor -- A habit Eniisa got him into, just in case they were attacked at night -- and stared at the stars.
"Did you notice anything different?" his sister asked, poking at the fire with a stick. "About Liberta?"
Akeil's mouth curled into a small smile. "Like what? The geography? The stars? The creatures?" The mage turned to her brother with her famous evil look.
"Well, if you know what I mean, then you know that you have to be careful." With that, Eniisa stood and walked over to Ruja and Mimix. It would definately be hard for her to look after three heroes instead of the usual one.
Akeil blinked as she stood and laughed nervously. "Careful about what?"
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:42:31 GMT -5
Posted by Hisori:
"Your sister is quite the mysterious one, isn't she?" Cloe stated, having wandered over to Akeil after Eniisa had left. Brushing her golden hair over one shoulder, Cloe sat next to Akeil, her eyes on Dest and Silv, who were chatting as they cooked something over the fire.
Ruja just grinned at Mimix, then turned back to face her.
"...Hey, really. Welcome back. Don't take that too serious, now. I just happen to be in a good mood. Well look here...I haven't seen you in a while, Eniisa." Ruja said, noticing the mage approach. Ruja nodded to her, then looked up to the stars.
"So tell me, Eniisa...how have you been?"
Poor Mimix was so confused about Ruja--she just stood there, but tried to not let her dumbfoundedness show. Sigh. Things had changed a lot more than she had been aware of.
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:43:04 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
"Mysterious...doesn't quite cover it," Akeil replied, sitting up. He had no idea what Eniisa meant. What was he supposed to be cautious about? He shook his head. "If I could figure out what she was thinking for once, instead of the other way around..." It seemed like all of the women in his family -- No, all women -- had that quirk. The men, unfortunately, had no such gift.
As for Eniisa...Tired? Overworked? Rightfully paranoid? Many, many thingscould describe how Eniisa had been. "Fine," she responded politely. "And you?" Behind her, Kira fell asleep, curled up next to the fire with her tail brushing the sand.
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:44:03 GMT -5
Posted by Hisori:
Cloe laughed softly. "Maybe it's a good thing you do not know what she is thinking."
"Finally! It's done!" Silv announced, walking around the fire with two bowls in his hands as he approached Ruja and Eniisa. "Ladies first!" He handed them the bowls, and two spoons. "It's a simple stew, really. Potatoes, a few herbs, carrots...believe me, it tastes better than it looks. And you'll appriciate it once you go to sleep--it gets mighty cold." Silv went back and brought another one to Mimix, then Cloe, then Akeil.
Silv looked down at Kira, then rubbed the back of his head. "Aww, I'm sorry...I took so long that she fell asleep."
Ruja held her bowl, kind of glad for the warmth that chased away the slight chill she had been feeling about the air. Mimix turned around and walked over to where Cloe and Akeil were sitting, and sat at Akeil's other side.
"Troubled, to be truthful. Liberta never rests." Ruja responded, stirring her soup with her spoon. She took a sip, but was not very hungry. But she felt Silv's eyes on her back, so she took another couple of bites. Men.
"I agree with you there, Ruja." Cloe responded, finishing her soup. They had been given a small amount, but it was rather filling and satisfying.
Mimix had been eating some, but found herself drifting to sleep. She would force herself to come back to what was happening around her, but her lids would begin to droop again...
Dest stretched her arms, and looked around at everyone.
"I'll take watch over the night. Destruction never sleeps."
"Do you mean your full name, or actual destruction? You know, it's a dang good thing you are not a villian." Silv inquired, having gone to his horse and come back with two bundled up blankets. He lifted Kira briefly to get a blanket under her, then set her back down and laid the other one on top of her. He was so gentle in his doings, because he didn't want to disturb her.
"You know what I mean, Silv. I suggest everyone wrap up tonight, though. We won't have the fire to chase away the harsh chill."
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Post by ||Megs|| on Nov 8, 2006 8:44:28 GMT -5
Posted by Muse:
"Varen de Nise, Morwe de Begous," Eniisa said casually, setting her now empty soup bowl by the fire. "The Sun leaves a wake of chill." Akeil nodded, having heard the saying before. Frankly, the weather was perfect for him. Almost. Before long, it might get even colder.
Then he noticed Mimix's drooping eyes. "Here, I'll get a blanket for you." He stood and looked over to Silv and the sleeping Kira. "Are we going to have enough blankets?"
"You might've asked that before we left..." Eniisa said, but Akeil just coughed in reply.
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