Misty Ravine

After Reza finishes drawing her little picture, she starts looking at Alkyone and see wind blowing into her fur. It was kind of strange, she didn’t even feel a slight breeze hitting her.

"Huh. You're right."

The large dark male made her loose her focus on Alkyone and she looks at him. “Oh… are you talking to me? Mister?” As soon as she said something Alkyone shot up and darted away from her and ran strait into the forest. “Alkyone…” She said vary quietly as everyone started walking away.'I guess I should fallow so I don't get left behind.' She thought.

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Back at the village Siren is patiently waiting for her daughter to come to the village. She has be waiting for her for hours and getting a little worried. "Where are you Reza... You're supposed to be here by now."

"Relaxed, she will be here, she's a tough girl." Said the young man on her back.

"Your supposed to be WITH HER!" Siren yelled in anger.

"Sheese you don't have to yell, I just didn't feel like tagging along." The young man chuckled.

"Your useless, Erwil." Said Siren as she continues to wait for her little Reza.


((I felt like add my OC Erwil http://jeep-the-dragon.deviantart.com/art/Erwil-150163866 to the RPG for the fun of it. The only thing I will change is his ears and ability to change into a dragon, he will be human now in this rpg.))

Seeing Alkyone shoot of in the distance towards the town then Reza after. He made his way toward the town also, not wanting to be left behind, and once he got up to Reza he asked "So do you happen to know anyone in this town ahead? I am not really social with many humans only shinlai normally."

Rysh laid in the shadows a little ways away from the village of humans. She tried to keep herself hidden while she watched their activities with curiosity. She never interacted with humans but always found them deeply fascinating creatures. Same with today she made her way to her favorite view point and laid down to observe.

Mel turned after Alk but didn't follow, she figured that Alk would want her alone time. She was glad she hadn't shot off after when Reza and Zeke follow after her. Mel sighed and walked over to Dag, Farai's hand clinging to her fur tightly. She sighed and looked from Farai to Dagda, "Since I'm probably the only one curious or doesn't know, who is Iapto!?!" she felt Farai stiffen next to her and sigh. Mel could tell she did not want to talk about this, but... there was something that Farai knew, and it seemed important...
"Dagda? Farai?" she asked, her voice quiet. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something was amiss...
((dundundun...))

Dagda started walking in the direction of the village. Hearing the crunch of footsteps not far behind him. He glanced at Mel as she caught up with him, Farai by her side. The human looked pale against her flaming red hair. "Since I'm probably the only one curious or doesn't know, who is Iapto!?!" She asked. "Dagda? Farai?" She said with a quiet voice.

Dagda looked at the human again. Did she know something of Iapto? Her reaction to Iapto’s name suggested she knew something. Had Iapto stolen from her or her family at some point? Or had they met in passing? “Iapto is a human I helped raise. Years and years ago. She doesn’t remember her human family and travels around now a day.” He explained quickly.

“Why what’s up?” He asked frowning slightly.

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Alkyone half ran half trotted through the forest. Her brow pulled into a furrow. She was still angry. Her job was hard enough without criticism from those she considered friends. She knew that she needed to calm down. But she also knew that wouldn’t happen, not for a while at least. There were only a few things that would calm her down right now. But Dagda was back with the others, and she was a long way away from the coast.

She slowed to a stop, seeing the village through the trees a head of her. She could make out the light blue colouring of Siren, Reza’s mother, by the buildings. Breathing heavily through her nose she watched the other female through the trees for a moment. Before turning and stalking off through the trees. Finding a space in the trees, she began pacing back and forth across the grass.

Farai let go of Mel's fur and turned to Dagda, "Uhh... Excuse me, but... May I have a word, alone with you, Dagda?" She walked over to the larger shinlai and lead him away from Mel, who had tilted her head sideways, confused.
Once Farai was sure that they were out of Mel's hearing range, she turned to the earth shinlai. "I don't remember this, but I overheard my father and my mother talk about a girl... Her name was Iapto. One day, after Melody left the troupe, I asked about her... So my mother and father told me... After all those years." she sighed, sounding a little shakey, "Apparently... She was in the troupe... She went missing one night, and my dad went out to look for her the next morning when it was known when she was gone... That's how he found Mel." she sat down on a nearby tree root, putting her head in her hands. "When no one could find her, they assumed someone in the town had taken her in... And since we had a shinai in the troupe now, we headed to town. No shinlai had gone to that town asking about a pup, and no one who would speak to my father, a man who was walking around with a shinlai- no matter how young she was, it had been a biased town. But not one of those souls had seen or heard of a girl named Iapto." she looked up from her hands and into the larger shinlai's eyes. "We stayed the longest time there, longer then we had ever stayed, but no one had been looking for Mel, and no one had seen Iapto- or had seen her and lied." she added on bitterly. "The worst thing about it was probably how her parents fealt whe she was gone... My mother told me about how she had never been through so much pain... It only seemed natural to her and the rest of the troupe that she should take in Mel and that's how she became 'Melody'." she sighed yet again, "I just wished I could remember her..."

Rondun watched with a measured gaze as Alk took her leave. It was beginning to dawn on him that in the heat of the situation he had managed to overreact. He knew Alkyone had a right to be upset and her reaction was more than justified.

However, he also knew that in fighting, he was only trying to keep the others safe. If Silas had not called it when he did, the Elite knew the possibility of the other opposing Shinlai, and now a human, coming into harm's way would have further intensified.

He sat down and stared off into the wood line. Distancing himself from the conversation, while Larkein listened intently to Mel's inquiries, he shifted sullenly.

Larkein watched Farai pull Dagda off to the side and tilted her head. "Looks like someone's a bit anxious about something." she mumbled. A movement from behind her made Lark wheel around. Rondun had risen to his feet and began walking silently into the trees. "Hey you! Where do you think you're going?!" she called after him. But before she could follow after him, the Elite had disappeared into the dancing shadows of the forest floor.

She stopped short and turned to cast a concerned glance in Dagda's direction, where he stood speaking with the human girl. "Shootshootshootshoot!..." Larkein began to panic.

Dagda’s confused frown changed to a look of surprise as Farai walked over to him. "Uhh... Excuse me, but... May I have a word, alone with you, Dagda?" She asked and guided him away from a puzzled looking Mel.

“S-Sure, what is it? What’s wrong?” He asked, looking worriedly down at the human girl. He fell silent as she spoke.

"I don't remember this, but I overheard my father and my mother talk about a girl... Her name was Iapto. One day, after Melody left the troupe, I asked about her... So my mother and father told me... After all those years. Apparently... She was in the troupe... She went missing one night, and my dad went out to look for her the next morning when it was known when she was gone... That's how he found Mel. When no one could find her, they assumed someone in the town had taken her in... And since we had a Shinlai in the troupe now, we headed to town.” Farai explained shakily and sat on a tree root her head in her hands.

Dagda padded over and lay down in front of her. Watching with a mixture of interest and concern. ”No Shinlai had gone to that town asking about a pup, and no one who would speak to my father, a man who was walking around with a Shinlai- no matter how young she was, it had been a biased town. But not one of those souls had seen or heard of a girl named Iapto. We stayed the longest time there, longer then we had ever stayed, but no one had been looking for Mel, and no one had seen Iapto- or had seen her and lied.” She said looking up at him, her emerald green eyes meeting his bright blue eyes.

”The worst thing about it was probably how her parents felt when she was gone... My mother told me about how she had never been through so much pain... It only seemed natural to her and the rest of the troupe that she should take in Mel and that's how she became 'Melody'. I just wished I could remember her..." She said sighing.

Dagda gave a quiet whine and nudged his head into her lap. Closing his eyes and letting her hug him. There wasn’t much he could say. Nothing helpful at least. He couldn’t help but wonder if it really was the same Iapto as the small human girl he helped raise. With a deep sigh he slowly raised his head to look Farai in the eye. “Well then, we better hurry to the village then.” He said slowly. With a grunt he pushed himself to his feet and gave Farai a gentle nudge. “Go get on Mel. I want to move quickly. It’s getting too dark for my liking.” He said gruffly with a shake of his mane.

He turned to see the fiery colouration of Larkein looking indecisive. Looking first from him and then to the tree line. He frowned to himself. “What is it?” He asked quietly to himself. His eye’s flicked around the group. Zeke and Reza stood together. Farai and Mel. Larkein and... “Where’s Rondun!” He called, a trace of urgency to his voice. Another look around confirmed the lack of Elite. “Damn it Rondun! Running off with a bad led isn’t a good idea!” He snapped to the none present Shinlai. “Lark. He knows we’re heading to the village. If he has any sense he’ll meet us there.” He said padding over to the Fire Lai. “We should keep moving.” He said glancing around nervously.


((AHHHH huge post! And its only Dagda's point of view XD))

"So do you happen to know anyone in this town ahead? I am not really social with many humans only shinlai normally." Zeke asked.

“Well not really. My mother wanted to go to some village to visit some friends of hers that she knew long ago but then I got separated at some point.” Reza said as trots behind Alkyone but keeps a distant from her. Reza can now see how upset she looks so she lets her have her space. “So Zeke, you never been around humans before? I think there fun depending who you play with. I know a few humans but not the ones my mom want to visit.”

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Siren continues to wait for her daughter in the village. Erwil jumps off her back and starts to run off.

“Erwil, where are you going?” Said Siren with a huff.

“I’m going to get something to eat, I’m hungry. I’m going to get lizard on a stick, you want some?” Said Erwil wile he stops and stretches his arms and legs.

“No thanks, I’m not hungry.” Said Siren as she looks up and see a dark purple Shinlai in a distance.

“Suite yourself, More for me!” Erwil runs into the village and disappears.

((I though this RPG died XD I guess not.))

Rysh spotted the shinlai's walking towards the village. She crept closer out of curiosity still sticking to the shadows of trees and other cover. It wasn't that she was afraid, but was too shy to come out and greet them fully. Like always she sat and watched.

"A rather loud attempt at subtley. You move around to much to be silent."

A cream and brown Shinlai stepped out of the shadows deeper in the trees. His three white eyes shined in the shade, fading as the tree cover thined and more light shined though. He chuckled,"No not very subtle at all." He walked forward to stand by the crouching Shinlai, but slowed as he got closer. Strangly, his eyes stared right over Rysh- almost like he didn't see her.

His fur was thick and (honestly) rather fluffy. He wore no accesories, like many Shinlai, save for a thick ebony black ribbon of silk. It was like a necklace, twining twice around his neck and weighed down with a silver snake, circling around to devour it's own tail. The most striking thing about him though, was his lack of a mask.

A wide grin spread across his face. "I'm Apollo. Apollo of Light. And you?"

(I descirbe a lot XD Mind if I join?)

“Where’s Rondun!” Dagda demanded urgently. “Damn it Rondun! Running off with a bad led isn’t a good idea!” he growled in frustration.

Larkein eyed his approach and glanced back into the treeline, her lip beginning to curl as her patience with the Elite wore thin. "The idiot." she mumbled tersely.

“Lark." The female turned towards the Earth Shinlai as he neared. "He knows we’re heading to
the village. If he has any sense he’ll meet us there.”

The ranger snarled, "He'd better hope he will, if I have anything to say about it." She nodded at his urge to head out and turned to Farai. "Hey, you riding or walking?"

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Rondun sifted through the trees at a swift pace, relying mostly on his element to conceal himself within the shadows of the towering woods around him. His mouth open, he tested the air as he ran, he could faintly pick up Alkyone's scent, but it was mingled in with the scents of the other Lai from the clearing.

He diverted his route. Dodging between trees and over patches of rough forest terrain, he made sure to avoid the path of the trailing Shinlai and began to maneuver himself into a position to cut the Water female off.

When he had finally caught up with her purple form, Rondun allowed her to gain ground before speaking up from where he stood in the deepening shadows. "Alk," he began, blocking her path and allowing himself to fade back into the open, "We need to talk. Look I apologize for what happened back there." He lowered his head to look the female in the eye. "Things started to get out of hand and I overreacted."

(ff waaay to kiss ass Ronny >>)

Farai walked back to Mel after the little talk she had shared with Dagda. She looked at Mel in the small shinlai's confused eyes, "I'll tell you later..." she mumbled, not wanting to talk about it anymore. She couldn't remember Iapto, but she could remember that everyone had ghosts haunting their past, and Mel's happened to have appeared in nightmares over the past... Showing up when Mel was unhappiest. She heard Dagda talking to the one he'd called 'Lark', but Farai still jumped a little when the red shinlai addressed her, interrupting her musings by saying, "Hey, you riding or walking?"
"Wha- oh." she turned to Mel, the small shinlai looked tired... "I'll walk." She smiled at the assumed fire shinlai.
((I can't remember if someone had mentioned Lark's name when Farai were around... so she's going by what Dag had mentioned. ^^;))

Rysh's eyes widened and she backed away timidly. Her voice shook "Rr...ysh.." was all she was able to squeak out. "I..I didn't see you there..." She eyed Apollo carefully the thick teal fur along her spine seemed to stand on end defensively. "I hope I ... didn't disturb you. I just like to observe... As for subtlety I am not usually spotted so easily..."

"He'd better hope he is, if I have anything to say about it." Larkein snarled looking un-amused. She turned and spoke to Farai. "Hey, you riding or walking?" She asked.

Dagda swung his head around, his eyes flicking from shadow to shadow. Paranoia was creeping into his mind. The shadows around him seemed sinister and looming. He hunkered his head down as his eye flicked from shadow to shadow. His skin crawling at the thought of who, or what, could be lurking out of sight. He shivered and turned back to the group.

“Reza, Zeke! Don’t go too far ahead okay!” He called over to them, he walked after them trying to make sure that both groups were within reach. “Ugh I hate the dark.” He muttered quietly.

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She had started running again. If asked she would have said, ‘for the feeling of freedom.’ But in reality she was trying to run away from her troubles. The cold air stinging her eyes and burning her lungs only helped to blot out any other thoughts. That and the rhythmic thumpa thump thump of her paws hitting the ground. She had always turned to running. Even fifty years ago, when with Dagda, she had resorted to running to help clear her mind.

She was so absorbed in her running she didn’t notice the shadows darkening around her. A Darkblood could have moved to attack her and she wouldn’t have noticed until the last moment. So it came as a shock when her name was spoken.

“Alk,” A deep voice said from the shadows. She skidded to a stop as her fur stood on end. She automatically crouched, baring her teeth in a snarl. Rondun materialised from the surrounding shadows, blocking her route. "We need to talk. Look I apologize for what happened back there. Things started to get out of hand and I overreacted." He said, lowering his head to look her in the eye better.

She stared back at him for several moments, an awkward silence hanging in the air between them. “You’re right.” She said hoarsely. “We do need to talk, and things did get out of hand.” She said, completely skipping over his apology. She kept eye contact and dropped the snarl, but didn’t move from her defensive crouch.

“Well not really. My mother wanted to go to some village to visit some friends of hers that she knew long ago but then I got separated at some point.”
Ah well at least you have your mother waiting for you! I would probaly avoid a village unless I was with another shinlai like you who knew more about humans. I was with my father and mother for most of my young life.. Then my father left me when I was seven so it was just me and my mother so we stayed near our cave using just the resources around us never bothering with the humans.


“So Zeke, you never been around humans before? I think there fun depending who you play with. I know a few humans but not the ones my mom want to visit.” Nope! I did try once, but I wimped out and ran home and after that I never tried again. So today will be a exciting new expreiance! So I hope it goes well. "So do you wanna stop here and wait for the others? I don't think Dagda is enjoying the darkness?"

Apollo tilted his head and readjusted his gaze so that he looked towards the sound of her voice. He didn't expect the female to be so ruffled. He listened to her footsteps as she took a few steps back. He chuckled. He could imagine her fur standing up on end. "I wouldn't say I "spotted" you...." Apollo mulled it over for a moment. Could you spot something with sound alone? No matter.

"Rysh? Interesting name." He smiled. "So why are you hiding over in the bushes?"

She calmed a bit "Hiding, I wasn't hiding...merely observing from a safe distance. " She looked back towards the village "I don't really know the nature of this village. Whether they are friendly or not, so I just sit and watch careful to not let them see me. Not really very good with confrontations..." She shrugged. "What about you, why are you sneaking up on people?"

Apollo laughed, this female had quite a bite to her words. "I wouldn't exactly call it 'sneaking up' darling. I'm simply wandering the woods. And I'd like to point out that 'not letting others see you' is hiding, love." He teased, a wicked grin on his face. Apollo sat down. Where his forepaws touched the ground light welled up from under them, like someone putting their hand over a flashlight. Apollo lifted one paw and light dripped off of it like liquid, where the 'droplets' floated in the air like fireflies.

"Either way, I was simply wandering around, as I said. I was thinking of stopping by the human villiage but my interest in it has worn out. I'm more one for the city." He laughed softly.

(Apollo likes to fool around with his element XD )

She watched him carefully, her head tilted to the side a bit. "Interesting...I must say your skills are...well better than mine. I always just end up upsetting everyone around me when I play with my skills. Last time I got kicked out of a village because I soaked the village leader" She hung her head as she sat back on her haunches. "Looking back on it now I find it a bit funnier then I did at the time. " So you want to go to one of the cities? How exciting? Have you been to one before? What was it like? Wait...I am sorry...I am just rambling" She stilled her tongue and sat a bit embarrassed by her own enthusiasm.

"Your element is Water?" Apollo frowned, he hated the water more than anything. "That's interesting, there's a few people I wouldn't mind to soak," Apollo said smoothly, a sly grin on his face.

Apollo chuckled at all the questions she threw at him. She certainly was a fast speaker. "I've already been to a few human cities. They're preferrable to villiages, in my own opinion. It's busy. Fast. Quite a few humans and Shinlai alike are rude although there's quite a few who are decent if you look. Still- it's my kind of place. Sounds like you've never been."

Ah well at least you have your mother waiting for you! I would probaly avoid a village unless I was with another shinlai like you who knew more about humans. I was with my father and mother for most of my young life.. Then my father left me when I was seven so it was just me and my mother so we stayed near our cave using just the resources around us never bothering with the humans.

“Yeah my mom is waiting for me in the village. Lately she’s been wanting me to go whatever she goes.” Reza stops to take a brevier and starts licking her paw and said. “You say father? I always wanted a father. I never new my real father, my mom usually never wants to talk about him. I always thought a shinlai named Bolla was my father but he’s not. Mom always said he’s just a guy that won’t leave her alone. I think it’s silly.”

“Nope! I did try once, but I wimped out and ran home and after that I never tried again. So today will be a exciting new expreiance! So I hope it goes well.”Said Zeke. “I’m glad Zeke I bet it will go well” said Reza as she smiles at him. "So do you wanna stop here and wait for the others? I don't think Dagda is enjoying the darkness?" Zeke said. “Yeah we should stop.” Reza said. She starts turning her head around and looks at Dagda from a distance. ‘Poor Dagda.’ She thought.

"No, no I have never been. It seems I am a bit to timid for city life, villages are interesting, their pace is alot...calmer you could say." She glanced back over towards the village with a small sigh "So much life... and movement... really is quite interesting to see the way humans function from day to day..." Her small stature just put her head above the bushes when she laid down fully and she watched. "So just visiting out this way I take it, You travel often?"

"Calms not really my way," Apollo shrugged. "Humans are rather interesting. At the same time, it's remarkable how similar we are to them." Apollo had a rather... eloquent way of speaking for someone of a rather young age. It made him seem as if he were wiser than his years.

He heard her lie back down in the bushes. The grass and leaves on the ground rustling under her weight. Apollo leaned on his side slightly, a rather lazy way of sitting as opposed to his usual straight posture. "I'm more of a wanderer than anything. No place I call home, mostly because I feel no need to. I travel around, listening to what others gossip about mostly," Apollo chuckled at this. He made sure to always stick his nose in whenever there was even a whisper of useful information. His favorite expression was, "Knowledge is Power".

Apollo looked out on the village. Not that he could see any of it. "I've gotten a lot of reactions when others hear I travel. It's rather amusing. Others think that being blind prevents me from doing anything. But what I lack in my sight I make up for with my hearing." Apollo laughed again. He looked in Rysh's direction. "Apparently I'm improving on my acting- because I don't think you noticed at all," Apollo chuckled. He didn't usually bring up his disability but he found himself at ease chatting about simply... nothing important. It was refreshing.

She chuckled a bit "Well honestly its not hard to spot, but I didn't bring it up seeing as that I know you realize you are blind already. I would think others exclaiming "OH YOU ARE BLIND" would get a bit old. and seeing as that you seem to be just as active and regular as any other I have met, I didn't feel like bringing the subject up unless you did. " She smiled to herself.