OOC: This is a one on one between DS4 and I, at least for now. If you're interested in plans for the Allatik's and their upcoming war, flash me a PM and I'll give out more information.

IC:
Bullridge.

As far as Cy Ara could tell, it was just another village - nothing special. The only thing she was glad for was the river that seemed to flow around it. Tyleek had called the river Ramr. Cy Ara didn't show she'd cared.

It had taken Tyleek, Cy Ara, and Theldor about a week to get here from the Hadarac Desert. As hard as Tyleek tried, Cy Ara hadn't smiled since the death of Siberia. The loss of a Guardian was more than any Allatik could bare. It drove many to suicide. Cy Ara would be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind, but only because of the stories. She wasn't ready to die. Not until she saw Lukia dead at her feet for what he'd done. He'd already done so many unforgivable things, but taking Siberia from her was the worst thing he could've possibly done.

Her movements were slow and almost thick in fashion, but she stumbled over a tree root nonetheless, so absorbed in her memories and thoughts. She didn't fall, but balanced herself with her arms outstretched. Tyleek was there in a flash, like he had been ready to pounce every moment of the past week to catch her or make sure no harm came to her.

He talked a lot of the trip, which was fine by Cy Ara, because she didn't have much to say lately. But he also worried over her like a mother hen, which was just about to drive her nuts. Normally, she'd be touched by his gestures to aid her. But her irritability and depression were just too deep.

"I'm fine," she murmured, and continued until she could her the bubbling hiss of the river. "Let's take a break..." She stopped by the edge, ignoring the sound of her growling stomach over the sound of the river, and slowly sat herself down with her knees to her chest. She thought about sticking her feet in, then decided against it as more negative thoughts intruded her mind. Though silent, she sighed heavily and gazed at the water, her arms around her legs. She could already feel the ball forming in her throat and tears springing to her eyes.

Flashes of that day came at her with dizzying speeds. Her ally Ka had let her see and hear everything that was going on, but Siberia allowed her to feel it all. She could never express the pain her Guardian had felt as she'd died. And it was because of her..

Oh, Siberia... I'm so sorry I made you go.. you loved the water.

Cy Ara stared at Tyleek, not quite comprehending his odd behavior. She furrowed her brow once he told her to eat, opening her mouth to speak. But a familiar voice rang out instead of her own, and she turned toward the direction in which it was coming from.

"Cy Ara! Tyleek!" Cy Ara stared at the shape running toward them, not revealing the bewilderment of seeing Raitfier here. What were the chances of them running into each other here, of all of Alagaesia? Cy Ara wasn't sure what to say when he bounded up and stopped a foot away. He rested his hands on his knees and grinned, huffing. "I can't believe it's you guys! Glade and Kipp were saying they sensed familiar aura's, but I never dreamt it might be you two. On our travels since the three of us a split, we've met lots of people and I've actually been really excited about the thought of running into you guys again. So, how have you been? How's Zeke and Jia? I can't wait to swap stories!"

As usual, Raitfier ranted and blabbed like an excited child, completely oblivious to the severity of the situation. But in the silence that ensued after he'd spoken, he finally noticed Cy Ara's condition and his face went slack with worry.

"Cy... you don't look so well. What.. what's happened?" Cy Ara had turned away from him, and Raitfier turned his attention to Tyleek, hands forming into fists at his sides. Now it was his turn to be angry and want to punch something. But unlike Tyleek, he didn't care about hiding it. "Something really bad has happened.. hasn't it.."

Poor Raitfier was in the dark on the plans of a war and Cy Ara's loss of Siberia. His ignorance Cy Ara envied. She stayed silent, setting down her bowl before her trembling hands dropped it.

OOC: Holy crap. Bed for me. Replies asap tomorrow... xD

IN:
Raitfier caught the drift and moved slightly away from Cy Ara, closer to Tyleek as well. At the sound of Lukia's name spoken out loud, his heart shuddered, along with his body. He was already going to guess that somebody had been lost in the attack, but he wouldn't have guessed Siberia right away.

The air caught in his throat and he glanced Cy Ara's way, another shiver running through his spine. He'd rather be a victim of Lukia any day than lose Kipp o Glade. He couldn't imagine the feeling of being ripped from them, or vice versa. After a long moment of silence, Raitfier turned his focus back on Tyleek and spoke quietly.

"So let me guess. She's been a zombie ever since." He frowned, thinking hard. You could almost smell the gears churning. "Well we need to get her out of this funk. Laughter is the best medicine for her," he said calmly, wanting nothing more right now than to see Cy Ara back to her old self. He snapped his fingers and his face lit up.

"I've got it!" Then without warning, he brought his fist up to connect to Tyleek's jaw. He held back, hitting him just hard enough to cause a little flare of anger. He knew how to get under Tyleek's skin. "Come on, Dirtbag. Let's see how much better you've gotten at fighting. Last time I checked.. you sucked." He said all this with a mischievous grin after bounding backward and shifting into a defensive-offensive stance, where he bounced on his feet ever so slightly. His hands were a blur as they made motions in the air, water from the river bubbling in front of Cy Ara and flowing into the air to hover around Raitfier like a coiled snake, ready to strike.

It was hard to focus on anything else besides the commotion Raitfier was making. It was nothing new when he was around, but it was such an alien thing to Cy Ara at that moment, she couldn't resist following the trail of water with her eyes and watching Raitfier as he readied, Cy Ara bet, to get his butt kicked. She rolled her eyes, but she turned slightly to watch the two nonetheless.

OOC:
lol Okay sleep well.

IC:
Tyleek nodded his head and closed his eyes. He nodded again in agreement. He moved slightly at Raitfier's snap, but didn't expect his fist connecting with his jaw. He sensed it only a couple seconds before hand, and at that point he only had enough time to roll his jaw with the blow to soften it even further. He did have time to sense that Raitfier hadn't gone all out. Tyleek whirled and backflipped away from Raitfier, and when he was upright once more he was grinning, a gleam in his eye; he knew what the devilish male Allatik was up to. He whipped his stave out of its harness around his hips and cocked one eyebrow.
"Oh really? You might want to recheck that, 'cause last time I checked, I kicked your butt into the ground. I got a good whiff of your feet too while you were flat on your back with your feet straight up." he made a show of wrinkling his face and plugging his nose with one hand.

"Pfft," Raitfier waved, as if brushing aside Tyleek's words. "I don't remember that." He suddenly lashed out into the air with his hand, the head of the water snake lunging at Tyleek with an open mouth. It was aimed at his face, its goal to simply douse Tyleek in water. But Raitfier didn't stop there.

He summoned an orb of the river's water to hover beside him. He held a fist out toward Tyleek and grinned. When he opened his hand, tiny, barely visible ice needles shot from the water orb and launched toward Tyleek. They would sting as if he'd touched a cactus, but would melt away almost the instant they made contact.

"Lame," he teased, changing position and readying for another attack. "Maybe this was a bad idea. I'm already bored." His laid back tone was enough to drive someone like Tyleek to his wits end, but that wasn't the underlying purpose of Raitfier's actions. As they practiced, he stole random glimpses Cy Ara's way. But her eyes were always on Tyleek - never himself. He felt a surge of hurt and annoyance rise in his chest as he sent an unreadable look Tyleek's way.

Raitfier had flinched in surprise, reaching down instinctively as if to grab the stave as it propelled into his abdomen, but he needn't have to. Somehow, on instinct, he'd summon water to his aid and frozen the very tip of the stave in midair, the water spiraling upward around the weapon like a coil. But what had stopped it were the thick columns of ice that had embedded themselves in the ground. "Whoa..." In that split moment of pause, Raitfier's mouth went from from the shape of an 'O' to wielding a mischievous grin as he lifted his twinkling eyes to Tyleek. "You still smell like fertilizer.."

Water from the river had gathered behind him like a wall and it now rose even further, reaching all the way to above his head. It created a shadow over the two and Raitfier flicked his wrist, causing the ice around Tyleek's stave to quickly begin crawling the rest of the way up the weapon to Tyleek himself.

At the same time, the wall of water seemed to expand and come cascading down in a twenty foot radius, hitting not just Tyleek, but Raitfier as well. And the instant the water fell, he began to freeze it into ice over Tyleek so he wouldn't be able to move.

"Super soaker!" Raitfier laughed to himself, seemingly enjoying the water more than taunting Tyleek. He brought his hand up and made a fist, grinning, and stole another glance Cy Ara's way. It looked like Tyleek and him hadn't been the only victim's to his water bomb. His grin faded and he blinked, now more fearful for his life.

Cy Ara had still been sitting with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her hair had come out of its bun, now loitering the ground around her in a wet mess, and decided to curtain her entire face. She raised her arms, flicked them to rid the water, and then parted a gap in the wall of ebony so she could glare at Raitfier with an arched brow as if to say 'seriously?'.

"..yeah.. what he said." Raitfier jerked his thumb to emphasize Tyleek, but his head was down like a puppy being scolded. All Cy Ara had to do was glare. But then she stood and snapped her fingers, causing the edge of his shirt to birth a small flame. Raitfier flinched, jumping around frantically. "Ow, ow, ow! Hot! HOT!" Coating his hands in water, he was able to pat it out. He shook the water away.

"N-now wait, listen, Cy!" She was suddenly moving towards him and he raised his hands in defense, waving them frantically. "It was an accident!" The closer she got, the more Raitfier stepped back and he ended up turning and running smack dab into a tree. His head bounced off and he fell backwards, landing on his back with a big scrape in the middle of his forehead.

He laid there a moment, staring toward the sky and saw Cy Ara standing over him. He moaned, "..ugh.. great. Now there's three of you to eat me..."

Those simple words were enough to bring back some of the most pleasant memories she had with her friends, and it caused a bubbling giggle from Cy Ara, then a chuckle, and then finally she laughed out loud, so hard that her shoulders shook and she gripped her stomach, doubling over.

Raitfier sat up on his elbows, glancing to Tyleek and then back to Cy Ara with a worried, but slightly happy, look. "Does this mean I'm forgiven? AHH!" He flinched when he saw Cy Ara reaching for him out of the corner of his eye and raised his arms over his head. But instead of hitting him, she'd taken his dagger from his side pouch. He peeked through the gap in his arms, before dropping them entirely. Cy Ara had a hold of her hair and had brought it over her shoulder to reach it better. "Cy Ara!"

"I've always hated this hair." And with one swift movement, it all fell away and to the ground in a clump. She ran her slowly warming hand through what remained, now reaching only to the end of her jaw line. Doing so caused it to dry and become a beautiful tangled mess. She looked almost entirely different with short hair. She let out a long, deep sigh and looked to Tyleek with a small smile.

"I.. feel so much better."





(OOC: Her hair looks a little something like this now: http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs/e9/e5/anime,girl,face,dark,haired,painting,art-e9e5afc603d188bd1da413169c95052d_h.jpg)

Raitfier grunted a small 'thanks' as Tyleek helped him up. But he only glanced at the other male before his focus returned to Cy Ara. He couldn't believe she'd just done that. Her hair was the longest he'd ever seen - possibly the longest to ever exist. But it was also the most beautiful, and she'd just gone and chopped it off like it was nothing.

"Yeah," he replied quietly, before a small smile took its place on his lips. Cy Ara was smiling, that was the main thing. That's all that mattered - not her hair. He rested a hand on his hip and grinned. "Does this mean you're going to start using me as a target dummy again?" Again, she laughed with a twinkle in her eye.

"Well, you do fit the part." And then Tyleek embraced her closely and her happy expression turned to one of shock as she slowly lifted her own arms to wrap around him in a hug. She smiled shyly as her body began to grow warmer and glow dimly, her skin already looking mostly back to normal again. And she laughed a little, closing her eyes.

Of course... she thought despairingly, Normal girls fidget and blush. I have to fidget and glow...

Raitfier's happy-go-lucky attitude seemed to melt away almost the instant Tyleek took a hold of Cy Ara and he saw how happy she looked. His eyes were sad and his lips made a thin line for just a moment, before he smiled slightly and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "So, uh.. I should probably go find Glade and Kipp. When I left them, Glade was trying to teach Kipp how to hunt and I want to make sure Glade didn't let him get eaten by a hungry bird or something.. no offense, Theldor."

He smiled at the bird and nodded his way, before looking to Tyleek and Cy Ara again. "So.. if you need a place to hang tonight, there's a cave about half a mile east of here where the guys and I are staying for a bit. Make yourselves.. at home. See you later." He rose his hand in a peace-sign-salute before turning to dash off.

Cy Ara stared after him, before suddenly pulled away from Tyleek and raising her hand. She blinked at the dagger and sighed dramatically. "He is such a child! How do you forget your dagger?" She turned away, shaking her head in disbelief, and returned to where she'd been sitting by the river. She retrieved her bowl of soup, now completely watered down and no longer edible, and poured it out with a grimace. Her stomach announced how sad it was to see the food ruined and he mentally told it to shut up. She began to pack up their things.

"Knowing Raitfier, I bet my right arm he's got a mountain of food in that cave." A mischievous smile played on her lips when she glanced Tyleek's way. "Let's go raid it."

She swung her pack over her shoulder, assuring everything from her belt to the connected supply pouches and sheathed dagger were securely fastened. She slipped Raitfier's dagger into one of her larger pouches so she wouldn't lose it. Adjusting her katana's strap across her hips, it looked like she was wearing double belts, crossed over her abdomen.

Cy Ara looked at Tyleek with an eyebrow raised when he winked at her, her eyes shining with life they hadn't held in over a week. She laughed and shook her head away from Tyleek, running her fingers through the tangles. "What, short and messy? No kidding. And of course the term 'short' is in reference to my temper, not my height.." she said with mock distaste and a roll of her eyes. But she was smiling.

"Come on.. I wanna get there before he does so I can pig out."

And then they were off.

On the way there, Cy Ara had gone back to being quiet, giving only short answers when Tyleek spoke, but definitely looking more alive and willing. Though a quick turn around, she would still be recovering. But even good things wouldn't last, and she knew that. She just had to keep a positive attitude...

Ch.. good luck with that.

Cy Ara knew they'd arrived when she came across one of the worst traps she'd ever seen. It was so obnoxiously stupid, she just knew Raitfier had been the one to set it up.

"Seriously... 'X' marks the spot?" A huge 'X' seemed to be drawn in the dirt at Cy Ara's feet, where right above it was written 'step here'. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, stepping to the side of the 'X'..

..only to scream as her foot was pulled out from under her and she was catapulted into the air, bouncing upside down until the cord that was wrapped around her ankle calmed and she slowed to a slight sway. She bellowed in outrage.

"I'm going to KILL HIM." She thrashed to become free, but instead just caused herself to spin and become dizzy. She quieted quickly and covered her mouth, closing her eyes until she stopped. She blinked a few times when she opened her eyes again to clear her head and squeeked. "Ty..."

Cy Ara yelled, incredulous that he was laughing at her. Awkwardly, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared as she spoke, the cord slowly rotating her all the way around before she'd finished. "Oh, sure... laugh at me while I'm helpless. While you're at it, grab a stick and see if I throw up candy."

She would've thrown a punch at him if she had been sure she wouldn't miss. But at this point, all it would have done was send her in another frenzied spin. Just the thought was making her queasy again. Flames shot from her foot, but all they did was flutter around the cord and dissipate.

"Fire proof..? Where in the heck did he find fireproof wire?!" She threw out a few choice words in the ancient Allatik language and scowled at Tyleek when he finally finished his laughing fit and walked on over. Her skin began to glow again, revealing her shyness and embarrassment. "Listen here, you..." But she couldn't get the words out. She didn't have an insult available. She blinked a few times before lowering her hand and putting a finger at his forehead with a glare and an unconvincing threat.

"I could burn you."

She blinked when Tyleek tapped her nose, shaking her head furiously. She fell limp in the cord and sighed with exasperation. Looking at Tyleek with big sad eyes.

"Please cut me down." She crossed her send again and pouted, her bottom lip protruding.

She yelped when the cord snapped and she frantically reached out for him. Her skin illuminated when she looked up at him and she awkwardly clung to Tyleek as he pulled away the cord. Flustered, she pushed away from him when he set her down and she rubbed her arms, glaring at him slightly.

"Cute my kindling behind." She muttered, turning away from him as she as well returned to the search for the cave. But no sooner did she do so, she heard Tyleek's howl and spun around with surprise. She quickly arched a brow and resisted a smirk, straightening to, once again, cross her arms over her chest. She took a few steps toward him.

"Oh no, I don't think so..." She mocked him with a look that said 'you asked for it'. Then she grinned, tilted her head, and leaned forward so their faces were closer. "You look mighty cute upside down like that."

She made a face at his statement of her being upside down, too, but smiled. Then when he pecked her forehead, she pulled back as if he'd punched her and her skin illuminated once more. She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Stop that!" Being flustered wasn't something Cy Ara was used to. And why it was effecting her now more than ever before, she hadn't the slightest clue. She grit her teeth, staring at Tyleek like he'd lost his mind. Then she unsheathed her dagger and moved towards him again.

But when she raised the blade, an earth shuddering explosion seemed to go off in the west, back the way they'd come. It was so heavy, it caused Cy Ara to stumble to a knee where she caught herself. When the dizzying rattling stopped, she shook her head and stood, throwing her dagger at the cord and simultaneously taking Tyleek by the arm so he could use her for balance to catch himself when he fell.

The cord snapped, and her favorite dagger went flying into the trees. But that wasn't important right now. All playfulness had been drained of Cy Ara as she ran toward the explosion. All she could think of was that Raitfier had been over in that direction. She had to get to him, now.

She was a blur as she raced through the forest, ducking and dodging over and under trees, shrubs, and other vegetation like a shadow. As she neared the area where the explosion had taken place, she saw the damage was bad. But what was worse was that the large area that had been cleared of any vegetation held at least two dozen men - some with swords and some with bows and arrows - who were backing Raitfier up to the edge of the rushing water of the river.

And even worse than that was the arrow protruding from his right shoulder. Cy Ara had just enough time to see him try to raise both hands, the water behind him lifting about a foot into the air before dropping with Raitfier's arms as he gripped his shoulder and made a child-like pained expression. In that instant, Cy Ara went ablaze, her eyes glowing brightly and flames reaching up to her shoulders. She sneered and lunged into the opening without a second thought, lashing out with a ten foot flaming whip that took out a few of the enemies who hadn't been paying attention. The others had noticed her presence the moment she'd caught herself on fire.

She didn't stop there. She threw her hands out in front of her, sending some of them scattering as a large ball of fire flew their way. She was suddenly standing in front of Raitfier like a shield of protection, standing so that she could pounce or defend at any moment. Behind her, Raitfier could only glance her way before falling to a knee and dropping his head, focusing on breathing.

The archers were backed up now, aiming and launching arrows into the sky to rain down on them. Cy Ara waved her hands over her head in a 'U'-shape, sending a frenzied wave of flames into the air to simply burn away the flimsy arrows. The enemies were considering retreat now, but at that moment, a new face revealed itself - right in front of Cy Ara.

In shock, her flames dissipated and she straightened to defend, but the blonde haired male was too fast, sending what looked like a flaming fist into Cy Ara's jaw. She fell to the side, using her momentum to perform a back roll so she landed in a kneeling position. She glared, but underneath lied shock and awe at the man before her wielding hands of fire like her own. His skin was dark, like an Allatik's, yet his hair was blonde.

She vaguely noticed Raitfier slipping himself away and into the water of the river, but she quickly turned her attention back to the threat before her. His smirk made her sick and the look in his eyes said he was hungry for a fight. She stood slowly as he spoke, grateful for the ability to not be burned by fire.

"Someone who wields the Will of Flame..." Just to emphasis his point, Cy Ara ignited her hands on fire again, the flames trailing up her arms. The newcomer just snickered. "...it just so happens I do, too."

Without warning, his entire body exploded into a fury of flames that reached about ten feet into the air. His twisted grin made her stomach churn. "Let's see whose fire burns the hottest!"

And then he lunged.



OOC: You can kill everyone except the guy who wields fire... I need him later, lol.

Raitfier had never been shot with an arrow. And now that he had, he knew from experience that he never wanted it to happen again. He gritted his teeth and tried his hardest not to cry out as Tyleek broke off most of the arrow. Dizziness shot through his body and a shuddering gasp escaped him. He immediately placed his hand gently over the wound in an attempt to stopped the light blood flow.

"No worries," he muttered as Tyleek retreated to aid Cy Ara, although he doubted the male heard him. He grunted, his voice strained and face pained despite his light attitude. "I'll just sit here and gaze at the scenery while you run off and be the bloody hero." He sighed heavily from the pain, leaning against a tree for support. He laid the back of his head against the bark, and then glanced Theldor's way awkwardly. He tapped his fingers on his knee and after a moment of silence, he hesitently looked the bird's way again, trying to make conversation.

"So... you can fly, huh...?"


-------

The flaming male was fast - faster than Cy Ara. Every time she lashed out with her fists or a kick, he'd easily duck under her or to the side, only to jab her in her sides and neck. He was mocking her, holding back, and it caused her anger to thicken - as well as her flames.

They were both a blur across the make-shift clearing, yet Cy Ara was losing the fight pathetically. They threw fire at each other uselessly, because neither one could be burned. Every time Cy Ara seemed to make a move, the male would be one step ahead of her - or literally behind her in some cases.

"This is useless," she hollered after another fireball dissipated into his own flames, "With fire, we're both evenly matched!"

She made a face and leaped away from a jab for her throat. As if out of no where, three tiny metal balls sprang from her hands and landed on the ground at the male's feet. He stopped, blinked at them, and then looked at Cy Ara as if he wasn't sure how to react. Cy Ara hesitated, then turned tail and ran like crazy.

"Wait..."And then the ball exploded. His cry echoed throughout the forest, but Cy Ara didn't stop to look back. The force of the suddenly bursting thirty foot wide fog of poisonous gas sent Cy Ara reeling even faster. And if any of his men had survived her and Tyleek's attack, they had fled. So she didn't stop running, even when she grabbed Tyleek by the arm and fervently pulled him away from the blast and into the trees where she stumbled, fell, and brought him down with her.

After a moment of just lying there, she picked herself up achingly and sat with her legs curled to the side and one hand propping her up. She was breathing heavily, eyes closed and head leaned back. She was bruised and scraped up, but alive. That was all she could ask for.

She looked at Tyleek with fatigue in her eyes and spoke quietly. "Raitfier..?"

In normal circumstances, she'd of shrugged Tyleek off and picked herself up, but if she were to be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure if she'd of been able to. The spar had taken more out of her than she'd thought. And the only thing on her mind now was Raitfier, not her pride.


He knew he wasn't going to die from this stupid arrow, but that didn't help the waves of pain hitting him. His head was spinning, whirling, and causing this severe sense of nausea. He couldn't remember ever truly being hurt - not like this. He'd never had trouble keeping himself out of this exact situation... until now. The corner of his mouth twitched as another wave hit him.


When they reached Raitfier, his head was leaning back against the bark and his eyes were closed, but he was breathing. His skin was also paler. Cy Ara skidded to a halt as she fell to sit next to him.

"Hey, Rai. Wake up, you can't sleep right now.." As she worked on removing her belt with one hand, she raised her other one to tap Raitfier's cheek a few times. He made a face and groaned, shifting his head away from her voice. "This is going to hurt.. you should bite down on this." His mouth moved, but his voice was barely audible. But it looked as if he'd said 'I don't need it'. She looked at Tyleek worriedly and set the leather aside. She wasn't going to force him.

"Okay... brace yourself..." As she watched Raitfier's face intensely, her hands slipped into his.

By grinding his jaw, Raitfier was able to contain himself and the outcry of pain that was sweeping through him for the first three seconds. After that, his body shook violently as his voice echoed through the trees.

She quickly placed her hands against him and attempted to hold him as still as possible with soothing words, but Raitfier didn’t seem to hear it. Cy Ara may have the tendency to tease and be mean to Raitfier, but at that moment, she realized how much she cared for the big idiot. She couldn’t help it, but she always thought of Raitfier as a little kid. Recalling everything she knew about him, she didn’t think he’d ever had a serious wound like this. So seeing the amount of pain he was in broke her heart.

Once the arrow was out, a heavy sigh escaped Raitfier and his head fell back against the tree trunk. He groaned and gritted his teeth, sweat running down his face with hair plastered to his forehead. He was definitely awake now.

“What happened, Rai?” Cy Ara was replacing her belt as Raitfier shook his head.

“Ambush.. stupid.. I told Glade and Kipp to head on without me, and then they attacked when I was alone. Did you cross paths?”

“No..” Cy Ara murmured, frowning, “Can’t you hear them?” He shook his head, grunting from Tyleek’s patchwork. “I’m sure they’re fine, and waiting for us at the cave. What about your attackers? Any idea who they were?”

“Not a clue… although the guy who raved about his ‘Will of Fire’ called himself Sten. As soon as I felt your aura, he fled.. so I figure he felt it, too. Is it just me or did he look oddly Allatik-ish?” Cy Ara nodded in agreement, gears churning in her head. Raitfier looked to Tyleek as he handed him food and gingerly raised his uninjured arm to take them, setting the canteen in his lap as he nibbled the bread unenthusiastically. He wasn't in the position to argue otherwise.

Cy Ara smiled at Tyleek’s gesture and then looked to Raitfier. “We’ll figure it out later. Rest for now… and eat. Tyleek and I are going to work on a makeshift bed to carry you on.”

“Oh no. I may be injured, but I'm perfectly fine to walk.” As he said this, his words slurred and he blinked a few times, pursing his lips. “I can make it to the cave.. I just need a few minutes to catch my breath. And recover from Tyleek’s surgery..” He glared at the other male, but his eyes said he was thankful.

“All right.. then holler if you need something. We’ll stay close by.” She began to stand and lightly took the edge of Tyleek’s tunic to pull him with her. “The poisonous gas should have cleared by now. I want to go back and check some things out..”

Raitfier choked on his food. “poisonous gas…? What did you do Cy Ara..?”

She simply looked back at him and grinned a little, before walking off with Tyleek.

"Sorry," she murmured quietly, not quite looking him in the eye. Her focus was everywhere but as she looked for anything out of the ordinary or that would give her answers. "Not trying to be cryptic, I just.. don't understand what's going on. And I feel like there is something major happening right under our noses.." After a moment, she added as an afterthought, "Besides the war."

When they made it back to the leveled clearing, Cy Ara didn't see anybody. Not even the other fire-wielder, Sten. But she refused to believe the male dead. The poison had cleared, like she had thought, but something in the air made her skin tingle. She pursed her lips as she thought maybe it was just her paranoia, and made her way for the river slowly, observing the ground.

"You noticed it, too, didn't you? Unless he was a magic user, or something, there's no way he wasn't an Allatik... he had our dark skin, and.." She hesitated, furrowing her brow and kneeling by the lake. She gazed at her reflection a moment, observing the bruises and scratches. She grimaced. "Well, his aura felt like an Allatik.. especially when I was fighting him. But his blonde hair.. and fiery eyes.. don't exactly match our genetic make-up."

She ran her hand over the surface of the water so her reflection rippled and disappeared. She looked up at Tyleek with worry. "I can feel it.. something isn't right. Am I just over thinking all of this or do you have suspicions, too?"

"Incantation..?" Cy Ara looks back down at the water as the ripples calmed and she remember.


Without warning, his entire body exploded into a fury of flames that reached about ten feet into the air. His twisted grin made her stomach churn. "Let's see whose fire burns the hottest!"


Cy Ara blinked a few times, shaking her head. "No talismen's or anything. Only words. But the only thing I can see maybe being an incantation were words he said after he exploded. So that couldn't be it." She thought over the possibility of him being a half-blood, like Tyleek. It wasn't exactly uncommon, but Cy Ara knew that was a logical answer.

"If he was a half-blood, then why did he act nothing like an Allatik.." Her eyes wandered in thought and she stood, brushing herself off. "Unless... somebody maybe influenced him." His name wouldn't even need to be said for them both to think the same one, Cy Ara knew. "But that doesn't make any sense either. Ugh!" She raised her hands in fists and placed her palms against her eyes, shaking her aching head. "This is ridiculous," she whined, letting her hands fall with an escaping sigh.

Part of her wondered if she was thinking and feeling this way because she was still recovering from her loss. And thinking that just made her feel like she was losing her mind.

"I hate them," she muttered spitefully, turning and heading back towards the trees. "I hate them all."


---------------

Raitfier was wide awake when they returned to get him. After that, they'd headed out for the cave, Raitfier leading them. He played with a stick on the way, using his uninjured arm. He was flimsily tossing it around, as if it was a sword, and dropped it over and over again. Every time he leaned down, he withheld a small whine, and then continued what he was doing.

When Cy Ara made a smart remark at what he was doing, he just shrugged his shoulders and glanced backward at her.. "I'm right handed, remember.. Now I have to learn to use my left hand. What's that big word called? Ampitatous... obitumbus..."

"Ambidextrous." Cy Ara said with a small laugh.

"Yeah, that." Raitfier smiled slightly, happy to hear the sound. Satisfied, he kept silent the rest of the way.


"We're here," he shouted, lifting his good arm and his stick into the air as if he was introducing a something amazing. Cy Ara stopped behind him and arched a brow. "It's a rock wall." She didn't sound enthusiastic.

"Ah, but that's what they want you to think." Raitfier walked up to the solid rock wall and raised his hand to touch it. But instead of it stopped when it hit the rock wall, it went all the way through. He looked back to Cy Ara and Tyleek and grinned, took a step, and stumbled inside with a yelp.

Cy Ara wasn't sure whether to be worried, shocked, or not surprised. But she followed after Raitfier anyway, feeling odd as she walked through the rock wall.

The inside of the cave was actually pretty awe-striking. Dark purple banners lined the caves walls with an odd golden symbol etched into each one. There were also gold and purple rugs and some sort of furniture that looked like modern bean bag chairs. Plus a plethora of pillows, baskets filled with food, and piles of gold coins. Cy Ara's jaw dropped at the sight of the gold, but her attention quickly shifted to the food. and her stomach growled. Raitfier arched his brow at her and she glared back, before he waved for her to help herself. She obliged without a word.

"Good grief, Rai.. what did you do - rob the currency bank?"

"Eh.. I did a favor for the village a little to the south of here. They were nice in rewarding me.." He shrugged like it was no big deal, and then yelped with a wince, instinctively reaching for his bandaged arm. "This is going to take some getting used to..."

Tyleek watched Cy Ara carefully as she became more and more frustrated and frazzled. He pursed his lips and eyed her, letting her talk to herself as he thought. Perhaps this was the very reason Sten had come here or been sent; to mess with Cy Ara's nerves. The notion made him bristle protectively, but he squashed it before she noticed. He tightened the harness on his stave and followed his friend, having not said a word in her entire tirade.

Tyleek followed silently at the back, automatically watching for danger without even thinking about it. His mind came back and focused when Raitfier seemed to step through a solid rock wall. He glanced at Cy Ara uneasily when she stepped through after him and disappeared. Theldor squawked and fluttered on his shoulder. He grimaced and stalked through, glaring at his guardian. On the other side he stopped and stared, his eyes wide with shock. He blinked and looked at Raitfier in surprise, then grinned and shook his head in amazement.
"Rai, you never seem to stop surprising me." he said, and chuckled. He winced in sympathy with Raitfier.
"Stretching and using the limb will allow it to heal better, even if it does hurt a lot. Also by moving it you are less likely to lose muscle in that arm. Just stretch it slowly, no round houses." he teased, his lavender-blue eyes full of mischief. Theldor lifted off his shoulder and snatched a piece of bread, then landed on a pillow and contented himself to tearing at the bread. Ty grinned and followed his companions example, reaching out to grab a few pieces of fruit.

OOC:
Mm...I'm considering adding my Allatik girl in there, Sephora, but idk how to go about that....>.>

"Yessir, Doctor sir." Raitfier saluted mockingly at Tyleek's orders to stretch his wounded arm. He grinned and nodded. "I'm never consistent with anything. You'll have to keep reminding me, Doc."

Raitfier watched his friends as he stood near the mouth of the cave. Lanterns hung from the ceilings by chains, lightening the room. Further back there was a dark passage way, barely noticeable. It almost looked like a shadowed corner. Raitfier's eyes seemed to keep darting that way, until finally Cy Ara piped up while sinking into one of the soft chairs.

"Holy halibut.. this chair is eating me.. what's inside it?" Cy Ara struggled to not sink all the way into the chair, shifting herself until she was comfortable. She nibbled on a sweet bun.

"Ostrich feathers.. I think.." He seemed distracted, his brow furrowed as he glanced around the room. Something felt odd. Maybe it was his friends being here. "Same as the pillows." He turned around and watched the mouth of the cave carefully, tilting his head. He thought maybe he heard something. He took a few steps closer to the make-shift wall.

RAI! A red blur suddenly crashed into Raitfier from the other side and he went flying backwards with a grunt. He was on his back, Kipp on his chest, licking his face like a dog might.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, okay! I'm happy to see you're alright..." He grabbed Kipp by the scruff of his neck and held him up with his good hand until he calmed, the young fox wagging his tail. "What happened to you guys..?"

We were run off course. Glade walked in gracefully, walking directly over to Raitfier and plopping his behind down beside his Allatik. He licked his face once and Raitfier smiled slightly, then got serious.

"You two were attacked as well?" Kipp struggled from his hands and pounced in his lap as his words flew together and overlapped.

It was so scary, Rai! There were these guys in armor and they had swords and arrows and cages! They tried to slip Glade into a harness, but he was way to strong for them! I woulda let them have it, but one got me by the tail.. and then someone caught Glade by the head and dazed him just long enough for them to tie him up! It was horrible!

But we had a little help... Glade said calmly as Raitfier met his gaze. Then the great leopard looked towards the mouth of the cave, motioning with his head as a new figure emerged.




ooc: :]

OOC:
Lawl. XD

IC:
Tyleek glanced up as a red bullet flew into the cave and crashed into Raitfier. His eyebrows arched up as he saw a wriggling red fox on the male Allatik's chest, but smiled slightly at the sight they made. He shook his head and chuckled, then looked up again when a leopard followed the fox in. Two Guardians. That was rare according to Cy Ara. Theldor chirruped and hopped over to Kipp, peering at the red fox curiously. Tyleek listened to the excited little guy, a frown slowly appearing. He blinked when Glade motioned to the entrance and said their rescuer was coming. He lifted his head to see them enter, and then his jaw dropped. He knew that face.
"Sephora?!" she was followed by a black jaguar. "Javen?! What in blazes are you doing here?" he exclaimed, rushing forward to hug his friend. Sephora laughed and returned his embrace.
"To train of course. Both Javen and I dislike the deep mountains, not to mention it's better to train with my element on open ground." she said. Tyleek pulled back from her, then reached out and scratched Javen around the ears, making the large cat purr in his chest. He turned to Cy Ara and Raitfier, grinning.
"Cy, Rai, this is Sephora. We met by chance a few weeks ago. And this big rascal is Javen. Sephora, this is Cy Ara and Raitfier. You've already met Glade and Kipp." he introduced. Sephora lifted one eyebrow lightly as she smiled at both of them, her chocolate brown eyes gleaming.

The second the other female was in the room, and talking to Tyleek like they knew each other, Cy Ara felt her skin tingle. Her nose twitched and she stood, setting her sweet bun aside. She took a few steps closer and placed her hands behind her back, smiling slightly and waving curtly when Tyleek introduced them. "Nice to meet you," she murmured quietly. Then she turned to Raitfier as he moved toward them.


When the figure walked in, Raitfier set Kipp down unconsciously, the young fox finally taking notice of the bird Theldor and inching a little closer. He sniffed with the tip of his nose twitching and his head tilted to the side.

Javen! Glade spoke to the jaguar quietly, taking a few steps toward the other male feline. You must show me that trick you pulled earlier against those men in armor. Would you care to humor me outside for a bit?

Raitfier slowly stood, his face serious and curious all at the same time, but with a look in his eyes as if he was thinking or trying to remember something really hard. He neared the new female after Tyleek introduced her and spoke quietly. "Do..I know you..?"

Tyleek glanced at Cy Ara carefully as she greeted Sephora. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head, smiling a bit. He glanced at Raitfier warily as he approached, but didn't move. His eyebrows rose though at his unexpected words.

- - - - - - - - - -

Theldor sniffed the little red fox carefully, then chirped softly and gently nuzzled him on the shoulder.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled warmly at Cy Ara, but when she saw the male, Raitfier, she paused. She blinked a few times when he asked if he knew her.
"Honestly I do not know...Where do you think you have seen me before, perhaps it might jar my memory?" she asked, shifting CB on her hip. She didn't remember meeting him, exactly, but he did seem a little familiar.

- - - - - - - - - -

Javen rumbled softly and nodded. Sure. he complied, getting to his paws and padding out the entrance.

"Yeah.. how would you know her?" Cy Ara asked with a curious look.

Raitfier just dropped his slightly shocked gaze and shook his head a little. "I.. uh, dunno... I must be.. mistaken.." He lifted his eyes once again and smiled slightly. "Sorry. Nice to meet you, Sephora." Even though he dropped it, it was easy to tell Sephora's appearance had jarred something inside of Raitfier. He looked at the others a moment and began to back step toward the entrance. "I'm going to get some fresh air. Stretch my.. um, arm." He pointed at it with his good hand and then slipped outside without another word. He took off running past Glade and Javen, wanting to be near the water and as far away from the cave as possible at that moment.

He had begun to feel claustrophobic with so many people. It was a big cave, but.. something inside his heart was churning to be let lose. He had to figure out what.

Kipp had always been weary of birds because of his tiny size, but something about Theldor made him want to play. Maybe it was because of his Guardianship over an Allatik, he didn't feel threatened. When the bird nuzzled his shoulder, he made a small yip sound that mimicked a laugh. His rear end was suddenly in the air, wiggling, as he lowered the upper half of his body to the ground. He pounced around Theldor with a foxy grin, giant tail swaying like a cat's.

After Raitfier had left, Cy Ara took a weary glance Raitfier's way. She didn't think it was a good idea for him to be on his own, and injured nonetheless, and she knew Tyleek would be thinking the same thing, but she let it go. He wasn't a child, like her mind seemed to make her think.

She looked back to Sephora and smiled slightly. "So... Sephora.. you're an Allatik.. your aura is strong.. what're you training for?"

Tyleek watched Raitfier, wondering if maybe he had taken a knock to the head as well. He followed the male Allatik leaving with his eyes, murmuring a 'be careful' as he went by. He was wary to let Raitfier be on his own while injured, but he wasn't defenseless either, so he decided just to keep tabs on him with his power.

- - - - - - - - - -

Theldor chirruped gently and flapped his wings, hopping forward and tapping Kipp gently on the shoulder with his beak, then he lifted into the air a bit, his eyes glittering, daring the fox to try and tag him back.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora watched Raitfier leave, concern in her gaze, but turned back to Cy Ara when she asked a question. Her lips thinned.
"The war against Lukia. About a week ago I was with Natsu, an elven Dragon Rider, and his dragon, Erza. But while we were together Malaktai showed up and offered a trade. Erza for my mother."
Tyleek's growl was strangled and deep. "Your mother is alive? Thank the spirits." he said, but he was grim. Sephora nodded.
"But Soletha, her Guardian, was tortured and killed by Malaktai. So she is half alive now. But finding me helped. Right now she's with my mate, Natsu, training." she said quietly. Tyleek raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"Mate, eh? Finally found someone that can keep up with you, whirlwind?" he winked at her playfully and she smiled. She knew that was his goal.

Kipp's head tilted and his childish laughter could be heard in his head. If foxes could grin.. Kipp leaped up, swiping a paw at Theldor's foot, but missed. His ear twitched and he bounded across the room in a blur, pouncing off the wall, and leaping into the air. His paw swiped playfully at Theldor's back before he landed and readied himself in the butt-up position once more, wiggling. Checkmate.. hahaha.

Cy Ara's smile disappeared as if wiped clean off her face as she listened to Sephora. Her eyes turned hard and vacant. She couldn't help but pull her arms up and wrap them around herself. A thick wave of negative energy slammed into her, physically causing her to sway a little. She barely heard the last part, her head down slightly.
She murmured quietly, "I'm sorry.. excuse me a moment." She turned away and gradually made her way towards the back of the cave, where it was darker.

Theldor chirped playfully at the fox as he jumped and missed his foot, but squawked when Kipp jumped off the wall and caught his back. He chirruped and dove at the little fox, reaching down with one foot and gently snagging the bushy tail of his new friend.
Oh really, are you sure about that..? he asked.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tyleek winced at his thoughtlessness and turned to Sephora, whispering the problem to her. Her eyes were filled with anguished understanding. She motioned for him to follow Cy Ara and he hesitated, but when she glared at him he turned and skittered away. He stopped when he was within arms reach of her.
"Cy..Ara?" he asked hesitantly, reaching out one hand to lightly touch her shoulder.

The tiny fix yelped when he felt his tail being plucked and he instinctively turned around and wrapped his tail around himself. Then he eyes the eagle with a playful glare. Pffft... you wouldn't be nearly as good if you were on my turf. The little fox said cheekily, prancing around with his head and tail held high. He suddenly jumped and landed in another playful position, wiggling his body again. You wouldn't be able to touch me!



"I can't even..." She wasn't sure how to say it. Her heart had never hurt so bad before, even after she'd lost her family. It was unexplainable, unbearable, and completely black - a black hole in her heart. The ball in her throat caused her to catch her breath and she only turned slightly to glance at Tyleek with ocean blue eyes filling fast with tears. Her voice was strained.

"I just want one day, Ty... just one day..." One day for so many things, she couldn't even finish her sentence before she turned towards him, lowered her head, and closed her eyes, silent sobs shaking her thin shoulders.

Kipp suddenly straightened himself as a sensation overwhelmed him. He looked towards Cy Ara and it was as if the tiny fox suddenly just learned of what had happened. Like he could feel what Cy Ara was feeling. His tail dipped, curling around himself. He looked back at Tyleek with sorrowful eyes before scampering over to Cy Ara and sitting down beside her, leaning against her leg lovingly.

Tyleek's expression held an echo of her pain. He wanted to take it all away. He wanted her happy. He leaned forward and pulled her against him, holding her against his warm chest and stroking her soft short hair. He rested his chin down on her shoulder.
"You have me." he whispered. "I need you, not just for a day, I need you with me, I need you happy...Raitfier needs you, Glade and Kipp need you...We all need you. I wish with everything I am that I could bring back all you've lost, just so I can see you smile and be genuinely happy again...Cy Ara, I..." he trailed off, not knowing what it is he wanted to say or even how to say it, instead he gently tightened his embrace. His chest ached with her unhappiness, and he wanted it to go away, but he didn't know how. He glanced down at Kipp and smiled a little. Cy Ara needed as much support as she could get.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled sadly, then turned and left the cave to give Cy Ara some space. She wandered into the trees, letting Glade and Javen continue with whatever it was they were doing, listening carefully and watching around her.
"Raitfier?" she called. "Raitfier you out here?"

"What?" Raitfier's voice was quiet, and monotone. He enjoyed trees just about as much as Tyleek did, which was strange for a water Allatik. When there wasn't water around, this was the next best thing, but he didn't look like he was exactly happy at that moment. His leg dangled from a tall tree, where he sat on a thick branch with his back against the trunk, his other knee brought to his chest. He gazed down at Sephora with a blank, almost heavy expression. His eyes were half lidded, serious, and un-Raitfier-like.

He almost looked dangerous, but this was just how he was when he was alone. No reason to put on that mask of a smile. No reason to be happy. He looked away from her and gazed at the sky, gently stroking a leaf in his lap with his thumb as he waited for her answer.



It was as if these desperate times brought nothing but pain for everyone, more specifically the Allatiks. Cy Ara thought about her, and Raitfier, and Sephora, and Tyleek. About all their situations and even those of their friends, who they brought into this mess - Jia, Ka, and others as well. Part of her wondered if Lukia wasn't entirely wrong. Maybe the world would be better off without the Allatiks.. without her.

"Stop.." She murmured, talking to herself. But she'd said it once Tyleek had finished speaking and it probably sounded like she'd meant for him to stop. She sniffled and pulled back slightly to smile up at him. "I mean.. I should stop.. Sephora and Javen are our guests and Raitfier's a mess, we should be relaxing and resting.. getting Raitfier well and back on his feet.. I shouldn't be causing a scene, like this." She sniffled again and began to pull away from Tyleek.

"It's getting late.. we should find out if Sephora would like to stay with us and then make some dinner for us all.."

Sephora looked up at Raitfier and instantly was concerned. She removed her weapons and placed them at the base of the tree and sprang up onto the branch in front of him and sat cross-legged.
"I was worried why you had left..That I might have said or done something that offended you without meaning to. If I did I am sorry..." she murmured, looking at his face, concern filling her eyes.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tyleek smiled a little down at Cy Ara, his lavender-blue eyes warm.
"Don't worry about it. Sephora went to find Raitfier." he said, releasing her from his embrace.

Raitfier's eyes lowered as she leaped into the tree to sit across from him. He looked away a moment, thinking about that carefully. Then he locked eyes with her once more and let out a heavy, tired sigh. But the corner of his mouth quirked upward a bit in an attempt at a smile.

"No. You didn't do anything. I just have..." His eyes fell, and his smile faded. "..a lot on my mind." He pursed his lips a moment and then let the leaf go in the wind, gazing after it a moment before he spoke again, not quite looking at Sephora again yet. "I've dreamed... of the day.. the day when we can just be happy and live for ourselves.. not to have a purpose, just to be alive. Not to kill, or avenge, or fear... we'd simply live to our heart's content."

He hesitated, mouth poised to speak but his words not quite coming out. "I've dreamed of that for as long as I can remember, even before I knew of my destiny today.. to defeat this monster known as Lukia Ursl and this war he's planning..." His eyes fell again, sorrowful, before they suddenly lifted to Sephora's. "I've been fighting this.. thing inside of me since the day I lost my home. My entire village was burned down.. by that monster." His voice held venom as he finished, eyes falling. "You just sort of.. reminded me of someone I might've known.. but that's impossible."



Cy Ara cleared her throat by coughing slightly, and nodded. She turned away from Tyleek slightly and then noticed the back of the cave, where it was darkest. She wiped her face, curiosity striking her. "He didn't mention this part of the cave." She looked to Tyleek, willing him to follow with her eyes, and walked back cautiously. She flickered a small flame to life in her palm, wiping the other side of her face with her free hand as she made her way down a hallway. There were countless closed wooden doors on either side. She passed one that was open and she stopped.

"They're rooms... bedrooms." She grimaced, tilting her head as she eyed the bookcase, desk, floor cots, and other furniture that decorated the room colorfully. She glanced down the rest of the hallway, but from what she could tell, she couldn't see the end from here and didn't want to set anything on fire by sending a flaming ball down that way.

She looked to Tyleek. "I guess we know where we're all sleeping tonight.. how convenient." Without warning, her flame suddenly dissipated and she gasped, setting sparks in her hand to light another fire, but none came. She began to breathe frantically, her claustrophobia kicking in. She blindly reached for Tyleek with shaky hands. "Ty..."

Sephora listened quietly, her eyes attentive on his face. Her breath quickened though when he mentioned his home village being destroyed in a fire. She drew herself up and took a deep breath.
"My home village was burned down too. No one survived except for my mother, but she was taken. I just recently found her alive." she murmured quietly, her chocolate brown eyes gleaming oddly. "It was on my thirteenth birthday, when I had left the village with Javen. I heard the explosion and saw the smoke but when I returned, it was already too late. My father, Ceben, had just finished my longbow..." she trailed off slightly.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tyleek followed Cy Ara into the dark, staying close behind her. The stone under his feet felt cold and lifeless, but he ignored it. He peered into the room she discovered, raising one eyebrow.
"Makes me wonder how this was all made." he commented dryly. When Cy Ara's flame went out and only sparks came, he reached for her instantly, feeling her fear. He held her close, crooning softly, while his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"Easy, easy, breathe Cy, breathe. I'm right here, you can feel my warmth, my aura, lean into me and relax." he murmured, rubbing her back gently in small circles.

Part of him didn't want to hear her pain, but that was being selfish. He quickly snuffed the thought out, especially after what Sephora had actually said. His eyes were wide now as he stared at her and his voice was quiet, slow..

"Sephora.. where was your village located... and what was its name..?"



She couldn't express how grateful she was to have Tyleek by her side - not just now, but all the time. He did nothing but look out for her.. and what did she do for him?

As he held her, she clung to his tunic, shivering. Her heart continued to race and her body still trembled, but she calmed her breathing down enough to the point where she wasn't panicking as badly. She held her hand away from Tyleek and created a spark. Nothing happened, and she felt fear creeping back into her lungs. But then suddenly the room was lit by a dim glow. Embarrassingly enough, it was Cy Ara. Once she realized this, her glow only brightened. She squeaked in shock and pulled away form Tyleek quickly.

She looked at her arms and legs for a moment before she stomped her foot and yelled to no one in particular.

"I refuse to be a glow worm!" She shrieked like a typical girl and dimmed slightly, but she was still lit. Her forehead smacked into her hand and she shook her head, no longer fearful but utterly embarrassed. She couldn't understand why she was glowing.

Sephora looked at Raitfier oddly but answered anyway.
"Ca' teak. Just outside the Beors...why?" she said wearily, her chocolate brown eyes gleaming softly.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tyleek hummed a little as he held her, urging her to calm down and breathe. Finally she did, and he noticed a warm glow was coming from somewhere in the room. He looked down in surprise when he realized it was Cy Ara herself that was glowing. He let her go when she pulled away, but he was smiling and there was...a light in his eyes. He chuckled softly at her outburst and stepped closer to her.
"Not a glow worm," he agreed gently, his lavender-blue eyes glittering. "a radiantly beautiful woman. Literally." before he lost his streak of confidence, he leaned forward and kissed Cy Ara on the cheek. Then he blushed, embarrassed, and turned away.
"Sorry." he mumbled.

Raitfier's eyes fell to his hands in his lap and he thought for a long moment before he finally spoke again. "That's why you looked familiar..." He glanced at her. "I was fifteen... when I came home and realized that the village had been attacked.. I'd been away from home for two years. Hadn't spoken to my father or my sister in two long years. And when I'd gone home, I could only presume them dead. I have no way to find them." He hesitated, then continued.

"My point is that.. we're from the same village. There was only one village near the Beor mountains. One of the only villages in Alagaesia. I don't know why I didn't think of it before.. my family was known as the Orcklen Clan... we lived near the northern edge of the village. After my mother passed away, we weren't a very popular family.. she ran half the markets and dad knew nothing about any of it and my sister and I were too young to do anything.. so we had to give power over to someone else." He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm ranting.. We're from the same village. that's why I thought you looked familiar."

He pursed his lips. "I just didn't think anyone had survived that... It feels strange with you here, now that I know that. Like a link.. to my past. Not a particularly bad one." His lips formed a small smiled.



Her lip trembled dramatically as he spoke about her being a beautiful women. Her glow brightened, but only a little. It was when he kissed her cheek that she began to glow so brightly, she would be unbearable to look at. "Oh!" She frantically fanned herself, placing a hand against her forehead. "Stop glowing!" She dimmed, by a lot, and sighed in relief. Then she looked at Tyleek and moved closer to him, taking a hold of his arm to make him look at her.

"Why are you sorry? All you do is try to keep me safe, healthy, and happy. I've only known one other man in my life with my existence solely on his mind, and that was my father." She paused, eyes darted from his, to the floor, then back again. She pursed her lips before continuing. "Ty... I don't want you to be sorry. You have never once lied to me.. never once disappointed me.. never once hurt me. So tell me what's really on your mind.. stop holding back.."

Sephora's eyes flew wide as she sat and listened, blinking a few times in shock. She shook her head and looked up into Raitfer's eyes.
"I am glad...I have another connection to my home, other than my mother." she smiled a little and, hesitantly, reached for his uninjured hand and held his fingers shyly.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tyleek glanced at her, this feeling in his chest that made his stomach quiver and his hands tremble, when he is usually as steady as a rock. He closed his eyes and swallowed, then reopened them. He didn't even know how to describe what he felt for her. He shook his head, eyes eyes filled with both warmth and confusion.
"I can't...find words..to describe it. I don't know how..." he said slowly. Gently he took one of her hands and placed it on his chest, directly over his heart. "It's in here. I...want you safe..I want you happy...I want you to be with me always...at my side..If anything happened to you I...I wouldn't be myself. I...want..you." he swallowed again, his hand trembling over hers with fear, fear that she would push him away, or laugh at him. He bit his lip and looked away.

The gentle feeling of someone else touching him brought back a flood of memories. The main one being the most recent, of when Cy Ara had been holding his hand while Tyleek had removed the arrow. They may not have noticed, but his heart had been racing for more than just the fact of the arrow through his shoulder.

The same went for now. It seemed almost like a tradition for this generation of Allatik's to be cold and unwilling to be open and sincere with other people. Rai definitely was. And he knew Cy Ara used to be. Tyleek probably, too. Yet he'd just met Sephora and he already felt connected, like a bond, but different.

What the heck was this sudden feeling? He let his eyes fall on their hands and he ran his thumb over her fingers, smiling slightly as he looked back up to her. "Not sure what this is, but... I'm liking it."



She raised her hand and cupped his cheek to make him look at her again. Using the hand against his chest, she lightly took ahold of his and placed it upon her own bosom as she moved even closer to him, directly over her heart like he'd just done. Her glow brightened the slightest as her cheeks hued cherry colored and she glanced to the side before looking up to him again.

Her own heart was beating at a rapid pace, threatening to bruise the inside of her chest, even. Her sapphire eyes gazed into his with a shy smile. "I'd like that a lot, Ty.."

Sephora blushed slightly and looked down. She liked the touch of his hand around hers too. It didn't feel intimate, at least not to her, but very pleasant all the same. She smiled in return, shyly pushing her hair behind her ear.
"I do too...a bit." she said, her chocolate brown eyes gleaming.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tyleek stiffened slightly, but relaxed instantly again at her touch on his cheek. He turned into her hand and kissed her palm lightly, feeling her heart pound beneath the hand she had put there. He leaned forward, still hesitant, and shyly grazed his lips over her forehead. He honestly had no idea what he was doing, and he was scared of doing too much, more than she'd be willing to do.
"Cy Ara..." he murmured against her skin, bringing his free hand up to gently cup her jaw, his thumb slowly skimming back and forth over her cheek.

Raitfier was suddenly feeling better as he sat there with Sephora. Just being in her presence seemed to heal whatever wound he had over his hard. Maybe it was from figuring out why she'd seemed so familiar. Maybe.. but he felt it was something entirely different.

"Tell me about yourself.. not your past. Just you, who you are - your element, Javen, your favorite foods. That kind of thing." He said quietly, but with a smile. He kept his eyes on their hands. He started to play with her fingers, which was strange since he wasn't used to using his left hand. He glanced up to her slightly, with a smile.



Cy Ara closed her eyes when she felt Tyleek's lips press against her forehead and she smiled up to him as he hesitated. She giggled and shook her head. "Mighty, fearless Tyleek. Shaken up by a simple kiss? I can only imagine.. what he'd do.." She left the sentence hanging as she smiled and leaned forward on her tippy toes. She pressed her lips against his and didn't pull away right away. She brought her hands up to wrap her arms around his neck in a loving embrace.

Tyleek blushed at Cy Ara's gentle teasing. He smiled a little, and started to open his mouth to reply, and instead found her lips pressed against his. He started, having never been kissed before. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. He found he liked her being so close. Liked it very much. Being gentle so he didn't crush her, he lifted her up into his arms so that she was above him, instead of him towering over her and forcing her to reach for him.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled and tilted her head, letting him play with their fingers.
"Hmm..let's see if you can guess my element." she teased, and twirled one of the fingers of her free hand. The wind shifted, gently breezing through the leaves of the tree and swirling around her, giving her black hair a life of it's own. Her eyes glittered.
"If you guessed air, you are right. Javen is a black jaguar, as I'm sure you noticed. He has the element of lightning, which neither of us have ever heard of a Guardian having that element before. My favorite food would have to be persimmons. I love them." she paused and looked up at him. "I've...never actually told someone about myself. Not even Tyleek. I don't really know what I should say.." she trailed off uncertainly.

The thing about Allatik's when they became romantically involved, is that something inside them changes. It's as if you're imprinting on a Guardian, but the bond feels different. It's just as powerful and even more passionate.

So when their lips met, Cy Ara felt a surge of wholeness sweep through her, a rush of adrenaline that made her brain ecstatic, a bond forming and filling that void that had been created when she'd lost Siberia. Her heart ached, but for the first time in a long time, it ached for a good reason.

So when she pulled away for a breather, she inhaled a shuddering gulp of air, unable to open her eyes for the first few moments. Her glowing completely faded this time and she opened her eyes. Not that it mattered, now that it was pitch black. But she wasn't afraid. She wasn't fearful, or panicked, or worried in the slightest. She felt.. whole again. It took her a moment to overcome this blissful feeling and actually function again.

She summoned a tiny ball of fire and hovered it a few feet over their heads. It was just enough to light the two of them. Her eyes fell open and she stared at him with her lips parted, but not quite sure what to say. she just smiled a little. She felt like her. Not a wreck, not a mess. Just her. And she knew Tyleek was feeling the same thing. Somehow, she just knew.



Raitfier grinned and gazed at Sephora with amusement. Air, he wouldn't have guessed unless she'd tipped him off. "I guess it depends on who you're talking to. If your evil overlord neighbor stops by for tea, you'd tell them all your strengths and show them just how awesome you are. If you're sitting with people you don't really know, you'd tell them a few common facts, like my favorite color, food, and hobbies - my.. passions. If you're sitting with a friend, well, all of the above, and more." He grinned slightly.

"I find it interesting it's lightening, Javen's power.. that's a secondary power, not a primary. There might have been an error in his genetic make-up, but it's a pretty epic error."

OOC: on iPod. >.<

Tyleek felt a stirring in his heart, in his being, that he'd never felt before. It felt good, encredibly good. He never wanted the kiss to stop, he wanted it to keep going, but both of them had to breathe for a moment. He opened his eyes when Cy Ara pulled away, but he couldn't see a think now that her glow had vanished. He blinked a bit when she summoned a fireball above them so they could see, letting his eyes become adjusted to the new light. He looked into her eyes, her beautiful ocean blue eyes. He smiled back at her, his own lavender-blue eyes filled with joy. He felt...complete. He had no words to describe it, but the best was that he had had a hole in himself before, probably the one creates by the deaths of his parents and his lost sister. But it was gone. He didn't feel like he was wandering aimlessly anymore. He was home.
"Cy Ara...I...I love...you." he murmured, stumbling over the so unfamiliar words. "What..is this? I don't feel...as alone." he asked, both pleasure at the sensation and confusion in his voice.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled as she listened to Raitfier, finding herself relaxing around him, even more so than she had around Tyleek. Her chocolate brown eyes gleamed and she tilted her head, contemplating things about herself. She blinked though when he mentioned Javen. Her eyes narrowed playfully at him.
"Javen is perfect." she said firmly, but her eyes glittered with mischief. She stick her tongue out at him and grinned.
"Hmm...I've never actually thought of a favorite color, but I would suppose its ice green. I've never tried any hobbies..." she pursed her lips and trailed off, embarrassed at her lack of interests.

She was still overwhelmed with this blissful feeling, but she managed to stutter out the words as well. "I love you, too, Ty." She smiled down to him and laughed a little, resting her forehead against hers as she closed her eyes. With her arms draped over his shoulders, her hands connected like a loop. She bit her lip slightly, trying to remember from her past.

"The elders called this the Forelsket Bond.. which is a term for the euphoria you feel when you first really feel that moment of true love - the instant the bond takes hold.. I think.." She giggled a little. Pulling her head away from his, she tilted her head and just gazed at him a moment with a small, shy smile. "I think, for the longest time, I'd been fighting my feelings for you. Or ignoring them, but not entirely choosing to do so by will. Deep down, I was still the one holding back - fearful in.. this happening. You were the one giving everything you had for me."

She pulled herself closer to him in an embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. Her chest felt heavy with love. She wondered if this would wear down after a while, because she felt like she might have a heart attack. And despite that, she was still smiling.



Raitfier laughed at Sephora as she tried to talk, sticking her tongue out at him. He just smiled at her until she finished and with a smile, he sucked in a deep breath, thinking. Then he looked at her, shifting so his own legs were crossed and he was leaning towards her as if to tell a secret.

"My favorite color is green. I'm a pureblood, but I don't act like it most of the time. I have a secret collection of stones that I find at the bottom of shallow ponds and streams. I am utterly fascinated with the thought of flying, despite my element being water, I can't swim, and I have never kissed a girl in my entire life. Well, except for when I was four.. but that doesn't count." He grinned sheepishly, head down but his eyes gazing up at her with wonder.

Tyleek smiled slightly, delight flooding through him. He listened to her through this happiness and nodded slowly. When she leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder, he tightened his embrace gently around her and kissed her temple, his eyes closed with the quiet joy of the moment.
"I've loved you for a long time now....possibly even the day we met. I'm not sure. You taught me about what I am." he grinned a bit. "I remember all the times you got jealous of a woman I was helping." he teased, chuckling softly.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora listened raptly, her eyes wide, as he spoke quietly, as if he were conferring a great secret to her. Her eyes widened and she giggled at his last confession.
"Never kissed a girl eh?" she teased playfully. "Hm...I've already told you my color...I'm utterly terrified of water, or at least large bodies of it. It keeps me from learning how to swim. I like to make wood carvings when I have the time to. I sometimes sell them for some extra coin. The first time I've ever met a dragon was my mates dragon, Erza. She made me realize they weren't as terrifying as they are in the stories."

"Ssshhh... You're imagining things." She said coyly, glancing around them as if someone might've heard. Then she looked back at him and laughed a little, pecking him once more on the lips before she shimmied out of his grip. She did slip her hand into his, though, and slowly trudged backwards toward the entrance as she tugged him along, the fireball consistently hovering over her head as she moved, causing a twinkle to play in her eyes.

"Come on.. I'm tired of this dark and dank place. I wanna take a walk under the fiery sky."




Raitfier laughed and raised his good hand, placing it on his knee as he tilted his head. "I definitely want to see one of these wood carvings! I have never had an artistic bone in my body, but I've always loved art and sentimentality. " He smiled, but after a moment, it fell slightly and he looked at her a little more seriously. "So, If you don't mind my asking.. what made you afraid of the water?"

Tyleek laughed quietly, his eyes gleaming with joy and content. He let her slip from his grip gently, but smiled when he felt her hand in his. As she led him out of the dark tunnel backwards, he brought their laced hands up to his lips and kissed each of her fingertips.
"As have I." he said, and smiled. "And what would the majestic firebreather like to do once we are on that walk."

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled widely, her chocolate brown eyes alight with content.
"I have one in my pack, at the base of this tree." she looked away from him and shrugged a little. "Honestly I don't know. I've been scared of the water for as long as I can remember, even when I was little."

"Hmm.. you'll see." She teased and turned around as the came back into the light of the main part of the cave. Her little fireball dissipated into thin air and Cy Ara pulled back as she walked through the fake wall, lacing not just her hand, but her entire arm around Tyleek's, so they brushed against each other as they walked. She noticed Javen and Glade as they basked in the afternoon's setting sun and it sounded like Glade had dragged the poor jaguar into talking about fighting tactics and enhanced abilities. Cy Ara smiled slightly and shook her head as the looked to Tyleek with a raised brow.

"I never understood men and their infatuation with fighting and strength and all that." She leaned toward him as they walked, smiling down at the grass.



Raitfier nodded in understanding. He smiled slightly and tapped her knee. "Well, come on then.. Let's see that carving of yours." As he readied to jump down, his eyes caught movement and he glanced that way for just a second before looking back to Sephora. But what he saw made him double take, and the look on his face went from smiling to shock.

The way they were clinging to one another, the way they looked into each other's eyes, and the way their auras intertwined to create one big massively overwhelming slap in the face. He felt his heart churn despairingly at the sight of Cy Ara and Tyleek nearing as they walked and he all but lost himself right then and there.

He slipped from the tree, landing directly in front of them. Pain jolted his arm, but it was the last thing on his mind as he looked at Cy Ara's face of shock and confusion. The demeaning look in her eyes was in response to the complicated one he was giving her. His jaw clenched.

"What.. were you thinking?"

"What?"

"With him?" He didn't sound angry, or mad in the slightest. His words were confused and desperate.. and dare he consider it, full of a different kind of pain he couldn't contain.

She straightened defiantly, her voice and her eyes suddenly holding acid. She didn't appreciate the way he was acting towards her all of a sudden, like she was to blame for something. "And what's wrong with him?" She said, the hand that was linked with Tyleek's suddenly pulled away and her hands formed fists at her sides.

Raitfier opened his mouth, trying to find words, but all he did was stutter over himself in a mess of incomprehensible muttering.

Cy Ara glared, tendrils of fire licking at her lips as she spoke and moved forward, raising a hand to jab at the air toward his chest. "You know Rai.. you're not as high and mighty as you may think."

"I'm not saying I am!" He said quietly, but fiercely, looking her in the eyes. "Don't put words in my mouth. I'm just.. trying to understand-"

"Well stop trying to understand and leave us alone. I'm tired of you getting on us like this. Mind your own business and stay out of ours. I don't care if you're a pureblood, the world doesn't revolve around your obnoxious, insignifcant tiny little brain - just back off and get lost! Do something you're good at for a change, and run away!"

Raitfier faltered, staring at Cy Ara like she'd just punched him in the gut and all the air had escaped him. She didn't back down, but he took a step back and blinked, as if something unexpected suddenly occurred to him. Silently, he took another hesitant step as he began to turn and nodded in her direction.

"I get it." With his head down, he turned his back on them and jogged away before anyone could say anything else, including himself.


Cy Ara straightened, relaxing slightly after Raitfier was gone. Her shoulder's slumped and her hands hung limp. Her eyes were burning with tears she refused to let fall, lower lip trembling. And she couldn't quite figure out the reason why.

Why she wanted to cry. Why she'd exploded in the first place. Why she just accepted a bond with one, and burned another. It was like her anger had been against her will. But how could she explain that.

Tyleek smiled and held her close to his side, turning to gently nuzzle her soft hair.
"I fight to protect what I love." he murmured, smiling wider. He paused in surprise when Raitfier dropped down from above. He opened his mouth to greet his friend, but the other male beat him to it, and what he said was a little shocking. Several emotions rippled over his expression, but it was Cy Ara they flew off into a tirade. He watched her in awe as she spoke, his eyes wide. When she was silent and Raitfier had left, he stepped closer to her and gently held her shoulders.
"You're alright, you're alright, I'm here." he soothed quietly, wrapping one arm around and and holding her close. He looked up as Sephora dropped down this time. His friend was looking at Cu Ara strangely, her chocolate brown eyes unreadable.
"You do recognize why Raitfier is reacting that way don't you? And why you flared out in anger and defiance? It's not Rai's fault." she said, then turned and ran after the male Allatik. Tyleek furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and looked down at Cy Ara for an explanation, if she had one.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora had grabbed the carving from her bag and followed after Raitfier, worried for him.
"Rai? Where are you?" she called out, then closed her eyes and ranged out. There. She turned slightly and ran a few feet in that direction and ended up coming out slightly in front of him.
"Hey, what's the big rush?" she panted lightly, her keen eyes scanning his face carefully.

Her shoulders were trembling as her flood gates broke and tears fell down her cheeks. She just stared after Sephora, unable to say anything. She shook her head, closed her eyes, and buried her face in Tyleek's chest.

"I.. I didn't.." She was so sick of her emotional roller coaster, she wanted to vomit. But that may have also been the stress of the moment, the conflicting situations tumbling over one another so quickly. She lifted her eyes to Tyleek, pleading forgiveness for her behavior. And partly pleading he'd understand, but how would he be able to get all that just from how she looked at him. She couldn't speak of what just happened. Every time she tried to say she didn't know what she was doing or that she hadn't been in control, it caught in her throat and her voice wouldn't come out. She shook her head again, lowering it and causing her bangs to shade over her closed eyes as her own thoughts echoed in her head.

Something was controlling me..



"Leave me to wallow in my miserable self pity alone," he muttered quietly. Even aching the way he was, he still found a way to silk humor through his voice. But then he grew a little serious, his gaze falling. "You don't have to do this.."

Sitting at the base of a large oak, he was completely neutral, besides the negative energy he radiated. He was like a clean slate, unreadable - nothing was there. His legs were drawn to his chest and he looked much like a little kid, his arms draped over his knees and the lower half of his face hidden.


OOC: So.. the Forelsket Bond.. remember when I said it's like a Guardian bond in strength? Well.. they are officially able to telepathically speak to one another without Release and can feel one another when pained, emotional, etc. Just like an Guardian Bond.

Tyleek hushed her gently and pulled her close to his chest. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he could feel how confused she was, the turmoil inside her that made her break down. He stroked her hair and hummed softly, keeping her close to him. When she pulled back and looked up at him without saying a words, her eyes said it all. He held her cheek gently and rubbed the tears away with his thumb.
"When have you ever had to ask for my forgiveness. You already have it. We'll figure this out, just hang on, and trust me." he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her forehead and then pull her close to him again.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled at him, determined to cheer him up somehow. She sat cross legged in front of him and held up her hand.
"You wanted to see my carving." she said simply. Sitting on her palm was a half finished carving of a dragon, looking as it it were laying down with its head raised up. The head, neck, and shoulders were complete, adorned with the tiniest detail, be in a small scale on the face, the shape of a horn or spike. She held it in her hands and rubbed her thumbs over the uncared part that would eventually become the wings.
"Right now I'm kind of stuck. I just can't picture the shape of the wings right to be able to carve them."

Despite her shock at him knowing what she'd been thinking, she was so relieved. Her shoulders slumped again, but differently this time. It was as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders, but not entirely. If Tyleek knew, that meant he could tell Raitfier when she apologized.

If an apology would even do it.. she thought, grimacing in the direction Sephora had chased Raitfier in. She wanted so badly to find him and just hug him.

She sniffled as he wiped her tears and smiled slightly at Rai. She knew his words were genuine, like always. She wrapped her arms around him when he held her and she glanced up at the sky to see the ever darkening, yet blazing colors of sunset. She furrowed her brow.

"He won't want to see me right now..." That was obvious, but she was saying it out loud more for herself, as she thought. She raised her hand, wiping her eye one last time. "So much for a nice walk..I just want to go to sleep now.."

She raised her eyes to Tyleek and smiled bashfully, the familiar feeling of not wanting to be alone overcoming her. "Come to sleep with me?"



Raitfier's eyes raised to gaze at the carving, one brow arching as he eyed it. "It's.. so detailed." He moved his good arm, reaching out with his hand and seemingly tracing figures in the air in front of the carving. After a moment, he lifted his and looked to Sephora, attempting a smile. "You're amazing at this. I'd so buy one.." Hesitantly, he gazed at the dragon carving and continued. "Maybe this one is meant to be unique.. Give him wings that you wouldn't normal see.. like in the shape of a letter.. or an object. A banana." He said encouragingly. He smiled slightly, for real this time as he gazed at her.

Tyleek hummed softly as he held her. He pulled back slightly when she raised her head from his shoulder and smiled up at him. He smiled back and released his embrace so she could leave if she wanted to sleep, but her invitation surprised him. He felt his body and face warm a few degrees as he blushed from head to toe.
"If..you want me to." he said. He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, and pulled her gently back into the cave toward the bedrooms they had found.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora studied the carving as Raitfier spoke, thinking to herself. She smiled at him when he complimented it and even said he'd buy one if he could. Absently she reached into her boot and drew her carving knife. It was small, with a five inch long blade and a plain, well worn wooden handle. She pursed her lips and traced along the wood with the tip of the knife, near the dragons spine. Just a bit behind the shoulder she made a small notch on both sides of the dragon. And then she became lost in carving, losing track of time or thought, all she knew was the blade in her hand, an extension of her fingers, and the wood that she shaped. To someone watching it's like watching her shape clay. With a few deft strokes part of the mainstay, wing shoulders, and body came into shape, almost as if the wood that she wanted removed simply melted off. A for more moments and the dragon had spikes along it's spine and the beginnings of scales.

Cy Ara's true laughter bubbled up from her chest, coming out as giggles as she saw how flushed Tyleek was by the thought. She tightened her hand around his as he led her. She spoke quietly, with quiet giggles interlaced within her words. "Don't get any ideas, Nature Boy.."

Her own cheeks were flushing now, though. And she realized with gratefulness that she wasn't glowing. She smiled and pulled up next to him again, leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek. "I just want to savor what good this day has brought me while I can." Her eyes suddenly grew heavy lidded and she leaned against Tyleek heavily as they headed into the cave. Her voice was quiet as she furrowed her brow, murmuring to herself. "Just one day..."

..to be happy. No drama, no saving the world crap, and no crying. That's all I want.. just one day to relax.

Was that too much to ask?



Raitfier stared in amazement at how skilled Sephora was with the blade. He found himself in a trance, watching every swift move she made with the tiny knife. His eyes were locked on her hands, until something tickled his arm and he glanced over to find Kipp snuggling up next to him. Raitfier's heart stumbled before he reached down with his good hand to run his fingers through the foxe's fur. It sounded as if he was purring.

Raitfier turned his focus back to Sephora as she did her thing, envious of such talent. He smiled slightly. "You could go big with this talent."

Tyleek cleared his throat and blushed more, glancing down at Cy Ara with an impish grin when she pulled herself level with him. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she kissed his cheek. He chuckled softly when he noticed her eyes were heavy and she was leaning into him. Gently so he didn't startle her, he leaned down and picked her up, one arm under her knees, the other the middle of her back, and cradled her to his chest. He kissed her forehead lightly as he carried her to the bedroom. It was dark, but he could see the vague placement of things through the stone he walked on. He went to the bed and pulled back the thick blankets, then sat and twisted slightly to slide Cy Ara under the blankets on the other side of the bed. He removed his medicine pouch, stave harness, and his tunic and laid them all on the floor closest to him before he laid down and pulled the blankets up. Once he was covered up he pulled Cy Ara against his chest gently, leaving his arms loose so she could still wriggle around if she needed.
"You will have that day, Cy. Right now, rest." he murmured, humming softly.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora blinked and looked up, her hands pausing in their work. Part of the haunches and legs were vaguely visible now. She blushed.
"Oh, sorry...I tend to lose myself when I'm carving. It's one of the few times that I can...find peace." she fingered the carving lightly with her fingers, testing the shape, texture, and contour of the pieces she had just carved.

She hadn't even realized that she'd been picked up. Her eyelids would raise for a few seconds, and then drop once more. This happened quite a few times while Tyleek carried her, her head slumped against his chest while his heartbeat soothed her. It was pitch black, but Cy Ara felt him lie her down, then heard him removing his equipment. The he shuffled into the bed with her and she complied with moving closer to him. He wanted to leave her room to move, but when Cy Ara slept, she slept like a rock and didn't. She moved as close to him as she possibly could and buried her face in his chest, soaking in his warmth.

Night.. Was all she could muster before she was out like a light.




Raitfier grinned, nodding. "I know the feeling. I get the same way when I'm manipulating water. I become so engrossed with what I'm doing that everything else sort of flies out the window.." That made him think for a moment. Maybe that's what he needed - to practice his ability. He pursed his lips, and then looked to Sephora once more. "So.. what's your plan, Sephora... are you going to stay with us..? And help us fight in the war?"

Tyleek smiled and held her close. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
Sleep well.. he murmured in reply, slowly petting her soft hair. He managed to stay awake for a while longer, but soon he too fell asleep, Cy Ara close to his chest.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sephora smiled and listened quietly as she slipped the carving knife back into her boot and placed the carving aside. Her eyes hardened when he asked about her fighting in the war. A memory rolled through her mind. Of an albino clouded leopard laying on the ground, as broken and limp as a ragdoll, every single bone in her body broken or shattered, her fur soaked crimson with her own blood. Her mother crying over the body of her tortured companion. She closed her eyes and tried to remove the image, but it stuck hard. She shook her head and took a deep breath.
"I plan on helping in the war." she said softly, an edge to her tone that hadn't been there before. "And when it comes around and we are all fighting, I have one request for you, and Tyleek and Cy Ara when I get the chance to ask...." she looked up into Raitfier's eyes, and the chocolate brown depths of her irises were filled with a deep, bristling fury. "An Allatik by the name of Malaktai....is mine. He captured my mother and kept her for three years. And the entire time he was torturing her companion. Every day for three years, they both were tortured." her eyes filled with angry tears against her will. "And then on the day I found her, he killed her companion. I suppose it was a release from pain for Soletha, but for my mother it was a new agony all together. When I find him and get my hands on him I..." she trailed off and swallowed, lowering her head to hide her face as she tried to control her anger.

He'd moved from sitting with his knees to his chest to sitting with his legs crossed. He furrowed his brow as he sensed her vivid hatred, feeling it radiate within her aura because of its strength. He looked her in the eye for just a moment before his gaze fell and he picked up a twig to roll between his fingers as she spoke. It wasn't until she cut herself short that he spoke with quiet venom, finishing her thought.

"..will slaughter him." He lifted his head just enough for his eyes to gaze at Sephora, deadly anger layered under waves of sorrow. "You'll find him, and you'll make him suffer for everything he's done. Poison him with your words. Bury him with your hatred." He stared at her a moment more before his gaze finally fell again to the twig in his hands. He let it fall to the ground, his hands in fists on his knees.

"..you should probably head back," he said, reluctant to be alone again but at the same time needing to be. He glanced upward at the half darkened sky. "I have a feeling it's going to be a bright, sunny day for us all to train tomorrow. So eat, sleep - make yourself at home. I'm going to sit here a few moments longer. Need to clear my head.."

He hesitated a moment before he suddenly lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. "And Sephora.. thank you. Your kindness means... a lot to me.." His voice was sorrowful, as was his small smile, but his eyes held a great sense of respect and kindness toward the other. "I'll be back at the cave soon.."



OOC: Gonna go ahead and time skip to the next day soon. unless you had something you wanted to do first. o -o

Sephora glanced up at him, eager agreement in her gaze. She closed her eyes and breathed for a few moments, controlling the anger until it was only a stone determination. Raitfier spoke again and she opened them, looking up at him. She smiled slightly at him and got to her knees to get up. She blushed slightly at him.
"It's my pleasure." she murmured. She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Alright. See you in the morning. Don't stay out too long, please." She said, and stood. She turned away and walked to the cave. Once she was inside she felt a wave of exhaustion hit her, and she found one of the squishy chairs to slump into. She curled into a ball and yawned, closing her eyes. She heard purring and smiled as she felt warm fur covering her. She dug her fingers into the warm pelt and sighed as she let sleep overtake her.

OOC:
Nu, I have nothing, go ahead. o-o

OOC: As a side note, have I ever mentioned JUST how much I love your little sloganizer thing? It's made me laugh more times in the past week than I can count... xD



IC:

Raitfier had been watching her, until she leaned down and kissed his forehead. A moment passed before he looked at her again and nodded, a smile forming on his lips, that said he wouldn't. "Sweet dreams," he said almost silently.

Once she'd gone, Glade suddenly came out of the brush. He greeted Raitfier with a lick to the arm and Raitfier rubbed the feline behind his ears. With a swish of his tail, Glade lied down beside him, his back against Raitfier's leg. Raitfier leaned back against the tree and stared into the sky, one of his hands on Glade and the other resting on Kipp. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes for just a moment.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



When Cy Ara awoke, she felt rejuvenated to the point where she could get up and dance. She thought that this may partly be because she woke up in Tyleek's arms. Besides that, the first thing she noticed was that the room was lit dimly. Skylights seemed to be glowing in the ceiling, and she wondered where they'd been yesterday. Yesterday's events swept over her, but only the good ones really caught her focus. She smiled up to him as she noticed he was still sleeping. She moved just the slightly, pressing her lips to his for a morning kiss. "It's a wonder how you don't sleep like a rock.." she said as his eyes opened. Her smile widened. "Morning."

"Like a baby," she mumbled, grinning as she looked at him. She nuzzled her head into his chest and sighed contently. "And no nightmares... only a dream about a bunny rabbit who couldn't seem to find its carrot.." She giggled a little, glancing up at him again. "What's with that look?" She arched a brow, her own mischievous grin suspicious.