The Rose Damaresk - Enter At Your Own Risk

[Crystal Guardian Girl]

Watching all the animal.. people go into there what she guess was homes, she looked at the group. Feeling the chilling wind sweep onto her face, she gave a small shiver. Looking down at the ground, eyes closed. She nodded in agreement with Cat. Looking up and opening her now glowing white eyes, she looked at one person to another. Feeling her strength build up she slowly put her arms infront of her as warm wind started to surround her, makeing her clothes make a slight noise. Bringing her hands in as if she was japanese and about to bow, she quickly brought them out sending the warm wind out makeing a sheild to keep the cold wind out. "Let's find ourselves a place to sleep, I'll keep this up as long as I can." her soft voice whispered barely able to be heard.  

[AceGreyManx]

Once they had found a room (yes, one to share), assorted "food" (yes, meaning several bugs and other indiscriminate objects), and knowledge of the market place where they could attempt to purchase gear - all at the expense of the tall Lizard-Anaste* who had welcomed them to his inn (Lizards really were mellow creatures, anyway) - Nicander finally decided it was time to go get Egavas.

He smiled and nodded to the others when he left, explaining that he was missing something and needed to go outside to look for it. He must have lost it along the way. Most nodded, and a few offered their help (which he found to be an interesting trait, seeing as they had only known each other for just over two-hours and they were all competetors) but he simply and sincerely declined before sidling out.

As Nicander stepped onto the street he felt the wind whip at his clothes and hair fiercly, and a speckle of rain or two landed on his cheek. With an exaggerated grimace he meekly let the wind and water push him back towards the dense town, following the path until he had managed to find their original starting point. He studied the area again. The ground was marble instead of dirt and now, without the people on it, he could see the intricate carvings that showed it was specifically built for the purpose of welcoming Brabans*.

He moved his gaze, and then himself, off from the interesting stone, citing that it's presence could be deciphered another time. His legs carried them in the direction that Vas had stomped after her jading, 'till he passed down the alley she had turned into and noted the T-section at the other end.

Now, if I was a teenage girl storming away in a blind rage into a city which I knew nothing about in a dimension which I knew nothing about, which way would I go? he asked as he calmly sauntered his way to the end.

Why, left of course.

He turned into the other sidestreet.

Perhaps it should have been impossible to find her. She had been missing for well over an hour, it was dark, it was drizzling, it was windy and the girl herself had had no idea where she was going. Nicander had no powers with him, except for those of luck and common sense and he was equally as clueless about the area he was in, not to mention the girl he was chasing. Perhaps, with that in mind, he should have given up and headed back, or - better yet- never left in the first place.

Luck and common sense won out.

If I was a teenage girl storming away in a blind rage in an unfamiliar city which way would I go? Well, the obvious answer was Away. With nowhere in mind and just the desire to leave fueling them, anybody in that situation would instinctively turn onto the road that took them in the opposite direction of the problem, and since the right road actually led closer to the group, Egavas had turned left onto a long (then crowded) street in an attempt to lose herself in the rush.

That street was now empty and the only evidense of the jostling and bustling that had been there not an hour before was the kicked and turned topsoil, impressed with an assortment of interesting paw, hoof and claw marks. Common sense had played his part. Nicander had found the road.

As he walked along he studied the moist ground intently, mentally attempting to calculate the distance she had walked before turning off into another one of the side streets. It was something like: Huff = Anger over Clear Thought x Agitation squared.

Something like that.

And as he pondered Lady Luck came in and did her job. There, near the entrance to one sidestreet, was a footprint. Which in itself isn't wholly remarkable, seeing as the road was covered in them. What was remarkable was that it was Vas' footprint. He knew this because it was small and round and decidely human-shaped. It was right by the corner of the wall, and thus in an area in which not many people had trodden, and so had not been covered over and the rain had turned the soil just enough to make the footprint stand out, but had he come by a minute or so later it would have been too muddy to make out.

Isn't that lucky?


* Anaste: Animal spirit.
* Brabans: Off-worlders, foreigners. Can also be used as a derogatory term, i.e. uneducated, uncivilised.  

[Dragon Tails]

Bambie was bored. She stared out the window curious to see the animals occasionally stride past, she would smile, wave and tap rapidly on the window to get their attention…only…it didn’t work. Of course considering they were on the fifth floor of the building, all but Bambie had expected this. After too long of window knocking her smile curdled its way to a frown and her mind wondered over the Legend Nicander, who managed to score them a room and food I’m bored…I’ll help Nicander

Bambie, completely oblivious to the fact that that Nicander by now could be a well way away from the Inn they were staying at, raised from her slouched position by the window and over to the door. From there she announced, “I’m going to help Nicander” and left the room before any sort of mild protest could be made.

She headed downstairs and out the door waving goodbye to the Inn Keeper as she went. Looking around, she saw muddy dirt pathways and roads, and noticed the small patter of the rain as it soaked her through. Fluttering her wings she hovered slighty not wanting to get feet all muddy just yet, I mean, there were probably giant puddles to that.

And so Bambie continued going straight ahead, looking at everything as she passed, as she fluuter through the flith and stench, looking for Nicander or something to do, whichever one came first. Sneezing Bambie set her feet into the mud and hugged herself, her demension was always warm...  

[ziadon2]

Ziadon, who was sitting in a chair in the lobby, hoping to find something to do noticed as Nicander left and soon after Bambie. He quietly thought to himself, I wonder where everyone keeps going all of a sudden. and Wheres Vas gone to? After a few minutes he decided to go upstairs and see what everyone else was doing. When he got up there and saw everyone just laying around he decided it would be good to get some sleep. He pulled his wings around him to keep him warm and slowly dozed off into a light slumber.  

[Crystal Guardian Girl]

Barely makeing a sound, Ameko stood up and walked out of the room closeing the door quietly after herself. Giving a sigh she walked downstairs to the lobby. She wasn't much of a people person, yes she loved to make friends but only if they became her friend first, and once they were her friend she'd always protect them. Now sitting on a comphy sofa infront of a window, she curled her legs up onto the couch. Crossing her arms she put them down as well as her head ontop of them. Watching outside ignoreing all the people around her, she secretly began to train. Her eyes giveing a slight white glow she concentrated on a certain spot out in the rain, breatheing rhythmicly a figure began to appear. A figure made out of rain droplets.

Slowly the figure began to turn into a human figure, then within a few minutes an Ameko looking figure was standing out in the rain. She had taken mud, rain, leaves, even the air to make a human figure. She was working on it to be identical, but for now you could slightly see that she wasn't real. Still keeping her concentration on the Elemental Ameko, makeing her own wind gather more things, she didn't notice the few people watching from behind her and from outside, who ever would want to be outside that is.  

[Lego Sex]

Vas looked up from her crouched position in the alleyway to see a pair of grey eyes looking at her. Vas faintly recalled the face as one of the contestants, though anything else about the young man eluded her and probably always would. "What are you doing here?" she said rather coldly rising from her crouched position, her eyes calm and her arms folded. She tried her best to look indifferent and intimidating but knew it was nay impossible to do so because of the wet hair covering her face and her scarf and bandages hanging on haphazardly.  

[madhatie]

Cat who had taken the form of a small tabby, lay stretched out in front of the worn, stone hearth, her long tail wrapped about her back legs. Her green eyes stared deeply into the flickering flames before her observing every different design that formed within. She watched intently as a face began to form from the flickering chaos only to disappear the moment she blinked.
The crackle of the fire was barely audible through the pounding of the rain on the roof and Cat closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth. She hated rain. Rain meant mud. Mud, puddles and all of the other horrible things associated with rainy weather. Personally Cat thought that Nicander, if that was his name, was mad to go out into such a storm to look for Vas. He was probably more likely to get drenched through and lost rather than actually find anyone.
Then, if it was possible, the pounding rain got even heavier and there was a brilliant blaze of white as lightning burst through the clouds, shortly followed by a deep rumble of thunder that shook the building to its foundations.
Growing bored Cat rolled over to sit, in her human form, facing most of the other contestants sprawled about the room. They all looked asleep or about to doze off. Then stretching, she stood up and walked over to the window to stare at the dismal weather outside.  

[NeEvIlWeEvIl]

A crashing thunderstorm. The Angeli was plummeting down to the ground. There was a massive BOOM and the lightning fizzed as it wizzed past his hair. The figure looked up at him, and her hair stood up in the static electricity. "RAPHAEL!!!" She screamed out as she fell...

Raphael awoke with a start..and a thunk as he fell from his chair. "ouch..." he murmured, not fully awake.

He looked about the room. It was ironic that the blind man could see the best in the dark...well, he was not counting Cat..or Vas...or Nicander...In fact, he wasn't discounting anyone as he hadn't had a proper chance to talk to them all.

He reached for his Stenthicon and pulled his heavy body onto his feet. Flexing his wings, Raphael folded them tightly against his body and made his way over to the direction of the window. He wanted to look out....At nothing in particular, just wanted to look out into what he could assume were dark and muddy streets.

He slowly tapped his way over to the window and stopped suddenly, frozen in place when he heard a noise. Something was outside their door, and whatever it was, it was breathing REALLY noisily.

"Cat" He whispered "can you hear that?"  

[Crystal Guardian Girl]

As the thunder rumbled Ameko jumped out of her trance. Once her concentration had left so had the other Ameko made out of rain, air, mud and ect., she looked around noticeing every...one looking at her. A sharp pain came to the left side of her head. Quickly putting her left hand down on it, she closed her eyes giveing a bit of a wince. It leaveing only a few seconds after it came, she got up. Everyone seemed to hate the rain.. but she just adored it. The pitter patter sound, the rumbleing thunder, and the beautiful lightning. Walking over towards the door, she gave one last look seeing none of her 'friends' around. Giving a sigh she lightly opened the door and quietly closed it behind her as she walked out into the rain.

Walking out almost stepping into a puddle, the rain poured down on her. Smileing lightly, and headed off, if she was as invisible as she felt, no one would notice she had left. Closeing her eyes, then opening them quickly giving once more a white glow, the rain seemed to hit something above her and land on her lightly as if it slowed the rain down. What she had done was put some wind above her that would allow the rain to fall onto her but lightly. She hadn't felt rain for a whole 4 months, and this was her opportunity she feel it once more.

As she walked along she oddly found a tree, it sat all by itself away from the city, maybe a mile out. Putting her right arm in front of her, she swushed it to the right makeing a spot dry enough to sit in. She'd of course give the water back to the grass so they wouldn't die, but as for now she needed a dry spot to sit down at. And that's what she did. Getting confortable, the light wind came into her face, blowing her hair around. The smell of rain went into her nose, once the smell came into her nose she gave a smile and sighed threw her mouth. Letting her back rest onto the tree, she watched the earth around her, she had gotten well with her powers, even gotten some new ones, but of course it had delt with weather, the rain is weather, wind is weather, heat is weather and so on. No one really noticed that but it was quite the truth.

Closeing her eyes she began to sing, her voice as soft as a light cool breeze blowing on your face on a hot summer day. For her voice was already soft she didn't have to worry about being to loud, and plus the storm helped cover it up.  

[AceGreyManx]

Daralis

Vas looked up from her crouched position in the alleyway to see a pair of grey eyes looking at her.

"What are you doing here?"

Nicander stared at her a moment, with only a relieved smile tugging at his lips.

“I should be asking you that same question.”

She glared at him, before turning to give him the cold shoulder.

“Get lost.”

It was obviously a command.

“No.” he said, “I was meant to come and get you. You’re alone at night in a big city. Who knows what could happen to you?”

Nicander watched as she went rigid.

“WHAT?” she shouted. He opened his mouth to repeat himself –

“-Shut Up!” She snapped, turning to face him again. “I’m not going anywhere. I can take care of myself! What about you?”

“Well, what about me?” he asked pleasantly.

“You're out alone’n’stuff too!” Her hands flew to her hips.

“So?” he continued.

“So? SO?!” she raged, “You haven’t even got any powers! What makes you think you’re more capable out here than me?!”

“I,” he responded calmly, “have a sense of direction.”

Her mouth snapped shut and her fists clenched before she took a jerky step forward.

“Just what,” she growled lowly, “are you tryin’ to say?”

Nicander let a flicker of doubt sweep across his fine features. He warily took a step back.

“Nothing.” He conceded as he held up his hands placatingly, “Just that we should be heading back. Look, we’re all tired and hungry and it’s just safest for us to stick together. It’s a responsibility to take care of the other members of our group, especially the weaker and weak-willed ones. Don’t worry, if you just come along with me…”

He was cut off by a strange strangling noise that made it’s way from Vas’ throat.

Her fists were clenched so tight that the knuckles were white. Her body was shaking with unspent energy, and her gaze was directed down towards the mud at his feet.

Then she looked up.

And he did what any strong, fit male of noble lineage, armed with a nasty chopping sword and a sturdy war-helm would do when faced with a little girl with fire in her eyes.

He ran.

His boots just managed to keep a hold on the slippery mud as he splashed around the corner, the pounding footsteps close behind him. All he could feel was the heartbeat in his throat as the adrenalin kicked in, and the shock of his sole hitting the ground. He darted into alleyways. Zig-zaging, trying to beat her superior speed.

He didn’t last very long.

All of a sudden there was a heavy pressure at the nape of his neck, and stars in his eyes, before he tumbled down face first into the mud. He felt the weight of a foot on his back.

“You little weasel.” She hissed. He didn’t move. “You purring, slimey, red maggot” (it seemed that when angered she lost some of her ability to tell what to say) “How dare you call me weak? We went through the same competition. We earn the same prize. What gives you the right to judge me? Huh?!”

She emphasised this point by stomping her foot further into his poor person.

“I can’t believe you’re such a pompous, robust tundra. I’m not weak. I’ll show my people.” Interesting, he thought, “I’m going to get that prize. I’m going to take… it… for… my… OWN!”

During the last sentence she had let off his back (thankfully) and turned her fury towards kicking against the nearest flat surface possible - which happened to be a dead-bolted wooden door – until, with her last word, she (unintentionally) kicked it wide open.

The startled face of Cat blinked owlishly back at her.

“Uh…” she started, as she dripped water and mud on the floor and watched her rage leave her. “You see…”

Cat’s emerald eyes wandered past her to the figure still sprawled on the ground out side.

“Nicander?!”

The only answer was a groan.

“Yes!” Vas exclaimed loudly, “Yeah.. I, uh… found him lying around and decided to bring him back. Y’know. Before the fox came again.”

“Come on. Let’s get him inside.” Said Cat, as she looked with displeasure at the rain.

Together, they hauled the muddy, half-conscious boy inside and sat him slumped against the wall. Nicander watched through lowered lids as Vas stomped upstairs and Cat went to fetch the Inkeeper and (hopefully) a hot bath.

He smirked to himself.

Mission accomplished.
 

[NeEvIlWeEvIl]

Raphael looked up in shock as the door burst open. He heard the angry voices of Vas and Cat's shocked exclimation of "Nicander?!" He was actually quite relieved that it was only them. After all, this was a very strange place.

He tapped his way over to Nicander and crouched in front of him. He could hear that Nicander was at least partly concious, because of the way he was breathing. He knew that sound well, as he almost always sounded that way after a crash landing. The breathing was quite ragged and it seemed like Nicander was having trouble staying awake.

Of course, he could be mistaken (And that wouldn't be the first time) but it would do Nicander no good to just be left here. "Hey Bambi?" He called out over his shoulder, but got no reply.

As Cat and the Innkeeper came back, he bent over Cat and whispered in her ear. "Have you seen Bambi? She seems to have dissappeared..And where's Ameko gone? Do you think we should go out and look for them?"  

[Dragon Tails]

She gasped with excitment as an elephant dressed in a formal suit spalshed his way past her, NOW THIS she thought Is WAAAAAAAAy better then that stuffy room "...and look over there!! that's a... a...I have no idea...BUT I like it!!!" The darkness grew thicker and felt as though someone could chop a kife threw it and the light would pour out. She shivered finally taking into account the pouring rain, she was freezing, and her sticky, silkish wings seemed to stay put, they didn't want to move, or flutter, they just stayed there.

Bambie wanted desperatly right now to go back to the warmth of their Inn and wondered down streets trying to find it. The intelligent people were all indoors and warm but soon enough she saw a shadowy figure up head, "hello!! I'm lost, can you tell me where-" as it turned around she backed off. Of course the intense growling of a tiger would have nothing to do with that, nor would the eyes that just screamed, 'i'm hungry, poor and have no place to go, so feed me now' or the uncut claws, that wanted to pry out her juices. It scared her even more that he came closer, and closer, and she screamed...loudly...then she ran, and kept running, possibly getting more lost along the way, she looked back to see if the TigerMan was still following, he wasn't, she turned 'round WHAM Bambie slid to the floor...the pole had jumped out from no-where.  

[madhatie]

Cat looked at the sodden figure at her feet, she found it almost ironic that Nicander had come back as disheveled as she had imagined he would. She wondered how he had managed to get into such a terrible state and she found her thoughts drifting to what Vas had said,
Yeah.. I, uh… found him lying around and decided to bring him back. Y’know. Before the fox came again...
Cat didn't claim to be amazing at reading faces but she certainly had common sense, who wouldn't after spending their life on the run? As she watched Nicander roll over groaning, Cat was sure Vas had something to do with his present condition.
She could hear the innkeeper bustling about behind them and impatiently barking orders at his staff to set up a bath as she continued on with this train of thought and jumped suddenly as a small breath brushed her ear followed by Raphael's voice.
"Have you seen Bambi? She seems to have disappeared. And where's Ameko gone? Do you think we should go out and look for them?"
Looking up Cat realised that it was true. They weren't to be seen. Though she hadn't known them long she was sure it was very unlike Bambi to disappear when someone was hurt, and the same with Ameko. She shifted her line of vision slightly to stare out the window on the other side of the room and sighed. The way things were happening this was going to be a long night.
Then Cat became aware of a new presence beside her and turned to face the innkeeper.
"The bath is ready now if your friend would like to use it."
She cast a glance at the still groaning figure now trying to sit at her feet and bent over to help him.
"Thank you very much," she told the innkeeper before turning to Raphael.
"Raphael can you help me get Nicander to the bath? I don't know what happened out there but I have a feeling that it was Vas who inflicted it. Once we're done here we can go and search for the others."
She shuddered internally at the thought of going out in such weather but she shoved the thought of getting drenched to the back of her mind as she and Raphael picked up Nicander and headed in the direction of the bath.  

[Lego Sex]

Vas' footsteps loudly echoed through the small inn leaving more than a few cracks in the timber steps leading up to the boarding rooms. At the first door her small foot slammed into the thick oak door the metal hinges crying out loudly. "That stupid leeching powerless rat!" she screamed upon entering the warm room. She thundered over to the fireplace and shook like a dog would extinuishing some of the fire places flames. She put all of her anger into staring at the wavering flames, the dying orange tongues bringing forth a nagging thought of something in the past. Though she couldn't recall it, like every other memory in her life. The thought of having no memories made her go into a near rage. She darted over to a small chair picked it up and threw it against the wall, the chair making a loud splintering sound with it's legs and seat going flying across the room.

Vas then let out a shaky, angry sigh and sat down on one of the other remaining chairs. She took in a few deep breathes and then looked around the room that was littered with splinters, not only with splinters but a few bags as well. She went over to them and sniffed one of them and recognised the brain dead welps bag. She frowned kicked it acroos the room, with some of it's possessions tumbling out and then went back to her previous chair and crossed her legs and arms and set her face into an angry scowl. She then turned her scowling face to the black pelting night, a small thought crossing her mind that some of the other conestants were missing, this thought quickly passed and was devoid of concern.  

[Crystal Guardian Girl]

Hearing Bambi's scream, Ameko quickly had gotten up waveing her arm at the ground once more giving the grass they're water. Haveing her eyes glow once more she started to run. At first it was slow but began to quicken as she began to use her weather powers.

Haulting to a stop right in front of Bambi, she began to wonder why on earth Bambi was on the ground and the number one reason, why in the world was she screaming. Feeling breathe down her neck, Ameko slowly turned her head, fear filled threwout her body. Seeing the tigers face, she brought her arm up sending a gust of wind at the tiger makeing him fly back. Turning fully around she couldn't help but smirk. 'Now now,' she thought 'it's quite rude to be doing such a thing to someone like Bambi, frightening her so badly, lucky you I'm not a monster.' In shock and anger the tiger came running towards Ameko, roaring loudly.

The tiger bent his knees and pounced up into the air. Which gave Ameko the perfect chance. Holding her arm up in the air towards the tiger she let out another gust of wind makeing him fly back once more. This kept going for a while until the tiger finally figured pounceing wasn't the best plan. Comeing right up to Ameko he brought his arm back and brought it towards Ameko. Who blocked it easily. Punching and kicking each other, Ameko kept giving little bursts of wind out from her arm, makeing him get off balanced.