Welcome to Gaia! ::

She grabbed his hand and placed it to her cheek, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Don't go...He's stronger than you. And you won't betray me...I..I know you won't. Please.."
She wrapped her arms around him and stood on the tips of her toes, her face in his hair, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She kissed his neck and stood back on her feet, looking up at him.
"Thank you..."


((Alrighty, I gotta go. Ciao.))

The journey took no time at all and he was able to keep the equilibrium in tact through the run/flight. With a calm sigh he let Aeife down onto the chipped steps of the temple. His left shoulder felt cold now that Aeife's warm breaths had left it, he rubbed the area and looked around. The place was still a mess but something new lay just beyond the broken gates. Although just as much a mess as the temple itself it bore an organized appearance. Even though it was part of the temple it was just as much not a part of it.

A fortress. This was the work of ArchAngel, only someone so intent on destroying the dem...no, his people, would build such a thing.

Aeife's lip quiverred in her slumber. The feel of the cold steps on her skin reached deep into her dreams. In her dreams, there was a coldness... Snow and ice covered the landscape and all that once was alive and beautiful was now dormant and dead.

Her eyes fluttered open, only to see a strikingly different sky. Looking up she saw leaves and branches blotting out the orange and indigo sky. It was late... Much later than when she was at the ocean with Shouyin. Her eyes roamed around searching for him, but he didn't seem to be there. All she saw was the moss-covered ruins of the Druid Temple in the dimming light of day.

Her bruised, damaged skin showed the signs of her coldness. Goosebumps lined her arms and legs and she couldn't help but shiver. Her eyes roamed the area, feeling too weary still to move her neck.

"Shouyin... ?"

Unsure whether or not he was there, Aeife called his name. A feeling of worry nagged at the back of her mind... They had just been reunited. Were they to be torn apart again so soon...? She had already lost everything... And the thought of losing him again was too much to bear!

With the feeling of Shouyin's warm palm on her own, chilly hand, she closed her eyes and smiled. The sound of his voice reassured her, though tears still clung to her lashes. Slowly she turned her head to look at him... He really was there, then. It wasn't some dream.

Catching his glance at the fortress beyond the temple, which she had never seen before, she looked in that direction also. It was strange... Where did that come from? It was obvious that that was where Shouyin wanted to go. So she was determined not to keep him or slow him down any.

Taking her hand from his, she placed her palms on the steps and leaned forward heavily. With deliberate movements, she attempted to raise herself from the ground. Though it was difficult and her knees knobbed together some, she stood on her own. But she couldn't stand without the support of the broken wall behind her.

Looking at Shouyin, she smiled again. She hoped that she wouldn't have to rely on him too much. Carrying around a heap of bones couldn't be too light a burden, afterall.

While she was sitting there, her legs crossed and her head in her hands, she realized she had rarely been farther south. She had spent most of her life in the large forest of the north, and after she left, she still spent her time in the north. She decided she would leave and go on a journey by herself.
She jumped off of the rock and looked back up the mountain at the temple. She didn't have any posessions she needed to bring since she knew what she could use from the forests. She hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked into the forest and started to head down south, then either head east or west.

It took her half of the day to walk through the forest, and she came out without any trouble from demons. She found her way to a small river snaking out of the forest, or rather heading into, and bent down on her knees at the edge, her hands dipping into the cold weather and then taking small sips. She liked having the peace and quiet for once, and she wanted to enjoy it thoroughly while exploring the land she was born into. After a short respite, she stood and stretched out her arms and legs, then continued walking.

*Michiko wander around the temple looking for any signs of anyone else being around, she slowly made her way into the temple and climbed up onto one of the pillars staring out towards the forest, hoping someone would come out to communicate with*