432 replies to this topic

[Shekey the Green]

(Ooc: Sorry it's been so long between posts of mine, guys. I've been studying a lot. x.x Nothing for Alabast this time. I don't have much time for a post. I'll post something for him next.)

"It's okay, Arato," Adastreia leaned in behind him, whispering words only he could hear. "You'll be able to do whatever it is you need to do without Xavier when we get there. I'll watch him."

She walked off. Everything seemed to be loaded. Alabast sat in the corner staring at everyone and everything. She'd ask him what his issue was later.

She was excited...she was finally going to go to find the Dragon Knights. The Peace-Keepers, according to some. She wasn't exactly sure where they were, or what she was supposed to do; following her instincts always lead to something good.

"I think we're ready to go," she said. "Shamus...do the honors."

[Arato]

(OOC: Okay, is it Adastreia or Adrasteia? It keeps getting spelled both ways, but the sig says Adrasteia.)

"It's okay, Arato," Adastreia leaned in behind him, whispering words only he could hear. "You'll be able to do whatever it is you need to do without Xavier when we get there. I'll watch him."

Arato let a small grin escape his frustrated face and winked at Adrasteia to thank her. Someone understood him and trusted him. He still didn't know why Adrasteia wanted to go to the Imperial City, but he guessed it had more to do with her past then with the kitten.

Edited by Arato, 26 September 2008 - 09:20 AM.

[JRPomazon]

Gate got bored. He got bored of aimlessly drifting along on this small boat. In response to his boredom, he took a quick nap. Before he realized how long he was sleeping, a rather loud THUD made the boat shake. He woke up to discover a shore. He looked up and discovered a dock a few minutes away. Without any other thoughts, he jumped off the boat and headed towards town.

"Where the Hell am I?" He thought.

[Arato]

Arato was now eager to reach the Imperial City for many reasons. He was sure that such a famous city would have at least one large library, and he wanted to do some research on the Neko people. He had never really learned much about them but he knew their past was full of pain and suffering. Now, even more important to him than buying Xavier his cooking supplies, Arato wanted to read up on the history and culture of the Neko's.

"Let's get this thing going as fast as you can please, Shamus," Arato said.

"How much longer until we get there Arato?" Xavier whined.

"I don't know Xavier, I've never been this far in my travels before, and I don't know how fast this thing is--," Arato was caught off balance by a lurch as Shamus made the craft speed up. "Wonderful timing Shamus!" Arato yelled sarcastically over the roar of the engine.

[nameless]

Nameless smiled as the wind rushed through his hair, he loved the feeling of flight it always made him feel really happy.


"Hmm I wonder if he will be there,,it would be nice to see him again." His thoughts trailed off as his stomach started its protest. ".....crap......heh I have an idea." Nameless started rummaging in his bag. "Alllllll I need is......a little string.....and the collapsible pole....and....ah there we go." He pulled some junk out of his bag, and then started tinkering.

"hehheheheheh."

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus was a little anxious about actually boarding the ship. The flying machines interested him most definitely, but it seemed like it would be dangerous to be up so high, and then to rely on a machine... The thoughts of danger were pushed away though when he realized that everyone else seemed to have no problem with it.

As they took off, Lotus was shaken a bit by some of the lurches and bumps, but he got used to it. In fact, as they flew higher, Lotus could not have felt better. He looked down to the ground with a childish wonder, eyes wide with excitement.

"Kanoir..." he spoke with awe. Amazing...

The trees that used to tower over him seemed to be as flat as an animal skin, and the the big rivers turned into tiny little trickles. Lotus even reached his hand out and pretended to hold the forest they left behind in the palm of his hand.

"Ha whura... ha whura ahta ratet..." Everything... everything seems so tiny...

[Tseb]

Shamus was at the helm humming a song he couldn't remember the words too. The launching had gone well a few bumps and rough spots, but now they had managed to find a tailwind and were making good head way. Shamus tied off the helm, he would have to recheck their heading regularly, and descended to the deck. The quietest of the group was watching the landscape bellow.

"Your first time seeing the world from here?", Shamus asked, "It's one of the greatest views, Names Shamus I don't think we met"

The view was marvelous the forest was passing below seeming to be a rolling green sea. Shamus leaned against the railing watching. The trip would take several days, and they would have to land at least nightly.

[nameless]

Nameless had done it, he had created another total unneeded piece of equipment but it was brilliant. he dubbed it the "Birding rod" It was basically a fishing rod but for catching birds, he had hooked up the string to a small pulley he had and then bolted it all together on the pole he had, soon he was at the edge of the ship his rod cast out with a bit of bread on the hook.

"I'm a mad genius. brilliant but totally impractical. I hope I get something." He said with a smile

Edited by nameless, 27 September 2008 - 08:39 PM.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Lotus took Shamus's greeting in stride. The first impression of the drunk that had wandered into camp had been washed away by the image of the pilot of this machine.

?Ah, this humble one is the Bringer of the Sky of the North Thunder, though most Not-Mogili call this humble one Lotus,? Lotus began, a need to do a respectful greeting all the more instilled in him, even remembering to point up into the air, ?However, it seems Good Stranger Shamus is the one bringing this humble one to the blue sky.?

Lotus took another look out to the view that had been presented to him. It was most definitely something he would never forget.

?This humble one... never imagined riding a machine of the sky. This humble one also never imagined seeing the world in such a way to see all things become...? Lotus thought hard, trying to find the correct equivalent to the Mogili word he had in his head, ?Ah, it is as though all things have become the... basic? Smallest thing? Ah, the smallest things which make the earth,? Lotus tried to desperately explain.

With that thought passing by, Lotus looked up to the higher sky.

?This humble one wonders... has Good Stranger Shamus touched the sun and the clouds?

[Renegade]

((ooc: Ken, you may want to read my character bio for this if you haven't already))

It wasn't the first time Alabast had been flying, and he expected it wouldn't be the last.

Alabast was standing alone in the middle of the ship.

He figured that since we were going to have down time then he should try to get some sort of hold on his powers. The question was how. He knew it had something to do with his katana and the wind, and the fact that in the camp site there was that incident with Lotus' singing. Other than that, he knew nothing.

It was then that a thought struck him.

Lotus would know how or what this magic was and possibly be able to help me with control and such.

Alabast walked over to Lotus and explained what had happened two year previous, including all of the occurrences that happened in his journey's since, and asked.

"Can you help me to learn how to control this?"

[Arato]

Arato was content to be left alone at the moment. He enjoyed gazing over the edge of the flier and watching the scenery rush by, it made him feel at peace. He almost fell asleep due to the constant drone of the engine and the wind rushing through his hair.

"Arato what are you doing?!" Xavier caught him by surprise.

"Huh... what?" replied Arato.

"You looked like you were about to pass out and die!!!" Xavier shouted so that the whole ship heard.

"Uhhh... I wasn't... but uh... thanks for your concern?" Arato was still waking up from a dream he had almost entered. "Try not to yell so loud Xavier, it's rude and could disturb the others."

"I wasn't loud, was I?" Xavier questioned.

"Uh... Kind of!" Answered Arato somewhat sarcastically.

"Oh..." And with that Xavier sulked off to harass someone else.

Arato again entered into the lull of the scenery, wind, and engine, and was soon daydreaming about his past.

[nameless]

"Whatcha doin?" Xavier asked Nameless as came over beside him.

"Well I'm fishing." Nameless replied. "Fishing! how can you fish from up here?" Xavier asked as he oggled at Nameless.

"Ok so I'm not exactly fishing its more like bird fishing, so I guess I'm birding!!" Nameless said with a smile.

"Wow....thats weird."

"Ya well when I catch a fat juicy bird I wont let you have an..." Suddenly the birding rod jerked. "Sweet I got a bite." He set the hook with a good jerk and then started reeling in the catch. It turned out he had hooked a goose, a big, fat, juicy goose. Nameless dispatched it with a blow from the butt of his gun.

"Ha!!! See it worked." Nameless said with a smug smile to Xavier. "Now if you will excuse me I have to take this to the galley." He strolled off.

"Hey Adrasteia, look what I caught for dinner." He said waving the goose as he passed her.

[Shekey the Green]

She stood on the edge of the hovering thingy. Well, not really the edge, but leaned on the railings of it. She wasn't afraid of heights, which was an interesting quality when it came to Neko's. The thing that concerned her was the water far below them. Sure, should she fall, she'd die when she fell into the water due to force, but the fact that it was WATER made it that much worse.

"Hey Adrasteia, look what I caught for dinner." He said waving the goose as he passed her.

Adrasteia's head turned and eyebrow went up slightly as Nameless passed. She interpreted this as taunting.

"You'll have to catch a few more. There's no way that goose'll feed all seven of us. With a growing boy and you would finish that off in a heartbeat."

Nameless's face changed to an emotion she couldn't interpret. Xavier followed along happily, so she figured it'd be entertaining to see what they do from there.

She noticed Arato standing semi-close to the situation. Seemingly falling asleep again. She walked over and leaned on the railing next to him, facing the bright, sunny world.

They stood in silence, enjoying the scenery together.

[nameless]

"You'll have to catch a few more. There's no way that goose'll feed all seven of us. With a growing boy and you would finish that off in a heartbeat." Adrasteia said.

"Oh....true. I'll catch some more then." he turned and went back to the railing. "right now where did that flock go....." he began to scan the skies in search of the geese.

"Your doing more fishing?" Xavier questioned. "Umm no I'm birding." nameless replied shortly. "Oh.."

Nameless cast his rod again and waited for a bite. Soon he was bored and started looking around. his eyes fell apon Arato and Adrasteia. "Hey Xavier..... why did Arato come on this little excursion?" Nameless asked with a small smile.

"Oh I don't know Arato likes to travel around and do stuff, I like traveling with him so it works out great, we get to see the world better than most people." Xavier replied.

"So you don't think he came cause of her?" Nameless nodded towards the both of them.

"He may have but I'm not sure. plus that isn't your business is it?" Xavier said with a flare of companionship.

"To true my little friend." "Hey I'm not much smaller than you!!" "So I'm your elder and you should respect me." "Ya right. I'm way more mature." "Mature lets not talk about mature he......... waiii i got a bite!!!!! lets real in this fat baby." Nameless reeled in another goose and then cast his rod again

[Arato]

Arato barely noticed Adrasteia lean on the railing beside him, he was so engulfed in the scenery. He enjoyed his new-found companions, even though Nameless and Xavier could not stop picking at each other, and anyone who saw him at that moment would have seen one of his rare smiles, which are so peculiar that one can't help but smile too.

Arato noticed Xavier and Nameless bickering again and sighed. He ignored it and was soon lost again in the endless passing of scenery on the ground below.

[Shekey the Green]

(Ooc: Guys, please. No more meaningless posts. I say this out of character because I'm so tired of a one night camping trip taking a year and a half. I mean, seriously...If you want to stay in the party with me...for the love of God, and all that is Holy...MOVE THE PLOT ALONG! Otherwise you will find yourself making your own storyline within Dragon Lords without the Neko.)

The edge of the Imperial City loomed in the distance. Land was underneath the hovering thing. That was a comforting thought in her mind. No more water.

Her heart raced in her chest as she remembered the words given to her so clearly a few weeks ago.

Imperial City...Dragon Lords...Imperial City...Dragon Lords...

Dragon Lords...

It was time to begin planning...

Who were the Dragon Lords? Were they peaceful? Would they even listen to her plight? She didn't even know what she was warning them about. She just knew they had to be warned...something big was going to happen.

And the outcome, as far as she knew, could be catastrophic.

Would they even listen to her? Being a Neko, she might not even be allowed in the city legally. She looked at the city in the distance. They'd be just outside the city in a matter of hours. She needed to be prepared to visit them. She had to know who they were and what they did. She had to make sure that she could get out safely should something go wrong. She'd have Alabast, Lotus and Arato with her when she went to speak with them. Xavier would need to be somewhere else.

It would be a few weeks before she would even consider going to speak with them.

"Arato," she said barely audible over the wind, "who are the Dragon Lords?"

[Arato]

"Arato," she said barely audible over the wind, "who are the Dragon Lords?"

Arato turned toward her with a sad look in his golden eyes

"I'm afraid I may not be able to give you anything more then what I have heard in taverns during my travels. The Dragon Lords, the ruling body of the Dragon Knights, are what is left an ancient Order called the Order of the Dragon. Their purpose is to protect the innocent and bring peace to all nations, a very noble cause. However, some of them have turned from this noble path, corrupted by greed and a lust for power, committing acts so heinous that I do not know how many good could possibly remain if the bad are not punished for these acts, but I have hopes that some of them may help me in my search."

"Why do you ask?" He said curiously.

Before she could respond Xavier shouted "Watch out!!!!!"

Arato saw something flying towards the back of Adrasteia's head very quickly. Without even thinking Arato pushed Adrasteia out of the way but didn't have time to duck before...

He felt a quick jolt of pain and then... nothing. A sudden blackness engulfed Arato's entire being.


As Arato regained consciousness he could feel the side of his head swelling.
"What was that!" He he turned and saw Xavier and Nameless holding a freshly killed goose.

"Well, uh... you see... Nameless accidentally snagged a goose by its foot, but it kept flying, so uh... the birding rod made it circle inward and the change in aerodynamics made the goose lose control and it ended up rocketing towards you guys." Xavier said sheepishly. "But, on the positive side... your thick head killed it for us!"

Arato couldn't help but smile, only to be reminded by his head that it just been hit by a wild goose chase... literally.

Edited by Arato, 09 October 2008 - 08:11 PM.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

(ooc: I am going to fast-foward our conversation to starting before we land Renegade)

Lotus listened intently to Alabast's story. A story of the birth of such a power was something which Lotus had been taught to pay attention to. After listening to the story, Lotus still had a thoughtful look about him.

"Can you help me to learn how to control this?"

Lotus knew that this was a serious thing to consider. Nature magic was a very fickle thing, and he knew that. He dove deep into his thoughts and pulled the best knowledge that could to respond.

"No, this one cannot teach Good Stranger Alabast to control the rythm. This one can only teach Good Stranger Alabast to control the self," Lotus responded, his voice taking on a firmer, more serious tone.

Lotus turned to Alabast and his formerly soft-looking green eyes had a hard look to them.

"If this one is to teach, this one will not guarantee growth. Only the inevitability of decay."

There was then a shuddering in the engines, and Lotus looked to see the city they were approaching, with a landing to come in tow.

"Think of it," Lotus said finally, going to the front of the ship to get a better view of the city.

Edited by Ken the Wandering Soul, 10 October 2008 - 04:22 PM.

[JRPomazon]

It had all been hazy, the departure, the journey and the arrival. Question was: Where was he? Gate managed to find a small port on the island he landed on and decided it would be best to know where he was. It wasn't as though he cared all that much, places and locations blurred in his mind. He arrived at the town's entrance, receiving an awkward eye from the watchmen on duty. It could have been that they didn't have many visitors or perhaps Gate appeared suspicious. Or maybe, the man just didn't like Gate. Small, forgettable moments such as these were of no consequence and Gate moved on without another thought. The town itself was small, not too much to it except a couple of buildings and shops. Gate looked around and discovered an old woman wearing a long shoal sitting near the docks.

"Maybe the hag knows something." He thought to himself.

He proceeded to ask his question.

"Do you know where I am?" He asked bluntly to the old woman. The old woman, hunched over and sitting at the dock turned slowly to Gate.

"Decaying piece of garbage, just die already." Gate thought to himself.

"Well, I suppose I'm at that point in my life where I would looked 'decayed' now don't I?" The old woman responded in a cracked voice. Gate stepped back in shock, but didn't show the emotion on his face or feel it in his heart.

"Oh? I'm sorry, I read into things sometimes without realizing it. Especially people. And I can say I've figured you out . . . mostly." She added.

"Hmph. You know nothing hag." Gate replied, no longer keeping his thoughts inside his head.

"Ah, but I managed to get you to open up mister outcast." She said with a smile.

"But I shouldn't make fun, you haven't been the most fortunate of people."

She turned around completely and pointed in the opposite direction of the shore, pointing to a small road.

"Follow that route and you'll find yourself at your newest destination."

Gate began to heed the woman's advice and headed in that direction.

"Gate, you can't hope to survive in this life if you don't expand your world. You are not the only one in this world suffering, but you choose to ignore them and live as an outcast."

"I never said I was suffering." Gate said, stopping in his tracks.

"If you don't open up, you'll miss so much that the world has to offer, what others can offer you." She said.

"All I need is me. Others can keep to there values and problems to themselves, it doesn't concern me." Gate replied.

He walked off, headed on the road the old woman sent him on. Perhaps she was lying, or maybe she was telling the truth, he'd know soon enough. The old woman looked on until Gate was out of sight.

"Until the day you accept other people, your heart will remain as cold as stone and you will not survive for much longer no matter how hard you strive for life. Heh, to live for the sake of seeing a new day, you subconsciously seek hope, perhaps a new future and you don't quite understand why."

A dark shadow passed over the small town, an airship to be precise.

"Maybe they can show you." The old woman said as he gazed up into the dark silhouette in the sky.

[nameless]

"Sorry about that Arato......stupid bird started flapping around." Nameless helped Arato to his feet and then went to collect his pack.

"Meow......" Nameless looked down at the kitten. "Oh we have to feed you quick. Hey Adrasteia, I'm gonna go on ahead and get some milk I'll catchup with you guys later." With that Nameless scooped up the kitten and his bag and was off.

"There it is the imperial city. Its pretty big huh?" Nameless said to the kitten. "Meow......."

"Halt who goes there!" one of the city guards called as Nameless approached. "Umm a traveler with a poor hungry kitten."

"Do you have business in the city?"The guard questioned. "Yes I do. One I need milk. Two I'm gonna go find the local mechanic. Three I'm looking for someone." "Well all right, but if you cause trouble you'll be in the slammer before you can say blood dwarf." "Thank you." Nameless brushed past the guards and started his search for a tavern.



((OOC: sorry Shekey I was waiting for Tseb or some one else say we got there. I guess I got a little carried away.))

Edited by nameless, 13 October 2008 - 02:06 PM.

[Arato]

"Sorry about that Arato......stupid bird started flapping around." Nameless helped Arato to his feet and then went to collect his pack.

"It's ok Nameless, I'll be fine," Arato said rubbing his head.

..."Hey Adrasteia, I'm gonna go on ahead and get some milk I'll catchup with you guys later." With that Nameless scooped up the kitten and his bag and was off.

Arato went over to Xavier and told him to start collecting his things. Then, he went around and helped everyone else collect their stuff into a managable pack. Nameless had already gone on ahead and Arato hoped he hadn't run into any trouble getting in. Arato's head still hurt which put him in an unusually annoyed mood. He had to consciously tell himself not to be abnoxious to the rest of the group.

"Adrasteia, Alabast, would either of you care to lead the expedition to the city or shall I attempt it?

Edited by Arato, 14 October 2008 - 10:38 AM.

[JRPomazon]

Gate had been walking for some time now. Given how long his trek had been so far and how much more he needed to do, he most likely ended up on the opposite side of the island. This was going to be a long, long walk. The area around him was plain, patches of vegetation covering specific spots near water while the rest remained somewhat bare. The road was worn and beaten, barely noticeable from the rest of the ground around it. However, things like this wouldn't help him get to his destination faster or easier. So, he continued to walk. His body was getting thirsty, finding water would have to become a priority. Sure enough, a small body of water was close by. Perhaps it was drinkable.

[Renegade]

"Adrasteia, Alabast, would either of you care to lead the expedition to the city or shall I attempt it?"

Alabast looked up in Arato's direction suddenly being drawn out of his thoughts.
He had been trying to decipher what Lotus could mean by his cryptic message of "If this one is to teach, this one will not guarantee growth. Only the inevitability of decay."
Alabast would like to know and understand this latent power within him, for it was the reason most other humans veered away and shunned him once they got to find out.

"Just give me an hour or two Arato, then I will take us in."

With that Alabast got off the airship and wandered off to return later once Lotus' meaning with what he had said came to him.

[Arato]

"Just give me an hour or two Arato, then I will take us in."

"Alright," said Arato, noticing the contemplative look that was evident on Alabast's face.

Not wanting to bother him further, Arato put down the packs he was carrying and disembarked from the grounded flyer. Though they had landed fairly close to the city, they could not land next to it due to the uneven ground. They had instead landed in a grassy plain about 2 miles out with about a half a mile of woods at the edge of the plain. Arato walked towards the woods for some privacy. A lot of things had happened over the last few days, and he wanted to take some time to evaluate the events and decide on the best choice of action.

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

An hour and a half later Arato returned to the camp and decided to try and get some sleep before they departed in half an hour. Alabast could be seen, obviously still somewhat perplexed about something. Arato didn't take the time to notice where the others were situated before he closed his eyes and wrapped himself comfortably in his cloak.

[Shekey the Green]

Why does he need two hours? Humans are so...weird, she thought as she watched him walk around.

There were no trees around, which made her very uneasy. She was good in trees. Not so much in grassy plains. Nonetheless, she figured she'd explore. Maybe pick up a rabbit or two. She was feeling rather adventerous.

"We'll be back before he's done, Arato. Come Xavier, let's go adventure till we get lost," she said with some sarcasm.

"LOST?! NO WAY, ADRASTEIA, YOU'RE NUTS! I-" Xavier screamed...Eesh, maybe that was the wrong thing to say...

"We're not going to get lost, Xavier; it was sarcasm. Getting lost is the last thing that I'd let us do. I've got a good memory," she tapped her head with a finger. "I promise you, we'll be back here in less than two hours. That is, if you want to come...if you don't...well, you won't have much to do."

"Oh, I bet I could find something to do, but I'd rather go walking. I'm ready!!"

"Right, we'll be back before two hours is up."

Adrasteia made sure they had extra water and some food for a snack and they set out. This child was a very loyal companion, even if he didn't have a sense of humor yet..

"Look Adrasteia, a road! Should we follow it?" he asked excitedly.

"No. We'll travel off the road...but stay close enough to see it. You gotta remember: people don't like Neko's. I'm a Neko. They'd try to capture us. We have to be careful about who we talk to and such. I would say stay hidden, but there's nothing around. If trouble happens, run."

"Okay, I'll run...but how do you know who's okay to talk to?"

"I don't. That's the beauty in life. I had no idea that I would've ever found a nice person in Cha'Firen. But I did. I live a lonely life...but never closed to new things."

"Oh," Xavier said with doubt. She doubted he understood. He will in time.

They walked...There wasn't much to explore. She didn't know the island very well, but she was convinced that she had seen all she needed to see.

"See that pile of rocks over there?" She asked Xavier...

"Yeah..."

"Race you to them!"

With that, they sprinted. Adrasteia slowed down so Xavier would win.

[Renegade]

Alabast watched everyone leave sitting in the branch of a tree, They'll be back I suppose.

Then standing up he dropped and walked off down a path when he started smelling the stench of death in the air.
Looking off to the left of the trail he noticed a very ragged, rough looking man kneeled over drinking greedily, as if he hadn't had anything to drink in a while.

That's when it hit Alabast. He is the source of the stench of death.

Alabast continued to watch this man with some curiosity, almost all the thought that had been whirling around in his head were forgotten for the time being.

[Arato]

ooc: im moving the story forward to when everyone has returned, the two hours are up, and they have been walking towards the city for 10 minutes now. If anyone feels it necessary to expand on anything that happens during the time I'm skipping then they can have a flashback alright?
-----------------------------------------------------------

The group walked to the Imperial city in relative silence. Nameless had gone ahead so Xavier didn't have anyone to bicker with.

"Adrasteia asked me earlier if you would accompany her in the city, what do you say Xavier?" Asked Arato.

"Sweet! Sure thing Adrasteia," replied Xavier enthusiastically and Arato sighed inwardly in relief. He caught Adrastiea's eye and nodded to thank her again for her understanding.

Shamus and Lotus were leading the group, with Alabast only a few steps behind, followed by Xavier and Adrastiea, and lastly Arato, who was gazing curiously at the high buildings of the city which loomed over them as they approached the walls.

[Renegade]

Alabast had enough of watching the man who reeked of death drink so, turning on the spot he took off full speed back to the ship.

Where is he?!?
Ahh..there

He turned and stopped in front of Lotus, out of breath and panting.

After the breath returned to him Alabast asked, "Lotus, what did you mean by inevitability of decay?..never mind, I want to take you up on your offer to teach."

[JRPomazon]

Gate was aware that someone was watching him, but he seemed just as lost as he was so he didn't take him as a threat. He got to his feet after finishing drinking some of the water and resumed on his way. He passed by the on looker and his companion. Gate focused on them from the corner of his eye.

"Hmm, him again." He thought.

It was the mogli he noticed, interested by how such a coincidence could have occurred. Oh well, thinking about trivial things like this really wasn't productive. He continued on his way, ignoring the two men.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

"Lotus, what did you mean by inevitability of decay?..never mind, I want to take you up on your offer to teach."

Lotus kept walking, keeping just behind Shamus. He held that thoughtful look for a small while, and then lifted his head up, keeping his eyes ahead along the path.

"You do not understand, but you will," he spoke cryptically.

Lotus turned his head back to Alabast who had recovered somewhat from his sprint.

"Your first teaching is this," Lotus pointed one finger into the air, "Listen to the rythm beneath your feet, and you will know the melody to sing."

Lotus then turned back and soon found that they had reached the guard station that nameless had disapeared past awhile ago.

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

The guard had seen some oddball groups in his time, but this had to take the cake. As they came up, he raised his eye at the certain oddly dressed individual whose stride had taken her (well, the person looked like a her, kind of) to the head of the group. What was wierder, as that individual approached, she seemed to fit a more masculine profile, confusing the hell out of the guard. After taking a another quick look at what he could see of the individual's physique, the guard shared what he was thinking with his partner at the gate, and pretty soon a heated discussion flared up as the argued over whether they thought the person in question was a man or a woman.

This left them distracted however, when the group moved past, depriving the guards of the ability to actually question Lotus two minutes later when they realized that everyone in the group had passed by.