Wasteland

[Moneytalks]

Sage

Sage approached the makeshift camp from a different approach route. She was perhaps half an hour away at her current pace when she turned her ever searching gaze to see the bright light puncture the sky. It fizzled as an object of sorts penetrated the atmosphere. She waited. The sound was faint almost undistinguishable from where she stood. At least 4 if not 5 days walk from where she was. She sighed, safe for now at least.

She continued at a brisker pace now. It suddenly occurred to her that the others may have left the make-shift camp site by now.

In just under 20 minutes she arrived at the camp.

She saw the other that was like her and she found herself smiling. It felt good to see him. She went to greet him as she would greet Jarra but then stopped short. She tilted her head as she noticed some 'strange other' near the 'kind other'.

She looked from the 'kind other' to her new companion questioningly as if expecting an introduction.

She edged closer to her companion feeling somewhat safer in his presence. She reminded herself to ask him for his 'word', but now didn't seem the appropriate time. She remained silent. After all... she didn't know these being's words yet. But she would. She already understood "run"... or she recalled it... she wasn't sure which... but she had confidence that it wouldn't take long to pick up the words and the meanings if she listened carefully.

 

[bobo_daclown]

OOC

OOC:

I'm gonna wait on DarkLord's post so I can destroy the Martian city. Anyway, have a goodnight. Bobo

 

[Darklord]

Valerios

Valerios was surprised, and not surprised to see Liclakle approaching the camp. That one always seemed to show up when things needed to be done, even if you didn't want ot be involved. Nodding he invited him in. For a while they made small talk about nothing in general, mostly about how life was back at one of domes mostly.

It was then that the human male came out and asked me where the female was. In reply I shrugged my top pair of shoulders and said "I belief that she will be alright, that one is tuft. Let us await and sea if she is alright." and motioned him to sit down with us.

Soon enough the young female rejoined our group, and gesturing her to also join us in the circle I looked to Liclakle to tell me what he had to report. "You may trust them as I would my Progenitor." he said at Liclakle's distrustful look at them.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Thallon

Once the girl returned, I felt more comfortable. But the dream refused to fully fade. I looked at my current companions and thought, 'who can I trust, if anyone?'
THe girl seemed to go without saying; I never questioned whether or not she was trustworthy. A weakness in my experience, but I couldn't even begin to formulate an argument against that. The Andromedian, Valerios, seemed trustworthy, but I wondered what his background was and was beginning to think that perhaps he'd been sent to ensure my success with the photographs. The seige of the city seemed imperative to them, but there was something else too. THey were hiding something. THe city held many secrets to Martian technology, and that technology would come in handy should the human race ever lose Zion. It held the secrets to many of the Martian gadgetry that we had captured but not figured out how to use, items that perhaps could help to build another oxygen dome, as the core of the one in Zion grew ever weaker as the days went by.
I hadn't been to Zion in three years. In fact, I was only assuming that it still existed. In that time, I'd been wandering, taking up whatever work I could find and hoping that what I did didn't hurt any more people than was necessary. No casualties was a fairy tale...it was war, afterall.
"So, the question is," I began, looking my companions each in the eye individually. "What do we do now? Are you going your own ways, or shall we travel together?"
I looked to the girl, who now wore a suit that consisted of only two arms, and wondered where this new attire had come from.
"I for one," I explained, "Have a date to keep a few days journey in that direction."
I pointed out over the dunes, past where we'd spent the previous afternoon, wondering what else might wait in that direction.

 

[Moneytalks]

Sage

Sage listened to her new companion.

She saw him point in a direction over the dunes and smiled. She nodded.

She pointed at herself.

"Sage..." she smiled again then pointed at her companion's chest looking at him. Her hand back at her own chest she repeated... "Sage..."

Thallon pointed to himself.. "Thallon..." he pronounced carefully. She listened and repeated... "Thaaay-lohhhn?" She repeated the name a few times and nodded.

Then she pulled the four armed suit from her back pack and handed it back to the 'kind one' who had lent it to her.

This done she settled back into a crouched position beside Thallon and indicated with a few more gestures that she would be going with him over the dunes.

 

[bobo_daclown]

Denoitnem:

Since my Andromedian contact trusts these Yumans, I announce that the Martian dome is ready to blow.

"Valerios, I believe that you have the pleasure of telling the Andromedian military that the nuclear plant is wired and ready."

I look cooly at the sand, "As I agreed, the Martian city will be obliterated and the dome uninhabitable for generations. You must now push the button, so to speak, and inform your supervisors."

That being said, I tell the Yumans that I will follow.

"You can trust me," I said calmly. "I will remind you of when you met me last, though you must tell nobody." I close my eyes as each of the Yumans hears the worried word "run" echo through their subconscious.

Opening my eyes, I ignore their bulging eyes and tell them that we must leave immediately or be caught in the crossfire between Andromedian desert troopers and the unlucky Martians who survive the blast.

 

[Darklord]

Valerios

He had watched closely as the male human introduced himself to the female. "I wonder if that is the first step in their mating rituals?" he thought. After a while the two had decided to go over the dunes. The Liclakle has told him about the mission. Closing his eyes he breathed deeply in the reaching into his pack spoke...

"Gwnart, heu tau raq minuos (Master, the mission is done.)" he said into the communicator he pulled from the bag, then showing the teeth that had made his race the dominant predator of a planet, took the detonator from Liclakle and pressed the button. Standing up he turned to the two humans.

"My work here is done, and soon this place will be in the middle of a hot zone, I suggest we leaf." he told them, then suiting action to his words, he broke up camp and set about putting his armor back on. When they were suited up and ready to go, he gestured to the male to lead. "We all will follow." was all he said.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Thallon

The girl introduced herself, finally, touching her chest and saying the word "Sage." An oddly pretty name, it suited her well. SHe pointed to my chest, looking at me, then pointed to herself again and repeated her name.
"Thallon," I said, pointing to myself, feeling oddly as though the girl, who seemed so primitive, were in some way educating me. It was a reminder, I suppose, that the basics of communication still held great significance. I'd made a friend in her, I was certain. That thought was reinforced when she told me, with the use of more hand gestures, that she would accompany me over the dunes.
Next to us, Valerios and the other one, whose name I never caught, sat talking over something dealing with the dome...They caught my attention when the other said the words "nuclear plant wired and ready." I listened intently then, hearing him say that the city will be obliterated. THis was not good news for me, not if I wanted my money. I debated speaking up, then decided against it. They had a purpose, no doubt, and all I wanted was money...I would respect their actions, it was only fair. Looking my new friend in the eye, I decided that I'd lived too long for want of superficial things and not what meant the most...survival, companionship...
It was time to rejoin the world, possibly the struggle, but first, the New Republic would need a little information concerning the soon to be inferno Althemidy.
The other turned to us then, saying that he would go with us and that he would tell us of when we'd met him before. 'Before?' I think, almost certain I'd never met the being before...then the word came again, echoing in my brain. "Run."
I look to the girl, seeing her eyes wide and wondering if mine look the same.
A good disguise, I thought, definitely better than the tree. It seemed our new friend was quite talented, in more ways than one.
Valerios speaks into some sort of communication device, saying something I couldn't understand. I debate asking him about the New Republic, if he worked for them or knows of them, then decide against it. If they're not who they claim to be, admitting my connection to them may not be beneficial just yet.
Valerios suggests we leave, referring to where we sat as a "hot zone." He collects his camp and we all stand ready to leave. He motions to me and says, "We will all follow."
I nod, trying to appear appreciative of his gesture, while inside I thought, 'Am I now a leader of some sort? Hell, they all saved MY ass!'
Oh well. I look to the girl, she smiles warmly. I smile back, then point ahead of us, directly over the oasis would have been my guess.
"We're heading back toward the enemy," I said, "Hopefully, we can travel around without being bothered, but just in case, be ready."
I drew my own weapon from its leg-sheath, wishing I had another for the girl. Her spear hadn't been much, but it had been something. Maybe I could talk the New Republic into sparing us a few more weapons, something I could teach her on and something more advanced for when she's ready. Hell, I was going to tell them that the city was already destroyed. I guessed they'd be happy. As far as those gadgets were concerned, they could be found in any Martian city.
We started across the desert, moving carefully, slowly, kowing we had a long journey ahead of us. As we cleard the dune that lay just before the oasis, we all stopped dead. THe folliage was quickly dying off, the green already mostly brown, grass and weeds and trees alike waning in the hot desert sun. I could see straight through it not, see sand on the other side. The creature was gone, as was the ship, at least most of it. Several pieces of it lay scattered across the ground. An explosion, but we hadn't heard one...interesting...
I thought back to how the grass and trees had just sprung up, and thought 'psychic energy? Could that have been it?'
Either way, the danger seemed to have passed.
We went around anyway, and headed East, away from Althemidy...

 

[bobo_daclown]

Denoitnem (in guise of Liclakle):

The Yumans finally decide to start their arduous trek. Unfortunately, they chose to begin at dawn and the rising sun blinds us as we tramp atop the sand, heading east.

Curiosity begins to gnaw at me: my empathic side should sense the Lucian that lies in our path. As we arrive at the top of the next dune, evidence proves that my empathy is not at fault. Instead, it seems that the Lucian has left the area and the land is dying without the psychic aura that once controlled it.

In a pile of debris, the remains of the craft still stand tall against the sun. I tell the others to continue and that I would catch up.

Myth has it that Lucians use some sort of battery to power their psyches. If I could find one of these batteries, I would be able to survive much longer in the colder cities.

"I will catch up with you before the sun is extinguished tonight." I remark matter-of-factly, as I turn toward the craft.

 

[Moneytalks]

Sage

Sage was happy to follow Thallon. She noted his weapon and was vaguely intrigued by it. She gathered it was similar to the dart thrower she had brought with her. It was primitive... and useless for hunting food as the poison that she'd laced them with was strong enough to kill whoever ate the flesh of the beast she had downed as quickly as it had killed the beast itself.

Yes, she'd picked up a few interesting things during her long stay in the wastelands. Now she started to wonder where they were going. Would there be more of that strange green she had seen? She wasn't too concerned with the other two aliens. She had filed away in her mind the connection between the new one and the one that had screamed the word "run" in her mind. The other had been kind to her and although looked strange, if Thallon trusted them then she decided she trusted them.

She did not question this new feeling she had for Thallon. Her need to follow him and be with him.

She started to point to things... getting him to tell her his words.

"Sand.." he said... she repeated once
"Desert?" he said when she made a more expansive gesture. She smiled and repeated.
"There wasn't much more to the landscape so she started with what they were doing.
"Walking..."
"Hand..."
"Talking..."

She didn't tire of her questions. Her mind absorbing the words like a thirsty animal drinking it's fill of water. She never repeated anything more than once unless she'd gotten the pronunciation wrong, then she would patiently listen to him again and repeat slowly until she had it right. Only when he nodded and smiled would she point to something new. Finally she could find nothing else to point to or gesture about. A companionable silence ensued.

They reached an area she knew well. It was infested by the natives. The half-breed mutant humans. She spoke.

"Thaylohn..." her pronunciation of his name still a little strange... "Thaylohn... no..." she frowned as if searching for a word... "bad... animal..." she indicated with her fingers... 'many'.

They had stopped and now could hear the screeching and jittering of the animals gathered beyond the dune they were heading over.

"Walk" she pointed left... "around? Good..."

Thallon could make out a trail of sorts... if you could call anything a trail in the desert.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Thallon

The girl was learning at an amazing rate, pointing to things she saw or did and gesturing for me to tell her what it was in English. I explained things as best I could, hoping that I got the points she was trying to make as well as she got what I was saying. When she found nothing new, she remained silent for a while.
As we walked in silence, my mind drifted back again...this time to what happened after I left Fidla, or I should say I was carried from Filda. I'd taken three shots to the back, one doing minor damage to my kidney and the other two just causing me to bleed badly. When I awoke, I was in a makeshift camp about twenty miles outside of Filda, the camp made up of a few different tents and temporary Oxygen production units that ran on batteries. TIme was ticking away when i came to...less than two hours and the batteries would run dead. We took the long way to Zion, moving in several directions and backtracking, zigging and zagging whenever we could to ensure that anyone who followed us would think us confused. As we went, I asked around to see who had pulled me out of the city, and no one knew. All I could get out of them was that some man they didn't recognize had brought me to the camp, then taken off having told them what was wrong with me. I'd wondered if they were all telling me a story and that...
"Thaylohn..." The girl's voice brought me back to reality. I looked to her. "Thaylohn, no...bad... animal..."
SHe made a gesture with her hands...I wasn't certain if she was trying to use some sort of hand signal or to show me a number higher than the number of fingers on her hand...but it made no difference. 'Bad animal' was enough...she meant mutants. I could hear them ahead, a mixture of sounds as it was no doubt a mixture of types of mutants all together...
"walk...around? Good..."
SHe pointed to her left. I understood. TO the left was safe. SHe knew the desert well I saw. I wondered how long she'd lived here.
WE passed by the mutants without them realizing we were there. The next time I looked back, the wilting remains of the oasis was almost out of sight. I wondered if the other (I didn't know his name yet; I'd heard a name that started with an L but doubted it was his real name) would be able to catch up with us by sundown.
He knew what he was doing, I was certain...but the distance was a great one to cover in a short period of time, and we were making good distance as the day approached midday and we had already traveled a good twelve or more miles. We would need to rest soon, though, and I was beginning to become thirsty. I had water, enough for myself and the girl for a short while, but I wasn't sure if it would last us the entire journey. Also, we'd need to eat soon. I wondered if we shouldn't have passed by the mutants so quickly.

 

[Moneytalks]

Sage

Water was available in the desert... if you knew where to look. The mutants were more animal than human and thus they fought desperately for the more obvious water sources. Small wells of water that shifted over time... quickly depleating when used as a source by numerous mutants.

Sage had learnt much from her parents before their passing and more by trial and error.

The sun was at it's strongest now as they passed by the mutant territory.

She wondered if Thallon planned to keep on moving even in the oppressive heat. She had done it on occassion herself... but tended to keep her hunting towards the evenings and early mornings. The heat of midday forced most of the good prey to go into hiding anyway.

She had thought to bring water herself. She now pulled out of her back pack one of the small containers. She only had two... one was usually more than sufficient for a two day outing... but she had no idea how far they were going. In her own cave she had kept more water. Enough to keep her hydrated through the sand storms which were a regularity here.

She decided that if they continued in their current general direction, then they would pass near enough a generally reliable water supply she'd discovered several moons before. Unless the shifting sands had done damage to it.

She sipped at her water carefully, two sips before closing the lid again. She scanned the horizon, as she often did. Getting her barrings and looking out for undesirable creatures. In particular the slithery kind that waited patiently for unsuspecting mutants to cross their deadly lairs just beneath the surface of the sand.

She'd added herbs to her water. If you could call them herbs. It was a mixture of certain weeds that she'd discovered. In her mind... anything that could survive this harsh climated must have something in it worth while. She'd found that these herbs kept her feeling cooler and more alert and that wasn't a bad thing.

She turned to Thallon and offered her water to him. She had just now begun to wonder about how his... or rather their kind interacted. She'd only had her parents to look at... and they were mates... struggling to survive in an alien situation. She had no concept of how her kind were suppossed to deal with each other. She would have to ask Thallon when she understood his words better.

"Thaylon.." she spoke.. "Many hot..."
"Very hot Sage..."
She smiled
"Very hot... we go... rocks..." she pointed into the distance. Vaguely there was the impression of something protruding from the sandy landscape.
"Rocks... water... cold..."
"There is water where the rocks are?"
"Yes water where the rocks are..." she smiled
"Cold?"
"Yes... no hot..."
"Oh... there is shelter? It will be cooler there?"
"YES!" She beamed happily at all the new words... "It will be cooler there... good shelter..."

 

[Darklord]

Valerios

As they strode through the desert he kept his peace as the two humans interacted. When she had paused and said, "no..., bad...animal" he perked up a bit. A fight and some dinner other than rations would be nice, but then Thallon went the way she pointed and he followed. As they kept walking Valerios kept an eye on his power gauge and was pleased to see the power cells filling up from the sunlight.

Eventually they began wandering towards the moutains. After a while the two humans began taking sips of their water to stay hydrated. He merely took a sip of water to keep his throat wet as the suit helped to keep the worst of the heat off of him. Not that he didn't have several gallons stored in various places in the suit, and in his pack. "That reminds me, (he thought), I should make sure to refill their bottles tonight after the condenser is done working."

 

[bobo_daclown]

Denoitnem:

Very little remains of the alien craft. Entering-no, entering implies structure. Walking past the doorway into more air, I gaze at the destruction. I pick up some nonessentials and taste the air for energy. One of the batteries that the Lucian uses remains under a dead palm frond. I move the leaves and take the ball of energy. I stow it into my body and realize that I must not assume any shapes that would not morph around the sphere. As a camel, I head across the desert, following a trail of thought toward my companions.

 

[bobo_daclown]

Denoitnem (as Kamel):

Glad that my feet spread wide across the sands, I run across the dunes, feeling their energies closer with each step. I know that they are close and so I change directions and go around the dunes that they are between. Mountains loom in the distance and I arrive at a small watering hole.

This watering hole provides cool water, even in the desert heat. I change back to the Andromedian form and sit on one of the rocks jutting from the sand.

They would be here shortly: I could feel their energy coming toward me.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Thallon

the girl was proving a more than beneficial guide through the desert. I wondered how much of it she'd explored. If she was this resourceful throughout the journey, we might make it there in less time, and in fact, better condition. THe question remained though...what happened when we got there? What would the New Repbluc's response be?
We stopped and drank and rested in the shade of the rocks she led us to for a while...waiting for the heat of the sun to lessen some. It would take a while I was sure, but the heat would overcome us if we weren't careful. Again, I debated asking Valerios if he knew of the NEw Republic, wondering if the fact that they were Andromedian as well would give him any more knowledge of them than I had. If they were all Andromedian, which I wasn't sure of. I wondered too if Denoitnem knew of them.
I shrugged it off. I would play it by ear when I got there, making my own judgements of this new group, but getting some pre-meeting opinions wouldn't hurt anything...especially not from an Andromedian and a...well, Denitnem, who may have encountered the group a million times in a million different forms.
As we sat, I scanned my new friends and thought, 'No time like the present.'
"So...Valerios," I began, "What do you know about the New Republic?"

OOC: Just for reference, I intend for the New Republic to be the good guys, or another group of them. I also intend for Thallon, at least, to join them.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

OOC: I think we lost Terrin and Lucia...just an observation...

 

[bobo_daclown]

OOC: observation noted... lets hope for the best and if not, continue w/o..... sorry for the short post tonight... i'm tired

Denoitnem:

The three desert travelers sit opposite the water from me. They have not even noticed me in the shade. I walk out of the shade and into their view and identify myself aloud after a gun is raised in my direction

 

[Moneytalks]

Sage

Sage looked up as someone approached the group. Her first instinct to protect Thallon but his words seemed to indicate he was known to the group.

She looked him over curiously.

Was he that strange one... could he look so different? He was another one who seemed to know a magic that was for now beyond her comprehention.

Not for the first time she wondered about where they were heading. Were there others like herself and Thallon? Or were they all like these strange beings she was encountering.

She heard Thallon ask about something he called the "New Republic". She wondered if that was the name of the place they were heading towards.

She thought about the oasis that had died as quickly as it had appeared. She thought about that strange person... so pale... so pretty, so magical. She had a power Sage couldn't begin to comprehend. She felt her tummy gurgle. She was hungry. She remembered that her meal had been taken from her by the pale person. She searched inside her backpack for the dried meats she kept for travelling. It wasn't very tastey... but it was sustenance. She offered a piece to Thallon. She still didn't feel confident about her words and resorted to silent hand signals more often than not.

She looked again at the strange one who seemed to change his appearance as easily as she breathed. She wondered about his language... and then it came to her... there were many languages out there... did they all speak the words that Thallon spoke? Something to ask later when she knew how to ask.

She looked out across the sand from where they had come. The vast silent wastelands. In the far distance there was something on the horizon. A blemish. She looked at it more closely.

It moved slowly to the left and she stood up to get a better view. Something bad. She hoped against hope it wasn't what she suspected.

It was growing... a dark mass... getting bigger as it drew closer to them.

Sand storm.

 

[bobo_daclown]

Denoitnem (as Liclakle):

Sitting down, next to the group, I ask if everyone feels well. Although the general concensus shows that all of them are hungry, I cannot offer anything, as I have nothing to give.

In the dry desert air, something brews. I can feel it slowly creeping up on us. Unlike psychic powers, this feeling represents pure humanoid emotional panic; perhaps, known as instinct. Throwing my head side to side, I finally fix on a darkness above the western horizon.

"Valerios, would the explosion from Althemidy cause such a cloud? Or, are we in for a bit of a storm?" Excitedly, I stand up, awaiting his response.

 

[Darklord]

Valerios

Ooc: Sorry, was a little busy the past few days...

Ic: Even as Thallon was asking him about the New Republic, of which he quite a bit, he saw the worried look on the girls face. Then Liclakle had reappeared and then said something about a storm also. Eyes opening wide he said... "No, not from the explosion, it's a storm, into the crevasse everyone." as he shooed them into a small crevasse, he pulled out a heavy weave tarp, and with Thallon and the girl proceeded to spike it into the walls in a hope of forming a sand break. "Progenitor's please let us live..." he thought desperately as the first clouds rolled over them ahead of a howling gale.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Thallon

I'd seen sandstorms before, but none so sudden as this one was...It came sweeping across the sand, as if it had spotted us from far away and chose us as victims. Liclakle asked Valerios about the explosion, but it was an impossibility. THe explosion, if it had taken place yet, wouldn't have caused this, not the way it came, not as large as it was. THe sand would have raised in the air, yes, but most would have settled well before it reached our current posision, much of it broken as it attempted to pass though the withering trees of the oasis. No, the explosion hadn't caused this, but perhaps something else did. THe pale being we'd encountered earlier came to mind...
Valerios led us into a nearby crevasse (I felt foolish for not having noticed it) and we spiked a large tarp over the entranceway, hiding us inside.
"Progenitors, please let us live..." Valerios said, prayed I suppose.
I didn't pray though, I NEVER prayed. I wasn't certain of anything when it comes to religion...God? Goddess? Gods and Goddesses? Who knew? Truly, who could say? But one thing my mother had always told me, one thing that came to mind as having an undeniable common sense to it was this: God helps those who help themselves. ANd if there was no God and we didn't help ourselves, no one would help us...
ONce the tarp was in place, we huddled down, the space we were in seeming small then. I reached out and took Sage's hand in mine, and we sat silently for a moment, the sound of sand punching the tarp seeming like a heavy rain that I was certain would become much heavier as the storm raged on.
THe sand pounded the tarp for a few moments, then let up suddenyl, then pounded it for a few minutes longer at a constant, unignorable pace and pressure, then seemed to ease completely for a few moments.
In those moments, waiting for the storm to strike harder against the tarp, possibly hard enough to drive it in on us, alowing the storm in as well, when I thought I heard it. DIstantly, but still there. THe storm started again before I could mention it, but Sage had caught it I was sure, as her hand tightened around my own.
We waited almost twenty minutes the next time, listening as the tarp was beaten relentlessly from outside...then it eased slightly again and I listened intently.
Yes, i had heard it. Unquestionably.
I reached into one of the pockets in my pants, one that stretched the length of my left thigh (as my weapon occupied my right one), and pulled out a flare, breaking it open and shouting, "Watch your eyes!"
In case they hadn't heard me, and the storm was well past loud enough to drown out the sound of my voice, I turned away from the Andromedian and Denoitnem, and raised Sage's hand to her eyes, holding it so as to cover them. I felt her head nod and I took it as a gesture of understanding. When I lit the flare, the crevasse seemed suddenly bright. I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again, seeing more clearly, but also seeing colored spots over a few places in my vision.
I pulled Sage's hand from her eyes and looked around. The crevasse was long, but narrow. It led downward at a slant becoming more and more narrow as it went and eventually seemed to fade away, except it couldn't have.
I guessed, as far as the light would allow us to see, that we could all manage to squeeze through, but as to whether there was some where to go from there...
WHen the storm lightened again, I said, as loud as I could, "We can go down there, if there's a way through...can you hear it?"
I glanced to them, the flare in front of me, not allowing me to see their expressions.
"The sound of running water..."

 

[bobo_daclown]

Denoitnem (as Liklacle):

Being pressed into the crevise, I watch Valerios construct a cover. The sound is terrible, but I will endure. Even if the sand penetrates the tarp--the others will die--I will live.

I feel strength in warmth when the flare goes off behind me. The deafening sound ceases for a moment and the group decides to follow the crevice. I notice that the tarp is starting to give and volunteer to take the rear, pushing at them to hurry.

Knowing that my identity would be revealed to the Andromedian, I cannot change shapes. As the group descends past the flare, I pick it up--it warms me stronger.

I watch in disgust as the tarp rips twenty feet in front of me, as I am facing back from the group. As the sands rush toward me, I change suddenly into a tarp of sorts. Large and thin, I stretch between the walls of the crevice. I bulge in two places. Once as a sphere presses from my insides. Twice as the burning flare keeps me strong.

Run!!! I think into their minds. In the instant that the sands came at me, I made the choice to preserve these beings--even an Andromedian.

I watch them run further into the crevice. When the sands die down, I will follow.

 

[Moneytalks]

Sage

Sage had felt immense comfort in Thallon's hand holding hers. She wondered if this was how her parent's had felt about each other.

She too had heard that sound... when the eerie silence between bursts of sand came. The sound, very faint, of water trickling. It was hard to tell how far away... how far down the narrow passage leading into the crevasse... sounds had a funny way of echoing, bouncing of walls until it reached unsuspecting persons far off.

For all they knew the passage could narrow until none of them could continue further. In which case they'd be stuck... possibly forever in a coffin of their own making. But the strom was picking up... barely begun yet and the tarp wasn't going to hold. Better to take the chance. They may yet live.

Sage crawled down feeling the dank damp air... getting more moist as they decended. She felt momentary pangs of fear but brushed them impatiently aside refusing to give into the panic she could feel hidden within the fear.

She found strength in having Thallon near. Occassionally she would reach out to touch him... just for the comfort his existence seemed to give her. He would smile at her encouragingly and she would return the smile without thinking much of it. She was smiling a lot now... much more than she could ever remember doing.

The sound of water was getting reasurringly closer... more distinct. Sage could almost taste it in the air itself.

Finally...

She gasped in wonder.

The tight passage way had opened up into a cavernous room of sorts. An eerie glow emanated from the walls of rock... she could see the trickles of water seeping from the cracks in the rocky surfaces... dark patches showed signs of further possible passage ways leading from this cavern.

Beneath them where the passage ended... was a drop about twice the height of Thallon. Not impossible to decend. She's seen and manouvered down worse.

A small puddle of water rested in the centre of the room's floor. The trickles of water seeming to lead to that spot. It was probably a lot deeper than it seemed from this distance. The room itself was surprisingly large. Dwarfing her own small cave... this was at least twenty times the size.

It was... quite beautiful in fact.

Sage wondered where the other possible passages would lead to... she recalled something.

A story of sorts... about an ancient race the lived beneath the ground... in beautiful rooms with walls lined in pretty gems of all imaginable colours... they lived in complete peace and harmony... unaware of the world existing above them. She smiled... a pretty story... indeed... this room was like a dream.

She moved to drop down into the room but Thallon stopped her... indicating he would go first. She smiled deferring to him...

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Thallon

The drop appeared roughly twelve feet down, then into water that might have been shallow, or deeper than imaginable. In the light thrown by the flare, either could have been the case. The flare, and my own ghostly face stared back at me as I looked down. I wondered then if I should have let Sage go first. I would rather injure myself than her, and for that reason, Id insisted on going first, self-preservation set aside without thought, something I hadn't done for anyone since Andidria. It felt chivalrous, although I shold have guessed then what I was thinking now...She knew better tahn i would how dangerous this was and how was best to land. Straight to the point...she knew how to survive the desert, above and below, better than I could have I was certain.
I held the flare out to her, realizing that thinking about it wouldn't help any, then looked around for comfort. Valerios stood behind us, and I barely knew him. Denoitnem was gone. I found comfort in Sage alone. Oh, well, that would do...
I took in a deep breath and stepped off the ledge. A second later, I was sinking, my feet breaking the surface of the water and the rest of my body driving down behind them. I waited for my feet to strike the bottom, but they never did. My velocity slowed on impact, then continued to slow as the water pressed upward against me, then I was still for a moment, seemingly in hiatus, then I swam to the surface, catching my breath there and looking around for the light of the flare. It was behind me, glowing down from a hole in the ceiling.
"It's deep enough," I shouted back, "C'mon down."
I heard my voice echo back to me from every direction. How large was this cave? The room above was now totally out of my view, a ceiling made of rock separating me from it save for the opening I'd entered through.
"Hold your position," a voice said, the source far away and threatening...I looked around to see only darkness.
How could they...but I knew...infa-red, or something else that senses heat, makes it visible.
"Who's there?" I asked, shouting in no particular direction but knowing the sound would travel everywhere.
I drew my weapon as I spoke, raising the rifle above the water's surface and clicking off the safety.
"Identify yourself," the voice returned.
Andromedian, I was certain. Perhaps some of Valerios's friends...
"My name is Thallon."
I refused to say more. I was no longer directly associated with anything save myself, so silence seemed the best answer.
"Thallon? Are you alone?"
I thought about lying, giving them a chance to go, but where would they go? Outside was a raging storm they couldn't survive. ANd inside? WHo knew?
"No, I have a few companions. We mean you no harm, we only--"
"Wait!"
SIlence followed, for what seemed like twenty minutes but was probably less than five.
Then, suddenly, light appeared far off to my left, in the form of a flare.
"This way, you and your friends..."
THe figure wasn't armed, and looked familiar.
"Who are you?" I asked, wading closer, but slowly.
"I believe you owe us some pictures," the figure replied.