~Kegokec took a deep breath, her face buried in his chest. She nodded a bit.

"Did you notice?" she croaked, her voice still shaking. "He had the mark of the Old Ones. They were allied with the humans who killed my parents. Those Earth Dwelling lizards made tunnels for them because they had some special power that wiped out half of the Old One's numbers." She shook her head. "It was the only way though..."

She grabbed Nanashi's hand gently.

"Fly us out, if you can. Please..." she pleaded softly. "But only if you have the strength to carry me."

She started towing him in the right direction before he could answer. She wanted out. She would keep her promise to the overgrown lizard, but she'd make it to where if he ever came out for anything, he'd never be able to find it again either... He was bound by his word to let them pass as long as she hid it, so he couldn't follow her for that.~

Nanashi stared at her and nodded weakly, though he wasn't quite sure what she meant by the old ones. He hadn't gotten close enough to see the mark she was talking about, so he hadn't noticed either way. He just held his arms around her for a few moments before letting go.

When she grabbed his hand he blinked and started to respond to her request but she was already pulling him away. "Alright..." he said softly as he followed her. He scooped her into his arms again and shifted his wings, which were still a little sore from being toasted, but were at least workable. He took off at a steady run and flapped carefully, making sure not to gain too much air and crack his skull off of the wall.

Flying in a cave was rather difficult since he had to very carefully maintain his altitude, but Nanashi was fairly skilled at flying into narrow places, so after take off he managed well.

It didn't take them but about 15 minutes to get out of the cave at that rate, and once they were out he sat Kegokec down gently on her feet. "There..." he said softly, glancing back to the cave entrance. He didn't know if she planned to do what she said or not, and he didn't care either way. He doubted that stubborn old dragon would care enough to hunt her down over something so trivial, but then again, who knows? They were very unpredictable.

~Kegokec glowered at the cave entrance for a moment before stomping forward angrily. She'd never been so upset in her life. Worst of all, the anger had flared up from nowhere.

She placed her hand on the stone beside the cave mouth and closed her eyes, focusing a large amount of energy. After a few minutes, her eyes snapped open and she grabbed a sharp rock and scratched a symbol into the place where she'd had her hands before. She went to the other side of the opening and scratched another symbol. She stepped back a few paces and whispered some words under her breath.

Suddenly, the cave entrance disappeared. Kegokec nodded and went to sit down under the nearest tree, unable to enjoy the landscape of the beautiful valley they'd come in to.

"Thank you, Nanashi..." she mumbled before passing out.~

Nanashi watched as Kegokec went back to the cave and sighed softly, watching as she stood by the cave's entrance. He blinked when the entrance disappeared and then watched Kegokec as she went to sit under the tree.

His ears laid back slightly when she thanked him and he nodded slightly. He was a little surprised when she passed out, but he guessed he should have expected it. With a soft sigh he went to sit beside her, gently putting his arms around her and pulling her up to rest against him. He gazed down at her with concerned ruby eyes as he held her against him and gently stroked her hair with his fingers.

He could tell that she was upset, but he still wasn't all that certain why. He glanced back to where the gave entrance had been and shook his head. I wasn't too well educated on the Old Ones that she had referred to before, but he gathered that something had happened between them and her parents that apparently led to their deaths. He had barely understood what she said before, but he wouldn't ask her to explain.

He laid his head down against hers and then closed his eyes, purring softly as he nuzzled against her head. "It will be alright..." he whispered softly, though he doubted that she could hear him. He didn't know how long she was going to be like this, but he decided to wait a little while to see if she woke up. If she wasn't conscious within the next half hour he would just pick her up and start walking again, since he really doubted she wanted to stay near this area.

~Kegokec woke after about twenty minutes, fully rested. She sighed heavily, sad for a moment. Then, she looked up to where the cave entrance had been and smirked.

"Stupid Earth Lizard. That'll teach you." she mumbled through clenched teeth.

She silently thanked the tree she was propped up against, knowing it and the grass had lent her the restoring energy she'd needed.

It took her a moment to realize Nanashi was curled up with her, his head resting lightly against hers, his eyes closed. She hated to wake him, but they needed to go...

She nudged Nanashi gently awake and stood herself, dusting off her pants.

"We need to go before he realizes that I did a bit more than what he asked for..." she winked at him and ran off toward a small spring that ran down from the mountain into the valley they'd come out in.

The sun was shining, the clouds trapped on the other side of the mountain. Kegokec tossed her pack off and plunged into the water, which was surprisingly perfect in temperature. She waved to Nanashi.

"Come on, Dragon boy. We both need baths and we have a little time before the old lizard comes out." She smiled innocently at him, her bright eyes sparkling.~

Nanashi opened his eyes when Kegokec nudged him and sat up, looking at her. He apparently hadn't been asleep because he didn't look groggy in the least. He glanced back toward the cave again when she winked at him and smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm....not sure I want to be around when he comes out." he commented as he stood up.

He stood after a moment and walked behind her until she tossed her pack down and dove in the water. Then he just blinked and tilted his head. When she mentioned them needing a bath his face went blood red. "B-but we can't take a bath at the same time!" he exclaimed. "Why...don't you um... I'll just go stand over there, okay?" he said, pointing off toward a grove of thick bushes that would be near impossible to see through if you were standing on the other side of them. He just started to back up slowly, still blushing at the idea of bathing with her. Apparently, he had really misunderstood her meaning.

~Kegokec laughed as she got out. She ran to him and tugged him in. She splashed him and swam further out into the water. Kegokec noticed it wasn't as shallow as it looked. The water was just really clear. She splashed Nanashi again before leaning back to float on her back, letting the water soak into her light brown clothing that was suddenly covered with a lot of mud. The path had been very dusty.

She laid there for a moment, letting the sun warm her in the cool water. After a bit, she snuck up on Nanashi and jumped him from behind, giggling.

"What now, Dragon boy?!" she taunted playfully.

She really needed the rest they were getting and the friendship Nanashi was showing her. She'd been by herself for as long as she could remember, other than her parents. The others had seemed to love her, but no one had ever wanted to play with her or invite her over...~

Nanashi's eyes widened when she started to pull him toward the water. "Keg--NO wait, I don't--AHH!" he yelped as he fell into the water. He disappeared under the clear surface for a moment before reemerging and spitting out a mouth full of water. "Hey!" he said as she splashed him in the face again.

He sighed and just stood in the water stiffly, wanting to get out, but not wanting to disappoint Kegokec. He really hated being in water unless it was warm or hot.

When she jumped on his back he nearly screamed. "Whoa! Geez, Kegokec!" he exclaimed as he staggered backwards from the sudden weight. He caught his balance after a moment and glanced back to her laughing softly once he got over the shock of having a girl hanging off of his back. He spun around with her and then playfully flipped her off of his back and back into the water.

~Kegokec squealed like a little girl as she hit the water. She shot back up and flung herself at Nanashi, dragging him under. She clung to his neck again as they both broke the surface of the water. She tightened her hold for a moment before slipping back to her own feet. She gave him a curious look before wading to the shallows. She sat down and closed her eyes.

A moment later, her eyes opened slowly and she stood, just as slowly.

"Do you like...hot springs..?" she smiled sheepishly.~

Nanashi gasped when she pulled him under the water. He panicked for a moment and quickly found the surface again, shaking his head to fling the water away from his face. He shivered slightly and looked at her oddly as she waded back to the shallows. After a moment he sighed and followed her to the edge of the lake and sat on the bank.

He looked at her, whens he asked him about hot springs and then tilted his head. "...I like hot water better than cold if that is what you mean... I chill easily." he explained simply. He sighed and laid back on the grass, closing his eyes and trying to let the sun warm him back up as he withdrew his feet from the water as well.

~Kegokec pulled Nanashi quickly, and too easily, to his feet and took off running with him in tow. She drug him back near where the cave mouth had been, but she took him off to one side of it where there was a little grove of trees against the rocks. She threaded her way through them nimbly.

They broke through a clearing not long after. There was a shallow pool of steaming water there. Kegokec plunged in to this water too without stopping. She glanced at Nanashi and gave him a beautiful smile.

"Would you believe me if I told you the trees told me this was here?" she asked, still smiling.

She motioned for him to get in, the pool big enough for at least four people.

"Sorry we don't have swim suits." she laughed playfully. "I never thought we'd need anything like that."

Her eyes closed and she sank deeper into the water, relaxing after their near death experience. She was frightened still, but she didn't want Nanashi to know, which was why she was distracting him long enough to get her strength back so they could continue.~


(Sorry about all the water and dragging this out, but I'm still trying to build friendship and trust. xD After this is done, I'll move us on. XP)

Nanashi blinked when she dragged him to his feet and pulled him along behind her. He stumbled a few times as she pulled him, trying to keep up with her.

He blinked when they came to the clearing and then half smiled. "...The trees told you?" he asked and then shook his head. "Heh... of course."

He slowly climbed into the pool when she motioned for him, though he removed his boots first this time. "...I suppose it does not matter what we wear." He gave her a half smile, and looked at her, "You seem very capable of steam drying us." he reminded her.

He sank into the water up to his shoulders and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again to glance back toward the cave. He was a little worried about staying this close to the area for so long in case that dragon may come outside and go on a rampage. He sighed and just turned his eye to the sky, glad to finally be able to see it after all of the clouds and rain. "...This is nice." he said simply before closing his eyes again. Kegokec really knew how to pick a rest spot.

~Kegokec laughed softly and splashed him.

"I guess you're right." she paused for a moment. "And I know what you're thinking. I'll know a few minutes before hand if the dragon decides to come out." she smiled at him.

She scooted a little closer to him and reached out to stroke his wing. Just as her fingers touched him, her head snapped up, her eyes glued to something Nanashi couldn't see.

She cursed under her breath and stood.

"That was short lived." she sighed. "We have to go. He'll be charging out in about three minutes...and I left our pack in the clearing."

She glanced back at Nanashi only once as she took off, back the way they came. She was gone in the blink of an eye, weaving between the trees without slowing down.~

Nanashi shook his head when she splashed him and gave her a half smile. "You know everything." he said with a soft smile. He leaned toward her a little when she went to touch his wing and then blinked when he heard her curse, looking over to her with a confused expression.

He sighed when he realized what was wrong and stood as well, shaking himself off as he climbed out of the steaming water and back onto the bank. He only looked away for a moment and then she was gone when he looked back. "Wha? H-hey! Kegokec!?" he called, looking around for a moment. "...Way to wait for me..." he sighed and then started off through the trees quickly, hoping that he was going the right way, though he was relieved to see Kegokec grabbing her pack when he got back to the clearing.

He hurried forward to stand beside her. He looked back at where the cave entrance should have been and then reached out to her. "Should I fly again?" he offered, knowing that would get them out of dodge fairly quickly. He could pretty easily out fly a dragon in it's true form, especially an earth dragon. Those generally tended to be some of the slowest dragons alive.

~Kegokec laughed and took his hand. She concentrated for only a moment before they were both dry and warm.

"That won't be necessary."

She took his hand gently and lead him away from the water. She found the path within two minutes of walking along the clearing. She smiled a little when she saw the path sloped further down into a valley, a town nestled in the bottom of it.

"Should we go around or through, Nanashi?" she asked. "Have you thought of any supplies we don't have?" she thought for a moment and came up with nothing. "I can't think of anything, myself..."

She suddenly realized something and nodded to herself.

"There are powerful mages in this town. If that overgrown lizard decided to come after us after all, it would be best to lead him through the town, because he won't face the mages, the cowardly thing. He'd lose our scent with all those people around, even though the scent of an elf and Dragon traveling together would be strong..." she laughed and smiled at Nanashi lovingly, her eyes glowing. "So what do you say, my brave, handsome dragon? Shall we brave being poked fun at or the overgrown torch?"~

Nanashi smiled weakly when she dried them off and then shook out his glossy apple hair as she started to pull him back toward the path. He glanced over his shoulder once toward the cave and then looked ahead again, trying not to look back or act worried.

When they reached the path at the town he looked down and sighed heavily before looking back to Kegokec. "...I cannot think of anything either." he said softly, "...and I would much rather go around." he stated, at least at first.

He listened to what she had to say about the mages and how the dragon would not have anything to do with them. Finally, knowing she was right, he sighed and nodded. "Then we go through." he said simply. He was not looking forward to being poked fun at but as long as they could get through alright then he guessed they would be fine. He gave her a soft smile and put his hand on her back, lightly pushing until she started to walk down the hill before dropping it again. He still found it hard the believe that she found him handsome or brave, though he was pretty sure that she was joking when she said it.

Within a matter of 15 minutes, they were walking into the small town. Already, he was noticing odd glances cast their way but thus far no one really threw a fit. He tried to distance himself from Kegokec a bit,thinking that would probably make things a little easier.

~Kegokec grabbed Nanashi's hand gently as he tried to sidle away. She leaned toward him a little.

"Oh no you don't, handsome."

She smiled sweetly at the people who threw odd looks at them. The people were so stunned at her show of friendliness that they just blinked after the couple or smiled back out of habit.

Kegokec noted every mage that came out to stare at them. They knew Nanashi and Kegokec were both very powerful in their own ways. They could sense it.

Kegokec stopped for a moment as she noted a surge of power as the oldest mage stepped out of his cottage not too far from where she and Nanashi were walking. She turned slowly and smiled at him.

"Kind mage," she started, "Would you be so kind as to come speak with me on a few matters?"

The mage nodded and stepped forward. They could tell the other meant no harm, so it was a friendly, if somewhat awkward, meeting.~

(You don't have to be the old mage. I just need sleep and this is a good place to let Nanashi catch up on the action. xD)

Nanashi blinked when she snagged his arm and pulled him back to her. As usual, Nanashi kept his gaze lowered, as if he was unworthy of looking anyone in the face. He hardly noticed the odd stairs or the smiles that Kegokec won from some people.

Only when Kegokec addressed the mage did he finally pull his eyes away from the ground to look at him. He was old, that was clear enough in his appearance, though he was still well dressed in white robes. For once, Nanashi did not try to shy away from the newcomer, though his eyes still did not to any higher than the man's chin. He assumed that whatever Kegokec had to say to him had something to do with the dragon that she was hoping they would protect them from, but he wasn't entirely sure.

~Kegokec met the old mage's gaze evenly, her green eyes glowing.

"Mage," she started, "I can tell you are oldest, wisest and strongest here. I also know you will admit to none but the first." She smiled at him and he smiled back politely, puzzled as he was to see such a beautiful creature traveling with a half-breed dragon. "I wish to speak to you of the dragon from the cave up on the mountain."

"Yes?" he asked, his voice crackling with age and power.

"My companion and I crossed through it's tunnel safely by offering a trade..." the crowd gasped and erupted into whispers when they heard Kegokec say they passed through the cave. "I offered to hide it's cave entrance from those who would seek to do as we did. And, I might have hidden it a little too well." She smirked and continued, "Once he leaves his cave, he will never find the entrance again. I am afraid he will follow us. We came through here to hide our scent, knowing the crowd of this place would hide even an Elf and Half-Breed's scents. We are defenseless against even an Earth lizard such as he. I ask you to please protect us and not let him find us. Or, if you can, slay him. He would do harm to any innocent who might accidentally still find the cave..."

The old mage nodded, hearing out their tale.

"He is long overdue to be slain. He has been hunting our cattle and stealing children and maidens every so often. We did not do anything for fear of his mate. But since he met you, and not a female, it is safe to assume that he is without a mate after all." He thought for a moment, seeking out the eyes of the other mages. "We will protect you, and our village. We will slay the Earth Dragon."

Kegokec nodded and smiled. She stepped forward and gave the mage a hug, much to his surprise.

"Thank you, Great Mage. We will be on our way from here. We fear to linger, lest he seek us out tonight. He will be a little less angry if our scent is not still here."

Kegokec nodded at the mage, grabbed Nanashi's hand again and set off through the village, trying to put much distance between the cave and them.~

(I didn't think staying in the village for anything was necessary. It would drag the roleplay out more than I already have. xD;)

Nanashi stood quietly as he listened to Kegokec explain to the mage where they had been, though his ears perked at the mummers and whispers that went through the crowd when she mentioned where they had been. His eyes wandered anxiously around the crowd and he was already preparing to make a break for it.

He relaxed slightly as the mummers died down and continued to listen to what Kegokec had to say, at least until she mentioned slaying the dragon. He nearly chocked when he heard that, and looked at Kegokec with wide eyes, rather taken aback by the proposal. Sure, he didn't like the guy, but he didn't honestly think that he should be killed unless it was strictly self-defense. They had wandered through the paranoid old hermit's home. It was in a dragon such as that's very nature to be protective of his territory. He looked away quickly so that no one would notice his expression. He knew that were he human, the idea of killing a dragon would mean little to nothing to him, but he was part dragon himself... and someone had apparently thought nothing of taking away his mother's life that way.

When the mage agreed with Kegokec he only let out a quiet sigh through his nose. From the way the mage spoke it sounded like that dragon was a real pain to these people, so he guessed he couldn't say too much. It wasn't his problem anymore, anyway.

As soon as Kegokec grabbed his hand, Nanashi started walking quickly without even looking up. Once they got away from the main crowd he sped up his pace and slipped his hand away so that it hung back to his side.

~Kegokec frowned as Nanashi took his hand from hers.

"I'm sorry, Nanashi..." she whispered. "I shouldn't have asked that of them, but I guess you didn't see the bones laying around the cave as we flew. You were probably too busy trying not to smash your head in..." she murmured. "And...his breed helped those who killed my family. Spineless lizards..." She shot him a pained look before dropping her eyes to the ground. "The bones of little animals were everywhere. I saw dogs, cows, cats, mountain cats and even some humans...babies even..."

She sighed and put herself into a sprint that would outdistance a human all out run in a few seconds. She wanted desperately to get to the next village, find a room for the two of them and sink down into a real bed, and after Nanashi was asleep, cry. The next village was a good five hour walk from the one they'd just left, but for an elf, especially one who was sprinting, it wouldn't take very long at all. In the morning, she would look for work for the day to earn a little more money. They hadn't been on the road long, but they would need money soon to restock on food. And later on, they would need money for seeds to plant and tools..and many other things besides.~

Nanashi looked back to Kegokec when she mentioned the bones. "...I saw some of them..." he said softly. He had seen the animal bones, but not the human ones. The animals he could excuse; after all dragons had to eat as well. "...I was trying not to look." he said simply. In other words, he hadn't studied them to see what they were. "I really doesn't matter, they will do what they want with him and that will be the end of it. It has nothing to so with me. You have nothing to apologize for." he said simply.

He blinked when he noticed the sudden absence at his side and looked up just in time to see Kegokec disappear from view. "H-hey wa--" he started as he ran a couple of steps, but she'd already gotten away from him. He sighed and looked at the ground, his ears lowering a little. There was no way that he could catch Kegokec on foot, so he wasn't even going to try. He looked up at the sky for a moment and then extended his wings and shot off into the air, flying just above the trees and looking down, trying to stay close to Kegokec. He had a pretty good idea of where she was going, so he landed nearby the town, hesitating to go inside. He looked around but still did not see Kegokec anywhere. Closing his eyes, he concentrated hard, trying to see if he could pick up on her scent, but he wasn't all that great at the whole sniffing people out thing.

Finally, he stated into the village slowly, looking around for Kegokec as he tried to avoid the stares he received from a few individuals. He was beginning to wonder if he had passed her somewhere back there.

~Kegokec slowed to a stop just outside of the next town. It was shabby and more than a little worn down. There was no doubt she'd be able to find work repairing things, even if the people couldn't pay her much. She'd already decided not to charge much, but if she repaired a lot of things, she'd still get a decent amount of money.

She sighed and sat down on a large rock, waiting for Nanashi to catch up. She felt bad about hurting his feelings and running away, but he had no idea how much he'd hurt her. The dragon they'd run into could very well have been one of the ones who helped the people who killed her parents! Earth Dragons lived a very long time.

On top of that, the stupid thing had tried to kill them simply for passing through.~

Nanashi had already wandered into the shabby town, looking around for Kegokec. He didn't see her anywhere, not even around the inn. He stood around for a moment just trying to get his barrings straight. He had lost sight of her while he was flying, but at the speed she was running he would have thought she'd at least have caught up with him by now if he had passed her. His ears laid back slightly as he looked around at all of the unfamiliar, staring faces.

What if something happened to her and she hadn't made it? There were other things in those woods besides a dragon, surely, what if something got to her? He hadn't heard a scream but that didn't always mean anything. He glanced back, his stomach tying itself into a knot. Finally, he spun around and took off running back to the edge of town. He dashed back toward the woods, running right past Kegokec, not even registering that she was sitting right there until he was nearly eight feet away. He skidded to a stop and spun around, staring to make sure it was her and then let out a long sigh and then walked up to her, kneeling on the ground beside the rock and placing his hand on her arm and then leaning his head against it as well, closing his eyes. "...I thought something had happened to you..." he said softly, "Why did you run off like that?"

~Kegokec stared at Nanashi as he ran past, a confused look on her face. She managed a weak smile as he skidded to a stop and turned around. She listened to him, her eyes red rimmed as if she'd been crying.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, for the most part, Nanashi. Besides, I doubt anything could have caught up with me at that speed..." she trailed off and sighed. "I'm sorry I ran, but I needed some time alone."

She stood quickly and turned towards the town. "Shall we?" she asked as she started walking, looking over her shoulder at him. "We need to find a place to stay and I need to find some work to do. We won't get much here, but it's better than nothing. And we'll be helping."

She strode quickly into the town, Nanashi behind her.~