Lyra had been watching the floor, contemplating her options on leaving this place, when Lune threw her arms out. Lyra gasped again, and tensed, putting her own arms up to catch the bare skin on Lune's as the girl hugged her. Lyra grasped the girl's arms and began to push; she was being attacked!

Instantly though, Lyra's hold loosened and she wasn't pushing anymore. She couldn't move though, not with Lune holding onto her like this. She was stuck there with memories and images of Lune's life flooding her. The roller coaster of emotion from Lune's life overwhelmed and exhausted Lyra. She couldn't physically handle the input of information. She hadn't been prepared for anything specific, and now it all consumed her.

Her own power consumed her so fully, that she soaked up a great amount of Lune's memories, feelings, and went into her future, seeing Lune in the temple. Awful images caused Lyra to tremble again. Lune might possibly view some of the images as well. If she saw her own memories, she might not realize it was because Lyra was seeing them currently, but if she saw bits and clips of her future in this place, she would probably understand why.

No one had ever held onto Lyra like this, in a way where her hands were stuck to their own skin. She couldn't remove them, and her mind and body couldn't physically take it. If she didn't free herself now, she would lose consciousness, and leave this girl, though she knew now wasn't what she appeared, alone and confused and quite possibly scared and in danger. "S-stop," Lyra said weakly. Not in the new voice of someone learning to speak, no, she'd known how all along. But in a pleading, tired voice.

The unicorn let out a loud and long sigh. Then he wandered off with a shrug of his shoulders. Fine. Unwanted there, he would go where he might be able to make a difference. He was drawn to the confusion, the sadness. Patrin did not know where he went, exactly. Only that he went... Went to find two lights in need.

The naked man stopped his trek only when he found the two women. He knelt by them, and lay his horn upon both of them, let the tip brush against the one girl's cheek, and then the other's. For their ease, he became the unicorn he truly was. He lay his great head upon the girls, hoping that this would comfort them both.

Akira blinked, as he noted the other man move past him. It was odd a bit to be in this mind reality, and still able to see what was going on in the actual one. He took a breath, before returning over to his own body. His eyes opened, and he looked up at the elf man who had helped him carry the man here. "I suppose all we can do for the moment is let him rest" he said, "it seems to be more...mental than physical at the moment, and his mind seems to be slowly calming itself." He stood, turning to the other. He wondered if he should speak up, now that they were alone, relatively speaking. Though Solaris seemed to be still alert to what was going on around him. He gave a smile to the other, "shall we go tell the ladies then?"

He moved to pass him, for now letting him be still. There was no need to drag up such things. He did not wish to force anyone into talking, as he would not like to be forced himself. He should as he had thought before, see if the girls were alright. He could deal with things later. Like how he had gotten here, and the disappearing gate. It still interested him, his curiosity was definitely perked about this place, though as to what this place was, perhaps they could tell him once they were all together? He glanced back at the other, pausing at the door. If he did not wish to go, they could always remain here, it was up to the other.

Lune didn't want to let go, she wanted to cling to this other woman and sob against her. To be held and comforted, reassured that everything would be alright is this frightening and confusing place. Instead the other woman was asking her to stop, and then someone else was there. The man with the horn, he was touching them with that horn and then he wasn't a man anymore. He was a horse with a horn. Lune's arms slipped away from Lyra, wide eyes on the horned equine. A unicorn. This was a unicorn.

Unicorns were only in stories. Fairytales and the like. Then again people also didn't get transported to new words by vanishing gates. Lune reached out to touch him, hesitated, then threw both arms around the unicorns neck and sobbed against him. Things were so strange, so confusing and just so frightening. She whimpered and cried against this creature who's very presence seemed to offer comfort.


Kurako watched Akira and Solaris intently until Akira's eyes opened and he spoke. That hand pushed deeper into his pocket and his gloved hand ran through his hair. "Shouldn't someone be here when he wakes?" He was sure Solaris would be fine, but the man might be a little confused, maybe disoriented when he woke. Kurako was concerned, but he tried not to be too concerned. He was also concerned for the ladies, but if a unicorn was with them, they should be alright. Shouldn't they? Still the newest girl had seemed especially frightened, though he could understand that. She had just been plopped into a strange place and then strange events had unfolded.

With another glance at Solaris, Kurako moved to follow the other man. Deciding that Sol would be just fine, or more hoping he would be just fine. The half-elf shrugged slightly. "One of those ladies seemed rather hysterical." A slight frown on his lips, a hint of concern in his voice. He was sure the unicorn had the situation under control, but that didn't stop him from being a bit concerned. Kurako had some questions, but he didn't think this man could answer them, he would just have to wait for Solaris to wake up. "Actually, I'd like to have another look at the grass."

The grass when Solaris had fallen had turned black around him. Things like that didn't just happen. Well sometimes. Kurako's hand twitched in his pocket, he was sure it wasn't connected to him, had nothing to do with his curse. Still he just wanted to look at it again, a closer inspection of sorts. "Also, I'd like to recover my glove, as soon as possible." It would probably still be wet and weird to wear like that, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was not talking about what his clothing hid. It was possible Akira still had it, it was also possible that the man had dropped it on the ground. Either way, Kurako just wanted it back.

Lyra was growing increasingly anxious, as the man with the horn appeared and Lune held her there in place, draining her energy with her own feelings, memories, and secrets. The man though, had transformed into something else, some kind of horse, and Lune released her. Lyra moved away from them both.

She moved slowly, a few feet away putting her back against a pillar or wall where she leaned against it for support. Her breathing was heavier than normal, as if she were trying to catch it. She watched Lune, and the horse with the horn. They didn't have unicorns in her world, though he didn't seem dangerous. His presence was even, soothing somehow. But Lyra was exhausted now, and still wary of this place, especially after the things she'd seen from Solaris, and even Lune.

Lyra kept her distance here, sliding down to sit. She needed some sort of plan. They all did. It wouldn't help though. Her visions could never be changed. No matter what anyone did or tried, it was all a part of the great scheme of things, and the visions always came true, things always fell together, even when that meant they fell apart. She hoped Lune would keep her secret, about talking. It was something Lyra hadn't done since she was a child, and she would not again, if she didn't have to.

And Lyra would keep Lune's secret as well, the best she could. So long as she didn't end up trapped with her hands on someone again, and as long as no one touched her hands while she slept, it would be easy.

The unicorn tilted his elegant head and lay it against the woman's shoulder. Her crying only served to distress him, and make him want to ease her sorrow and confusion. Patrin's copper-gold eyes closed as he sent waves of comfort and understanding the young woman's way.


He was aware of the red haired woman, the one who had walked away. She was shaken. His inner senses told him that. Why, that he didn't know. Patrin could catch emotions, but couldn't read minds. The only way he could find out the why of anything was the old fashioned way. He could ask. The unicorn flicked his tail. No, better not for now. He settled for nosing the silver haired maiden gently.

He listened to the other, watching him. He could easily tell the other's feelings, because of his eyes. Looking into them gave him easy access into another's mind but he did not need that to see how the other was feeling. Eyes were his specialty after all. He remained silent for a moment, before boldly stepping forward. He took ahold of the other's wrist, pulling his hand out of his pocket to expose his hand to the both of them. He did not even flinch at the sight of what the other was trying to hide.

His eyes remained on his. "You should not have to hide...or fear so much what others would think or do" he says, "there is nothing wrong with you as much as you may think so....but the choice is yours in the end, the only one who can decide what to do for you is you." He released his wrist after that and nodded, a smile breaking what had been a more serious expression a few minutes ago. "The grass and glove hmm? Alright, it should be out where the incident occurred" with that he walked out of the room.

He walked along the hall, back towards the door, not looking back. The other could choose to follow if he desired, or the other could stay there. His words and blunt actions would have most likely come as a shock. But he did not mind, the other could do as he wished. He was just becoming annoyed with someone being so bothered with hiding something that was unneeded. Then again, he paused, sighing. Man, he had just been reckless hadn't he? He had once more tread on another's feelings without a second thought.

He sighed, shaking his head once more. He continued on, moving out and down the steps to the patch of blackened grass. There sitting by it, was the glove of the other. He kneels, reaching to pick it up. His eyes were drawn to the blackened grass now, looking at it. He wondered himself what had happened with it. The other had done it, after he had passed out. His mind was a mess, though it was in turn healing itself. He frowned lightly, what was with this place?

Lune kept her face buried against the softness of the unicorn, though slowly she was beginning to feel a bit calmer. Bit by bit she was starting to relax, the unicorn's presence was comforting even though she was still questioning it somewhat in her mind. Her eyes remained squeezed shut and her arms were still around the equine's neck. Lune wasn't ready to let go yet.

Kurako took a step back when the other came towards him, his gloved hand coming up to grasp Akira's wrist just as the man had pulled his hand out of that pocket. The half-elf tensed, grimacing lightly and frowning. His eyes darted to the side for a moment, then to Akira's face. Though it was clear he was trying his best to not look away again. Black lines marred his flesh, it was almost what it would look like if a person's veins were black and on the skin instead of beneath it. Occasionally those markings even seemed to pulse a bit.

When the other released him, Kurako let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "I'm not hiding." Both hands were shoved into his pockets now as he followed the other out of the room at an almost lazy pace. That lazy pace didn't last too long and quickly the half-elf was only just a step and half behind the other man. "Just avoiding questions that I don't like answering, that's all." Kurako was wondering why this other hadn't asked him any questions, but that didn't matter, he didn't want to answer questions so it was fine with him if the other wasn't curious or didn't care.

Kurako came to stand beside the other when they reached the patch of grass, he stared down at it for a moment before both hands came out of his pockets, then he knelt down. He reached out with his bare, black lined hand, holding it out just an inch over the grass for a moment before he brought it down to rest. He pressed his palm against that grass and curled his fingers a bit. Feeling it as best he could. It seemed similar but Kurako didn't think it was the same. "What do you think?" His lavender eyes were staring at the black grass, not glancing at Akira when he spoke.

"Are you so sure about that?" he said more to himself than the other. It was really rhetorical in nature, more than an actual question. He watched the other touch the grass, remaining silent as he did so. When he was asked what he thought, he shrugged. “Could have been merely a manifestation of his abilities” he said, reaching a hand up to adjust the glasses. “Various stimuli can trigger different reactions within one’s natural genetics” he said without faltering. Kiyoko would have stared at him blankly at this point, or told him that he was talking science gibberish and tell him to speak English like a normal person. He tended to let his mind work faster than him thinking it through enough to ‘dumb it down’ per say for other people.

Not that they were dumb, it just made more natural sense to him with the mind of a computer. He glanced at the other for a moment, if he did not understand, he could always ask, but the other did not seem like the type to admit he did not understand so readily, when he could not even admit other simple things. He returned his gaze to the grass, before standing. He reached up once more, removing his glasses. The coloring in his eyes reacted to the shift in light, the golden yellow within them becoming the more prominent color for the moment. His pupils shrunk slightly, as he looked at the grass. The other would not understand, because he had not been told about Akira’s eyes yet or really anything other than his name.

He scanned over it, taking in what he could from the information there. The grass was indeed blackened, dead beneath the other’s hand. But still it had not wilted or shrivvled, instead, it looked like normal grass just…dead. Odd indeed, Akira frowning slightly as he looked at it. Kiyoko would once more be making a comment that he had his ‘serious face on’, which meant the wheels in his mind were turning. He smiled a bit to himself, he hardly even noticed that he did such little habits, but then again, few ever did. It was just natural things one did.

As the young woman quieted, the unicorn took the opportunity to shift around so he lay more comfortably against the cold floor. Patrin's head bobbed up and down, just long enough for him to nuzzle the girl's cheek carefully. Then he turned his eyes to the other woman in the room. She puzzled him, that one. She felt so worried, and yet his presence hadn't seem to help at all.

Sometimes, Patrin really wished he could read minds.

He settled for a soft neigh. It was questioning, obvious as could be as the unicorn tilted his head. He was careful not to dislodge the pale haired girl, and he even settled down and lowered his head across her lap once he was done. Maybe he should have talked. He could in his native form after all ... but it was so much trouble, and so far there had been no need.

With each passing moment that the horse with the horn was there, Lyra's instincts fought the calm that he brought. She felt it, she just didn't want to accept it. The things here, they weren't right. None of it made any sense to Lyra; how she'd gotten here, the man with the pointy ears and black marks all over his body, a horse that was also a man who had a horn, the girl who wasn't really a girl at all, and Solaris and the awful things she'd seen when they touched.

Lyra realized she'd dropped the shoes there by Lune and the horse man. Well, she wasn't going to go there and get them. She didn't feel she needed them anyway. She was rarely given shoes in her world. It was almost a ridiculous thought, that this was a different world all together. Could she get back to hers? Would she be sent back there at some point? She didn't know how she felt about that.

While she thought, she had slowly been standing, putting more distance between herself and the other two. When she reached the door, she slipped out of it, hopefully unnoticed. Lyra was very much a loner. She wasn't used to much company, especially company without harmful intentions, and the more people in a room, the more uncomfortable Lyra became.

Would she be in trouble, for not staying inside? Bare feet padded along the temple floors around its outer edge. She slowed at the thought, glancing over her shoulder as if pondering on whether to go back or not. She would not. She would search for another gate, and leave this place. Even if it was back to her own world. At least she was strangely comfortable there. Not in the sense that she was actually comfortable, at all, but at least it was a known evil, and not one that she didn't understand waiting to spring at any moment.

Just as she'd thought that, Lyra came out from under the awning of the temple, opposite where Kurako and the other were, and stopped. Pale golden eyes blinked up at the sky, and Lyra gasped. It was, the cloud, off in the distance. She'd seen it in her vision. It was a terrible sign. Frozen in wonder and fear, Lyra stood there, staring up at the dark looming cloud wide-eyed.

"I think I know my own mind better than someone I've just met would. Questions are annoying, especially when I can't even fully answer them myself. If you wouldn't mind, my glove, please." Kurako seemed more amused than anything else, and he held that bare hand, covered in black lines out. Waiting for Akira to hand over that glove. Kurako's tone had turned from amused to serious. "Also..it might frighten the ladies if they saw, and they already seem frightened enough. As gentlemen we must reassure them, not add to their fear." Wasn't that funny? A half-elf thief calling himself a gentleman. Those lavender eyes had moved, looking to Akira for a few moments and then back at the grass.

"It's dangerous, we don't even know what his abilites are, or what he's fully capable of. Another thing like this, and it might be us all blackened instead of just the grass." Perhaps Kurako didn't fully understand what Akira had said, but he had gotten the general meaning. Given the context it hadn't been hard. Perhaps they should start looking for a way out of this place, before Solaris just accidentally harmed them. Though maybe if they figured out what had caused such a fit, it could be prevented from happening again. Kurako had fallen into a contemplative silence.


Lune was unaware of Lyra leaving the room, but even if she had been aware of it, she might have just remained where she was anyway. Arms around the unicorn's neck, hugging to it firmly, tightly, but she was feeling calmer. Much calmer, still she wasn't quite ready to let go, not quite ready to release the equine beast from her grip. Lune inhaled deeply and nuzzled the unicorn just the tiniest bit. Lune's fingers moved gently, running through that horse hair softly. A unicorn, was laying with it's head in her lap. Lune almost smiled and kept her face buried against that neck.

Unicorns were just products of imagination in Lune's world, but here, the was a real one. A live unicorn laying with it's head in her lap. Now that she was feeling much calmer than before, Lune was filled with uncertainty. Not sure at all how to react to a real life unicorn right there, with it's head in her lap.

Akira only chuckled at the other’s words. “If I was anyone else perhaps” was all he said. He then handed over the glove to the other, not minding the look of his hand at all. Being called a gentleman almost made him chuckle once more, but he kept silent for now. His eyes on the grass once more, he took a bit of a breath. "It was not meant to be ill will towards any of us, it was indeed merely an accident" he stood. How he might know that, he did not even bother to explain at the moment. His eyes once more moved to the other, watching him in silence for a moment. “Escape from this place hmm?” he looked around them, “that would entail an understanding of this place that none of us seem to grasp at the moment.” Seemed their only way out was the one who was causing a stir at the moment.

He glanced back towards the building of the temple. “Seems our friend is awake as well…perhaps it would be merely easier to ask?” he turned and began to head back inside. Once more, he did not give an idea on how he had known the other might possibly be awake. He knew it was linked to his mind however. Once he had been inside someone’s head, it became easier to ‘sense’ their mind, even if he could not as easily get into it as with eye contact. He could feel their mind close by, and often gauge certain things about it. That was how he knew the other was awake. Though his mind still felt a bit out of it, and the distance between them made the guess a bit fuzzy as well.


___________________________


Solaris stirred, opening his eyes a bit. It had been weird, he had seen the women and those two men in that odd state that had happened out on the grass. The grass, he slowly sat up. He was now inside…that was right, they had brought him inside hadn’t they? His hand went to his head, for a moment letting the odd pounding inside of it subside. He wondered how they were… He had seen the females freak out, and then some of what had happened since then. But…had it all been a dream? Was it real? He felt ill, his hand moving to the amulet around his neck. He took a slow breath, remaining where he was for the moment. He had a feeling the others would not want to be around him for the moment. He frowned then, how was he supposed to be a good host then hmm? They had already been leery about this place and about him, now all of this on top of it.

His hand ran through the front of his hair, pausing and clenching a bit within. He felt stupid and foolish, a slight pang resonating within his heart. He slowly pushed himself up and stood, his eyes drawn down to his hand, where he had cut himself earlier and he paused. The wound had healed, there was no pain or anything, but along the line where he had cut himself, the skin had turned black…like the grass? He stared at it for a moment thinking, it was odd indeed, like the wound had caused the area around it to simply…die. He paused, then feeling something even odder. One of the females was outside, she was looking at the sky, at the cloud he had seen earlier. Without even having to see it, he knew that at that moment, it grew a bit. The colors of the world darkened a bit, and he turned his head to the window of the room. He had remembered something….

Patrin made a very pleased horsey sound. Being pet and hugged were some of his favorite things in the whole wide world. He was quite content staying right where he was, but then there was the matter of this strange new world, and learning more about the people there. The unicorn flicked his ears back and forth as he thought.

"What is your name?" He had no vocal chords enough like a humans to speak as they did, but he did have a mental voice. It was like the rustling of leaves over a mountain stream. Patrin was careful to be gentle about it. He didn't want to startle the girl after doing his best to calm her down.

Kurako took the glove and pulled it on immediately. "Accidents can be fatal." For a moment he sounded rather bitter. A few fleeting memories slipped to the surface. A kind older man, a beautiful young woman. The woman's face lingered in his mind a few moments longer than he would've liked. Ana. His lovely Ana. That newly gloved hand clenched into a tight fist for a moment, causing a slight squishing sound from the movement. The glove was still rather wet from earlier, but Kurako didn't care. He forced the memories away. The bitterness was gone now. "If not a way out, then we need some sort of back up plan."

He ran his other hand through his hair. "You should never go into any situation or building without a few exit strategies." Every thief knew that, but Kurako had walked through that strange gate without a contingency plan. That was different though. Whatever happened to him would be fine, there was nothing left to stay alive for anyway, why not be reckless? Except now he couldn't be so reckless. Now he was surrounded by others that might also be in danger, it meant he would have to keep himself alive long enough to find a way out for them as well. At least to him, that was what that meant.

Akira was moving towards the building and Kurako moved to follow. "We should collect the women soon, and the unicorn." It was stated in a matter-of-fact tone, safety in numbers was really what he meant. Group up and try to stay together for the most part.

Lune had been content to hug and snuggle against that unicorn for the rest of her life, if things had come to that. The equine was suddenly speaking though, or rather it seemed like he was speaking. Lune wasn't sure, and she pulled back a bit, eyeing the gentle beasty rather suspiciously for a moment. Nothing in this place was normal at all, besides, a man had just turned into this horned horse, so why shouldn't it also be allowed to speak? "Lune. My name is Lune." The words were spoken softly, almost a bit uncertainly. She blinked. For the first fully realizing that Lyra was no longer in the room.

The presence of the unicorn was still doing a good job of keeping Lune calm, and now she moved gently away from the creature so that she could stand. She turned her head this way and that, as if to make sure the other wasn't still in the room. A frown on her lips. "I want to find the others." And get some answers. Though answers to what? Well Lune could think of a few questions but what kind of explanation could the others give to her that she could believe. It was too hard to believe that such a place existed and one could really be transported to it. And the strange things that happened when she touched the other girl, and the grass turning black around that kind young man. There was just too many impossibilities here.

Xullrae of House Q'Xorlarrin

Hair: Long, Thick, Shock white.
Eyes: Normally blue and EXTREMELY sensitive to light, Other times red and can see in the infrared spectrum.
Skin: Ebony
Height: 4'5"
Build: Toned, but curvy
Race: Drow
Age: 235
Powers: Can cast darkness spells and faery lights at will. Can levitate at will, less so if not underground.
Background: Xullrae was born into the third highest house in Charrvhel'raugaust. She was the fourth daughter of the family head. She never fit in with her sisters and was a constant disappointment to her mother, having no aptitude for being a priestess to loth as was expected of a high born female in their society. She instead became the family's highest ranking warrior and weapons master. As such she had the responsibility of training her brothers in combat before they were sent off to academy. She liked the job and became rather fond of her brothers, another disappointment to her mother. One day, during the invasion of another house in Charrvhel'raugaust, her mother sacrificed her youngest brother to Loth to get an edge over their enemies. When Xullrae found out she was devastated at the loss. She decided then and there that she would leave her hateful family, so she took her best weapons, some rations and left the subterranean city to wander the tunnels and caves deep under ground in search of something better.

A few days into her wanderings, she came across a glowing gate. It hurt her eyes to look at, but she moved toward it anyway. When the gate opened, she thought, 'why not? Maybe it'll lead somewhere worth while.' She stepped through and immediately curled up in a ball, calling darkness around her to shield her eyes from the blinding light with a cry of pain. The magical darkness was impenetrable, and blinding, but at least it didn't hurt. 'Was she somehow on the surface?' She didn't remember it being so bright the one time she had gone there while in the academy to raid an elvish band. 'It must be daylight,' she decided.

Lyra stumbled backwards away from the cloud. Had the world darkened some? She continued backing away until her back was pressed against the cool temple wall. She was breathing harder, anxiety rising. This place was turning into, something awful. She knew it. Her eyebrows drew together determinedly. She needed to tell the others. It was the right thing to do. Maybe they could find a way out together.

The golden eyed girl finally tore her worried and fearful gaze away from the cloud, and began to run. She'd run to find the others, or back to Lune and the horse with the horn, if nothing else. Bare feet thumped quickly along the temple walk as she hurried with her silken dress gathered in her hands.

Akira looked to the other, listening to his words. It was true, accidents could indeed be fatled, if someone was not careful. Reckless behavior led to reckless outcomes. He nodded a bit, looking at the temple once more. He had commented that they should collect the females and the unicorn. Indeed, they should make sure that they were safe, they were most likely worried about all of this. They should tell them that the male would be alright, that things were ok. However, things were not going to happen that way it seemed. The gate that seemed to be the thing to bring them all here appeared once more. There was a female who came out of it this time, her skin dark in color. He raised an eyebrow a bit, looking her over.

Who was she? He guesssed for a moment that they should talk to her "Seems we have another guest to our little group" he said to Kurako. He looked back to the male by him, giving a light smile to him. He then passed him, stepping over to the female in question. "Hello there....are you alright?" first order of business would be to make sure she was not injured or anything. Then, they could...fill her in for the most part. He wondered for a moment how much they should actually let someone new in on. There was no need to scare her if it could be avoided. However, keeping her in the dark would not be a good plan either. He waited for her responce, wondering if she spoke the same language as them all. Thankfully, few language barriers had come to block all of them. However, that might not always remain the case.

________________

Solaris felt odd, a familiar odd though. The portal was opening once more. His hand on his head, he should go out and greet this person...whoever it was who was coming through. He pushed aside his fears and thoughts, making his way towards the door. He paused once he had reached it, wondering for a moment if he should not go after all. He did not want to frighten yet another person, but he could not let this new person just go off without any help. He sighed, pushing himself out the door to go on. He made it not to far, when he bumpped into another person. The one from before, who had touched them and they had shared flashes of...something.

He stepped back, flickers of worry and fear in his eyes. Not for him, for her. He could clearly see the fear and worry written on her face. "I...I'm sorry" he looked away, knowing already that it was mostly probably about him. He passed her, not wishing to force her to stay in his presence. He was sure that they all were afraid or worried about him...about what would happen with them. He felt horrible, wishing he could do something to help them, but he worried that anything he did would only succeed in hurting them more.

Xullrae felt around her person for a semi-see-through piece of cloth she kept just in case she was stuck somewhere too bright and, as she wrapped it around her eyes, she dispelled the darkness from around her, revealing a human man standing before her.

"I'm fine," she responds warily. she looks past him, taking note of the half-elf, and around and gasps at the beauty she sees. "What is this place?" She turns to capture more of her surroundings, while keeping the two males within sight. "It's so... bright." She rubs her eyes through the cloth. While it blocked some of the light around her, it was still exceedingly bright to one whose life had been spent deep underground, where the only lights were from dimly glowing fungus. She pulls up the hood of her cloak to further shade her eyes.

((Added age to profile post... just realized i hadn't put it in there the first time.))

Things had been rather uneventful for a while, and perhaps that meant everything would be fine. Kurako knew that was just wistful thinking, something was coming, though that was just his intuition and his intuition had often been wrong. What would happen in a place like this? Except maybe Sol having another accident. What would happen if that did occur again? Kurako had questions for Solaris, but those thoughts were interrupted as the gate appeared once again. Bringing someone else to this world. A small dagger was instantly in Kurako's right hand as his eyes settled on the woman, a dagger small enough to be hidden conveniently up his sleeve.

Gloved fingers curled tightly around it's hilt, it was very short, only good for sneak attacks and not actual combat. With his left hand he had reached out to stop Akira from approaching the woman, Kurako's lavender eyes narrowed as his finger tips just barely missed the other. Brushing slightly against his shoulder. "Drow." He spoke the word with caution and apprehension, but moved forward, remaining rather close to Akira with an air of protectiveness. "A dark elf from the Underdark. Menzoberranzan, or some other city?" What would a drow be doing here?

Kurako's left hand closed around Akira's wrist and tugged him back some, that man was standing a little too close to the dark elf for Kurako's liking. Kurako released Akira's wrist and stepped forward, putting himself between Akira and the drow. His right hand moved slightly, letting the female get a glimpse of his small dagger. Kurako was just being cautious. Drow were dangerous and cruel.

Patrin scrambled to his hooves with the clacking of his hard nails against the floor. He shook his head, settling his mane against his powerful neck, before ambling along serenely to Lune's side. He nudged her gently, and twitched his ears. He knew where some people were. It was their emotions, strong as anything, that told him that.

"I could help you find them, if their emotions are strong enough." Large copper-gold eyes glanced at her as the palomino unicorn considered his next word-thoughts. "They are now." But such a jumble! It was hard to figure out who felt what in such a large place, so full of confusing new things.

Lyra had slowed her running to a quickened pace instead. If she ran without paying close enough attention, she might pass one of the others in her haste through this grand place. She rounded a curved and bumped into someone with a start and a wince. Lyra took a step back and inhaled sharply. It was him.

Surely those pale golden eyes showed her fear, the way he was looking at her now. Her heart raced, and she pressed herself against the wall as he passed. Her eyebrows drew together as she watched him walk away. He had seemed, something. Not angry, or evil, but something else. Scared, too? Maybe concerned. Sorry, certainly. For what though?

She was breathing harder than normal from the unexpected excitement of bumping into Solaris, the one who caused her so much confusion. The one who she'd seen horrible things through. But, he didn't seem........ Lyra closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the temple wall.

When those pale golden eyes finally opened again, she rolled her head to the side to see Solaris walking away. She pushed off the wall and reached for him, but stopped. Slowly, she retracted her hand. She... didn't want to see things again, not from him. And she was just so unsure about him, so wary. She needed to show the others what she saw, tell them about the cloud.... they would know what to do.

Lyra turned then, only glancing over her shoulder in uncertainty for a moment, before continuing on her way. She didn't move with such haste this time, lost in her own confused thoughts about this place and the people here. She really wasn't sure she could trust them. She certainly didn't trust Solaris. And Lune? Well, Lune was living quite the lie herself. The others? Lyra didn't know the man with the glasses, and the man horse was quite unsettling, though his presence caused Lyra only more confusion while it was mysteriously calming.

Then there was Kurako. Yes, Lyra would find Kurako and show him what was happening here. He would tell her what to do. As she thought that, she spotted the group out by the water, near where the grass had died. There was the man with the glasses, Kurako, and another. Someone with their eyes covered.

Immediately Lyra drew back, hiding herself partially behind a pillar. She wouldn't go out there. Not now. There was yet another person here, and the thought of yet another unknown was causing the girl quite the anxiety. She peered out from around the pillar at them. If anyone looked in her direction, she would hide behind it entirely.

Akira spoke to answer, when a form moved closer to him. He turned his head, a hand stopping him from moving closer, before Kurako moved closer to him. He blinked a bit, slightly confused by the actions. The other then spoke, speaking that this woman was a Drow. He glanced at her for a moment, before another odd bit of action took place. An arm now around his waist, which caused a slight blush to form on his cheeks out of surprise. He was pulled back, before the other was moving himself between the two of them. Akira blinked once more, reaching up to adjust his glasses.

He then paused, feeling something else watching them. Focusing, he felt the mind of a familiar person, someone who he had seen earlier. The silent woman. He glanced in the direction of the pillar where she was hiding. Are you alright? his voice would be calm and nonintrusive within her mind, not forced or pushed, though he guessed it would possibly scare her. I get the feeling you are more of one of the mind...seems we share such a thing in common he continued after a moment. I do not mean to intrude, forgive me but...something happened between you and that man... he paused, letting it stop there, as he focused back on the newcommer.

___________

Solaris slipped out of the temple, glancing at the others down below, before turning away. He would let them handle it for now, he had something else to focus on. Something for them...even if they would not know it. He moved around the side, before moving to where he could see the cloud in the distance. He frowned, sighing slightly. They blamed him for this, at least, he knew the girl did at least. They were afraid of him, thought him evil. In reality...they were all to blame for this. Though he would never say that to them. This world was revolving around emotions and what was inside their hearts.

Right now, they were clouded with darkness, distrust, fear and more negative feelings. As those negative feelings were taken in...the darkness within this place rose. He sighed once more. It affected him as well, a hand moving over his heart. If he were to turn evil or darkened...it would be as a result from his connection here...one that he could not fully... He flinched, another pain in his head. He shook it off, focusing instead on the dark cloud. A light appearing, glimpses of it seen from various places, but only if they looked. He pushed the cloud back, slowly working on breaking it down.

Xullrae sighed at the half-elf's wary attitude choosing to ignore the knife he palmed for the moment. "My name is Xullrae of house Q'Xorlarrin, third house of the city of Charrvhel'raugaust, but I have left that life behind. I have been wandering the underdark ever since my mother sacrificed my youngest brother to Loth in a bid. For power." Xullrae clenches her jaw to hold back her tears, thankful for the cloth hiding her eyes. She takes a breath to calm herself, "I would ask that you, please, not judge me on my race, but on m actions. I think it might make life here more comfortable." She smiles slightly, "Kindly put the knife away... what is your name?"

The one with the glasses glanced her way and as she ducked behind the pillar, she heard his voice. She knew it was his voice, she'd heard it earlier after he had arrived. Had he said his name then? Lyra couldn't remember now. She peeked around the pillar again warily. How was he in her head? Lyra wasn't sure she liked that. How did he get in there? Could he see things he shouldn't? And how was she supposed to answer him? Could he read her thoughts? Lyra was certain she didn't like the idea of that at all. He was a very frightening man all of a sudden, even with his gentle tone and pardoning requests.

Lyra had known that a gentle tone didn't mean much at all. Nor did words. Still, she thought about what he'd said. Was he talking about Solaris? Lyra looked over her shoulder in the direction she'd come from. Solaris wasn't anywhere in sight. It made her a little more comfortable, knowing he wasn't headed this way. When she looked back at the man with the glasses, he was looking at someone she hadn't seen before. The one with the cloth over her eyes. Kurako was wielding a knife at her. Was she dangerous then?

Anxiety was building up in Lyra to a point that her stomach turned. Everyone, everywhere.... Solaris and the awful images, the horse man creature with the horn, the man with the glasses who could get inside her head, Lune who wasn't who she seemed to be, even Kurako who carried a weapon, and now the dangerous newcomer. Lyra's head was spinning. Was there a waterfall nearby? It sounded like it was inside her head, rushing through her ears and making it impossible to think. Everyone, everywhere, they were all dangerous, and there was no way out.

She'd placed her back against the pillar where she couldn't be seen. She was breathing hard, gasping for air almost. Her head had rushing water inside it, and the ground was moving. This was all entirely too much for the timid girl. Too many new people and things she wasn't familiar with. The images she had when she touched Solaris flashed into her mind and she slid down the pillar. She had to get out of here, back to where she came from....