Kej slowly nodded, looking from Darian to Esshy. "We will leave tonight," he whispered, but then frowned deeply. "How many of us can leave without being noticed?" Certainly every one of the humans could leave. Kej wouldn't leave Lyra there, either. Not under the reigns of the surface elves.

The male's white gaze flickered to Lyra, and he carefully moved hair from her face that she couldn't see. "We will stop them from killing your queen." It was their only chance at survival; it was the one thing keeping the pretense of "peace" between the two races. There was a spark of mistrust in the man's pupil-less eyes, but he said nothing about it. Even if this setup wasn't real, there was a chance at escape. There was a chance that they could do something about their predicament.

"Just give us an opening. We'll leave then." He was nearly trembling with excitement then. Kej lowered his head and muttered a few things in his own tongue. Touching his forehead with his fingers, he offered an upturned hand to Esshy in a gesture of agreement. It was an ancient expression of trust - they were to clasp wrists to solidify their bond.
"If this is genuine, you risk much. Thank you for your trust."

(you're kidding... my post didn't go through again >.> I'm gonna hurt this computer someday i swear)

"Only a few of you I'm afraid" Darian started to say, he caught Esshy's gaze. She was staring at Lyra and Kej, the brief little sign of affection between them had her thinking. He could tell. "To large of a group will raise suspicions. And we must get the two of you out. There would be nothing the humans could do to stop our soliders, But I'm sure the two of you could."

"If you must take her with you, do it." Esshy cut in. "One more shouldn't be to much more of a risk. But it is best that the two of you make it to the caves before sunrise." She stared at Shara as she said her last line, "I understand the need for dark cool places. A desire that has marked me as different besides my small size. Please trust us. We must get you out tonight if there is any hope for stopping a disaster from happening."

She looked at the hand that Kej extended and bowed her head, "Thank you." She clasped wrists with his and than moved to the entrance. "Right, everyone should pretty much be in bed at this point, only stragglers of the night, and guards will be up. So keep an eye open." her voice was now much lower as talking outdoors might travel. "Darian, give the signal when the coast is clear."

((:XD I hate that!! I'm sorry. :())

Kej nodded. He wouldn't leave without Lyra. By this time Shara was taking an interest in their conversation. She listened intently from a few feet away, looking disgusted as an agreement was made. Kej's cold gaze stopped her from saying anything as she opened her mouth to speak. "Then we will go now."
The elf glanced to Lyra, helping her to her feet once more. "When the signal is given, we will waste no time." It would be interesting to see if they could find t heir home again. It had been centuries since they'd left the caves, let alone had to find them from the surface world. The scents would be enough to help them once they got close enough. Luckily Kej had a good sense of direction. . . .

Shara looked unhappy, her lips drawn back in a snarl. She was suspicious . . . but she would cooperate if it meant a chance of surviving. Who cared about their queen? As long as they were back home, it didn't matter. They could disappear into the caverns without anyone ever finding them again. Granted, Kej seemed to be crusading at the moment. He was going to help the humans escape, and in order to do that he needed to find the queen and save her.
Stupid fool. Shara eyed the male for a moment before licking her lips in agitation. Once the signal was given, she wouldn't look back at this place. Never again would she wish to return to these shining halls.

"Coast is clear. Good luck Esshy." He caught her arm before she could dissapear. "Come home safe."

"I will." Than she waved the small group forward and led them down a set of winding stairs and along several side alley's to get to the city limits, and than struck out in the direction of the caves. She didn't not speak upon leaving the 'sanctuary' that they had been allowed as 'guests,' and only spoke using hand signals until they got to the perimeters of the city. There she risked a low whisper "We must hurry, I don't know how far they have gotten already."

"The sun will rise," Keji said after she whispered, his own voice just as low. He carefully led Lyra as they made their way to the city limits, and kept a close eye on Shara as she tagged along. The sun was also another reason to keep them moving. The metallic-skinned elves wouldn't last under its rays for very long.

By the time the caverns were in sight, Keji was feeling the slight warmth of the morning sun. Dawn was peeking over the distant horizon. "Almost there," he said, squinting his pupil-less white gaze in the direction they were heading. Just the thought of the collapsed city made Keji cringe. He recalled the terror of the recent collapse. . . . and it frightened him to think that they were returning to the dead underground cavern.
When the tunnel entrance was in sight, the elf was struggling to keep his eyes open. It was too bright. "The guardian didn't leave the city. He never will." That was their first place to look.
-

((I'm continuing Sephiroth's decision from pg 10. Hehe, time to move out of the city! Which means it will be harder to find Kiyoshi. :twisted:))

Sephiroth had been carrying the princess for many hours. He limped slightly, knowing that his leg wasn't quite set right after the rocky demise of his city. Every step he took away from his homeland was like another blade sinking into his flesh. He'd vowed he'd never leave it, yet . . . he couldn't remain. There was no food, let alone an actual city to defend. Everything was ruins or rubble now.
Glaring down at the unconscious girl in his arms, the silver-haired male growled to himself. You're the reason they're searching. Whatever magic had destroyed Sephiroth's city had been from her people. He wanted her to take him to the city so he could seek justice - his own kind of justice - yet she wouldn't take him there.

He shifted his hold on the woman, leaning heavily against the cavern's wall as he rested his leg. His pale blue eyes trailed over the small pathway they took. It was littered with stones from the recent earthquake, but so far the small tunnel that led to the surface was clear. Hopefully it stayed that way for the week's journey it would take.
Kiyoshi suddenly seemed so much heavier. They had such a long way to go. The guardian's expression went from angry to hopeless within a moment. This won't work. He didn't have the food, water or supplies to reach the surface, let alone with the princess. Sephiroth's eyes closed and he sank down against the wall, Kiyoshi cradled against him out of necessity. The trip will be longer at my pace. They wouldn't last more than a week . . . especially in their condition. "Wake up, princess. I could really use that mind of yours." His muttered words weren't heartfelt, and he didn't actually try to wake her, but he did wish he had another option.

((:lol: Why not move Sephiroth and Kiyoshi so they're harder to find, yes? :yes:))

( i hadn't felt like searching for where that story had left off just yet. Sooo... I'll reply to that part in a little bit when I get a bit done around the house. :D)

"It's a good thing too." Lyra said almost panting. She could feel the sun warming up the landscape already, though slight as it must have just started to breach the horizon. The run had been hard on her unsure steps. The ground was uneven, and without the ability to take it slower to feel out the landscape she had a difficult time keeping up. Though she was thrilled that Kej would brave her heat to lead her along with them. As soon as she felt the coolness of shadows land on her shoulders she released his hand and reached for a cloth in her belt; which she tied over her eyes. They were sore from being open for so long even if she couldn't see with them, and staying up all night had not let them get any rest. With a cloth tied over them she could keep them closed and rest them. She often did this during excavations to keep the dust out of them, and if the destruction that was sure to have come from the earlier earthquake and done its duty... there would be a lot of kicked up dust.

Esshy's shoulders relaxed the moment they entered the coolness of the cave. She sniffed, and looked at the others. "I don't think that the scout party has made it here yet, but we must still hurry to find the Queen before they get here and destroy her. " She bit her lip, leaving off the rest of the sentence that completed in her mind, and us...

((:D Okay! No worries, I just thought it would be a good time to bring them into this again. :lol:))

Shara barked a laugh as soon as they reached the cave, and she seemed to brighten drastically. It was only when she made her way past the excavation site and to the top of the stairs that she shifted. Her metallic skin made her look as though she'd been frozen. "The bridge," she called back to the others. "The bridge be gone!"

Hearing the announcement, Kej frowned. That was the easiest way into the city. It had been a long time since any other methods had been used. "We'll climb down and find another way up." He could hear the skepticism in his own voice, but the elf ignored it. Instead he focused on the cool air of the cavern. It was a relief from the rising sun - he'd already felt its heat far too strongly.
With a glance to Esshy, he nodded. "Let us pray that the guardian managed to keep her alive." He reached for Lyra, carefully resting a hand on her arm and leading her toward the stairs.
"Are you doing alright?" he asked her quietly, fixing a few locks of hair that her blindfold had left astray. He knew that it would be difficult to get across the chasm . . . especially with a blind human. He kept the words to himself, though he knew that Shara's critical gaze was saying the same thing. How was a blind woman supposed to get down the side of a cliff? The drop was nearly thirty feet, too far to just jump.

"Let's check the excavation site. Perhaps someone left some rope behind." They could make a make-shift platform and lower Lyra down carefully if they had the materials. Hopefully there was a lot of rope somewhere around there. "Stay here," Kej said, gently brushing Lyra's cheek with his cool fingers. He went about finding a board large enough to carry the woman's weight. After that, he looked for rope. It took him more than a few minutes to find at least one rope that was long enough to reach the required thirty feet and still have room for tying off about the board.

"Will you help me lower her down?" Kej shot his pale gaze to Esshy. He didn't trust Shara with Lyra's life, and he most likely never would. She was such a flighty creature, it didn't even occur to him.

Sir Lenwar with Lady Kiyara led a small band of the Leader's most trusted soldiers towards the caves. There was only a few amongst them, that did not know of the Leader's alternative motives for this search party. Lady Kiyara was one of them. As much as she dreamed of one day becoming the Queen of the Forest elves, and her desire pushed her to lead many outings. She did not have the cruel spirit of the current leader, but more the short temper of the Queen herself.

but with an unknown mother, and a father who hated her. She had no chance of becoming Queen by blood. But she wanted revenge for the mongrols that had killed her Queen in cold blood. They deserved to die. She gripped the hilts of her blades and followed the others through the woods. They were all going to slow for her liking, and she was inclined to speak up soon. But she was supposed to be under Sir Lenwar's orders right now, which irked her to no end.

Kiyoshi stirred finally her head pounding, and when she blinked open her eyes found herself looking up at the man who would have gladly killed her. "Let go of me. Now." She hissed in a very low voice.

Lyra's ears perked up and she turned to Shara's voice. Instead of making a worried comment about the bridge being out she giggled. "It's been awhile since we've heard that voice hasn't it. " She smiled and turned back towards the other two's direction. "climb down?" Now she looked a little worried. "I could probably do that..."

She let the end of the sentence trail off, unsure of what she could actually do there. She wasn't usually the one climbing things during the excavations. Fidgeting nervously as she waited for Kej to look around for rope, she didn't realize she was breathing much slower, almost holding her breath by the time he came back. She could hear him moving around, but couldn't figure out quite where, or what he was moving through. Obviously dirt, but what had her coworkers left behind?

"You found one?" She asked brightly as he spoke up asking for help.

"Of course I can." The small elven female was delighted in not being considered to weak to help lower a small female human down 30 feet by a mere rope and wood elevator. "It's tied securely right?" She moved over next to Kej and double checked the knots. "We shouldn't have a problem with this. She brushed his hand ever so briefly as she checked the knots, not even noticing that she had. It had felt the same temperature as his own.

Sephiroth was still thinking over their current situation when he heard Kiyoshi's voice. It was low and dark, and it made his constant frown return. "As you wish," he said, his tone sarcastic. The broad-shouldered male shifted the princess out of his lap, moving her against the wall beside him. "We can't stay in the city," he said, breaking the thick silence. "And there are no supplies that we can forage. It's a few day's journey to the surface through here." Motioning down the tunnel they were in, Sephiroth growled. "But we aren't going to be making very swift progress."

As though to solidify the fact, he slid off his shirt ((I don't even know if he was wearing one, but he isn't now! :XD)) and promptly used his teeth to create a tear. Within moments he had his boot off and was binding his ankle as best he could. "Do you have any immediate wounds?" Granted, he'd already cleaned her up a bit while they were back at the waterfall. Now, she looked almost healthy. Almost.
They needed to get moving as quickly as possible if they were to survive. "If not, then we should go."

((:XD Love/hate relationship here! Sephiroth finds himself somewhat caring for her, and then Kiyoshi wakes up. LOL))
-

"That it has. She doesn't speak clear enough to be heard often." Kej chuckled, and then nodded to Esshy. When her hand brushed his, he frowned. She's the same. She should have been warmer. He stared at the girl for a few more moments before reaching for Lyra's arm. Carefully leading her toward the broken bridge up the stairway, the elf glanced to Esshy.
He set the wooden board down, nodding to the other elf. "Lyra, you're going to have to trust us." His cool hand moved up to touch her cheek, and he rested his head against hers lightly. "We're going to lower you down."

(i thought that'd be funny... but.. to tired and sick feeling to think)

"These knots are secure, we're good to go."

Lyra took a deep breath, taking in his cool touches as a refreshing breeze to her fears. She would have no way to tell how far away the ground was, or how much they had lowered her. "Just don't drop me." She said cheerfully, getting ready to be lowered.

"She be cheerful about this," Shara scoffed, shaking her head. She sat on the edge of the chasm, scoping a good place to climb down. While the others took care of Lyra, the fanged girl chose to get down first. She finally found a good place to start, and she slid backwards off the edge and started climbing down. Luckily having claws helped this sort of thing.

Kej smiled a bit, knowing that Lyra's courage was bolstering her. "I would never let that happen," he said, taking one rope and watching Esshy take the other. The hardest part was getting both Lyra and the board over the ledge. From there it was timing how often to let the rope gain more ground.
Luckily Kej and Esshy worked well together with that part. "How are you doing, Lyra?" She was roughly halfway down the cliff's edge when he asked, though he didn't dare peek down to see her. At this point it was his goal to keep the rope steady.

Shara's snort of annoyance could be heard, and the metallic-skinned creature skittered away from the place she'd reached. She was, indeed, the first one to reach the bottom of the chasm.

((Oh, noes! Sick? Ugh. I hate that. I'm sorry. :cry:))

(yup, turns out you can get sick alot when the weather is all wonky . xD)

Lyra clung to the rope for dear life. She couldn't see, she couldn't feel anything. She had no idea how far away the wall was, or the floor, or even the ceiling for that matter. "I'm okay." She replied when Kej called down to her. He seemed so far away, and her voice came out a little shaky from her fear. She had to hope that the bottom was near so that she could feel solid ground again, and not be useless anymore.

Sephiroth stood, gently putting weight on his leg. It still hurt, but he could manage. The broad-shouldered male reached a hand down for Kiyoshi, his glare sending daggers at the woman. "Let's get moving." Hopefully they would make it to the surface before dying of starvation or some other silly reason. That would be a horrible way to end his life. . . .

The guardian used his free hand to rake silver hair from his face, trying to ignore how sore every muscle in his arm was. After the cave in, everything burned with a dull pain. Sephiroth knew that Kiyoshi was feeling quite the same, though whenever he offered aid she turned it away unless absolutely necessary.
"You know, princess," they had been walking for a few minutes in complete silence, "I would think that your people would send someone after you instead of destroying an entire city." What a risk it was to destroy everything when their leader might have been inside the city itself. They might have killed her.
-

When the rope finally began to give them slack, Kej smiled a bit. "You've reached the bottom, Lyra. You're safe." The elf immediately began to tie the rope off about a rather thick and unmoving stone. They would need it later. "Thank you, Esshy." The dark-haired elf smiled a bit before moving toward the path that Shara had taken.

By the time he reached the bottom of the chasm, he moved toward his human companion. He took her hand the moment he reached her. "We're going to continue. We can search the city swiftly." Hopefully the guardian had survived the destruction of the entire underground cavern. As they walked, the elf slid his hand away from Lyra's out of necessity. He nearly growled at the annoyance. He hated knowing that she burned him every time he held her hand for too long.

"Shara, start in the lower end of the city." There was a snarled curse in their own language from the woman, but she disappeared swiftly. "Esshy, you should follow us. I'll show you where the guardian usually resides, and we can begin our search for your queen there."
Time was of the essence. They had to find Kiyoshi before the others did.

Kiyoshi slapped his hand away with a hiss (aww she's almost like shara) and dug elbows into the wall to pull herself up to where she could use her hands and legs. Every movement ached like a burning fire in the core of the Earth. But there was no way this creature would see her weak. She barred her fangs at him as if he could read her thoughts, and finally was on her feet. "If this is a trap you'll regret it, she cursed him under her breath. It took the rest of her concentration for the next few minutes, just to put one foot in front of the other.

"They probably thought you killed me" she spat in response to his question.

Lyra smiled with relief as she felt the solid earth bump her feet, and she stood shakily after having been hanging for what felt like hours but was more likely only a few terrifying minutes. Her hand brushed the dirt on the wall in a soothing pattern, and she only pulled away when Kej touched the ground as she followed them down the corridor that wound to the city. The other elf she could hear finishing the last few feet to the ground and than the soft pat-pat of her feet as she followed behind them.

Eshhy let out a breath as she surveyed the destroyed underground city. "How could anyone survive this?" She mumured. More in a surprised tone than anything else. But she nodded and followed them around the debris up to the guardian's centralized home.

"Don't think I haven't been tempted!" Sephiroth's voice rose, and he bore his own fangs threateningly. Oh, there was nothing he wanted more than to kill this woman. Yet, at the same time, he wanted her to survive. Perhaps to prove that he wasn't the one to kill her, or perhaps she was alive because Sephiroth really wanted to get to the people who'd destroyed his home.
Narrowing his blue eyes (color was rare for the under-dwellers), the guardian growled and turned his gaze toward the rest of the tunnel. "If I wanted to trick you, I would go through less trouble by leaving you to your fate, woman!" Sephiroth started down the tunnel, favoring his right leg as he walked. A steady stream of growled curses touched his lips, though many of them were in his own tongue.

"I want out of this grave," Sephiroth said quietly. With his back turned to Kiyoshi, she didn't witness the hopeless dread that came over his pale features. I am so tired. Letting out quiet breath, the elf leaned against the wall for a moment. There was no way they were going to make it to the surface alive. They were too weak as it was, and there was no food or water along the way.
For a moment, the male hesitated. There was nothing to forage in the city, and the path out was too long. How were they to get to safety? Sephiroth closed his eyes, raking a hand through his hair in agitation. "Just try to keep up, princess." Despite his irritated words, the tall creature was only a few feet ahead of her. Kiyoshi would have no trouble catching up and staying with him. He was wounded, as was she, and to their advantage the ground was relatively flat and smooth. The inclining slope was hardly noticeable.
-

As they walked, Kej shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know if he lived, but he's . . . resilient." That was like saying the ocean was "wet." Sephiroth could survive nearly anything, and he'd lived for quite a while. His bloodline was made to be the guardians of the city, and they were some of the strongest and hardest to kill. The underdwellers had placed their lives in the hands of Sephiroth's family . . . and as of yet, they hadn't been let down. Not until that day.
Kej shuddered lightly, trying to dismiss the hopeless depression that filled his mind. This was his home. Not only had he awoken to find it in shambles, but now it was hardly more than crumbled buildings and dusty ruins. This wasn't going to be their home any longer. It was a place of hopeless destruction.

Kej narrowed his pupiless eyes, pointing out the half-collapsed temple-like structure ahead of them. "The guardian resides there." Something told him that Kiyoshi and Sephiroth weren't there. "Let's hope they made it free before it collapsed."
Within moments they were standing near the broken waterfall. A cool mist seemed to fill the air, and Kej looked quite content with the feeling. "Check the curtained area, as well as near the other side of the room." He nodded in a couple directions for Esshy to check before moving toward the sleeping area. There were no signs of either the queen or the guardian.

"At least I wouldn't have had to have been carried by the likes of you!" she hissed back, mostly in defiance. She never fell far behind him, even limping as she was, it soon became clear to her that he was just as weak as she was, yet he had carried her until she had awoke. She preferred to stay behind him for their trek, that way she could keep an eye on him, and see if he was leading them to anything.

The annoying dog creature stayed even further back, seemingly uncomfortable by their fighting. So when Sephiroth leaned against the wall to rest, she took the chance to rest as well and take a look behind them at Nakeit. Her eyes narrow slits. The creature was no danger, but it didn't seem to want to help much either. Her cold eyes snapped back to him as he spoke coldly to her. "I'd hardly allow you to get away from me." She scowled, taking up the trek once more.

Lyra coughed into her hand several times. The dust down here was immense compared to what it had been when they were here last.

Esshy nodded, "Than he should be alive around here somewhere. " Though her hopefulness started to diminish as they arrived at the guardian's residency, finding it in shambles. "Right. I'll be right back." She nodded feeling hopeless to Kej's search commands. And her search brought back nothing. The interior was even worse than the exterior, and there was no signs of the Queen, or this guardian being there lately. Or having been there during the earthquake for that matter.

"Good news, is their bodies aren't here, which means they are alive somewhere. "

The animalistic hiss that left Sephiroth's clenched fangs made his blue eyes become daggers. Just as he was about to say more, though, a sound interrupted him. The male froze, listening. The falling of loose gravel and gritting sound of something shifting over the dirt and rock underfoot made Sephiroth's attention immediately branch out. How could I have been so foolish?! He was a guardian. His senses were attuned to finding danger. He'd been a fool to keep them trained on Kiyoshi.

A loud growl echoed through their tunnel, and Sephiroth cringed. "Owlkin," he breathed, knowing that their whispered voices would be no deterrent. The creature had sensitive hearing, and could pick up on their footsteps many minutes prior to their current position.
Sephiroth stiffened, slowly backing away from the suddenly visible figure that snorted and shuffled around until it was facing them. Twin glowing green eyes looked at them, their beady look making Sephiroth grit his teeth. This creature was very hard to kill.

"Stay low," Sephiroth growled, not bothering to glance over his shoulder to see if the woman obeyed him. If the queen wanted to be her usual stubborn self, then she could. This wouldn't end well for her if she did.
-

When Lyra coughed, Kej reached for her shoulder. He watched her worriedly until she seemed to settle down. "I don't see any signs of their passing here, either." He smiled grimly as Esshy returned. "They wouldn't go to the city. That leaves the outer caverns." But . .. there were so many they were hard to count.

"This way," Shara's voice came from the other end of the guardian's sanctuary. When Kej looked up, the navy-haired woman was motioning frantically. "I be hearing something!" Hopefully it was the people they were searching for instead of another cave-in.

Kiyoshi shot daggers back at Sephiroth's blue ones. Nasty retorts on the tip of her tongue ready to be fired back at anything he might say. Than suddenly he seemed to just drop all interest of her as something else distracted him. She relaxed her body and slowed her heart to listen. 'what did he hear? ' All the forest-dwelling elf princess could hear was the sound of rocks still settling after the earthquake. Shifting stones were nothing to worry about. She crossed her arms angrily rolling her eyes. What was he so worried about. She was about to say something nasty when his shoulders tensed and he muttered the name of a dreaded creature.

Owlkins were ugly creatures in her opinion, and her enemies, just as the underdwellers were. They had retreated into caves, only coming outside during moonlit nights, and were known to be nasty. Her kind didn't deal with them unless they had to. So for once, she agreed with the figure before her. She stayed low, and weary. Watching the owlkin like a hawk, tracking its every movement.

Lyra frowned. "What'd you hear?" A sound she had missed? She usually could hear better than anyone. It must have been deafened by her cough, She reassured herself, that had to be it.

It was good that Kiyoshi chose to stay down. Sephiroth froze, becoming a cool part of the stone that surrounded him. Sadly, the sight by which the under-dwellers witnessed their surroundings wasn't that of the outside world. Their eyes were pale, and picked up on heat signatures instead of light.

There was a slight difference between Sephiroth and the stone about them, but . . . Kiyoshi stood out like a flare. When the Owlkin shuffled into view, it's beaked muzzle lifted and tasted the air . . . and then a howling grumble left its throat. It saw the princess. And it wanted the intruder dead.

A beserking Owlkin is nothing to take lightly. The guardian moved immediately, his own growl matching the volume of the beast before him. He lunged in front of Kiyoshi, baring his fangs and bracing for impact. It looked similar to two beasts that were having a showdown. Neither would back off, yet neither advanced. Hopefully the Owlkin was a female protecting its nest. If that was the case, they would be able to move on swiftly. If not. . . .

Sephiroth held the creature's gaze for as long as the Owlkin held his. The situation was calming slowly. Something in the way they looked at one another showed that they were each protecting something dear to them; Sephiroth would protect the princess, and the Owlkin would defend its territory. It was apparent that the heat between them was finally fading.

Then, Kiyoshi moved. The woman just shifted, hardly switching her weight from one foot to the other. Perhaps she'd bumped a small stone on the smooth floor. Either way, the Owlkin suddenly roared. The sound was painful on the sensitive ears of the elves, and Sephiroth had to fight to keep himself from being disoriented.

He stepped forward, intending to meet the Owlkin head on. The beast had another plan. It knocked Sephiroth across the cavern, sweeping him back and ricocheting off of the nearest cavern wall. Then, it went for the princess. Lashing out with a savage rake of its claws, the monster let out its howling screech as it struck at the woman multiple times.

Letting out a harsh breath, Sephiroth struggled to breathe properly. "Run, girl!" He coughed, rolling onto his back as he continued to try and draw breath properly.
-

Kej was about to negate what Shara said. She couldn't have heard something that none of them had heard.

A monstrous sound from the other end of the large cavern made the pale elf silence himself. "The exits. They're trying to leave this place." He was moving before anyone else could speak. Grasping Lyra's forearm, he swung her behind him. "Hold on." This was one of the many times when his extra strength would come in handy.

The silver-haired male led the way toward the sounds of what he believed to be battle.

Kiyoshi's nerves were on edge. She'd been badly beaten up by the earthquake, and was weak as is. Than she'd been stubborn enough to not accept any help so she'd pushed herself to show her strength as they walked the tunnels. Her strength mainly being used to argue with him and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

So when Sephiroth moved in front of her, she was almost relieved. He could fight the terrifying beast and leave her out of it. She was exhausted from everything. She shifted her weight, it was to painful to sit in just one position.

Bad idea.

Kiyoshi grabbed her ears in pain, writhing a bit as she curled away from the sound. Than terror rushed through her as if in slow motion she watched Sephiroth fly to the side and the owlkin charging at her. She tried to straighten and move out of the way. But slow motion couldn't fight the speed the beast was charging at her with. The first swipe sent a chasm of pain through her body from shock. She hardly noticed the tearing of her dress as she tried to dodge in her already weak state. t struck her right shoulder and narrowly missed her head.

'run girl!'

run... run where? She made a quick decision to run straight past the beast. It only could have been adrenaline that got her moving, and momentum that kept her going. She dodged the claws and ran past the owlkin, hoping it would take long enough to get turned around from its charge that she would survive.

As big as they are, Owlkin are surprisingly fast. It struck with claws and beak, snapping and snarling, roaring and bellowing as it tried to gobble up its prey. Luckily, elves were smaller than the towering beasts.

Sephiroth had finally pulled himself up on one elbow when Kiyoshi was struck. The sound of tearing fabric and flesh made the guardian grit his fanged teeth, hissing in frustration. If this princess was going to die, it was by his hand. He'd told himself so many times that he was going to keep her alive so he could find her people . . . he wasn't going to give up now.

The scent of blood filled the dusty air as the guardian painfully started to pull himself to his feet. He had to keep this woman alive.

The Owlkin swiped again, this time knocking Kiyoshi against the nearest wall. She rebounded, hitting her head with a painful sound. By the time Sephiroth was on his feet, the girl was about to get stomped on by a monstrous foot. He moved. Fast. Ramming into the huge creature, the elf used every bit of weight and momentum that he had. It worked.

At first.

The Owlkin was knocked back, but swiftly recovered . . . and managed to rake a set of ragged claws down Sephiroth's chest, sending him to the ground beside Kiyoshi. The guardian's breath hitched, but his adrenaline-racing mind wouldn't allow him to stay down. Kiyoshi suffered another wound as the Owlkin angrily raked his back clawed foot over her leg, and then was met by Sephiroth again.

One of them would die. The only minus to that fact was that Sephiroth was weaker than the beast he was fighting. And he was hardly able to breathe. And the girl on the ground was bleeding out. Everything was going so wrong so fast.
-

Shara didn't help. If anything, she just pointed out the right cavern and stayed hidden in the shadows. Kej carefully lowered Lyra to the ground just outside the tunnel. If there was danger, he didn't want the blind human running into it. Trying to shake away the warmth that was left on his clothing and skin, Kej narrowed his white eyes. "Owlkin." Looking to Lyra, the elf smiled grimly. "Lyra, stay here."

He glanced to his fellow elves before drawing his twin blades. They slid out of their sheathes with hisses, and Kej didn't waste another moment. The male slid into the darkness of the tunnel, coming ever closer to the fight. Little did he know that he would play the role in life and death.

Kiyoshi howled in pain. Her mind going red with the pain coursing through her body, or was that blood dripping in her eyes? All directions were muddled as she was tossed around, she scrambled for footing, but every time she thought she had found it she was knocked down again. Every muscle that had already been sore from the earthquake was now screaming along with her. She swung wildly to try and fight back, but she was only hitting air. A bout of frustration topping the pain made her growl in a pathetic howl of what was suppossed to be anger, but sounded more like defeat.

Than her head smashed on something, she heard the sickening crack and her vision went black briefly from the shock. She swore she could see stars... Than there was a relief from the beatings. Was she dying? No she could still hear the monsters roars. Sephiroth must have actually helped her... She tried to move, and found that it hurt to much, and even lifting her head slightly sent a wave of nausea and dizziness through her.

She finally managed to get her eyes open and could see the proud guardian laying next to her. In similar conditions as she was. In the strength she had left as she was losing blood, she locked eyes on his. "I'm sorry..I" Than the blood loss took over and she blacked out.

Far behind them, Nakeit had been searching through rubble for anything that might help his master. He didn't so much care for the upper-dweller, and her invading ways. Maybe there was some food that hadn't been completely buried. He sniffed around, but something else hit his nose. Than his ears twitched back and he heard the owlkin let out its first ferocious war of battle. That had come from where the master and the invader had gone. He charged down the tunnel.

Red seeped into his vision as he watched the giant beast knock his master to the ground. His colors looked weak, and the girls, even weaker. Nakeit growled deep in his throat, bent his hind legs, than launched himself into the air at the beasts throat. Growling and chomping his heart out on the thing. His claws raking into its feathery fur.

Lyra backed against the wall for support as Kej let go of her hand and went towards the sound of some terrifying beast. "Be safe." She muttered. What is an owlkin?, but she didn't dare ask it outloud.

Esshy watched the blind human go pale with fear. Than turned her attention to the elf who had shrunk into the shadows. "You're not going to help him are you?" She shook her head with a sigh and ran after Kej. There had to be some way she could help. She wasn't completely small and useless.

(( I see that your avi looks like Link. <3 <3 Great job!))

Her words were weak. Sephiroth's blue gaze met hers. The princess didn't look good. "Stay awake," he whispered, only to find that her eyes were closed. The guardian stubbornly pulled himself closer to the woman, sheltering her as best he could as the Owlkin bellowed and stomped forward.

Baring his fangs, Sephiroth hissed. He couldn't fight. This beast was hardly winded, and both elves were crushed. The guardian stiffened, prepared for the death that approached.

The sound of paws striking stone caught his attention. Sephiroth's gaze turned to Nakeit as the noble creature flew into the air. In a flurry of blue and white fur, Nakeit snapped and snarled his way through feathers and fur. Sephiroth was surprised . . . but then let himself relax.

He could feel the fading warmth of Kiyoshi's skin as he head fell against her arm. The sticky feel of blood covered everything. Sephiroth grit his teeth and hissed a few curses under his breath. Nakeit was ferocious, but he wouldn't be able to kill an Owlkin on his own. That meant . . . they were still in trouble.

The guardian took in Kiyoshi's dark hair and pale skin as he looked her over. There, on the edge of defeat, she looked so . . . beautiful. It wasn't that Sephiroth had missed her appearance before, but now it wasn't colored by hatred. Instead, Kiyoshi looked weak. She was hurt.

Cold fingertips pressed against the girl's throat as Sephiroth checked for a pulse. Barely beating. The elf looked back at the battle before drawing up his energy once more. He was on his knees within moments, and had Kiyoshi pulled against him. Their blood mingled about them. Kiyoshi was dying. Sephiroth was wounded. They wouldn't get far.
-

"Be safe."

Keji took the words like a battle cry. The elf narrowed white eyes, slipping into the shadows as he neared the Owlkin. Just as he approached, he saw Nakeit. Still alive?! Pale features filled with surprised before the elf noticed the guardian and Kiyoshi a few feet from the battle.

"Can you help them?" In the darkness, his pale eyes reflected lightly as he looked to Esshy. Tightening his hold on his blades, Keji eyed the fighting beasts. The Owlkin was looking a bit bloodied, but . . . angry. Nakeit was a beast of the tunnels - he could kill the enemy if he could get a solid shot at its throat.

The gray-haired elf didn't wait for an answer. With a grim smile at Esshy, he engaged in the battle. His blades went right for the Owlkin's legs. Within a few darting movements, the beast was forced down to one knee. It wouldn't be moving anytime soon.
-

Shara hissed angrily at Esshy. Of course not. She wasn't going to put herself in danger willingly. The metallic-skinned elf ducked closer to the ground at the sounds of battle. It was sheer chance that she stayed near Lyra.

(Why thank you.:) I am on my phone. Beware short, and many typos post)

Esshy was looking past the battleat her Queen. She just barely caught Keji s question. "O will do my best." She moved quickly around the battle and knelt before Sephirorh and kiyoshi. "My queen. " waeas all she said before she started taking cloth out of her pockets to bind the wounds. She didn't have enough.. "oh no"
The rage of battle continued on behind her, her mind thinking fast. 'Where can I get more cloth!! The queen is dying' Of course! Her shirt. She started to rip off pieces ocher oeb shirt to use as bandages. The queens own clothes wee in tattered ruins.
"Do you have any thing that needs tending to as well?" She finally asked turning to sephirpth.

Nakeot tore at the beasts feathers around its neck. He just had to get down in there and destroy of for his masters sake. Scent glands quivered for a moment as newcomers approached. But he recognized Keji and kept on wth his attack. Suddenlyvthe beast gave way and they dripped a foot or two as the legal were brought down. He let out a ferocious growl and dove once more for the throat now that there was a better angle and the monstrous beast was no longer thrashing about as wildly.

Sephiroth watched the elf girl warily, not sure if he should be snarling or thanking her. Esshy muttered something about her queen. The guardian's blue eyes narrowed as he pulled away from Kiyoshi. Whoever this stranger was, she was from the surface.

He watched as Esshy frantically patched her queen up. Kiyoshi's pale skin was still too white. She'd lost a lot of blood.

Sephiroth's gaze was locked on her when a voice broke through the dying commotion. "I'll . . . be fine." Stubborn pride kept him from mentioning his own wounds. The claw marks that splayed across his chest burned something fierce, but those were the worst of it. The rest was just scrapes and bruises - and a few deeper gashes. He needed healing, but he was too stubborn to admit it.

As long as Kiyoshi was safe, things were alright.

"Who are you?" Sephiroth asked, his blue eyes narrowing further. He looked ready to shove the girl away from Kiyoshi, but held himself in check.
-

Keji wiped his blades clean on the fur of the Owlkin. It finally stopped thrashing. The gray-haired elf slowly stroked Nakeit's fur. Figures. The underdwellers had thought to train these wolf-like beasts. It was lucky that one of them survived. It must have been loyal to the guardian.

White eyes moved over the twitching monster, and then to the guardian. Sephiroth looked up and caught his gaze. There was no hatred there. Pain, yes. And . . . worry? It was too quick to really catch.

"We need to get them out of these caves." They had food and water, luckily. At least they could help the stubborn male and his stolen queen.
-

Shara listened intently. When the Owlkin fell, the underdweller let out a hiss of relief. "We go to them," she said, slipping from the shadows and grabbing a piece of Lyra's shirt. "They kill it. They find guardian and queen."

Without waiting for the blind girl to respond, the elf pulled her along. They approached a few moments later.

Keji reached out, gently touching Lyra's arm to let her know where she was. "Will she be alright, Esshy?"