(Nevermind, you seem to not be going anymore)

((Sorry I didn't go on last night. I fell asleep early and I guess we're in diffrent time zones because when we start it's already 11:00 PM for me. Oh and Neko I love the pictures. I can't draw for my life so I guess I'm fascinated by people who can actually draw well.))

"Do you happen to have a boat, Charlme?" Ixia asked the old man. Charlme thought for a little while and said "Yes... I think I do. Watch out for the water Naga though." The kids stepped into the boat and headed down the river. "Stay! Who goes there?" A booming voice arose from the foaming water. "We are a couple of teenagers wanting to go to Trera. If you are Sarine, could you please help us?" Just then, a beautiful scaled man came out of the water. His scales shone many colors, but most were ocean blue. His face looked as if it was chestled by Da Vinci and his eyes were violet and green. His arms flexed with muscles around his bangles. "Aye, 'Tis I, Sarine the magnificent. Good morrow children." Sarine took a deep and respectful bow, his long black hair sliding down his shoulders into the river. "Indeed, I will help you across. But you all must give me soemthing in return."

Rena looked a little frightened. She hasn't seen anyone so intimidating before. "But W-what would Y-you L-like S-sir?" Rena managed to stutter out of her quivering mouth. She never thought of this ever happening but now that it is, she just wanted to go home and go to sleep in her bed with the scent of Vanilla from her candle.

Sarine stared at Rena. "Pray tell, what do you have?" "We have an apple, but not a whole apple. Is that ok?" Ixia said to the Naga. Sarine laughed. "Do you think of me as a cutpurse? As long as it tastes good, it'll do fine." Ixia handed Sarine the apple. "Grammercy, poppet." And with that, sarine ate the apple. "Alright, I will take you to the shore of Trera but no where else. How you get back to Caika is your problem." "Thank you Sarine the magnificent." Ixia said, taking the same bow to make sure that she doesn't upset the Naga. Sarine grabbed the rope connected to the row boat and swifty carried it along the river. About an hour or two later Sarine stopped carrying the boat. "This is where you get off." Sarine said, with another magestic bow. The kids bowed back and got off the boat.

Hands still shaking, Rena turned around and said, "Well that was easier then I thought. He seemed pretty nice." Rena opened her backpack to see if there was anythign useful in there. Nothing. But she did find the shiny gold locket that her mother gave her. Inside, the words, Ice is the answer was written on it. Rena never knew what that meant but her mother told her she would know when the time is right.

The Island of Trera was So hot that if you layed down on the rocky soil, you'd burn yourself, no matter how much clothing you have on your back. The shore of Trera looked as if there was sand there once but the heat eventually turned it to a large chunk of glass. From the shore you could see the Volcano in the center of the island. There were makeshift houses along the shore and along the volcano. The houses closest to the volcanom were charred and black. The forests weren't green, but red and brown, like in the fall. The natives of Trera were short like dwarfs or Christmas elves and they all wore red, yellow, brown, and black. their faces were dirty with sut and ash, making it seem like the volcano errupted recently."Here we are..." Ixia said, opening her book. "It says in order to reach the portal we have to climb to the top of the volcano and throw and Charrka jem into the Lava, which will turn the lava into a portal. Ready?"

"Yeah I'm ready. A little nervous but ready. Just one question. Where and what is the Charrka jem?" Rena asked. She's never heard of it before but assuming that Ixia knew alot about it from her parents, she just wanted to know a little about it.

"According to the book, it is an oblong, egg shaped jem thats color is similar to a ruby. It's usually found in Larmbia nests. Those are big fire birds. A relative to the Phoenix. These birds are very territorial and can only be killed if you douse their fire and hit it on the head with a large object, like a big rock." Ixia explained. "We have to go into the forest." She heard laurnet sigh with frustration. "I'm thinking this is the hard part of our journy. But good news is that we are close to going home..." Ixia said with a smile.

"Well how are we supposed to get a large rock and put out a flame?" Rena asked. She didn't like the sound of going against a giant bird but she would do anything to get home.

(Sorry It was so short. I have a little writing block in my brain)

"We will be in a forest so there is bound to be rocks and water." Ixia said. Ixia walked up to a native and asked them where the forest is. "West. But you don't want to go in there. There are too many monsters and some can't be fought off with rocks.... Come with me and I'll give you all a weapon." It was hard to understand the guy at first. The three followed the man into his house. "Here you go. A sword for each. Just bring it back when your are done. Or at least try..." Ixia, Rena, and Laurent walk west.

Rena couldn't help but stare at her sword. She felt like a pirate or a run away princess in one of her fairytale books. Her parents wouldn't get her a squirt gun because they thought they were dangerous and now she's walking around with an actual sword. A heavy sword on top of that. She put the sword back in the case and put it in her backpack. Rena wondered what her parents and grandparents thought right now. Where they looking for her? How much damage was on the house after the earthquake? So many questions but none of them will be answered until she got home.

The forest was only about 10 feet away when a large beast jumped in front of them. Its fangs were long and its fur was red, like everything else on this island. It growled and bared it teeth at the group. Ixia, out of instinct pulled out her sword, showing now fear when she was shaking in her sandals. "Guys, Help me fight it off." she whispered to the others.

Rena shook her head. Her hand was shaking so much that she was lucky to actually grab the sword out. Maybe this was a good time to try to use her powers for help. She concentrated on the trees and before you knew it, a whole tree came out of the ground. She flew it next to her just in case the swords needed a little help.

The creature growled and roared. Just then It ran toward the girls! Get ready... Ixia though and ran toward the creature, sword in front so that if the creature came at her, it would become a kabob.

:)

Rena took got her sword out and lunged at the beast. It let out a giant growl and tried to attack back. Rena dodged right before she was about to become his next meal. She decided to lunge the tree at the monster's face. It wasn't fast enough to dodge it so that was enough time to find it's weak spots. "Quick now is our chance," She whispered to Ixia and Laurent.

Ixia ran faster and lunged at it. The beast made a sharp cry and layed down, obviously wounded. Ixia looked at the beast in disbelief. Her sword was stuck inside the ribs of the animal. The beast wimpered with pain. In that moment Ixia felt guilty for harming the poor thing. Ixia pulled out her sword and laid a hand on the wound. Ixia's eyes closed and there was a bright light that swollowed everything around it. When the light faded, the animal was gone, almost like it disappeard from mid-air.

Rena's eyes widened. "Woah. What was that?" Rena asked. Her eyes still in disbelief.

Ixia opened her eyes to see that the animal was gone. "I'm not sure..." she replied. It was right there, where did it go? Ixia wiped her sword clean in the grass. The forest was right there and this time there wasn't anything stopping them to get the jem and leave Caika. "Shall we?" Ixia motioned toward the forest and started walking.

Laurent sighed as the creature disappeared. He hadn't been able to even take out his sword and defend himself. It was gone that fast. Funny how that happened alot around here. Particularly around Ixia's light filled hands. Lorry pondered on it slightly as he followed her.

"Do you have like...teleporting powers or something like that?" he asked.

((And thanks missy ^-^ im glad you like them...my random fan art i mean XD))

Ixia shrugged. "I didn't even know I had powers..." Do I have teleporting powers??? No, If I ddi have any powers I would have know by now.. But then again There were those two powers that I uncovered recently... Ixia shrugged once more.

"Seems like you do...but thats just my opinion. I mean what else could it be?" Laurent said, shoving his hands into his pocket. Sighing he looked out at the island warily. How far would this go? Obviously it wasnt going to be easy but so far it had been ok. Sure the goblins had been freaky but they had only managed to lick his cut. Everything seemed to disappear before it could actually do anything. At this rait they would be out in no time no matter what they encountered. But it couldnt be that easy. It never was.

"So...," he said, his own thoughts making him nervous as he pulled one hand out of his pocket and tested it on his sword, "Do we know where this bird nest is exactly because if you show me where the tree is i can get to it really easy."

Ixia shrugged once more. "All I know is that we have to find the Larmbia and in their nest we'll find the Charrka jem. Just keep a look out for a large fire bird and If we find the nest, we'll most likely find the jem. Then, we can all go home." Ixia said, searching through a bush to see if the nest would be there. "Where do you think a bird with a treasure would put its nest?"

"Im not the expert here," he pointed out, fiddling with the side of his sword aimlessly, "But i would guess in a high tree...Since its, ya know, a bird. But there are some birds that burrow. Listen i honestly have no idea."

Shifting his weight back and forth nervously, he looked around to see if he could see any such trees or burrows.