Originally Posted by kionaredhawk

(...Cedura, Kisha didn't attack the boy, she attacked the demon)

((Oh my... I thought she attacked the boy, because the demon was not even visable yet... I will fix my post.

*edit* NM I see where the demon appeared now... I am a dork ^_^))

(No worries Cedura. I do that sometimes too :P)

((Ok my post is fixed :)))

(Cool :P...i'd post something again but im brain blocked DX)

"Oh oops." The boy demon at Kiryn's feet grinned sheepishly as he jumped to his feet and turned to look at the menacing demon before them. He could feel it, he could sense it. Almost smell that holy power that emitted from Kay's being. It called to him and frightened him all the same. He moved towards her, only making it half a step before Kiryn had quickly reached out and grabbed him by the arm.

"Two...." Kiryn began a bit uncertainly. Looking to the boy he was gripping rather tightly. The boy didn't even try to slip from Kiryn's grip only sighed softly and shook his head. The boy demon's lips parted slightly as he shook his head. "I'm not dangerous..Lemme go."

Kiryn hesitated and released the boy. The boy who quickly bounded closer to Kay and then behind her. Those hands gripping her shoulders gently as he pressed his body hard but almost comfortably against her backside. His lips were next to her ear and he whispered. "You have holy powers.." He shivered a bit. Being so close to such a thing. It made him weak in the knees almost. "You have holy powers, so I know you can kill this thing. You're afraid though..I can smell it.." He had murred softly but smartly kept his comment about how delicious her fear smelled to himself. "..That fear needs to be discarded..or you won't win. It's a basic rule of combat." His tone was light and cheery, a smile on his lips as he stepped back, letting his hands fall from Kay's shoulders.

"Go on, wielder of the holy blade. Show me your true power." He giggled a bit childishly, almost excited.

Ceri shivered as the demon began to shift, in her eyes taking the form of her mother. She began to smirk, however, as she looked into the demons eyes she couldn’t help but notice the difference. Just pulling at her memories did not suffice to get the look of power, hunger, and sheer bat shit crazy that her mother had. Accordingly she more wanted to laugh then anything…

“Nothing can match my mother…” She said with a grin, speaking more to herself then anything. She then glanced at the new demon again as he spoke, watching as he nearly humped the poor girl. “Hey… one shouldn’t play with another’s toys without permission…” She said in a teasing, sarcastic note.

She then turned back to the demon, holding out her hand and lifting a large rock, throwing it at the demon. She was more focused on distracting it then anything, knowing Kay was frozen with fear. She was a little leery of the demon at Kay’s side but not too terribly so… He seemed more the trickster type so was not an immediate danger….

Kisha watched the rock that Ceri threw hit the (bad) demon. She waited until it hit then she swung her sword, slicing the demons torso. She gracefully danced backwards as it took a wild swing at her. The water in the demons body began to spread more, beginning to freeze instead of boil, getting to the point where it would freeze the demon from the inside. She knew it would only delay the demon but that was what she hoped it would do.

The presence of a body pressing up against her back made Kay snap out it and she regained the ability to move. She whirled around to smack the boy-demon that had been whispering to her, but he was already moving out of her reach as he backed away. She heard his 'taunt' asking to see her power.
"Oh I will show you what I can do, and when I am done with this demon, I will teach you the meaning of personal space," Kay knew the boy-demon had meant no harm and she was just teasing him, mainly in an effot to lighten her own mood. She was no less terrified, just not stricken with it.
She moved towards the demon that was impersonating her. Kisha's blade had done some damage, but its heart crystal still rest next to its heart. Kay moved closer, keeping her blade ready. The demon's attention was fixed on Kisha and Kay hoped to maintain the element of surprise. But the demon saw her intentions in her mind and turned at the last moment. "Think you can strike your own image girl? Arent you scared about how it will affect your own body? They say that if you die in a dream, then you die in real life. What if you kill yourself, even if you tell yourself it isnt you?" The demon hissed its words at Kay, trying to wound her resolve. It did not work.
"You are not me," Kay said. She stabbed at her look alike missing the crystal by an inch or so, but she knew it was a hit that would seriously weaken the demon.
The form in front of Kay wavered. The demon no longer looked like Kay, having lost the energy level required for maintaining the illusion. Instead, a small trollish looking woman (if woman it could be called) stood infront of Kay. It was trying to conjur another spell, but Kay had injured it too greatly. She moved in to strike again, and this time her Blade did not miss.

Kay stood there staring at the remains of the creature, it looked harmless enough in this form, and what she had seen of its fighting ability no where near matched the power she had felt through the blade. She looked around at everyone, "Well that was fairly anti-climactic."

Kisha smiled at Kay. "I agree, but at least its over with. Well mostly. Still have the boy to deal with." She lifted her empty hand and the smooth ball glowed, putting itself back together and came back to her, the water that was freezing liquifying and returning to the ball whence it came, as did the sand.

"Oooh. I love being taught new things." He had grinned at Kay when she had turned towards him. Though he took another step back from her. His eyes didn't leave her as she moved and focused on that other demon. A smile on his lips when Kay dealt it, what would be a finishing blow. Almost bouncing on his feet before he moved towards Ceri. Leaning close to her and looking into her eyes. "Ahh..ooh..heh. A demon's inside of you..can I play with it?" He bounced on his feet in front of her. Looking into her eyes as if they were a window and he was trying to see what lay on the other side. Mainly that demon.

Kiryn had stood at the ready, that sword in his hand..but..honestly..that demon really had been weak. Almost nothing. Though something about how easily it fell worried him. Almost as if it were too easy. That faery whirled around and stalked towards that boy that was now bouncing infront of Ceri and flailing his arms excitedly. Kiryn's hand shot out and he gripped the boy by the back of the throat and pulled him back with such force that when he released him the demon boy stumbled and fell backwards, coughing slightly. Kiryn's sword was at the boy's throat and his foot rested on his chest, keeping him down. The boy's lips parted, but he seemed to think it better to not say anything. Kiryn almost growled, those eyes narrowed. "Move and I will skewer you."

Ceri watched Kisha and Kay fight the demon, tilting her head to the side. She was curious really, but not as concerned as she felt she should be. Still it seemed this demon relied heavily on it’s use of illusion, a fatal mistake. It had grown lazy… and she hoped Kay would take full advantage. As Kay did she nodded in satisfaction, touching the blade on her hip. It would not be needed long… what would happen then?

Shrugging off the thought she chuckled at Kay’s comment, saying only “Demons often are….” as her own squirmed slightly. It was annoyed with her comment yes, but mainly it sensed another demon. Power… it was hungry for it now…She closed her eyes, focusing on suppressing it a moment.

As the demon bounced before her, however, she opened her eyes to see him leaning closer. Ceri leaned back a little away from him, her fingernails sparking with power briefly as she debated attacking him. “He’s in time out” Was her glib reply verbally but she wasn’t so sure about this guy…

Kiryn would move much more…decisively then she however and gripping the demon move him away from her. “My hero” She said in a half teasing note, walking closer with her hands in her pockets. She was gazing at the demon, using her own to sense what she could. She honestly doubted he was dangerous but… he sure seemed to want to play with it which meant he might just work to get it out….And that with taste little pure souls around... could not be allowed.

Kay watched the little boy demon with amusement. He seemed really harmless, childish for certain. Everything seemed a game to him. She walked over to him and gently moved Kiryn away from the boy and helped him up.
"What is your name dear? Do you live around here?" Kay had again forgotten that demons are often older than they appear and she was treating him like a child.
While Kay was talking to the boy, the blade was probing him. All the information was registering in Kay's mind and she realized why the "powerful" demon shapeshifter had been so easy to defeat. The Blade spoke in her mind, telling her that the boy had used the troll crone to create the illusion. The whole battle had been a trick to ellicit a responce from Kay and her friends. The boy demon holds the power and he was just toying with us? But he looks so harmless... Kay was trying to rationalize the boys size and demeanor with the power the Blade was showing her. She regarded him more closely.
Resting a hand on his shoulder she said, "We wont hurt you, but you have to promise you wont pull any tricks on us again?" She hoped the boy understood the weight of her words, she did not want to out him to the whole group yet because she knew Kiryn was already irritated, and Ceri's demon was too. She did not want another fight to occur. She wanted to give the boy a small chance to behave himself.
"Promise you will behave for a bit?" Kay looked at him hard.

Kiryn blinked, about to protest when Kay gently moved him aside. Though he only sighed and sheathed his sword. "I'll be watching you," the pouting faery moved a bit closer to Ceri, keeping his eyes on that demon boy.

The boy blinked when Kay moved that faery and giggled a bit at the faerie's pouty face. "Awwh. You hurt his feelings." He didn't hesitate though, taking that offered hand and nearly leaping to his feet. Once he was up, he didn't let go of her hand for a moment. Shaking it hard but not squeezing it tightly. "My name's Kshathra Vairya." Now he released her hand, a shiver running down his spine. That holy power, it was probing him and he could feel it. It was telling that human things. His nose wrinkled in disdain but that expression quickly passed as he shook his head. Sending that long hair of his whipping about his body and flowing behind him. "I don't live anywhere..wait..no...I'm living right now and right here. So..at the moment, I'm living here..Buut..." He giggled a bit. "That isn't what you meant."

When Kay put a hand on his shoulder and assured him they wouldn't hurt him and mentioned pulling tricks, he frowned slightly. "No tricks, huh? So..I can't do things like put scoripions in the pouty faery's boots when he's sleeping or put a frog down one of the chicka-doo's shirts?" He was nearly pouting. "Tricks are fun." That pout quickly turned to a confused look. "Behave?" His head tilted to the side slightly. "..I'm behaving right now..aren't I?" He blinked and looked at her a bit uncertainly. "Least, I thought I was."

Ceri said nothing, simply watching the exchange. As Kiryn moved closer she patted his shoulder, smirking a little. It was interesting… even if the playful nature actually made her worry more rather then less. She preferred openly hostile demons…at least then she knew what was going on…knew how to react. Oh well…. It seemed he was focused on Kay and the ‘pouty faery’ for now which would allow her to observe….

Kay realized the boy was still being tricky, she tried a different approach. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I dont think Kiryn would like it if he knew the trick you pulled on us when you first stumbled into our group. I have a feeling that the troll creature did not have to die, and that you had something to do with that. It is those tricks that I warn you against. No more illusions. If you want to put a frog down Ceri's shirt, I will not stop you, but I will not save you either. She is not a woman i would encourage you to anger... understand Kshathra?" Kay stood and met his eye once more.

Kisha was cleaning her sword of blood as the exchange was going on. She sheathed it at the end and put the ball away. She strode forward til she was almost part of the group. "I hate to interupt but it is getting dark and we need to find somewhere were all of you can rest and we can stay warm."

For a moment the boy frowned, but it was only a moment. He shifted abit on his feet and for a few moments looked abashed. Like a boy being scolded by his older sister. Those hands were clasped behind his back and he smiled sheepishly at Kay. "I didn't mean no harm, honest. I'm as harmless as they come...I just wanted to see what would happen." He had whispered back seriously. Then all that seriousness left him and he squirmed a bit under her gaze. "Ya know..You can call me 'Athra. I won't mind." He shrugged a bit and stepped back from Kay. Glancing to Kiryn a moment and grinning at him with mischeif in those eyes.

Kiryn groaned and tried to ignore that look. Looking from 'Athra to Kay. "Let's kill him now and be done with it. He's an evil beast, just because he looks like a child does not make him a child. He's probably older than all of us and with very strong abilities or powers." His hand was on his sword hilt. Ready to draw it.

"Ooooh." Kshathra had hop, skipped and jumped a bit away from Kay and the group. Finding something that rather quickly had caught his attention. It wasn't anything really. Just a flower that bloomed silver and practically glowed. He bent forward and inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent of it. It wasn't the only flower there..a few gold ones and some metallic looking purple ones were nearby as well. He plucked the purple one and skipped back over to Kay. He stood very close infront of her.

Standing on his toes with a hand on her shoulder and the other reaching up. Reaching up to tuck that flower in her hair with a light giggle. "Now my big sister is prettier than before." A quick kiss on the cheek and then Kshathra had pulled away. Glancing to the girl that had spoken about getting a move on. He frowned slightly and slipped his hand into Kay's almost innocently. Looking up at her. "Where we going?"

Kisha scowled a little, her eyes a dark forest green. She didnt say anything but merely watched the newcomer, not entirely sure about him. Of course, she herself was still a newcomer and didn't really trust them entirely either but thats nothing new. At least I'm not alone at the moment, she thought.

Ceri watched the childish seeming demon, tilting her head to the side. She gazed at the two thoughtfully, her eyes even more intense then usual. She continued a moment even after the Kisha and Kiryn spoke, her hands in her pockets. Finally nodding to herself she glanced to Kiryn, saying quietly “I doubt kay’ll let you do that… come on pouty fairy we should find a place to rest…..”

With that she put a hand on his shoulder and reaching for her cane she’d summoned she began to walk the same direction Lyre had been leading them earlier. She was relatively healed now… but she was still sore and moving slower then usual. She had come to a decision about the demon, and so it was time to move on.

Kay was about to protest the little kiss and being called sister when she realized as long as the boy behaved himself, his little games could not hurt. She looked down at him "We are going to see a very important lady who may be in danger." Kay looked at Kiryn, she thought he would be worrying about the delay, there was no telling if they would make it to the queen in time but they had to hope. She also thought it was best not to tell the boy everything about their journey, she did not know how far she could trust him. She pulled her hand from his. We are having to travel quickly. It is very important we get there soon." She turned to follow Lyre, and as she began to walk, she also transformed back into her complete human form. Her wings disolved her holy blade evaporated and all that remained to mark her as the weilder of the Blade was the permanent circlet on her head. "Come on Athra, we do not wish to fall behind."

Kisha grabbed her pack and headed after the group, sighing.

(Sorry, brain-dead)

((So, do I just jump right in?))

][Yea.][

Kiryn was scowling at that boy demon. It was obvious that he did not trust Kshathra at all. With a light sigh though, the faery resigned himself to let it go. For now, at least. The hand that had been around his sword hilt dropped from it, still he could draw it quickly if he felt the need to. Kiryn moved to walk next to Ceri whispering lightly to her. "...He's a demon...We shoudln't allow him to come with us at all."

Kshathra had frowned when Kay pulled her hand from his..Almost pouting it seemed. When she began to walk he only stood there frowning for a few moments. At least until she had called for him to come along. That frown turned to a smile and he sprinted to catch up to her. Once at her side, he innocently slipped his hand in hers again. Looking up at her and smiling brightly. This could be fun. Very fun. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's best to hold hands, that way one of us doesn't get lost." He giggled a bit and gave her hand another gentle squeeze before whispering softly and looking a bit sad. "I..I don't think your friends like me."

Kay looked down at the boy, "Its not that they dont like you Athra, they just do not trust you. Dont worry, they treated me with the same regard when I arrived here, now I view them like my family. Just be on your best behavior, no illusions, no tricks, and they will like you."

((I am going to move the story along a bit or we will just be walking forever and since Aoi has not posted for Lyre, I am just going to make some passive posts about his character))

Up ahead, Lyre had stopped at a large stone door in the side of a hill. A small man, a dwarf, stood at its entrance. Lyre spoke with the dwarf and then they clasped hands. It seems Lyre has a few aquaintences here, no wonder this was where he wanted us to end up for the night. I am sure we will be safe here, Kay thought.
They were given admittance, and they walked into the biggest underground city Kay had ever seen (although it was also the only undergroud city she had ever seen). She leaned down to Athra, "Ok, you must be on your best behavior for sure. These people are going to help us, and we do not want to offend them. Understand?"

Kisha shuddered when she passed through underground. It is one thing to live underwater, quite another to be underground. She felt a little panicky but she kept herself leveled headed and her face passive. She had met a dwarf before and had not had a very good encounter but since they had let them in, she allowed herself an open mind against her first impression. She pushed a teal-purple strand of hair behind one ear and looked around.