"I want you to give me some information." Ryu said, crossing his arms and preparing to counter the man's crankiness with his own anger. "About Rockwell." At first he wasnt going to mention what it was he needed, feeling like messing with the old geezer would bring him the satisfaction he needed at that moment but in the end decided the faster this was done, the faster he could attack something...or someone. "And make it fast old man"

"Watch your tongue, ye' young whippersnapper!" The old man said as he pointed his cane at Ryu's neck. "If ye' wants somethin' you gots tah say please, boy!" The old man said.

Izumi pulled away from Rion, deciding to walk on the other side of the horse. "Invictus..." SHe muttured to it, Causing the horse to glance at her and making a smile cross her face. "There, thats what Ill name you! Invictus." She exclaimed happily. It had been a word Izumi had learned a long time ago due to it being a title of one of her mothers favorite poems. And like her mother it had become one of Izumi's favorites too. the word meant unconquerable and she was sure that Zeke wouldnt mind it for that reason.

[[*sniffle* I need Cows go Moo to post. Or Rune. Or the 2 angels, but they haven't been active for a long time.... *sigh*]]

Rion looked at Izumi, I wonder if she dislikes me or something? Rion thought. "Hmmm....." Rion continued to walk. When they finally reached the town, Rion collapsed. The poison was beginning to cease most of Rion's body functions. Rion started to breathe heavily. "Damn........it.....s-spreads.........f-faster than I----I......thought......ugh....." Rion had a hard time speaking.

Shigo looked at the core cracking. He used the power of the void guardian to warp the core into another dimension. After the problem was over, Shigo fainted from exhaustion.

"Rion?" Izumi spoke his nae questioningly as she heard a thump and had to stand on her toes to see over and realize that Rion had collapsed. "Rion!" She exclaimed circling around to stand uselessly at his head. "We have to find an apothecary, and you have to stop moving." She muttured, trying her best to sound encouraging as she brought Invictus closer. If she could get Rion on the animal it would be faster and easier to get him there.

Ryu slapped the cane away and glanced anxiously at Ayu who was still circling above. At least she was outof earshot, now Rune just had to stay out. "The names Ryu, not whippersnapper or whatever the hell it is you keep calling me." He crossed his arms again as he looked the old guy up and down. It seemed this man was just as stubborn as Ryu and would probably not give him what he wanted until he got his way. "that word is not in my vocabulary." Well, it seemed Ryu did not know when to give up either.

It was obvious that Ryu's attitude wasn't helping him get an answer... Ayumi sighed, despairing at the fate of their expedition. Deciding that Ryu wasn't getting anywhere by himself, she dove down and landed next to him. "Ryu, be quiet. Sir, just ask us the question."

Slightly offended by Ayu's words, Ryu turned with a huff and casuallly pushed her aside. "Ive got it handled Ayu, get lost." He muttured angrily. If the man was as stubborn as Ryu gave him credit for he wouldnt let the appearance of Ayu prevent him from wrangling out a please from Ryu. "Wait, what question?"

"Ahh! So lassie, you're after Rockwell eh? Very well then!" The old man looked at Ayu. "What happens when iron ore is tempered with a rust-proof metal coating?" The old man said to Ayu. "That is mah question for ye' lassie!" The old man said with a laugh. "Ohohoho, I highly doubt you know this one!" The old man held on to his cane firmly.

Rion looked at Izumi and smiled.

"Rockwell is a smart lizard, right? Well, his little followers here ask us riddles and stuff apparently..." Ayu wasn't a genius, but... "Why would you do that? Shouldn't you smith it into a iron ingot and refine it, then smith it into a good and temper it?"

"You got what handled?" Rune asked Ryu. "Ooh! Can I help? I'm useful! And I'll make sure you don't do anything stupid!"

"Dont overthink it Ayu." Ryu said with a sigh, choosing to ignore Rune. Perhaps that tactic would work. "Riddles...how ridiculous. Id sooner beat the old man in chess." He muttured angrily as he waited for Ayu to realize the answer. Ryu himself already knew what it was but had decided the question was directed to Ayu and it would probably make her happy to solve it by herself. "Will you think faster?" Well, just because he was going to let her take the credit for an answer didnt mean he cared to wait forever for it.

"Fine, just answer the question while I fly to another brother... And I'd like a game a chess as much as the next person." Purposely smacking Ryu with a wing, Ayu lifted up to head towards the next brother.

The old man kept quiet until someone gave out the right answer. "Hmmm......doesn't anyone of ye' youngins know anything?" The old man stared at Rune and Ryu.

"I said dont move." Izumi said as Rion smiled at her. It was a joke of course but she was trying to reinforce her earlier statement. "Hold on..." She muttured, putting Rions arm around her and lifting him onto the horse. "We're almost there."

"H-hey! .....I.....I thought I told you that..........I hate riding on horses, I-I get sick easily........" Rion said with a strain.

"Hehe," Rune giggled at Ryu getting slapped. "Nice... you've totally won her heart. You really are great with the ladies aren't ya hot shot?" Rune was joking, but she tried to sound serious. She hadn't taken lightly to Ryu ignoring her, but she was going to let it pass. Should she tell Ryu? She was about to go over the edge again. In times like these though, only Rion knew to stop her from hurting something. She could get very dangerous. It was as though she had too totally different sides, evil and nonevil.

((You know, doing this, I really don't know whats going on, but I guess I'm using it to make Rune look like an idiot... which other than looking like a slut, she is. [Rion told me the slut part-don't blame me]))

"Your already sick." Izumi pointed out, ignoring his pleas to get off. "Focus on that sickness and you wont get even more sick." It was a technique Izumi constantly used back when her brother was alive and they got into tight situations. As long as she focused on one injury, the others didnt matter as much. "And close your eyes."

"A little melodramatic today arent we?" Ryu muttured as Ayu flew off in a huff, not seeming to care that her wing had hit him. "The damn thing metamorphs into steel." He finally answered the impatient man. As he spoke, Ryu appeared somewhat menacing with his arms crossed and missing eyes due to the shadows caused by his hood. "Go away Rune, cant you tell Im done having you follow me around?" He hissed, not taking his eyes off the old man. Though he really didnt understand how he had made Ayu made, he didnt care much and didnt like the fact that Rune was trying to make him focus on it.

"Aww crap......" Rion said before he closed his eyes. "F---f-fine, let's just go......" Rion said in a childish tone.

The old man looked at Ryu, "Lucky son of a gun! You got it!" The old man said as he started to laugh. "Well, well......err......Ryu was it? Here you go! One broken jewel piece and you've earn part of the right to meet Rockwell." The old man said. "Now go and find the rest of the pieces." The old man walked away after giving Ryu a broken jewel piece.

Rune giggled at Ryu, "No, I won't go away... I've got to protect you from bad things... and since Rion isn't here... you have to baby-sit me. But yeah, I can be more exciting if you want me to." Rune looked at the jewel piece that the old fart gave him. "Ooh, pretty... can I hold it? I'll take really good care of it! I don't lose anything. Look Ryu, you can't brush me off as easily as you want to! I swore a silent commitment and won't break it... and don't worry, I won't tell Ayu you're crazy about her."

[[Sorry guys, I'm not feeling well. If I type anything right now, It might end up as Ayu dying a morbid death. Sorry, not in a very good mind set.

Edit: Actually... I feel like making Ayu die... And I'm feeling better now. Just wait until we get to Rockwell...]]

"Excuse me sir. Would you help me find Rockwell?" Almost got all of the brothers... Soon we'll be in Rockwell's temple... cave... residence.

"Ah so thats what this is about." Ryu said with a harsh laugh as he ignored her pleas and slide the jewel into his cloaks pocket. As he did so he felt a strange lump in it and pulled out not just the jewel but also a unknown package of food. A curious expression crossed his face as he looked into the cape as if to see if any other unknown foods had found their way into it before finally leaving the jewel alone. "Rion abondened you to go off with that Izumi girl and now your lonely." He finally spoke with a cold grin as he lowered his hood so it wouldnt get in the way. All the other gaurdians' distraction's had caused him to momentarily forget his vicious hunger but as if right on cue he could feel his stomach muscles tightening in starvation.

((Why are you going to to kill off your character Ayumi? Are you okay?))

The old man that Ayu spoke to looked at her. "You cannot find what is hidden? Then find the clues, the keys to which you need to enter in his cavern. By the way who do you think is the wisest esper in the land? Rockwell, Selbis, Ciel, or Kiryu? Those are your choices, it's a good thing that I chose a multiple choice question here but nevertheless, it's a hard one." The old man said.