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For once ,and probably not the last time, Rouchlos was glad that Susanoo was as quick on his feet as he was. his past was not a topic he ventured into often. but after the fire had been set and the meat prepped to cook he figured that their was nothing he could do to avoid the subject or her questions. "I mean sure they are harmless questions but things could get a bit interesting if i divulge to much. he thinks to himself before he looks across the small camp fire at the woman who had been waiting their responses.

" Sure Susanoo has his reasons, but your past isn't much different rider... perhaps you should tell them the hole tale a quickly as you can and see what kind of rifts you can start to bridge here... Sulfur suggests as she rests behind Rouchlos her stomach having been filled long ago she simply rested on the grasses around them wallowing comfortably in the suns heat.

"...i guess I'll start." Rouchlos brakes the silence that was only held at bay with the crackle of the sticks sap popping. " i was born in the Du Adumas Edoc'sil Island chain, Nia was my family's land and we held it for the past three generations. when i was old enough to be called a man i set out like my father and his father before him to bring honor and wealth to our family. I hopped onto a small traders vessel hoeing to get my sea legs and rise up the ranks at sea to captain before heading in land." tossing a extra log onto the fire softly so no embers would be kicked into the air and taint the bits of meat that were probably roasting. "and climb i did. rose all the way up to the second in command of a fine vessel, 100 strong men held her old wood together with blood, sweat, and toil after toil. our coffers filling and draining with every passing and landing at our home. then one wild night i left my captain, and i had hoped my life of theft behind me. from the moment my feet touched sold ground after that i have been striving for a strength far beyond anything i have seen with my eyes. i first met Sulfur in the Hadarack Desert after having lost my first dragon to a viscous battle nether of us were ready for. and ever sence then she has never left my side."

Susanoo rested back on his elbows, looking at the two of them in turn, he hadn't even bothered to touch the meat he prepared for himself, their stories were interesting...but could he share his with them? he looked over his shoulder at Tenchi, and asked of him, not caring if the others heard.

"What do you think, Should I tell them?" His dragon comrade nodded his head a few times, before resting it back upon the ground where the lay, Susanoo chuckled to himself, sitting up right "Lazy Dragon..." he then stood up, streching his arms above his head and looked at Maero, for Rouchlos already knew the story, and so he began to reveal the truth to her.

"For starters, my name isn't Susanoo, it's Katushito Naga, And I have walked this earth for over 500 years. when the war began, agianst the great evil that plagued the land, I was a Soldier-Of-Fortune, a Mercanary. A Dragon Rider Mercanary. The King hired me and my soldiers to fight along side him, and I did. When the war was over, the king wanted me to serve him, but i refused, because I love my freedom...wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Well, Kings aren't too used to hearing the word "No" and he wasn't happy about. In retaliation for my refusal, i was branded a traitor of the Kingdom, Thrown into a Magical Statis, and my dear dragon, Okami was taken from me..." He looked over at Tenchi, then back at Maero
"Tenchi is not just my Dragon, he is a descendt of Okami, my first dragon...However, my long sleep has weakned my powers, and i cannot share a mental link with Tenchi, as you do with your dragon, Maero. As for where I was born and all that...I don't Remember...it's kind of sad...i can't even remember what my parents looked like." he looked up at the night sky, letting out a long sigh "500 years in statis...for saying a simple, two letter word...No...Sometimes, I wonder if my defiance was worth it..."

Susanoo was quiet after that, he walked over to where Tenchi was laying down and climbed on his back, sitting upon the great beasts' spine, he stared up at the starry sky above.

Katushito looked at Maero, then back up at the stars, he then raised one hand and pointed a finger at a bright star, which seemed so small from where they where, he let out a very soft sigh and sadness.

"That Star...is Okami, or her spirit at least, she has left this mortal coil..."
Katushito turned away from them, a few silent tears stole away down his cheeks as he thought about his long time friend.

For the past hour, Brom had been going back and forth on whether or not to go into the desert and search for the young Spirit Rider. The feeling from before was gone, and Brom wondered if he felt the feeling at all in the first place now. Regardless, after doing a bit more honing and searching, he had found that the young rider was a novice making it hard for the rider to summon and keep its dragon in the world for long periods of time. The rider would be volunerable and weak, especially after a summoning,...a easy and quick kill if the anyone wish to go after the rider for its head.

Brom worried that if he went to searching for the rider, that it would bring unwanted attention and he didn't want the rider to get the wrong impression by a hasty meeting. After all, it appeared that the rider might be heading to Bullridge anyway. Perhaps he would remain here and wait for the rider to come to him? A public and day time meeting might ease expected fears and concerns. He also wondered if the elves noticed the riders summoning? He wasn't sure if they would be worst than the King himself, and they would be ones that would want the rider alive! He knew, that if the King was alive, he sure as hell noticed it! Brom remember the man to be one that was not to be surprised or without knowledge of something of this greatness. The rider would be seen as an immediate threat...!


*Just outside the Du WeldenVarden Forest and just within the Bullridge borders*

A group of three men and one woman gazed upon Bullridge, scaning it. They were armed to the teeth, their long green cloaks hiding their forms and weapons from the public eye quite well if attention was drawn to them. Their attention suddenly shifted to the outposts border that lined up with the start of the desert next to it. "There," the woman muttered aloud, pointing with her index finger at a small oasis about twenty miles away,"...their is the rider..."

With her words spoken aloud, all four took off running at amazing speeds. Twenty miles would be a quick journey for them. Their pace left a small dust trail in their wake and the wind created from the pace blew their hair around to reveal...pointed ears.


*Back at the Bullridge*

Brom had made his mind up now as he head back to his room at the inn. He would keep an eye on the young Spirit Rider yes, however, he would wait for the rider to come to him. He needed to think of what to say and do anyway before meeting with the rider. Young might mean easily to gain trust but could also mean that they were overly cautious possibly too, especially if the person had a rough life.

Brom suddenly to a stop grinding his feet into the sand swearing aloud. The outburst drawed the outpost's folk attention to him. He knew this feeling all to well...elves...so much for his plan that just went up in a blazing volcanic fiery. Now the question was, could he get the rider before those blasted sprinters got to it first! Damn elves always ran like their arse's were fire all the time and humans could not ever match them when it came to running. He knew the elves did action first before talking and that would not be good thing, regardless of the riders past or mental state!

Maero was silent for a long time, she considered what it would mean if sucha person got inbetween her and Eleniel. Could the King somehow do it to them? Seperate them by force if they decided to not do as he wished?
~It would not work.~ came Eleniels reply, sensing her partners concern. 'What do you mean?'
~ We are bonded together in spirit, much closer then usualy riders. Our lives spring from the same source, to split us apart would destory us both. Simply put; it would not work. You can easier split a dog in half, and expect it to keep living and barking. I cannot be summoned by no one else but you. I would be lost to this reality forever if you were to be slain. Whever you go, I go with you, simple as that.~
Simple- yet complicated.
The only true seperation of them would be death, plane and simple. But that wouldn't serve anyone any good. Again, it brought a question to Maero's mind.. could there be a way to control her dragon through the rider? Willingly or not? Maero was no magician, just very intune with magic.
She moved with magic the way a creature walks or breathes. She felt it everywhere... which meant she was suspeptable to it as well.

And it was then that Rouchlos moved from hsi brooding position and sudjested they leave. There was a hint of urgance in his voice that she noticed.
Eleniel felt... odd... more alert. The spikes and soft down fur on her back bristled up by instinct. Suddenly, this are didn't feel so safe anymore.
~ He has the right idea lil one, we should leave and gain distance before the magic charge is gone.. and I disapear from your side again.~

"And go where?" Maero suddenly realized she said it out loud. She thought she knew, where she should go.. but now.
Time may have passed, and she's existed long enough to be strong, but time actually experianced in the flesh, was short and minimal.
She knew her faults and weaknesses, only a years worth of time passed that she actually spent with Eleniel coming out in the flesh. And after that one year.. she was sealed. By someone.
Someone who's face and name eluded her. Like a dream you wake from and forget the details. But knew they were important.
That was probably on purpose she had no doubt.

She turned to them both... Rouchlos and Katsushito.
"...who can I trust?"

She crossed back over to her dragon and leaped onto her back. Bare back actually! There was no saddle involved. She nestled inbetween a clutch of fin-like scales that looked softer then the rest. When her lesg slipped in between, and her hands grasped the feathery main, it seemed like the dragon had some natural saddle to it.
It was born to be ridden. Which makes sense. why waste your time latching on the saddle every time the spirit dragon appears? It takes too much precious time. Might as well have a place on the back that's perfect for a rider to get into.
Once there, Maero felt better. Closer to safety and security, closer to the other half of herself.

~ Maero.. we should go, I smell danger. And so do the other dragons, even if they say nothing.~

Was he crazy?!
"Katushito! What are you doing?" Maro struggled to get down fast enough off of Eleniel without falling to the floor.
"you don't even know who or WHAt is coming..w-what if.. what if-" She couldn't even finish it. But it was obviuos what she was thinking.
What if it's the Kgin- what if he gets trapped like before? What if Tenchi is taken from him?!
Did he really expect them to just abandon him like that?
And since when did he become expendable anyways? She barely knew either of them, and wasn't sure who to trust.
Though... she did feel she could trust them both, dispite what suspicions there were.. it's just.
So much happening too fast, too quickly.

But this isn't just about you.

Her own thoughts reminded her. And Maero looked at Eleniel.
Her dragon. Her other half. The thing she, Rouchlos and Katushito had in common.
Their dragons. They were riders.
And with that position came great responsability, to themselves, to the people they protect.. and to their dragons.
As much as Maero didn't want to abandon anyone, at the expense of her own Dragon... did she have the right to endanger Eleniel?

"Naga!!!" Rouchlos shout out at the man as his own legs grippe to his dragons sides, her body shifting slightly as she rose completely.
"IF it were the king trust me, you and Maero would be lashed to the ground, bound by chains, and i would be surrounded by a thousand of my own men! your thoughts of revenge or payback for your stolen life with your dragon are as futile as the human body." Stopping himself he does his best to calm his body and his dragon as her actions had started to increase in urgency as the beings got closer.
"You may be right that they are after Maero, but if they find you and see you using magics or even have a slight comprehensions of them you will be taken in as a rider, they will find your dragon and force him to ride for one of their kind!" Rouchlos didn't know who was coming but he feared that the Elfs were finally making their move. after that grate slaughter so many years ago they took a few prisoners and tourchered them. squeezing out every drop of information that the king could stand t hear before he personally lobed off their heads.
"... Who ever they are..." He comments giving up on shouting as he slides down from Sulfurs back. " They are magically in tuned, aside from dragon riders i only know of elf's that can sense magic on any scale. normal humans pass it off as a gust of wind or an odd feeling in their spine. And if they are the ones pursuing us you will fall before them before one of your daggers can land a scratch on their skin. You said so yourself that your powers have diminished... come with me both of you. i can help you get stronger, far more than before. anything you require i can probably get for you, but i cant do a damned thing if your willing to throw your life away this quickly!..." Ending his words off with a slight shout he looked just how close he had gotten to the two of them. blinking a few times he sighs harshly and starts walking for Sulfur.
"Just so you know their are four of them... If you want a place to return to to heal your wounds head to Bullridge and ask for a purple sash, anyone will do. then just wait. Mearo if you want to the doors to my home are always open."