Welcome to Gaia! ::

Excellent!

The Shadow said looking over at the mountain and the distance they had come in one good days trek.

I'm impressed we made it so far.

Maximos said, his belly full of delicious bug meat that made him both full and sick at the same time. He layed back, arms behind his head, left leg bent and right crossed over it.

Does that mean its time to rest for the day?

His eyes looked up from the gentle shade of his hood to the bright sky. Something told him that like most deserts night wasnt likely coming anytime soon. With a few cracks and a yawn Max stretched, his arms reaching out in either direction, his legs straightening, before return back to their previous positions.

Is it safe to camp so close to such a giant corpse? I wouldnt want to be snuck up on by a giant buzzard or some other carrion eater.

That reminded him, and he hoisted himself up higher, sliding his back pack beneath and behind his head.

Are there any other nasty threats hidden in these sands I should know about?

Rest.

Max said with a soft voice and heavy eyes.

Indeed.

He inched himself a bit closer to the fire, white and black eyes staring straight up. For the first time in a very long time Maximos felt at home. The feel of soft sand giving beneath him rolled along with the soft dry desert breeze, and Maximos remembered the unspeakable calm that came with sunset in Vergan after months of having the sun risen, everything begged for the night.

Maximos lifted Ankokuko, resting it on his chest. He'd sleep with it, just like the old days.

Goodnight Ryugi.

He said with a light hearted sigh of relief. He had been on Gaia so very long he had nearly forgotten what a clear sky looked like. There were no city lights within miles, no steel magic flying devices. Just stars, bright and brilliant cast over a black blanket sky. He stared up, and a thousand eyes stared back.

Oh look, one fell. It drew a golden line which led straight to...

.....Zzzzzzz.

...To sleep. To sleep perchance to dream.

Maximos dreamt of an expanse black. Somewhere deep inside he knew there was something here, something he desperately needed to reach. He heard it calling out to him across the darkness. It had a voice that he simply could not make out, tone and pitch were lose as were words, all that he knew was that it was calling. And he was the only one that could reach, and the farthest from it. But for some reason it made him hopeful, happy, not saddened.

Sleep and the Shadow were never good bed fellows. Maximos awoke to a change of sound, the dull hiss and crackle of dying embers, the last of the flame having faded. He rolled to his side, watching the last of the kindling flicker in and out of being.

He still heard that voice.

The cold air felt like cold hands on his back telling him it was time to get up. And so he did. Gently, carefully, stealthily. Because there were few things in creation as quiet or stealthy as a shadow.

Maximos rose, the cold air bit at his clothes, but he didnt seem to mind as he made his way out a distance into the desert. A distance away Maximos found a clearing, a space between two dunes where the moon shone down and cast his shadow ahead of him. It was here the voice was loudest. Still ages away but louder. He could make out an emotion, a tone, as if the voice felt alone. Maybe distant? Maybe it wanted company?

And no sooner than he though that, than did Ankokuko rise from his shadow, its hilt aimed toward his right hand. Wanting, calling. A mess of small black hands holding the tip of the blade in place.

Is that you?

He said, reaching forward, his right hand gloveless and unbandaged, ran down the hilt, before gripping it and slowly pulling it from its black sheath. He could hear it better now. Still distant, not clear, there were no words. But somehow he knew...

We've yet to be properly introduced, havent we?

A moment of silence, as he lifted the blade up in front of him, the moonlight shining off the sharp brilliant blade. And here in the dead of night, it was quite sharp. His eyes followed the angle of the blade straight up and to the moon, and the stars filling the heavens. He smirked.

Yes, it truly is a beautiful night.

He extended his arm straight out infront of himself, perfectly parallel with the ground. The smirk grew to a sly smile.

Of course. I'd love to dance.

Maximos slashed, right to left. Ankokuko's dark chorus sung, and a ribbon of black streaked across the air. He brought the sword around and overhead swirling the ribbon and then quickly joined both hands on the hilt to slash it straight in front of him, a black line drawn in the air in front of him, echoing outwards slowly, carried on a gentle wind.

But Maximos did not stop. No sooner than did the blade become diagonal toward the ground than did he step forward, leaping upwards, twisting at the hip to bring the sword down, around, and back up overhead again. His upper body leaning over his lower sending him into a series of two flipping slashes before he landed knelt on the ground, his right arm extended out to the side. A gentle ribbon wafting in two circles around his form.

We've hardly had the chance to get to know each other.

A quick dashing step forward, and a faster slash from right to left, followed by a quick hop, Maximos' leaned his body right as he leapt placing it parellel to the ground even as he left it. He turned, twisting his body, whipping into a quick slashing spin. His feet whiffed into the sand. He slashed diagonally downwards with his right hand, releasing the blade. The chorus rose and let out a melancholy melody. His left immediately caught it, reversing the direction as he twisted his form away cutting upwards diagonally from lower right to upper left.

He held it there for a moment, in his left hand, thrust toward the sky.

There is so much your not telling me...

The sword was brought down, held straight up with both hands in front of his face. Its blunt end resting against his forehead drawing a black line down the middle of his face. He breathed in deep, then out slowly, and silently lipped words in Shadowspeak.

"Show me."

The ribbon moved of its own accord wrapping around the tip of the sword and then moving down Maximos' waist, moving like a serpent around his feet, tugging the sword's tip down into his shadow. It tugged, like a fishing line, and he let it go, letting it slip into his shadow. It was gone, but he could still feel it in his hands, its pull, its sway.

He moved. A stomp forward, his right hand thrust forward and to the side, and his shadow whipped off the ground following the motion of his hand with a whipcrack as it streaked in an arc. He brought the arm back down by his waist and punched, once, twice, left then right, and as his hand moved back and forth it spun between them, its tail whipping out for a third strike. It was fluid, like the forward and back motions of his hands propelled the spinning length of shadow.

Fluidly, he slid his right foot forward and brought his left hand back, the shadow followed the hand. His right moved over his left and around it. The ribbon his hand, swirling into a ball, sparks danced down his right arm, and suddenly he thrust forward, his right fist bursting ahead overcome with a dark purple glow. The ribbon swirled forward breaking its circular motion to swirl around his arm and lash out immediately as his fist came to a stop covering another foot of his space and thrusting forward like a second punch. Only it took the glow with, and as it stopped fired the Shadow Cannon forward.

Three punches...across 6ft of space. Maximos smirked.

He leaned forward and dropped his fist touching, not punching the ground, letting the ribbon slide off, even as he kicked his left foot forward, left to right, kicking the ribbon up, letting it slash across the distance following his foot. He kicked right, left, right left, down, up, making a zig zag mess across the air. Then dropped again, kicking low in a 180, turned to a mid kick 360, and a leap for a high 620 lashing the ribbon around, he bent at the hip for a vertical airborne 980, the shadow making a beautiful swirling array around his form, before he landed bringing the foot down for a sharp axe kick. The shadow ribbon poured out from around his leg to the ground, expanding into a shadow, and immediately Ankokuko shot from it.

Maximos without missing a beat snatched it out of the air. He slashed. And a ribbon did not come free, but cut, hands poured from it reaching outwards hungrily, then returning as they found nothing. Another slash, another set of monstrous limbs.

Pieces. I have to focus dont I?

Heht!

Upper right to lower right. Two of the core katana slashes, the limbs grew longer and wider.

Ha!

Lower left to upper left. He continued the kata, the limbs were clearly, stronger.

Hah!

Left to right. They reached farther, he sword he saw a shoulder. He knew he felt a sting in his own recently wounded shoulder.

Tck--Gyaah!

Right to left. Only one fist burst forward. Maximos brought the blade straight back for the last step in the kata, a thrust! And as he thrust into the star shape he had just cut in the sky, a single gigantic fist burst forth. It was easily twice his size, and its hand struck the sand, finger digging deep to pull forth a matching armored head, shoulders, and upper torso. Half of a humongous knight burst from the cut he'd made, his arms reached up toward the sky, blacking out the moon for a moment. It roared, the kind of roar that could be heard for a mile around...or at the very least, heard by the sleeping dragon he was attempting to let lie. Before the dark knight brought its arms crashing down into the sand, fist locked in fist to make an enormous boom as it kicked up 30ft of sand in all directions. And then, like some sort of cartoon character, as Maximos ripped the sword back along the slash path it was sucked back into the tip of the blade, as if being quickly zipped up.

Needless to say the sight and force of which knocked him flat on his butt. At which point he remembered he was trying to be quiet, and had utterly failed. And snickering to himself, lifted Ankokuko back onto his shoulder, and made his way back to camp. A little nap before continuing perhaps.

Thank you...

He whispered as he arrived. Was it too Ryugi? Or to the sword? No one really knew. They both deserved it.

Max smirked, he whispered something barely audible about letting sleeping dragons lie, and the sat down beside the remnants of what was a fire. Ryugi was right, it was quite cold, and he fished through his bag pulling out his furred hooded cloak from back in Proxema, and quickly donned it.

He wished he had kindling, but trees were hard to come by, and fire was even harder. Sure he had alot of paper, he had whole books, but a book in a fire was a travesty he would hear nothing of.

No, he simply laid down, breathing a sigh whos breath was visible before him, and in moments nodded off into sleep.

Right!

Max didnt hesitate a moment. Sandstorms were no joke, no only did they put sand in all sorts of places, but if the wind was harsh enough the sand could pick the skin of your bones in seconds!

He had seen the warning signs. The harsh winds, the angry gusts of sand, but he had hoped it was his imagination. But he couldnt think of reason why he'd imagine a wall of sand bearing down on them.

Up went his arms, Ankokuko was immediately flipped downwards, held in both hands.

Concentrate!

He needed the function, and the form would follow. With a single thrust, he jabbed the sword downwards, and as it pierced the sands, black rose from them. Four walls shot up, then a ceiling and finally a floor. The later making itself present by a shifting sensation beneath the feet of the Shadow and Dragon. They were enclosed in a 10x10 box. Outside the box took the form of a small fortress, complete with four pillared towards on each corner, and a carved in castle door. Behind them, opposite the storm were two large windows in both corners. They fed the room air until the storm finally struck at which point they'd need to be shut.

Maximos stood with one hand on the hilt of Ankokuko, and one wiping beads of sweat off his forehead. That sort of spontaneous creation was far easier with the help of Caller of Darkness, but it sure took a lot. With any luck the sand itself would shield from the sun and give the structure some strength. Sure it looked strong but it was still day. Infact, noon, the brightest part of the day had yet to come.

It was a potentially dangerous situation. But Maximos smiled, afterall, what was adventure of not dangerous?

Whew!

He said, as his hand dropped, feeling the wind begin to beat the structure.

That should hold us at least for a short while.

A hand moved to his hip to pull his canteen free and enjoy a nice long sip, as they were finally out of the direct sun.

But we'll make no progress like this. Unless...

His hand moved to strum his chin.

I have an idea....

Maximos wiped a streak of whitish violet from his right eye. It wasnt true violet but rather a sort of glow which possessed the tear the Shadow swiped away. A tear from usage.

I have played with shadows before my friend.

He said with a playful smirk. He wondered how Ryugi might react to that, having a thought voiced that the dragon did not voice. Though said in a way that left questions as to whether it was co-incidence. Always a mystery.

Ankokuko allows me to deepen my previous connection to new unseen and previously unattainable levels.

His left hand moved back to adjust a set of glasses up the bridge of his nose that simply were not there, proof that old habits die hard.

I could have created a dome, a cube, or something simple. But with its help, interacting with shadows within my usual 100ft radius to create something like...

He held up his finger and spun it around to gesture to the room as a whole.

...this, is childsplay. This is merely allowing it to tap into the more creative side of my mind for decoration. Its barely the tip of the iceberg of what this sword can do. You gave me something truly special.

The smile faded a bit as his tone became a bit more serious. More focused on the truth of the danger at hand.

But, dont be fooled by how ornate the design is. If this storm gets much worse, or keeps on like this this shelter will not last. We'll be exposed in the middle of the worst of it...

A pause. That was a grim fate indeed. But his hand rose, and extended toward Ryugi. Left hand of course. His right never left Ankokuko's hilt.

...But you, my good sir, you have fire. If I could open this fortress for just a while, could you manage a blast wide enough to encompass say...

His fingers twiddled in the air making silence calculations.

...Two thirds this space? A sharp enough blast may be able to dome using the sand below, and the sand above to make a glass enclosure. Then, using the excess third of castle, I believe we can move forward. And to boot, ball shapes are exceedingly hard for wind to grasp!

He had a tendency to be winded when making explanations. And he even moved to adjust his glasses again, which were still non-existant. Seriously slipped as a smirk rose on his pale face.

The idea came from this creature D brought home. A small rodent in a clear round container which it used to scurry about, and eventually off the edge of the island.

D had followed it off, but that was an entirely other story. For the moment Maximos tapped his chin.

A hampfer ball.

He said, with D's lisp unsure of it was part of the name or not. At which point his eyes fell back on Ryugi with a hopeful smile.

What do you think?

Remember that grin? Full of trouble? Indeed, all over his face.

Maximos had so hoped Ryugi would say that. Maximos already had an answer. It would explain opening the castle, and the use of that extra third of shadow taken from the castle. He simply beamed that grin, and said...

....Not if it has legs.

Legs would make a nice show, though a tread around the glass ball would do just the same. Unfortunately treads went on tires which Maximos knew nothing of.

Legs indeed!

Maximos said, with stately tone and a chuckle to match his grin. A giant glass walking ball? It was clearly crazy. But maybe just crazy enough to work? Of course any part of this was risky. And timing had to be precise. For example if Ryugi was going to make a 360 degree sphere of flame, Maximos was going to have to be in it.

That means he needed a defense so he didnt fry. And yet needed a raise the legs and such so they could walk. Now Ryugi was crackling orange, it was almost time.

Ready...

Maximos said, placing both hand on the hilt of Ankokuko.

...Now!

He said, as he immediately jerked the blade straight upwards. As soon as it was ripped free from the castle floor, the castle fell to its individual pieces which seemed to launch outwards.

Sand...wind...everywhere. There was no telling how rough or strong it truly was and with any luck they wouldnt have to.

Without a moment of delay Maximos spun the sword overhead as if stirring a massive pot and then thrust it back down into his own shadow. The chunks of castle hung in mid air, as if caught on some invisible tether. Now was where he felt Ankokuko's power. The castle was made of darkness, of shadow, and from each shadow was a ribbon, ribbons Maximos now grasped at and jerked inwards, like a puppeteer pulling strings. In a moment he found himself surrounded by masses of black which surrounded him like a shield, at least until the blast passed.

Ryugi never failed to impress.

The blast hit with tremendous force, but Maximos was prepared. The stirring motion he had made early tethered several pieces of the castle together by their ribbons to Ankokuko. Similarly, lending him their stationary strength, allowing him not to be blown outside the orb, though the blast shield he had made himself did infact, dink against the outer wall.

Maximos loosened his grip and the castle chunks fell to either side of him, dazed by the sudden toss Maximos exited stood stumbling, and made his way back to the stationary Ankokuko. He paused in front of it, hands extending out in either side, took a deep breath and then grabbed the hilt as hard as he could. His teeth gritting.

Eeerrraah!

The tethered chunks flew inwards, piece after piece, slamming together like extremely loud legos rebuilding the entire 10x10 castle...save for the majority of the roof, which was now missing. And the sudden appearance of windows, or rather port holes which gave a view to the outside of the orb. A ring of shadow wreathed around it in an X formation, and from each ring, came two legs.

Herumph!

Maximos grunted as he pushed Ankokuko from its spot on the floor, forward, like engaging a lever or gear shift. And the large metal legs began to walk. They were officially in a moving castle.

And Maximos was officially beat. He fell back onto his rump, and then back again onto his back looking up at the sandstorm raging above through the glass and letting out a very relieved...

...whew!