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Happy to see the boy calm down she replied, "My name is Inka Ugallu. What's your name?" Whenever working with children, one should be nice. Something about the way he looked, or rather the way he appeared in the moonlight, lead her to believe that he wasn't from any of the cities in the area. Did he... live out here? It wasn't impossible, just highly unusual to find someone who chose to live in isolation. What a night this was turning out to be. It was only the tip of the iceburg though she was sure of it.

Inka nodded, "Well Oric, why are you out here tonight? The forest is pretty but isn't someone worried about you getting home?" She looked over her shoulder brushign off the feeling like something else was there with them as just another trick on the mind. Strange how moonlight changed everything. "Say, how about we get out of here?"

"What the..." Inka looked at him is disbelief before coming back to her senses. "Okay, let's go find Muchie," she nodded to Oric following him deeper into the forest. No way could she go on her motorcycle, its get too tight riding through the trees. She had no problem keeping up with oric though, guess all the training growing up with that tyrant actually worked out for her. "By the way, who's Muchie?" She asked as they ran through the forest.

Inka nodded dodging around trees and careful not to slip on fallen leaves, "Okay, let's hurry then!" She said dodging to the left and around a thick oak. The boy had to live in the forest somewhere. Strange how some still lived out here despite the isolation.

((continued in Oric's cabin thread))

Kain landed perfectly on the grass, aware that Lion was standing beside him. He slowly stood to his feet, not even turning his head to regard Lion. "Well..? What are you waiting for, Dragoon? FIGHT ME!!!" He swiftly did a back-hand slash with his scythe blade, aimed horizontally for Lion's neck.

Elliana took the shoulder tackle that Shadow did on her and rolled backwards on the floor. As soon as her feet were on the ground, she pushed off the floor, springing forward off the ground and straight at Shadow's mid-section. Elliana spiraled sideways through the air as she held her hoola-hoop blade in front of her. She looked like an over-sized cork screw arrow, aimed directly at Shadow.

((continued from Aquaria))
Oric speed down the, thankfully, empty road on the motorcycle. He stopped the bike and got off once he reached the forest. Oric ran into the forest, his eyes were wide in terror. His heart sank at the sight in front of him. Hundreds of trees burning alive. The forest, his forest, dying in front of him.

Oric ran to the river’s edge with a bucket and desperately tried to put out the fire, but it was far too late, the fire had spread and become a powerful forest fire long before Oric had reached it. Oric continued to throw water onto the fire, but no matter how hard he tried, the fire was too strong. His efforts were futile. Oric dropped the bucket in the river. It floated down stream, carried by the current. Oric looked on in horror as his world continued to burn down. He felt hopeless, powerless, and useless. If he couldn’t protect his forest, than what good was he? Forest had always given Oric what he needed to live. Food, protection, medicine, water, wood, air and never asked for anything in return. But now the forest needed Oric’s help, but he couldn’t give the forest what it needed. Oric’s eyes filled with tears. He ran. He ran a few dozen yards away from the fire and climbed up a huge tree and stood at the very tip top of it and looked out at the burning landscape.
“Why? Why don’t you shed a tear? You’re burning! You’re dying! Yet you shed not a single drop. Look at me. I weep for you! These tears are my grief!”
Oric began to yell at the trees away from the fire.
“Look! Your brothers are dying! And yet you do not weep for them.”
Oric turned back to the fire.
“My voice cannot reach them. I’m not loud enough. My voice is not strong enough. My words can’t touch them. Perhaps if my words can’t reach them, my voice can.”
Oric pulled out his ocarina as he stood at the top of the tree staring out at the fire.
“Forest! Hear my plea. Listen to my cries! This is my grief. Hear my despair.”
Oric brought his ocarina up to his mouth.
“And my prayer.”
Oric began to play a melody. The music was sad and heavy. The sounds rode on the current in the air. The tune could be heard throughout the entire forest. The depressing melody could break even the most hardened man. The music reached the every heavens as the boy stood atop the tree as the fire approached. He did not stop playing. The music continued to pour out, as though it was his very soul. The melody became louder, echoing off the mountain sides. The fire drew dangerously close to the boy. Suddenly, a drop of rain fell. This drop of water was followed by another, and another. Soon, the entire sky poured down over the forest. Oric didn’t stop playing. He let his music continue. The rain quickly began to put out the raging fire. The rain poured down thick and heavy, as though the heavens themselves were weeping. The sky’s tears stopped the fire, and Oric finished his song. He put the ocarina away.
“Thank you. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you… for hearing my plea.”
Oric slid down the tree after seeing the fire disappear. He sat at the bottom, in the mud, drenched from the rain.

Oric tried to get up but he was tired. He was exhausted.
"I don't get it? Why can't I move? I wasn't this tired before. All I did was play a song for the forest. And yet, I'm so exhausted I can't even lift my arms."
Oric couldn't help but smile lazily, happy to know the forest was safe.

The boy slowly rose off the ground and stood on his two feet.
Where's this energy coming from?
Suddenly one lingering demon slowly came into view.
"Oh no! Another dimon. I gotta get outta here, I'm in no condition to fight."
The red haired teen moved towards the river, away from the demon.
Once Oric reached the river's edge, he saw that the river was a raging rapid, over-filled due to the mighty rain.
"No, I can't cross it."
Oric looked back just in time to see the demon approaching him.
"I guess have no choice. I need to try to defend myself."
Oric pulled out his katana as the big demon slowed slowly towards the colorful prey.
"This dimon is different. It's slow."
Oric rose his sword up just as the demon rushed up a slammed into Oric. The boy went flying back and hit the ground, he coughed up blood. He got back up to his feet.
"How'd he do that? I didn't even see him move until he hit me."
Suddenly the demon appeared behind him and slashed his back. Oric's eyes widened as the pain began to truely sink in.
"AAAHHHHHH!"
He swung his blade behind him but the demon jumped back a few yards.
"I can't do this. He's too fast. I don't have the energy to fight after saving the forest. I'm going to die... At least I saved the forest... This is it... everything is going black. I'm going die."
The last thing Oric saw was the demon take off and rush at him. Then everything went black.
The demon was about to strike the finishing blow when suddenly the boy's eyes turned blue. The katana moved with lightning speed and hit the demon's claws, making them rebound off to the side. The demon slashed at him with his other arm but the boy deflect the attack with his sword in one hand. The demon jumped back and charged in. Suddenly the boy's katana slashed through the demon's left arm. The demon lunged to bite the boy but Oric jumped back lightly and cut the demon's face. The monster howled in pain. The boy just stood there emotionless with those deep blue eyes. The demon shot a blast of dark energy out of its mouth but the kid held out his hand.
"Repel."
The energy blast bounced off his hand and went flying into the sky. The demon went for one last attack, he ran at top speed to tackle the boy. Before he could get close enough to attack Oric's blade attacked with flury of slashes, cutting the demon all over its body. The demon howled in pain.
"If you value your disguisting life, you'll walk away now."
Oric turned away from the demon and began to walk away, but demon wanted to kill this human and seeing his back turned was to much to resist. The demon jumped into the air and prepared to pounce the boy and rip his head off in one smooth move. Suddenly the boy turned around and looked at him falling from the air.
"You fool! I gave you a chance!"
Oric's katana rose in the air.
"Now... DIE!!!"
Oric swung his blade and a wave of energy came off it, slicing through the demon, killing instantly. The boy turned around as the demon's body hit the ground behind him and burned away. He looked down at the raging river as he put his sword away. Suddenly, his eyes turned green again and he passed out. He fell into the river, and the rapids washed his body downstream.
((continued in Oric's Cabin))