Welcome to Gaia! ::

[I think they might be turned off by the incredible long and complicated intro section... As I was before I joined.]

Farfarello wandered the mountains of Baelta, as he had ever since he'd escaped, striking deals with anyone he could gain something from. He had to choose his victims carefully; he needed to lay low until his power was back; a very difficult thing to do for a person of his complexion. The problem was, it couldn't just be an unnoticed old man to help him, no, it had to be someone like a noble or a great hero, and those don't go by unnoticed (in the event that they come). He may be able to lie and say he was a magi, as few people have ever actually laid eyes upon a demon, but in the case they believed him, the magi were having it hard enough as it was already and wouldn't do him much good. He'd killed another hunter today; it hadn't been easy without his power, but that's why he'd won; they expect him to be powerless entirely. He was still very capable.

(And I regret this restriction every day... crying )

Aria's sand skiff shot over Dakon, taking a jump from a dune behind him and clearing the man by at least ten feet.

Aria saw the man as she shot overhead, making her pull a lever that released a chain on her boat. Two paddle-like fins released and fell down the back, stopping the boat as it hit the ground. The Sandglider looked back towards the man.

"I'm so sorry! We thought we were alone out here! Oh geez.... did we scare you?" Her tone was apologetic and worried, since inuring someone out here practically meant a death sentence.

----

Clem smiled nervously as a guard walked up to him.

"So, you aren't a Magi, you have green hair, and you wish to ENTER Baeltia?"

Clem nodded, "Yes. I'm attempting to procure a sample of the mountain bluecap mushroom. It only grows in the cold Baeltian mountains, and it's properties are undocumented other than a few notes..."

"You know the blue mushrooms are poisonous, right?" The guard asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, that was in the notes. I'm not going to eat them... I'm going to study them..."

"You're a fool, but I don't see any harm letting you go..." Thje guard shrugged.

Minutes later, Clem was walking up the river from Eopia, wading the cold waters to look for mushrooms with blue caps.

---

Irwin crunched through the snow into the valley. It was a lovely day, to him... it was cold, windy, with clear skies. he couldn't hope for a better day...

---

Black glass and marble floors. That about summed it up, in Valthere's opinion. that was the 'palace' he lived in. Valthere, ruler of the great, big sandy desert. Well, technically it was Rantuinne he ruled, but most of it was sand.

He'd been lucky when he was disowned. the family that picked him up was the noble Ores family. When he took the ruling seat, he'd met a little surprise. His political opponents tried to dethrone him, but their records gave them worse news. His original family, the Sandgliders, were also a noble house. In fact, their bloodline was more pure than any onther in Rantuinne, they just avoided politics. Not only was he able to rule, he was MORE qualified to rule than any runners-up. Had he an heir, even half-common, that child would be more noble blood than any head of a house currently...

But now he had the country. and it was sand. but, to him, when life gives you sand, you make it into glass and sell it at outrageous prices to other countries and make a fortune.

Aria sighed with relief, "whew... You mean my sand skiff? It's a Sandglider family design. We make a new one every time someone comes of age to sail... We go to the edge of the desert and build one with the family... each skiff is different..."

Vinn peeked out of the 'house', he looked a bit shaken.

"Sis, why did we stop? Is there a..." he noticed Dakon, "Oh..." he popped back inside and shut the door.

Aria raised her goggles off her eyes, "My brother... He doesn't like strangers..." She explained.

---

Irwin's clothing flapped as another burst of wind blew. He continued down into the valley. The wind was blowing from the south... it was at his back.

The two outcasts ran through the thick forest, eventually making it to the other side. They hadn't stopped running since the day earlier to this final stretch was all the princess could take. She tripped on a root and, having no engery to pull herself up, just laid there breathing heavily.

"Cal! C'mon! We're so close now!" Her attendant, Jaeto, ran back and tugged on her arm. "I can't! I can't do it! My legs wont move!"
"Cal! Don't give up!" He pulled her harder, hauling her onto his back and waddling out of the forest with her. She was so light despite the heavy cloak she wore. Like carrying a child. Jaeto could hear her sobbing on his back but said nothing about it, assuming it to be from the exhaustion they both were feeling right now. Soon the gate to Eopia was in sight.

Farfarello stretched himself down the length of the trunk, his tail was curled around a branch and his body was so close that his skin brushed against the rough bark. He picked one of the glowcap mushrooms Clem had looked at and brought it close to his face, examining. What's so fascinating about things that grow in poop? He wondered, tossing it back down and shooting back up into the branches as he waited for the biologist to make his way across the river.

Farfarello could not believe either how incredibly stealthy he was, or at how incredibly oblivious the biologist was. Deciding to take action, he said from the trees, "If you're so interested in blue mushrooms, why did you even bother with that one?" He stood regally in the branches above Clem.