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Deligation, an important trait in anyone with an eye on a leadership role. Savius, who perhaps hadn't had an eye out, but had instead been thrust in, still knew how to deligate. Or, in this case, trust the deligations already done for him. So he wasn't paying attention to Hylusis. There was, after all, no need. That was Iamel's job.

Instead, he was paying attention to the thread of Shanuh in his mind. He was paying attention to the shapeless shapes, the threats that seemed to loom in and out of existance. He was, indeed, paying special attention to a thing of blue and pink that perhaps suggested humanity, or perhaps suggested flowers, that kept coming in and out of existance on the horizon. He felt it might be following them.

How it might be doing that while ahead of them, he wasn't sure. But all the same he watched it, as he watched the city grow bigger.

His sword, which had been on his back, was now held with a calm familiarity in one hand. Just in case. Seconds could be lost, drawing the weapon. The blade danced with Savius's energy, as if it were pre-stained with blood.

He was very aware of what was ahead of him, trusting Diacyn to take care of what was in back. But Hylusus, Hylusis was to one side, so he didn't notice at all. Iamel was the one watching after the children. He didn't miss much, the woodpecker.

A brow was quirked. Well hello there...what an odd bird!

A bird he wasn't familiar with.

A bird he didn't recognize at all.

Yet, he was cordial and clever enough to catch the traces of suggestion that played in and out of what he spoke. He smiled a little and motioned back.

You know...it'll still be there when we get back, and by that time I'm sure it would have bloated up a little.

Ah yes, for what else would appeal to a carrion eater? The simplistic observation of the others claws had given THAT away.

Perhaps having even been infested by all other manner of things that have warmed and tenderized the tissues.........something no one would be particularly interested in....unless...

He cast a glance in his companions direction.

Unless you have some interest in such a thing. It would finish off my work for me now wouldn't it?

Yes, it certainly would. He wouldn't be ordered about to clean up messes like that - especially not rotting messes!!

But who am I to say...if it is there when we return, I'll be more than happy to get rid of it in whatever way possible, even if that would mean surrendering it to the consumption of others...

And thus the Heron had secured the Vulture a meal. He had secured in the other the knowledge that he was a varitable source of what any fool would recognize, - the need for food.





If he couldn't do magic, at least one thing was assured.



Someday, Somewhere - the Heron had a very prommising carreer in getting others to finish off what he'd begun.

Though Iamel had been put "in charge" of the children, that didn't mean their places were set in stone. Walking on the right side of the group, sticking close to the party and keeping his eyes out for anything, Hylusis' escape wasn't missed.

First and foremost, they were out in the open! There was nothing to hide behind, no place to go. How the girl thought she could just prance off without causing a fuss, Xaxis hadn't any idea!

One breath the long-tailed duck was with them, the next she was not. Her form wasn't moving fast, but she was getting further and further away from the party with every moment.

"Savius - hold up!" Xaxis ordered, wings flaring in agitation and concern. Where did she think she was going!?! Magenta eyes flaring, the bird that wreaked of plague and misery, typically so placid wasn't pleased.

"Don't move," he told the nearby birdlets and children, the energy of his annoyance thickening in to a light that was practically tangible. It fluttered about his being, weaving in and out in colours of violet, cream, and red. Flecks of orange splattered like blood, staining his energy with disgrunteled emotion.

Stepping away from the group, Xaxis made a bee line after Hylusis. The further and further she walked, the more distance fell between them and group. Xaxis didn't like being away from his Kin. Not in this world, not where danger and creatures from imagination ruled, where there was no such thing as conformity, where their bodies were literally inside out.

Longer legs allowed him to reach Hylusis, and he reached out to snatch at her arm. "Excuse me," he spoke, voice low but his irritation obvious. "Exactly where do you think you're going, young lady?" His eye brows knit together as he studied her.

Xaxis never would have suspected it from the duck. He didn't know her, but from what he remembered at the party she'd seemed to have a head on her shoulders. Wasnt' wild and crazy, didn't seem like she should have had a problem with rules. . .

But, it just went to show, you never judged a book by its cover.

If Hylusis thought she was going to be let off the hook for running away - no way. Maybe it would be pressed aside for now, but just wait until they got back. . . .

"Back to the group, young one. Now." And there was a power in his voice that gave her no other choice.




Of course, the two-legged arrow wasn't happy about his ward being stopped. "Blank! BLANK BLANK blank!!!!" It shrieked as it ran bank towards the girl. Defensively, it ran in a circle around Hylsusis, screaming in its pip-squeak voice. "BLANK! BLankity blank blankity BLANK!"

Realizing Xaxis was not leaving her be, the arrow with the ink-stained title decided to attack the source of their disruption. Circling around Disease, the two legged thing hiss obscenities out of its . . mouth. "Blank! BLANK BLANK!" The creature even had the audacity to pause in its circle, kicking at the raven's feet and ankles.

Xaxis, of course, noticed not.

But Hylusis did.


It was apparant that the arrow wanted nothing to do with the intruder.

Hylusis looked up sharply, as she felt her arm lift from its resting position. The sky was turning pink ahead. "Back to the group, young one. Now."

She glanced helplessly at the arrow, which was now running circles around the clearly enraged Xaxis. She wanted to follow it and where it was intent to lead her, but... A moments repause was what it took for Hylusis to assess in the situation. Though the inhabitant of this enegry realm seemed determined to attract the Death God's attention, for all its cacophony, it managed to neither dispell nor even disturb the guardian of disease. In fact, it was now questionable if he even noticed its existance at all.

"Hey," she muttered, aggitated. But something even more powerful than her concious brain was at work here. The wave of primordeal fear felt by living flesh krept around Hylusis, reminding her that, even as a stranger and peer, Xaxis was much bigger than her, and for the sake of survival, it was best to keep silent.

Hylusis was keen on showing up the militant, "I can't believe I have to deal with this" attitude of the teenagers, but she approached the thought with caution. There was no way she could upset their command at this point. She flashed a weak brown aura beneath her, and became quiet.

Her feet followed the trails of energy left behind by the raven and other creatures, thin lines of faint white light placed on the earth like strings of spider's web. Slowly, reluctantly. Of course, more than anything the words of the arrow traced themselves back and forth on the walls of her skull. Sha nnnnn uuh. Pointing west.

She considered explaining herself to the raven. Maybe he would listen. Then again, she seriously doubted he would.

Xaxis cared little for Hylusis' reasoning for running off. Given, he didn't see the tiny appiration that ran around blabbering on about blanks and blanks. No one did, save Hylusis. And even if he had seen it, he still wouldn't have called it a good reason to just up and leave the group! They were together on this. With how unknown this world of chaos was, the gods only knew what went on.

Who was friend and who was foe. . . ? Those lines still had yet to be discovered. Thus far, everything was all right. Thus far, there was no reason to be concerned. . .

Yet.

"Come on," he snarled, magenta eyes whirling with gold and violet flecks of colour. Xaxis literally radiated power, and energy, and most importantly anger at the duck. How could she be so stupid?

Hand still on the girls arm, his energy all but wrapped around her, twining about bits of her own as if it were a leash. She wouldn't be going anywhere without him knowing.

Not waiting to hear any response or party, little caring if she sulked or pouted, Xaxis made his way quickly bak to the group, keeping Hylusis before him.

Was she in trouble?

Hell yeah.

The arrow, on the other hand, all but shrieked! No, no, no - this was all wrong, all very much so wrong. He was taking her the wrong way, the WRONG WAY! He was an arrow, gods only knew that he knew where everything was. So why was that blasted taller creature diverting her mission. . .?

b*****d!

"Blaaaaank! Blank blan, Bbbblank! Came the barked orders. The arrow almost seemed panicked. Oh bother. This wasn't going to be good at all.

Running after Xaxis, the arrow gave a little leap and clung on some radiated forms of stony energy. His little feet were like hands, attaching himself firmly to the girls power.

If she was taking off, fine then.

He'd just a hitch a ride with her and take a detour. If an arrow could glare, though, he was surely scowling at the Raven.

Interrupt his plans. . ? Who did he think he was, anyway?

Whatever. Jerk.



Dragging the girl back to the group, his energy still entwined around Hylusis, Xaxis glowered at the remaining birdlets and children. Just let them try to scurry off and see what happened. "She's back," he exclaimed irritably to Savius' back. They could now continue their journey now that no ducks were holding them back.



((All right - so that's the path she's chosen. *make due note of this* And if you think it's over. . . . it's not. This wasn't a pointless hold up. Mwahaha. ))

As the Raven rejoined the group, Savius allowed himself the slightest amount of relaxation, a bit of the tension that once again lined his shoulders leaving, his wings relaxing into a more comfortable position. Once again, he turned, but this time, with a smile. And he looked... to Diacyn. He didn't say anything, just smiled, a casual, lazy expression, neither mocking nor cold. A nod, of respect or agreement, and he looked away.

"Thank you, Pretty." Gratitude for his Raven, and then Savius was back on track. They could head forward. They could find Shanuh, and Shanuh would know where the others were, and that would get this little adventure over with. It wasn't that he didn't find this place facinating. But he didn't trust it. He didn't trust the colours in the air, or the song that seemed to thrum just beneath the surface.

He didn't trust the swirl of blue, of pink, of blue again, that was yet drawing closer. Closer.

He moved forwards his wings shedding rust and blood, his energy not glittering or sparkling but oozing, a dark, angry stain. Not, indeed, that he was angry. His nature was showing, nothing more. The sword swung through the air, just for practice, and he smiled at how comfortable that felt. He knew how to use weapons. This weapon, more than any other was his. Made for him. Or he was made for it.

They were laughing. They were curious in the cold, cruel way they could be curious. Cold for everyone but each other. But themselves. Two souls, two death bright sparks made into one eternal dance, flavored like flowers, full of the sharp angry scent of acid.

They watched, and waited, and drew closer and drifted away. And where they passed, tangles of bright green energy grew. Where they passed, the ground hissed and burned.

And they were passing directly through the path the Birds must take. Because they could. Because they wanted to see what happened when their blockade of acid thorns was reached.

Because they were hate, found love, and they were bored.

Savius frowned at the path ahead of them, where the thing he had been watching was, there was a tangle of what looked like roses, in the way something here could look like roses. The impressions of the things, instead of the things themselves. It was growing, spreading, reaching.

"What the hell?

They kept doing these things, the children. The birds. And it wasn't that Savius didn't admire them for their individuality. He did, honest. But there was a time and place for that. And there was a time and place to be a soldier, and stay in formation. Now was more of the second. So when he noticed the Heron reaching out to touch the thorns, he reached out to grab the Bird away. But too slowly, as, like a child drawn to fire, his energy met the violent green and red of the writhing mass.

The vines sizzled at the contact, hissing against the Heron's own energy, burning it away, dissolving it and taking it in like nutrience. For the length of time the bird kept in contact with the vines, they ate away at him. And grew.

Sweet. Look at the birdies. Fly pretty birdies. Dance pretty birdies. Die pretty birdies.

Was there a time before they were like this, insane malevolence that twisted and changed and watched and circled? Maybe. They had been kings, or gods, or street children lost in pain. They had loved each other. That much they knew. They loved each other, and hated everything else. Everything else had hurt them. They remembered that.

The heron was right, of course. They were circling. Keeping their distance but blocking the birds in.

Why not?

"What the ******** was not cool. NOT COOL. The swirly things were MEAN. They were trying to kill the Heron! And, for at least a few minutes (hours? days? how did time work here?) he'd been a member of Diacyn's extremely short list of friends.

There should have been a memo to all future attackers: You Do Not Hurt a Friend of Diacyn. Especially when said Diacyn is already edgy and angry and all-out irritated.

"'Sort of dangerous?'" he barked, forgetting his assigned place and leaping forward. "Somebody find out if this thing has an a**, because I'm going to kick it!"

The energy swirls surrounding his body contracted, convoluted, took on the glaring blue transparency of ice, and burst towards the thing in a glittering torrent. Far more powerful then anything he would have been able to do in the physical world.

Unfortunately, it still wasn't anywhere near his full power in the energy world. Anger inhibited his magic, cutting the power or keeping it from even working at all.

And anger management was not one of Diacyn's strong points. It was a pity that he'd forgotten this fact until after he decided to attack.