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It was the quiet of the afternoon that not even the song of birds could shatter. It was a peaceful and balmy day, the rain tapering off finallhy to show a hint of the sun behind it.

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She wasn't sure if the others were up and about. She assumed so, but had not bothered to check. Not even to avoid.

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The ache in her arms was faint and welcome, muscles pulling tightly at the exertion. The bark of the tree felt gnarled and filled with ancient wisdom. It seemed almost sacriligeous to use it in such a way. To use it as a pull up post.

Almost.

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But isn't that what all things were here for? To be used? Or to use themselves? She wondered sometimes. People seemed so intent to play games, and then nestle riddles in those games, wrapping them around with even more annoying obtuse puzzles.

She remembered thinking something like that more than once.

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Strange that Sei had known so much more than she. About herself even. How dangerous that was. Except...he didn't feel dangerous. He felt...safe almost.

Almost.

Again with the almost.

She would have thought commitment was easy. Why was she always so wary of doing so? She'd disengage when things became frantic out of fear. A valid fear, but fear nonetheless. She made it worse, made it more emotional.

'People can be complicated, yes. Sometimes best not to over think what another is thinking.'

Sometimes, like always, was a damning word. But it was there, and needed to be dealt with. So many things did.

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Sei remained calm. 'I remember much of old life,' his statement was followed by images of her, in a palace. Most of the images were of her as a child doing exercises and training with wooden weapons, and a few were of her as an adult.

He had known both her, and her mother. Remembered their voices, her childhood. How had he known?


Sei thought about it for a moment. 'I left quietly. Didn't have a long good bye. I doubt even my best friend remembers me. My nieces don't,' he answered softly. 'There are somethings that we forget because part of us doesn't want to remember. I was like you. I had jittered memories. But I also had something from the past to help remind me.' The blurry image of a box and photos in it popped gently into Shi's mind. 'I spent many days looking at these. There are somethings I still cannot remember.'


But what things he did remember had rung true. How much more did he know and merely not say? How had he managed to retain some sort of talisman from their past, when all else had fallen to rubble and decay? What was not seemed to be in the control of the Rade.

Her blood boiled at the thought of them. Filthy beasts.

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She kept thinking as she contiinued to pull herself up on the treelimb, legs held extended and straight, arms covered with wetness.

Did that mean that there were other things out there that could jog her own rememberances? How? What did she need to do to bring her memory back to what it should be?

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But he had given her at least some important clues. Vital thigns that she had to learn as soon as possible.

'It is not you that makes things bad, but rather them. Your abilities able you to buff other's emotions,' He chose his words carefully, his consentration showing in his eyes, as he did not make contact with her. 'True, you can project your own emotions into another, good, bad or claming. I remember your mother taught you how to dampen the ability, unless you wanted it to happen. You can even use it to detect harmful people, or harmful intentions.

She blinked. *I try to control it.* she shrugged lightly. *It doesn't work. Only staying away seems to work.* she looked at him oddly *Why don't I affect you that way? *

Sei smirked at her. 'Because I am calm. You only make me calmer.'

He tilted her again then reached out a hand, placing it on her forehead. Gently he moved a memory he had into her, so that it would stay clearer in her mind. The memory was of her training by her mother, from what Sei saw. Some of which was about how to control her energies, bringing them around herself, like a sheild, then streech it out from person to person, if need be. There were also meditation exercises for her to do, inorder to learn how to do these things.

All of this was in her mother's voice.

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She had to re-learn how to lock down on this talent that exacerbated others emotions. Things were bad enough, dangerous enough, stressed enough. She could make it so much worse without wanting to.

It wasn't like she already hadn't with Nika, Cern and Io....and Chae.

That was another reason she needed to do this. Now.

He laughed, getting to his feet. 'You have someone you need to talk too, I believe.' He offered her a hand up, holding his walking stick in the other hand.

She stared at him blankly, letting him pull her to her feet. *I do?*
Then she threw her arms around his neck.

Sei give her a breif hug, at the same time pulling up the image of her chosen, mentally wincing. Yeah, he over did it.

'Don't be like me and avoid problems.' He said, softly again and pulled away.

Avoid? No. Not anymore. There were too many others doing that already.

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Dropping down to the ground, eyes determined, she shook the sweaty strands of hair from her mask.

One problem at a time. First she needed to fix what was broken within herself. Then she could try to fix what had broken with others.

Soon.

Now.

Were there anyone around to see it, this may have looked rather odd, but who other then the odd bird or bug was around to witness this strange event. A singular flash of blue light and a dark rift was opened indigo bolts of electricity flashed and the air its self seemed to crackle with energy. The darkness began to swell and split with one loud boom sounding like thunder. Twenty-five feet above the ground the rift was opened and now the darkness split with that crack and a limp form fell hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Attached to the forms back was a katana still in its sheath. The dark void above began to close and a pair of katar's spun out of the void falling toward the form lying, unmoving on the ground below. One blade clanged to the ground on the forms right side bouncing around, its grip finally setting its self flat on the forms side, its point slightly digging into the earth near him. The other blade was spinning; over and over it tumbled down hitting a mere second after the first though this one landed in a much worse position. The blade, exceedingly sharp as it was slid like a hot knife through butter into the form's calf... through his calf. He screamed in pain as this shook him out of the daze he was in. flipping on to his back and cocking his leg to the side so no direct pressure was on the blade he writhed in agony on the cold unforgiving ground. Numerous wounds covered his body ranging from burns to gashes. His eye began to focus, just in time to see the rift closing above him. He lay there on the ground, focusing on the pain, pushing it to the recesses of his mind where it would not trouble him. He needed to be somewhat clearheaded if he were to live through this. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, it began to slow from its nearly hyperventilating pace that it was moments earlier. He looked around trying to survey his surroundings. He lay amongst trees, a small glade of young trees to be more exact. He reached to his side lifting the one katar now laying in the grass there and lifted it sliding it into its sheath at his hip. He reached to a tree beside him and with all the strength he could muster, tore off a small branch. The blade in his leg wiggled with the act of pulling and the pain made his head cloud over briefly. He put the branch between his teeth and bit down forcing himself to sit up. Looking at the blade through his calf he took a deep breath in and reached to its grip. He held his breath bit down and pulled. Blood now rushed forth and the branch broke between his teeth. His head became foggy and clouded and he fell back to the earth beneath him. It felt so right. So comforting. All he wanted was to sleep. Make the pain go away.

His head became light. It felt as if there was no body left below his neck. The darkness surrounded him as the cloak of night spreads across the landscape covering it in darkness. There was silence in the glade and all was still. Blood throbbed in his temples and he screamed again and sat bolt upright. His breathing was rapid again and he reached to his waist. There was a belt with many pouches there. Pulling a needle and thread from one of the pouches he began trying to thread the needle. This took a long few moments, as his hands were somewhat... well... very shaky. Finally he got the needle threaded and leaned forward. The needle slid through his skin. He began to sew up the wound firs the inner part of his calf and then the outer. Hours passed. And he felt like wrenching many times, and did once. He then reached back to his belt pouches. From one he took gauze and the other he pulled forth a small leather satchel. Undoing the drawstring he dug his fingers in and pulled out a gob of the paste within and began applying it into his wound. Eyes set like steel he began warping it in the gauze. After what seemed like hours it was done. His leg was bandaged and all he could do was lay there. He looked at the night sky as it clouded over, the stars slowly winking out as clouds covered them like a blanket. Smiling to himself. He reached to his side and slid his other blood-covered katar back into its sheath and then let his hand drop to the ground, it was to heavy to lift anyway. He smiled again and closed his eyes. Perhaps he would finally die this night. Perhaps he would glean that wish.

The morning sun was blinding. Like a fire burning through his eyelids. He became aware of his body and its pain. Pain... that meant he was still alive. He uttered a curse or twenty under his breath, cursing everything from himself to the gods, to the fates to time itself. After a few more moments in the cold morning sun. He decided he must move to a safer local. He sat up and undid the clasp on his chest allowing his katana to fall from his back. His back was indeed sore this morning from passing out on it, and besides he needed something to use as a cane. He used it to haul his battered body to its feet, groaning with the effort of standing.

"Ok," he said quietly, "first few steps are always the hardest. Just get through them," he took a step and nearly fell and then chuckled, "least its nice to know my blades are sharp," he whispered coyly to himself. He glanced around his temples throbbing. He sniffed at the air and let his ears adjust. On the edge of his sense of smell and hearing he thought he heard water and smelled water as well. Running water. A brook or creek perhaps. To the... right. Yes it was to the right. He took another step. And then another. Leaning heavily on the blade that was nearly as tall as he, he moved another step forward.

He stood up now, still leaning on his blade for support but trying to stretch slightly. He stood only about five foot three, but had broad shoulders that tapered to a slender waist. He was well muscled but still quite thing. His chest and back were covered in one large tattoo on their respective sides. Each tattoo contained a starburst and a frame surrounding it. On his front the starburst was set on his abdomen and the frame ran around it and up onto his chest neck and ending on his shoulders. His back was similar, thought the starburst was different. It’s been set where his abs were but on his back and the frame, though completely different again ran up his sides and back to his neck and shoulders. He had a shaved head with a symbol branded into his forhead consisting of many strange lines that crissed and crossed. The symbol was small. His eyes were a blue-green and his nose was somewhat flat though not very large. His mouth was small and lips pert. He had a semi round, though more oval shaped face. He wore no shirt and just a pair of short pants made from some sort of clothe, that looked kind of like a dark grey/black silk. These were torn and blood covered as he was. He also wore a large leather belt with many many pouches and a sheath on either side for his katars. His feet had no shoes but were wrapped in a cloth strips. The leg that had not been pierced buy the blade was covered in a huge tattoo that looked to run from his toes all the way to his hip, as part of it could be seen sticking out of the top of his shorts. He had four piercing's in his left ear and three in his right. Both eyebrows were pierced on either end and he had a n****e ring and lip ring as well.

Sighing he began to walk toward the sound of the water. His steps were small and his progress slow. He knew he needed to eat something, but so long as he could get to water today things would be ok. He could eat tomorrow. Hours passed and he clambered through the trees hobbling along at some slow pace. Animals seeming to give him wide birth.

A bird sat in his path picking at a worm on the ground. He looked at it and marveled at life’s many beauties, and how he wished nothing more then for his to end. The bird finished its feast and flew to his shoulder and perched there. Startled he didn’t move and just glanced sidelong at it as its cocked its head from left to right examine him. It was a small thing only the size of his palm or so. Blue in color, a sky blue with a white breast, yellow beak and red tips on its winged and black tips on its tail feathers. They stared at each other. And the bird flew to a near by branch and began to sing. He continued on, his progress slow. The bird was following him along on his journey. It seemed to be getting late when he reached the stream. It was fairly narrow here. And there was cover under an over hang at the rivers edge. It was stone, and dry and quite sheltered front he elements. Clambering down the bank he fell and grunted in pain as his head hit a stone. Blood poured forth anew from this wound and down his face and into his eyes. He screamed again in semi defeat and collapsed to the ground breathing heavily. All was silent save for the water.

He heard a scuffling from near his head a minute or two later and opened one eye expecting some beast to be on him ready to end his misery. Instead he saw the bird its head cocked to the right starring at him. He chuckled, "oh how fate mocks me," he murmured then looked to the bird again, "shall I try and live through this night as well little one?" he asked. The bird head straitened and it hoped to the water’s edge. Again he shook his head but crawled forward and drank deep washing the blood from his face in the process. After this he pulled his head up and looked side to side and saw the little bird was gone. He inched over to where his blade had fallen when he fell down the bank and grabbed it clutching it to his breast.

"Grant me the strength I need to slay he who did this to me," he whispered before crawling to curl up in the alcove under the embankment

He thought sleep would not come easy this night, but then he heard a familiar song, that had guided him throughout this day and was gone from the waking world in moments...

Trivii chuckles and shakes her head, sending her cropped light blue hair swaying, she gives Mycrofts a what can you do shrug and walks up to Sani slipping an arm around her.

Sani gives Trivii a nervous glance, like she wanted to say something but didn't. Shooting a look at Kasai.

"May as well figure out what they wanna show us, eh Cinder." Trailing along after the woman. Giving her ward a light squeeze.

Zahar had wandered back to Galilee's side. They sat there fishing quitely. Zahar didn't know what to say to the older boy, he was the only one to make her feel nervous. Her hands started to shake and she covered it by bobbing the fishing rod up and down to mask the movements. Shooting a nervous glance at Gali, she held back something deep inside. Starting to understand that it wasn't nervousness that she was feeling. Zahar just hoped that Galilee was too intent on waiting for the next bite, he was having better luck then she was by far.

She raised her small hand and dabbed away the slight perspiration on her forehead. Zahar then placed down her rod quickly on the ground beside her. 'Galilee, it was very nice of you to invite me along. I do believe it is time for me to go though' She stood her knees weak but held her head high as she clasped her shaking hands before her. Before he had time to speak she backed away from the pond in one swift, smooth movement.

Zahar made it about five steps away from Galilee before her breathing grew heavy and she fell to her knees, thinking to herself how unlady like that was. Trying to raise herself from the ground she found her arms nor legs could support her and she fell further. Zahar still tried to hold the feeling back to no avail. The last thing she remembered before passing out was a strange feeling of growth and calling out, 'Galilee...'



((So Zahar has changed now and Kali and Galilee could post next))

It was more quiet here than she expected, as Shi slipped back into the garden area. She would have stayed near the tree she was using to exercize on, but it did not have enough shade and here at least there was the heavy scent of the garden to remind her where she was.

Sei had jogged loose more than a few memories, things that she had been taught to learn control. To keep in what should be in, and let out only what she wanted.

Sitting down quietly, she grinned as a leaf tickled the back of her neck and closed her eyes, concentrating as she recalled doing. It was frustrating to have to try to re-teach herself all these things, but at least she had the chance to do so now.

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