Welcome to Gaia! ::

Miko had been traveling on the path of the lost. She had just visited the hatchery which was always a mixed blessing. Some would be overjoyed with their new offspring, others would make the journey down the very path she was traveling on. Those with the eggs which had been cursed. A genetic mutation which the Adahy despised of. Miko was interested in finding out about this deposed of race.

They were brought down a path into the deepest parts of the woods to meet their fate. The Adahy called them the Di'Taki. Miko had never seen one before, only the mutated eggs, which were softer more downy than the hard Adahy shells. The mutated gene has caused a conflict between the races.

However, the race servives because of a pact made between a Di'Taki and Adahy elder. A pact which allows the mutated eggs to be brought along the dark path that Miko traveled on. Across Lake Ha'tama, and across the smallest part of Lake Ha'tooka, into the deep woods. That was Miko's destination. The same journey the Adahy mothers made. Into the place where the forbidden race was allowed to survive and carry on.

What were they like Miko wondered. The only way to find out was to make the journey herself. It would be dangerous for the Di'Taki were not known to take to humans lightly. She may be killed, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She wanted to see what this race was like. Find out if they were as evil, harmful, and violent as they were portrayed in the stories she heard. She didn't believe it, and she was going to find out.

The path was still relatively wide and the trees somewhat spread out which made Miko feel somewhat aware of what was around her. She carried a small pack of provisions, a long blade hung at her waist for hunting, and a short one for eating. She also brought along some beads, gemstones, and what little jewelery she possessed to offer as gifts when she reached the Di'Taki grounds. She was not sure of their customs.

A cool breeze drifted through the trees, rustling some of the branches and leaves. She listened to the rustling. Then another sound came, not the movement of leaves across the forest floor, no this was a low hiss, something she had never heard before. It not the sound of an Adahy, nor any Castor or Waenara, they wouldn't be this far out from the lake.

Miko remained calm. As a girl she had traveled to the Adahy grounds and learned that showing fear only incites fear in those around you. It is better to be calm, watchful, and not show your emotions. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare whatever it was that approached her.

Miko was quite shocked. Her lonely path had suddenly become a place of commotion. She had barely heard the hiss when at her side a brightly colored creature stood before her, sniffing at her arms and legs. Unsure of what to do Miko stood still, and tried to ignore the massive amounts of drool covering her arm, as the gold and yellow creature could not seem to keep its tongue in it's mouth.

This must be the Di'Taki. She thought. It was so bright, so colorful. It had many more feathers than the Adahy, and more eyes! Then she saw the other one. Larger, more fierce looking and it's feathers glowed as they lit up the woods around them. It's voice was fierce, she figured it was a male, and the one so intrigued with her was a female. She could be wrong, but she took the larger to be the male.

Miko stared as the female kept circling around her, picking at her clothes, and touching her arms and hair. The male squared his eyes at her and spoke! Miko was unsure if they shared a common language as the Adahy. She listened at his growl as he asked her to explain her presence on their lands.

Forgive me, my name is Miko. I am traveling to the dark woods to learn more about your race. I would like to know more about you, I don't fully believe that you are as tainted as the Adahy tell me. I am here to find out for myself what you are really like.

"Hurt? You? The Adahy? From the way they talk about you, I think they are more afraid of you hurting them! They say you are dangerous, violent, and don't bond with humans or even your own kind. None would even travel with me to show me how to get to the dark forest. They thought I was a fool to come here, which I most likely am, but still I don't believe in there stories. Even if I find them out to be the truth I still want to see what the Di'Taki are like for my own eyes."

Miko stood straighter and was happy that the other Di'Taki had left her arm which she brushed off as she looked the larger one in the eyes.

"I am grateful that you are actually talking to me, although I am quite unsure as whether you are about to tear me to shreds. Then perhaps if you are get on with it then, it only proves the Adahy were right in the end."

Miko stood perplexed. She did not mean to offend the Di'Taki in anyway but was sure bent on not being killed by one. However, the Adahy were wrong, and the Di'Taki she had just meant weren't going to kill her. Could they all be like this? She wondered. If they were she did have nothing really to worry about, and her mission of bringing some honor to the Di'Taki name was not in vain. Still, she had heard the travel took days and it would be nice to have some company. Especially of the Di'taki, the things she could learn from them if she traveled with them!

"Please," she called after them.

"I did not mean to offend you, but I must protect myself as I am alone out here." She ran to catch up to their longer strides.

"I want to learn more about your race, I won't be able to bridge the two races, but maybe I can bring some understanding.

Since you and I mean no harm to each other, could I travel with you and your companion? I don't know the way per say, only to follow this path. I do have in my pack some small trinkets of jewelery to offer you in return for your troubles."

Miko's eyes opened wide as she reached into her pack.

"Well actually this one here glows, I just made it recently, I've been finding many rocks glowing lately as it gets nearer to the glow festival. Look do you see up there? Even that Salock dons these glowing rocks." She points to a salock in the trees:



"Where from?" Miko turned to the sunburst one. "Well they are hard to spot because they are so small but they seem to be closest to the Adahy and Di'Taki, there isn't many of these glowing rocks in the human camps, I only came across them when I went into the hatchery.

(note: If Miko gives Cyranis the jewelery I would have to edit it onto him, free though =).

The bag was beginging to get wet from the females drool again, and Miko's arm had finally gotten drier from before. She closed the bag up carefully as the female seemed uninterested and turned to the bright glowing male.

"Yes of course I will give these to you, if you promise to take me to the deep woods. I can't give you all of them, but I can most certainly give you the ones that glow. I do want to save some for your elders and any other Di'Taki I might encounter once we get closer to your home.

Miko reached into her somewhat soggy pack and pulled out a small bag, she opened it and out came a shining light from the shimmering stones. I found these near the nesting grounds. She held one up to him.

"Wow! It is just like the color of your feathers, I am convinced that they are somehow linked to each creature of the forest. They come in so many colors." She held out her hand so he could touch it.

She turned to them, "Oh, and you can call me Miko," she said.