Welcome to Gaia! ::

Maya swallowed hard as she looked up and down the length of her Radaku. She had recently grown into a fair size, one large enough to carry Maya for long distances over land. Lately she had been having strange pulls to travel out to the Sauti and in order to get there she had been traveling for a while with Pacju and now that they were nearing the borders she was getting ready to take her first ride on her companion. The sands seemed to be a much safer area for them to travel across for their first time despite the blazing sun around her. Shifting her pack and creating the seat she would sit on Maya eventually pulled herself up onto Pacju as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Biting the inside of her lower lip timidly as she shifted in the seat she was weary of her companion Radaku turning around and biting her for attempting such a strange action. Yet Pacju remained as she was if not standing a little taller than before. A sense of glee rushed through the Alkidike as she started out over the horizon before leaning forward patting the reptilian beasts neck. "Shall we go, my dearest." The beast let out a rather odd yelp before leaping forward forcing Maya to dig her hands into the furry main on her companions back as they lept forward.

Step after step Maya was certain time and again she would find herself on the ground. She had come dangerously close a couple times before slowly gaining the ability to maintain her grasp on the beast.

Pulling herself into a sitting position the odd pair continued across the strange ground. Maya had never been this far away from the forest before let alone the tree she called home. It was the most unusual place she had been to though this wasn't the first time she had come here. She had journeyed with a group before now but the thrill of traveling alone or in much smaller groups was more comfortable to the woman.

Keeping her grip on her mounted companion Maya's right antenna twitched when she sighted something unusual in the distance.

The motions grew more fluid the more the Radaku ran though through her antenna Maya was far more connected to the heart of the beast. It was pumping faster and harder now, either because she had sensed a form or danger or because she was growing tired either way the Alkidike woman needed to allow the beast to rest. Letting her grip lax with her left hand the woman shifted in one smooth motion to the ground below the beast though Pacju kept running. That wasn't good! Shifting her feet she took after the Radaku in clean even strides which slowly began stumbling on the ground below her. Then the unthinkable happened. Her foot had caught on something and the clumsy girl found her face planted cleanly in the ground after having released a vivid yelp.

Pacju had changed her course and that very moment from her attempts to take down the stranger before he could hurt Maya to returning to her masters side. Bringing her nose down towards Maya, Pacju sniffed a couple times before she rose her head and stared towards the earthling not far now from them. That was the least of her concern, she could smell blood now ripe in her nose. Grunting protectively she sat down but kept her head high in the air.

Maya glanced back at the sting in her leg with a curse, her leg had been taking a long time to heal and she was starting to fear that not only would it scar but leave her permanently damaged. Grinding her teeth as she pulled herself towards Pacju once again slipping her hands into the beasts fur she was grateful to find her companion was helping Maya to her feet. For the moment her attention wasn't on the strange earthling who looked so much like the one who had been there when her leg was damaged. Trying to take a step forward Maya winced and found herself falling to her knees. Banging the injured leg on a stone sending even more pain through the warrior woman.

"So Stupid." She muttered to herself shifting and trying to keep the stinging pain from reaching her eyes. "We shouldn't have-" She was cut off when her companion moved to place herself between the Alkidike and something else. Not only that she was taking a guard stance. Maya swallowed hard. What could it be that put her beast on edge?

Letting out a deep breath of air as she glanced around as if she trying to look through her mount with no success, though that didn't seem to stop her from trying. Wincing as she shifted to spread her fingers through the beasts fur she so desperately clung to as she tried to lift herself up onto Pacju. Though almost immediately caught off guard when Pacju shifted slightly lowering her head and letting a warning growl out of her throat. Maya half wondered if contacting Takoda would be a good thing. He had healed her hand with little to no effort and the Alkidikes were not fluent in healing practice.

Confused Maya shifted with Pacju in order to pull herself up onto the beast, her eyes falling on the strange earthling before her just as he started speaking. Her dark bug like eyes widening as she glanced about him. Blushing slightly she felt her body weaken as the feeling of blood soaking the cloth around her leg was brought to her senses. "Unless you're a healer, I'm not sure what good you would be able to do." Maya didn't mean to come off offensive if she had though something didn't seem quite right. Her vision was fading in places.



(sorry I had a better post but my comp crashed just as I was going to push post and poof)

Deep breaths seemed to rasp from Maya, she had obviously strained herself during her adventure. Despite the fact it was her favorite thing to do, perhaps her Elder had been right and traveling so soon had been a bad idea. She should have stayed closer to home. She had managed to stay low when it came to traveling with everyone else the first time they had discovered Sauti, and that had kept her safe that and loads of healing supplies to keep the wound dressed. The strong Alkidike woman could feel her grasp loosen as she said a few strange words to Pacju who seemed to give a soft whine before the growl faded away and she crouched low on her knees.

"You... know a healer?" She felt herself wobble and Pacju shifted in order to keep her on. Her head swiveling back to sniff at her companion rider before looking back at the wind earthling. "I'm not sure of the time it will take to get there... but... Pacju might be a faster option."

Pacju shifted again with Maya and slowly approached the earthling. Lowering her head in a rather forced manner. She didn't quite trust the man like Maya seemed to and it was her duty to keep the Alkidike protected. "Shes not ... going to hurt you." Maya lost her grip for a brief moment almost falling off of Pacju as she spoke.

The feel of warm hands touching her skin sent shivers down her spine as she blushed deeply. No one had been able to get close enough to actually touch her before and he was the first. Unsure of how to react she gripped Pacju harder trying to keep herself steady, trying to keep her eyes from scanning over the earthling who was touching her. "Shukri... I'm Maya." Shivering again feeling the wind against her warm skin Maya pulled herself closer to Pacju's neck to make room for Shukri to climb on. Blinking she glanced down at the earthling before she smiled faintly.

"If you're worried about Pacju not holding you. Shes stronger than she seems." She was a little hesitant to admit she wasn't sure herself the length her companion could lift or carry, let alone if the sack he seemed to have with him would have been far more than she could carry. Scrunching her eyes as she stared up at the sky she was so unfamiliar with seeing Maya bit her lower lip in attempts to keep herself steady. She wanted to reach the healer her new acquaintance had mentioned before she lost consciousness. As grateful as she was for the help the young Alkidike didn't want to loose her pride by fainting from a mear leg injury in front of a whole clan of earthlings. She was a powerful warrior after all.

Sucking up her weakness and trying to hide it she extended her hand towards Shukri in order to invite him to join her on Pacju. She would have to listen hard to the beast's heart if she wanted to know the extent her creature could handle. As a Radaku they were heavily loyal and as such would end up pushing her limits white hard it had happened once before.

Struggling to keep her composure as she helped the earthling male onto her companion Maya found the cool air strange. Until now she hadn't noticed the difference in temperature from the humid and hot forest's where she lived. Listening closely to the instructions on how to reach the rest of his kind Maya's vision began to fade in and out once again. Leaning forward she patted her beasts neck. "You heard where he mentioned. Are you able to follow the directions?" The question floated as she watched Pacju's movements of his head the snort from the Radaku made the Alkidike giggle though as much as she tried to hide the musical tone's she couldn't.

Impressed at her companions intelligence Maya shifted her head to the side glancing through the corner of her eye's at Shukri. The Earthling seemed to continually grow closer to her body in proximity and she was sure that if any of her sisters found out, there would be a great deal of teasing to pay for. It wasn't right for their kind to like the earthlings but Maya was different. She found them interesting, unique, mesmerizing, beautiful. Pacju started moving much to Maya's relief and then it was blank.

Though the Radaku did not stop her movements they did however slow down as the Alkidikes form became loose and started to slump to the side. A slow worried whine escaped from Pacju though she continued her course forward exactly as directed.

Snorting irritably Pacju eventually managed to pick up her speed, though still very concerned with her companion and the stranger. Even more that he was riding on her back, but it was an order from Maya. She had no choice to follow it. Narrowly missing her step as she followed the specific directions she soon came to a strange smelling area. Pausing to sniff about her whip like tail seemed to move cleanly from side to side. Smooth without the whip like ferocity that often went with it, letting out a slow rumble as she continued forward with an increasing slowing pace the beast stop a distance away from the strange gathering before her. They all seemed to carry the same scent as her strange passenger but didn't dare move any closer.

Maya struggled to regain her consciousness but was unable to. Something was keeping her under originating at the source of her pain. She was unaware of how close Shukri was or the fact that he was keeping her balanced.

Pacju sniffed each approaching earthling in turn backing up a step before remembering Maya was till perched on her back. She eyed the guards wryly, making sure to keep her tail poised in a striking pose before surrendering reluctantly Maya's care to them. Though she refused to let any large amount of distance come between the Alkidike and herself so the Radaku settled into following the group at a rather close distance. Even if following them seemed to team with danger, the Radaku kept her composure by keeping her tail at a ready position. Her eyes focused on Maya waiting for the command to flee. At that moment the beast would fight the earthlings until Maya was on and the two would flee immediately back to the forest of Jahaur.

The sting in her leg seemed to finally bring the Alkidike back into a barely alert mode but something seemed to be keeping her from drawing on her full strength. Blurry images swarmed in her mind and strange unfamiliar voices danced around her head in strange patterns. Had she been drugged and taken hostage somehow? Rage at the thought Maya tried to struggle a single hand reaching out for something as if in her mind she would find her bow and arrows. If not those then hopefully Pacju but neither seemed to find their way into her hands.

A desperate pain crossed her legs and up her back, only forcing the Alkidike to grind her teeth together. The only possibility for the pain would be that her leg had become infected somehow. Perhaps dirt had gathered up in the wrappings, or she had accidentally picked up something native to the area which was spreading toxins through the open wound. All she knew was the pain was unfamiliar to the forest dweller, and the unrecognizable voices that floated about here were not her Alkidike sisters.