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“Oh shut up!” Gent snapped, irritated that his rest had been disturbed at all. Gent heard Robert heave a great sigh of patience. Gent could only imagine that the big man wanted a moment of peace since this trip started. Or a least a decent fight. Gent could feel some of the tension in Robert’s body. It wasn’t hard to detect when the two of them had been in close proxy to one another for the past three years. One couldn’t help but notice the small things. Gent closed his eyes, it had only been a second since his voice first rung out.

“If it weren’t so hot, I’d wring your neck. My legs may be useless but my hands have plenty of strength left… and for the last time, I’m not an old man! I’m twenty three summers on this world, and may I have another twenty three without you in them!”

Gent was far too hot to add to any other threat. He turned around rather sharply in his harness. He could have sworn that he heard a bell ringing. He could swear it was in his ears. Why the hell was it bothering him now? Gent could nearly feel the hot sweat go down his neck. If his brother was summoning him, why couldn’t he do it the normal way? Why couldn’t he do it by letter and not by psychotic means?

“We should look over our shoulders. Vyken are not to be dealt with lightly.” Gent slumped into his harness, his stomach now sick with worry. Talvyth was not an easy master to please. A sick look of horror passed over Gent as his mind tried to ignore the signs that he was coming closer to home then he liked. That had to have been another Bellringer around... That was the only logical answer… Maybe some distant cousin was in the area? Performing the duties of the dead? Gent didn’t know what to think. He closed his eyes, trying to fight back the urge to explode.

“Ka’zeh, what part of the Valley are we going to?”

"Oh no...did I upset the old man? Tell me. Were your other forty years spent on a different planet, then?" He couldn't help but just tease the bastard, after all he really did think of him as old, sitting in a harness and unable to walk and all pretty much provided him all the evidence he needed to confirm his little claim of sorts. A leg rose up briefly once more and continued kicking against the horse's side ushering it to move a bit faster.

"I don't mean to take the position of leader, but if you bastards are so worried about getting out of here we should really move faster. And who's bright idea was it to not give jackass over there a horse!?" Turning around so he was placed facing backwards as he just made crazy hand gestures and mocked them as if they were fools of the highest status; Then again he could easily be a contender for that position.

For a brief moment, his crimson orbs drifted off to the side observing for any possible threats that may have been lurking around, unfortunately he wouldn't be able to see much else through that obscure forest in front of him, so he simply slid off the back carefully and skipped a few times against the ground, keeping his balance so he wouldn't fall down. "You can take the damn horse, that saddle is hurtin' my ass and besides, I don't think we can really spot any possible 'enemies' or wolves around here if Ka`zeh is trying to avoid branches and you're having extra weight on your back, and of course the old cripple.."

Adjusting his glasses only briefly, he removed his high frequency sword from it's black sheathe and began whacking away at a fervent pace, occasionally chopping a few berries here or there to keep his body energized since he'd been on that horse for so long, and what better way make sure he didn't re-injure his chest than to get a little exercise, "Ah..just like my sweet berry shnaps."

It was better for them that he stay in a good mood if they didn't want anymore of his spastic outbursts anyway.

Ka`zeh sighed deeply as Von's loud outbursts echoed around the forest. If there were enemies, they would definitely know the location of the travelers now. A few more hacks with his sword cleared the way once more, his left hand tugging lightly on the reigns of his horse to slow its pace as Von quickened his.

"I'm clearing a way because this forest is full of danger. Wildlife isn't the only thing that lurks in these trees," The detective responded, crimson orbs locking unto Von for a moment before he turned his head to glance back at the rest of his group.

"Aarisa! Yudoku! Quit lagging behind!" He called out, exhaling once more.

The man kicked his heels into the beast's side, ushering it forth once more as his blade began to rip into the branches once more. He had forgotten his pipe back in the city.

"Gaius? Why do you hate me?" He inquired to the deity, as if expecting some kind of explanation.

He continued to push on, becoming quite discouraged because the trees seemed to stretch on for miles. Would this forest ever end?

A shiver traced along his spine as a chilling sensation swept all the way through his body. Few words had passed between the two for the past few days, nothing to fill silence but the snapping of twigs and the occasional heavy breathing accompanied by the sound of blades rending flesh and bone. The closer they got to Harborym, the more languid the days became, the more dangerous the sights they saw, and the harsher the weather which fell upon them. This was becoming hell, but neither man was humble enough to ever admit they were getting the least bit tired.

"We're close. So unbelievably close. Only another day or two at the most, and the valley's edge will be at our feet," at last one spoke again. Dusk reached both hands behind his head and tightened the scarf 'round his crown, getting just a bit more serious. They walked on as a hanging mist began to set around them. The valley's effects extended far beyond its immediate proximity and they had been experiencing it for a good while in the form of that fog which brought a terrible humidity along with it.

"You feel that, Sensha? This mist. Gaius save us, this is so unbearably thick." Dusk wiped the cloth of his clothing against his forehead, a sigh sliding between his lips soon after. "If we have to fight under these conditions in the valley, things are going to be a little bit more difficult than we initially thought. Although with the excessive clothing and armor those generals and their troops wear, it might end up coming as our advantage. They're likely already tiring themselves out there ahead of us."

They both were well aware that the arch general and his men had reached Harborym roughly seven days ago after observing their tracks they and the burned remnants of camp fires and supplies they left behind. Not to mention that even so many miles ahead, they could already observe smoke coming from the valley. How much damage was already done was something rather worrisome for the pair, or for Dusk at least. This was his country and some power-hungry military men were intent on ruining it.

"We need to formulate some sort of plan, something. As much as I'd like to run in without a care swinging and tearing through the bastards, it's important that we at least set a basic offense." Dusk would have never admitted it, but the first thought that crossed his head was to attempt to find reinforcement, and the first considerations were that little group he encountered back at the capital city, although he wrote that off as impossible at this point. Ghalerion was well too far in the opposite direction. For either to go back at this point alone would be absolute suicide, but the more time went on, the more enticing that route seemed. "Hrm. Perhaps...one of us should go back and--" He stopped mid-sentence and just shook his head, clearing the very thought from his mind.

What the hell am I thinking? He only needed speak two words after that before he took off at a mad sprint through the heavy mist.

"Let's go."

He was determined to reach the valley by night's end.

Sensha snarled almost under his breath, he was beginning to tire of the constant presence of the forest. They hadn't once come across anything on two legs in the past days, and the traces of the large army was beginning to excite him to no ends. "Good, I was beginning to think this forest went on forever." He was in terrible need of a safe haven so he could remove his armor and have a bath...but that was furter away still. He did have work to do, after all.

"This mist is very annoying, but as you said it could lay to our advantage. I'm having a bad enough time with just my leather armor, I couldn't imagine how terrible it is in steel."


He listened to Dusk's words of plans, thinking to himself for a momment. "Well, if I know anything about an army is that it relies heavily on leadership....If I were to go in at night and take a few important-looking fellows out it would atleast slow there attacking capability for a time, though I wouldn't dream of taking on an Arch General at night...from what you've said I'd have to get what ever I can on one in order to beat em." As much as he would love to kill a target so juicy as one of the Arch Generals...One leader was much easier to replace then a whole chain of command.

"Right" Sensha bolted after his companion, not needing an explanation as to why they needed to hurry.

Caitlin had been in the forest for a while now, at least a week. She'd given up keeping notches on her tent pole when it broke and she had to climb a very tall tree to look for a suitable replacement.

Letting out a sigh, she huddled closer to her small camp fire and twisted the make-shift skewer that was propped over it. She looked back to the teepee behind her and let out a sigh. All this way for something that might not even exist. It was her last choice. It had to be to make her come out into these woods and venture across the Harborym Valley. There were no maps of the place as few people had lived to see what was beyond the woods and even less had attempted to charter the whole thing.

Taking the pointed stick from the fire she poked at the burnt chunk of what appeared to be a small rodent. She hadn't packed enough food for her journey but it wasn't too hard to find some food in the forest. Biting into it, she cringed as the taste of the soot filled her mouth.

"Ugh..." she shuddered. It was bad enough she was eating Lain-knows-what-animal with Lain-knows-what-diseases crawling all over it.

She managed to take a few more bites before she decided any more would make her throw up. Tossing the carcass into the flames in front of her, she picked up a leather bound book from the floor and opened it at a marked page.

Might've been another day past, maybe more. Time was something ultimately lost for the two ever since they had set out from Dame, nights and days melding together as dawn and twilight seemed the same entity. Perhaps it had only been a matter of hours, one could never tell, but Dusk was setting out in the direction of that smoke he saw from the forest on the very edge of the valley. They were so close, so unbelievably close. That mist was still bothering his senses, but there was nothing he could do. What had brought the young man to attention now however were the sounds coming from nearby, the crackling of the fire whose smoke provided their target for days.

"..Did you hear that, Sensha?" His hearing was something of moderate legend. There was reason Dusk had such an ear for music during his time as Sparsian. "...Almost like..a sigh."

Fingertips twinged just a little bit, awareness rising while he approached cautiously, hand slowly elevating skywards before the palm would grip around one of his blade hilts, clasping onto it tightly. Footsteps were almost absolutely silent, a little trick he had been learning by paying close attention to his assassin companion's methods during their journey thus far. Eyes continued to glance around furtively, his heartbeat elevating while more fear seeped into his heart. A trap? A wile of Viktor's army? What the hell is this, did they know we were coming?

Through a bit more vegetation he crept, assuming at that point Sensha was already just as aware, while the flames of that campfire came into sight. And without another moment's hesitation, he leapt.

It happened all so quick, that blade shooting out from the casing fastened upon his spine, twisting and twirling along the air until it landed in his right hand inverted with the tip towards the ground. He braced the flat edge against his forearm and brought the blade's edge towards the first moving thing his eyes caught sight upon, which just so happened to be the bare neck of a rather young girl. Stopped directly before it, his arm shaking just a bit surprised at the sight, reason was becoming harder to discern.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here like this? This doesn't feel..right." There was clearly a bit of internal conflict going on. Of course she could have been just an innocent person who happened upon the woods before the valley, but there was always the chance that this was still the first phase of some complex ruse designed to deceive, and Dusk had never been one to let himself be tricked.

Days continued to drag by like years, and yet no salvation was in sight for the group of travelers. Ka`zeh had heard many rumors that the forest was endless, but he always laughed it off as some myth. The man was starting to believe those damn rumors now more than ever.

As always, the commander was suffering from lack of sleep. Since he was the pseudo leader of this valiant effort, he stayed awake for most of the nights to insure the safety of his companions. It had been like this for several weeks now, since they entered the forest leading towards Harborym Valley. During the day they would travel on their horses, sometimes dismounting to cut a path through thick vines and vegetation that the beasts could not crush under their hooves. The group did not even pause to eat, but instead Ka`zeh tossed rations back to his group, and they would eat while traveling.

Ka`zeh beckoned his blade through the rough vegetation blocking their path, the sinews in his appendage screaming for release, but the young inspector could not stop now. Despite being gifted with ambidexterity, he could not risk exerting the stored energy within his left extremity. If their front was assaulted, Ka`zeh would be quickly overwhelmed, both arms fatigued from cleaving through the damned jagged branches seeking to dismount him.

The afternoon sun would be beating down upon the group mercilessly if it weren't for the thick trees stretching their wooden fingers across one another in a subtle dance of protection. However, the constant shade did not make the forest any less humid. In fact, the further the group traversed the unwelcoming terra, the less of a forest it became.

The environment was becoming very much like a thick humid jungle. The heat and humidity in the atmosphere began to escalate, and the lack of wind only worsened the situation. The eerie sounds of a jungle also began to eminate about their forms, providing yet more unsettling atmospheres to the already precarious situation.

Ka`zeh felt a drop of sweat trickle down the surface of his forehead, and his left hand raised itself to intercept the bead of salt and moisture from getting into his eyes. The horse's pace slowed, the hooves of the beast having much difficulty shifting through the increase of vegetation beneath them.

"Hold!" He called out to his companions behind him, firm left hand pulling on the reigns so the horse would also cease movement.

Ka`zeh turned a bit to the saddlebag near his left leg, digging through their provisions to ensure they had plenty of water. He nodded, scooped out a few flasks with his arm, and began tossing them back to his companions.

"Make sure to stay hydrated, but don't drink it all at once. We're getting close, but I'm still not sure how long this jungle continues. We also need to be wary of Vyken scouts and the predators of this jungle," He commanded, pulling the cork from his flask and taking a few swallows of water.

Ka`zeh corked the flask, slipped it back into the saddlebag, and tapped his heels into the horse's sides once more, signalling the beast to continue the trek further into the jungle.

Looking up as a armour-clad man lunged out from the foliage towards her, she let out a high pitched scream and stumbled backwards. the book dropped from her hands and hit the ground with a dull thud, too close to the fire for comfort. The page fell open to a sheet of information about animal lore.

Resting on her elbows on the hard ground, she looked up the long shimmering blade.

"What the heck do you mean 'Who am I?'!?" she shouted, soon realising that she wasn't in a good position to be giving this man any jibe. "You are the one that intruded on my camp, thrust a sword in my face and didn't even tell me the reason!" She was on a roll now, her anger plain on her face. "If you don't mind, I'd like to retrieve my book before it burns."

"Thanks for reminding me of what I just said last week," That smart ass tone coming into play once more, having been on a journey of boredom for so long, it became only natural for him to arouse his usual tendencies every once in a while. Having leapt off of his horse once more in order to aid Ka`zeh in his attempt to remove the annoying underbrush and branches that continued to spoil their travel. Breathing heavily and letting out large breaths of air, he snatched his flask from the bag on the side of his horse and took a couple of gulps, "How is it that it switched from ice cold to a blazing inferno within a few weeks!?"

Von was showing signs of irritation, having no intention of traveling with them to begin with; In fact the only thing keeping him there was the fact that he'd be arrested in ghale once more. In spite of the fact that his wound had healed up, cognition told him that he'd might as well keep on going since he knew the path anyways. Removing his trenchcoat for the time being along with his hat and glasses. Wearing all black and gray definitely didn't suit the humidity that had been lingering around in the air and only continued to irritate him as the sweat trickled down his forehead, occasionally splattering on his glasses, thank god not his eye or he'd have been cussing up one hell of a storm by now. "Do you have any idea how close we are? I honestly don't think it'd take this long to make it to a valley, even on foot for that matter."

Ooc: Because Andy has stepped down from the RPG, I’ll be taking over his character.

Gent was perhaps the only one in the group that had enough sleep. He now slept during the mornings and awoke mid afternoon. From then his power worked constantly through the afternoon and into the night, scanning, searching and seeking. More then once Gent saw the movements of the Vyken clans in his mind and quietly advised Ka’zeh of the beasts movements. He felt sorry for the detective; it was no easy duty for him to watch over so many. Gent sighed and looked to the sweating form of Robert. He felt bad enough for himself; Gent wasn’t ignorant of the amount of work his large friend was pushing just to carry them both. While the mage weighed little, Gent was sure with that with the pace and the sweaty robes, he was a dead weight on the man’s back.

Gent slide forward and touched a spot on Robert’s armor where a rune was. Whispering a single word, the armor started to frost over, giving some relief to the wearer. The jungle was getting unbearable. The trees were closing in over him, and more then once Gent had to tilt his head back and quietly gasp for air before Closter phobia settled in. He wanted a bath, oh gods how he wanted a river or a waterfall. The thoughts of water purifying his body were beginning to sound like a dream.

Right on cue, a water skin landed in his lap. Irritated, Gent looked up to hear Ka’zeh’s words.

“Yeah that’s nice coming from the guy who needs sleep.” Gent muttered and took his ration of water anyway. He drank, cooling the water as he did so. The mage looked to the high above and closed his eyes.

The Bells were ringing loudly. So loudly in his ears, Gent quickly covered them. Then Robert’s low voice chimed in.

“Hey, you alright?”

Gent opened his eyes to meet the faintly concerned orbs of Robert’s eyes. “Talvyth is calling… I can’t deny him much longer…” he admitted after a few moments. Robert gave the poor horse a gentle kick and sped up to where Ka’zeh was. Ignoring the grumblings from Von, the two were too tired to listen or respond. It made Gent wonder how long the horses could keep going at this pace.

“We’re not far from the Temple Estate are we?” Robert asked Gent. Gent thought for a moment. His home was the Temple Estate that belongs to the priests of Lain. “It’s on the other side of the Valley up into the mountains. It’s a haven from whatever may be following us... If we can make it.”

Then Gent yawned, tired already from the heat and the stiffness from staying in one position too long. “Ka’zeh, there’s some one else in these woods…. Human… and something… too old to be human…” Gent closed his eyes focusing, instantly projecting his mind out, yes… he knew one of them… Gent traced the energy to find the heart beat. Male...

The other Gent knew nothing of, only getting glimpses of what was also human, but older, yet unbroken… A mix that if Gent had enough energy, he would be able to think of what.

They were working quickly as well in this hell hole. Were they on the same side as the General? No, Gent thought. They couldn’t be.

Another, more angry sounding bell rang in his ears. Gent flinched, knowing that Robert and Ka’zeh must have thought it weird the mage was hearing things they could not.

“As far as I can tell,” Gent said covering any silence on his part, “We met one of them in Ghalerion. Actually, you might recognize him better then I can. I just know I’ve felt that pattern of energy somewhere before. That angry mix of self-loathing, and duty bound.”

Gent looked at Ka’zeh’s tired face. “You’re sleeping tonight, even if I have to poison you to do it.” The mage said in a calm voice, “You’re no use to us half dead. I can take care of the night watch by myself.”

Then Gent looked over his shoulder to look at Aarisa and Yudoku.
“Who are they again?” he asked mildly.

"You should leave night duty to me," Yuudoku made his way to the front accordingly, pushing back his giant brown hat so that the others could see his ebonied eyes. "Since two basilisks inhabit my soul, I operate better during the night and sleep mostly at daytime."
It was then that the man heard the voice of the mage, allowing his head to tilt slightly as he replied for Ka`zeh, "I'm Yuudoku, colonel of the Ghale Government. My brother is Gaidoku, one of the five generals. Pleasure to meet you!" His eyes began to sparkly in an odd manner.

Aarisa was unusually quiet during the whole trip; she hadn't spoken since they left Ghale. More often than once a day, her emerald gaze would flicker arcross the backside of the Ghale investigator who was leading them, but her eyes would then dull and her line of vision drooped to the ground once more while she moved towards the back of the line.

Sensha's own senses began to tingle not but a momment after Dusk had mentioned the sound. It was then that Sensha took to the trees, thus creating little or no chance of escape or making it impossible for their targets reinforcements to come up unnoticed.

Sensha watched as the scene between his companion and the young girl unfold, his watchful eye switching to look through the trees for any signs of an ambush. No...it seemed like this girl was alone, but in a place like this? He had thought his own self insane to come through this place, but a young girl like her? She had to of been fully disabled in the head to want to come through here alone.

As he listened to the two talk, he was reminded once again of just how close they were to their real target as the army's fresh camp fires sent smoke flying into the night's sky. The next thing he heard after that was the girl complain, quite loudly infact. He shifted on his perch in the trees so that he was fully visible to the small patch of earth she had chosen to make a camp in, and quite harshly hissed down to not just the girl, but Dusk aswell, " And if you both don't mind, keep it the hell down lest we be joined by even more unwelcome company with even more swords...." He was not liking the idea of getting caught so close to their destination.

Ka`zeh decided to fall back a bit so he could talk to Gent and Robert, a slight tug on the reigns of his mount steering the beast to trot backwards slightly. The movement was clumsy considering the abnormal terrain their group was traversing. The detective allowed Von to take the helm and clear a path for them. His thick leather boots shifted along the foliage, crimson orbs darting to and fro amongst the thick overgrowth surrounding them. The jungle canopy was a thick blanket smothering the travelers with an immense cloud of humidity. Perspiration trickled down the detective's neck and forehead, and he wiped the sweat once more with his hand, an annoyed grunt permeating through parched and pallid lips.

"Thank Gaius you are with us, Gent. We would be completely vulnerable without your amplified sight," He commented, left hand slowly raising to rest upon the hilt of his blade, brow furrowed with thought. "Hmm...could it be?" Ka`zeh murmured soft inquiries more to himself than his companions.

"We shouldn't have to worry about the Vyken scouts. They will report to their respective villages to deliver their report before they retaliate against us. They are not humans, however, and their mobility through these forests are much quicker than ours. I suggest we pick up the pace and get to Harborym Valley as quickly as we can. It's not much longer now..." The detective continued, glancing to Yuudoku as he stepped forward and introduced himself.

"Actually, you both can take the night watch. I'm afraid if I continue much further without sleep, I'll die on the spot," He agreed, although a bit unwillingly, but his mind was thinking aobut other things now that he caught a glimpse of Aarisa looking up at him.

"That is Aarisa, Gent. She is a summoner from Tensoku, and she has been my companion for some time," Ka`zeh responded to Gent's questioning of the two travelers, and suddenly led his horse backwards once more to trot alongside Aarisa's mount.

He rode in silence for a few moments, as if searching his mind for words to speak, but finally he felt the words flow from his tongue, "I'm sorry if things have been hectic lately, Aarisa. I'm also sorry for abandoning you like that...but I didn't want to put you in harm's way."

She only blinked once, yet not looking at him at all, before she turned her horse away absently, now residing at the end of the entire party line. Her fingers occasionally flickered around the hilt of the ivory blade that lay across her slender hips, the very same blade that was recognized as Daa`th Mohnk, the memory-wiping blade that once belonged to one of the Deities and caused her to be banished from her homeland. Aarisa could barely hear the voice of the investigator in the back of her mind, but she decided it would be best to ignore it as her heart ached with an odd sadness that she didn't understand. Whether it was something that had exploded in her body over the few days that she and Ka`zeh had been separated or if it was the result of something else completely, she didn't know.

Only the familiar warmth of her summoning rod that was strapped to her backside gave her enough comfort to keep her on the path.


Yuudoku tilted his head to the side in a silent question as he watched the investigator move towards the younger female... and then tilted his head the other way when Aarisa moved farther back. He returned his attention to Ka`zeh and whispered to Gent in a flustered manner, "He certainly does seem quite droopy, don't you think? Perhaps a love life would spruce him up!"

After a good while he was really starting to feel the effects of the humidity surrounding his body. How in the hell could a jungle get this damn hot!? he thought to himself, bones aching as his skin grew extremely uncomfortable from the sweat getting stuck inbetween his clothing and he knew that if he took off his shirt he'd only be greeted by flesh hungry thorns and branches ready to tear his skin to shreads, "Agh...uh..uh I hope this forest clears up some time soon."

Removing his flask from the bag on his horse and taking a few more refreshing gulps from it before placing it back in the bag once more. A few more brief kicks against the horse's side indicated that the forest was growing wider and Von was fully aware of it's presence, moving at fervent pace, enough to at least make it towards the end by mid-afternoon. "This is why I hate traveling..!"

"You should leave night duty to me, since two basilisks inhabit my soul, I operate better during the night and sleep mostly at daytime."

“Must be a crowded in there sometimes.” Gent said mildly, loud enough for him and Robert to hear. The knight choked back a scoff, the first sign that he was human and still alive in a long while. Gent grinned to his friend.

“Yuudoku…” Gent said, trying the name out on his lips. He smiled, it fit nicely. But then Ka’zeh introduced the girl from Tensoku, Gent froze, his eyes locked on the girl, scanning and looking for any sign of who she may be aligned with…. He relaxed, she was simply from Tensoku, nothing more. Gent then smirked to himself thinking of another summoner he once knew back at the school. A pain went through his heart. He hadn’t thought about her in a long while.

He wiped away the sweat on his forehead and looked at her again. “Von!” Gent choked out, sighing he spoke to Robert, “Tell Von not to get too far ahead, the Vyken tribes are not forgiving to trespassers.”

Robert called the orders sharply to the criminal as Yuudoku spoke, "He certainly does seem quite droopy, don't you think? Perhaps a love life would spruce him up!"

Gent watched Ka’zeh for a second. “Yeah, if he ever got the sleep for a love life… but then again, there’s little sleep when it comes to a love life, so maybe this IS him spruced up.” Gent grinned to Yuudoku. He liked this large man. Something about him made Gent feel like grinning again.

But the grin soon disappeared.

“Ka’zeh! We’re right on the edge! The next hill! We’ll be there… The Valley.”

“You sure?” Robert muttered.
“Very.” Gent said through narrowed eyes, “I grew up north of the valley. I would know the borders anywhere.”

Robert was silent for a moment. “It helps you’re a Al’Doran…” the fallen knight stressed the ‘Al’ part of the mage’s family name. Gent looked like he could have spat on the name. “It should grant us some leeway right?”

“Yes. The Al’Dorans do have some treaties with the northern tribes…” Gent admitted after a moment. He sank down lower in his harness. “I have to speak with my brother the next time we stop and risk a fire.”

Sensha wrote:Sensha's own senses began to tingle not but a momment after Dusk had mentioned the sound. It was then that Sensha took to the trees, thus creating little or no chance of escape or making it impossible for their targets reinforcements to come up unnoticed.

Sensha watched as the scene between his companion and the young girl unfold, his watchful eye switching to look through the trees for any signs of an ambush. No...it seemed like this girl was alone, but in a place like this? He had thought his own self insane to come through this place, but a young girl like her? She had to of been fully disabled in the head to want to come through here alone.

As he listened to the two talk, he was reminded once again of just how close they were to their real target as the army's fresh camp fires sent smoke flying into the night's sky. The next thing he heard after that was the girl complain, quite loudly infact. He shifted on his perch in the trees so that he was fully visible to the small patch of earth she had chosen to make a camp in, and quite harshly hissed down to not just the girl, but Dusk aswell, " And if you both don't mind, keep it the hell down lest we be joined by even more unwelcome company with even more swords...." He was not liking the idea of getting caught so close to their destination.

The girl got up slowly from under Dusk's sword and collected her book, rubbing the cover to rid it of a few burning embers. "Fine with me," she mumbled to herself, and twirled towards her tent, the loose cotton shirt she had on billowing out as she moved. "Why are there so many people out here...?" she muttered, annoyed it seemed. "I was so hoping for a peaceful trip.

Before the two men had turned up her mind had been at peace. Quieter than it had been for a long time. Now it was crowed with the thoughts of both men. Through her experience with the power to read minds, she had learned to tune out what the fragments of thoughts and memories spoke to her.

Throwing the book into her tent, she tugged the ribbons from her plaits and let her hair fall loose. Running her fingers through it gently, she turned to the two men that had encroached on her camp. "So... what are you doing this far out?" she queried.

Yuudoku nodded as he listened to the words of his companion, he too watched the investigator with quite an amount of concern. "The poor man... he never thinks of himself; just of others. I think it's about time he started trying to keep his own health up..."

Everything had happened so quick that it was almost difficult to keep up. His heartbeat had already been pounding while he held the girl at blade's edge only to have the compromising position interrupted by Sensha's call, which would only prove far too premonitory for anybody's liking.

The first sound was the notching of an arrow 'pon a bowstring. Or was it the hacking of that blade? Perhaps the bowstring notching had gone unnoticed and 'twas the arrow's impeccable aim that rendered the first noise and the only warning they'd receive at all. Thoughts were meshing and melding together into a haze, twisting and weaving into a mess that Dusk had neither the time nor patience to untangle. He found himself running along the ground following Sensha's thrashing sprint through the treetops while his heart pounded furiously against his chest, everything still such a blur. And even more unusual to the entire scene was the fact that somehow Dusk came into grasping and pulling behind the hand of that girl whose neck had nearly drawn his blade's ire only minutes before.

Naturally, something was definitely wrong. In most circumstances, he likely would've left the lass to fend for herself while taking the time to save his own skin. This situation just definitely did not seem right at all.

But perhaps it was the chaotic nature of how things so hastily began that brought about the momentary change of character and had his blood pumping so feverishly.

Rushing along that forest and jungle land towards Harborym through the mists, the memories were coming back more vividly than before now, his consciousness forcing it out. He saw images of Sensha rendered that call, the stranger backing up momentarily, and then the billowed ivory smoke. Smoke, everywhere, smoke. Was that when he first felt it? An icy chill had no doubt crawled along his spine only moments before the calamity erupted, but there was an unusual sensation to it, almost comforting for that short while. More images played upon his mind's stage next, the arrow that grazed his bare shoulder, the hacking of a dozen blades followed by the crunching noise of trouncing Ghalerion troops, no less than hundreds from the caravan of thousands already converging upon the forest. There was no doubt, they had been discovered. All that occurred after that initial strike retained its cloudy state in his thoughts. Who was it that had taken a swing? Dusk himself? Sensha? That girl looking for a little retribution against Dusk, likely well more confused and alarmed than he himself was? He remembered clearly somebody's fist flying through that smoke and ending with a thud that made him cringe whether he was the one struck or not. This was becoming just too much.

Back to reality, he continued running along at a pace he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with that heat, ducking and weaving and dodging and gliding between trees and beneath branches, over logs and past wild beasts and creatures of all types and kinds, still pulling that new arrival along and leaving it to her own reflexes to keep from getting her head torn clean off her shoulders by a thick tree limb hanging just a bit too low. Calls were echoing throughout the area now, and it was more than obvious that their trail was caught.

"There they tread! Quickly, onwards t'wards the valley!" The loudest call of them all ricocheting between the vegetation from behind them until it reached their ears, the hoarse tone of some commander directing his forces to their first task and obligation. Everything was seeming to fall apart so fast. Timber was tumbling, the mist was thickening, and the rumbling of their pursuers from whatever direction they came seemed to be increase with each and every waking moment. And where Sensha was heading in his navigating the treetops was still a matter of mystery. Naturally there would be a time where Dusk had to trust the assassin's skills without being able to rely on his own, but perhaps it was a bit too early for that, because there was no denying that the covert Lord Baron of Ghale himself was feeling just a little bit of fear running along blindly and having to keep on his toes so much, for some reason still grasping tightly onto that girl's hand.

Another arrow came, grazing along his ear this time before sticking in a hefty trunk directly before him. His heels shot out and brought him to a screeching halt before he had to sweep himself aside and use some pretty tricky maneuvering to make sure he didn't crack his skull open. But with the momentary halt, things seemed to be turning towards the worse. Eyes tilted skywards and found that his speedy assassin companion was already out of sight.

His heart beat quicker and quicker. That pace that he hadn't felt in ages, that rhythm, that melody, that devious beat which coursed from his chest along his limbs and down his spine until it culminated with the gentle tapping of his foot against solid ground, eyes falling closed for a moment of concentration. He listened. He listened to those beats and he listened to whatever sound would reach his ears. That rumbling, those rushing troops, all coming ever closer with every instant. And it was then that a horrifying beat, matched in pace with every other thump of his heart, reached his eardrums. One. Two. Three. Four.

Stepping cautiously, and unaware as to whether or not the odd girl was behind him anymore or not as his hands began to lose feeling, he moved out along through the trees in slower steps, curving and twisting around walking further and further as that beat became more prominent. The same rumbling, the same rhythm, monotone in every possible way. One. Two. Three. Four. And with a bit more exploring, he came to a stop. At last, it seemed those jungles had reached their end and he emerged into the damp daylight of Harborym, but what sight greeted his eyes couldn't have been any less comforting, nor any less unbelievable.

There directly before Dusk stood what could have been no less than one million armed Ghaleon soldiers, 250,000 of which brandishing their blades and polearms arranged into obedient groups and walking in systematic unison to the repeated calls of their superiors.

His mind rushed back to that mess at the girl's camp, some obscure form of escapism no doubt, the final thoughts coming to convergence as he remembered the rest of the incident there and could only form a wry grin that masked the complete drop that his heart took and the fear that gripped his every thought.

Somewhere in the fray at that campsite, amidst the smoke and arrows, he must've mistaken that girl's hand for his blade hilt. Yes, that had to be it.