Ryrja was making his way through the Great Forest. It was a bright and early morning and the dew was still upon the plant life. His bright eyes alert and ever seeing. As he walked, his blue fur shined in the light. He was making his way to the Great Road. He'd sensed a presence earlier that morning and was curious as to what it was. He hoped that it wasn't Phadan. He truly didn't feel like having to kill a soul eater. Although Ryrja was a high ranking Spirit, he cared little for killing of the demon like creatures. If only they would learn to stay in their realm. Sighing, Ryrja walked by many animals. They all acknowledged him, averting their eyes. The Spirit had come to realize of late..of how lonely he truly was. He'd spent such a long time in the Great Forest, protecting it from any that would cause it harm. His efforts had led to the vast woods survival. Without his interference, it would had disappeared a long time ago. He was proud of his accomplishments yet he felt as if something was missing from his life. As a Spirit, Ryrja would live forever unless a Phadan stole his soul. He longed for someone that he could share everything with. He'd never found another Spirit matching his soul. He was beginning to fear that he would remain forever alone.

Ryrja had finally reached the Great Road. He gently stepped up onto the ancient wood. He was still sensing the presence. He allowed his senses to reach out..to find what was bothering him so. A Human. What was a Human doing in the woods? It had been such a very long time since they had traveled the Great Road. They'd come up with better ways to get around and had let the woods alone. If not for Ryrja, the Road would have no longer existed. He thought that perhaps it was a female Human. He lifted the veil, so that she would be able to see him. He sat down, staring off in the distance, waiting for the Human. He wanted to know what she would once seeing the blue fox.

“No, Jet, I don’t expect there to be any problems…well I wanted to be cautious. I-…Yes. Yes, I know what that means,” Helena mumbled with a sigh, one hand slipped up under her hair, with two fingers resting on the small earpiece to keep it in place. She shook her head once, grumbling something under her breath before she forced a smile back on her lips. “Of course. That’s why I’m taking the great road. What? I said that’s why I’m taking the great road….THE GREAT ROAD,” she suddenly bellowed, stopping dead in her tracks. “Jet? Jet can you hear me? Can-“ Ugh.

Tapping it once, she turned it off before tossing it into her pocket. “God damned trees,” she mumbled to herself again. Twisting her torso, she turned to begin rummaging through the black backpack she was carrying, hands seeking her canteen. Helena had been walking now for nearly eighteen miles, and yet she hadn't even gotten herself a fourth of the way to her destination. While successfully evading all means of detection ( as she was quite sure, upon now doing it, that no one would ever suspect someone of being stupid enough to actually punish themselves to traveling this way), she somehow felt as though this was a terrible idea in the long run. There were a million things that had gone wrong, one of the most annoying being that she had successfully forgotten to pack for inclement weather, which left the woman eyeing the sky through the canopy every now and then.

Locating the canteen at last, she zipped her pack back up and began to slowly walk forwards, eyes going across the scenery once again. Still despite the heat, the biting insects, and the fact she had about another week or two of walking, it was nice to get out of the city. No prying eyes to worry about, no having to switch up routes or take different means of transportation. And the smell. Was that fresh air? She hadn't stopped her brooding long enough to think about it. Lips curling into a small smile while she drank, she paused again to let her eyes scan the scenery. It was an interesting sight, really. So much green. And what odd insects, ones with wings she’d never seen before. She took in all in. The birds, the beautiful vines that flowed down the sides of the gigantic trees, the large blue dogs, the dark dirt of Sinaphos, the way that the plants on the ground clung to patches of sunlight, the- wait…

Large blue dogs?

Helena’s eyes suddenly snapped back to the path towards the creature who sat a little ways down from her. For a moment, the woman’s whole body froze as her mind tried to figure out what she was seeing. Slowly, she pulled the canteen down from her lips, eyes narrowing as she struggled to accept what was in front of her. Were those? No. Those couldn't be horns, could they? She swallowed hard. Perhaps all the walking had gotten to her. Closing her eyes, she shook her head and attempted to clear her mind. Upon opening her dark eyes again, however, the creature still wasn't gone. She slowly but carefully took a half step back, body tense and ready to take off running (and up a tree if need be) if the thing came at her. For a woman who, unlike many, didn't even believe in spirits, she was having a tough time figure out exactly what it was. There was one thing Helena did know, though, and that was (unfortunately) that Ryrja was in her path. Staying still, she began to assume that is she didn't move he might simply trot off the way a deer might. Well, at last that's what she hoped would happen.

Ryrja was watching as the woman came into view. It was at that moment that he became more alert. Instead of immediately moving, the Spirit decided to wait and see what the woman would do. She seemed to not have noticed him yet as she was drinking from a canteen. It wasn't long until she did notice him. He could tell that at first she did not seem to believe that he was real. She was shaking her head as if trying to rid the image from her eyes. Once the Human had opened her eyes again, she slowly moved back. He would have smile if he could have. It seemed to Ryrja that the Human was unnerved by him. He titled his head to the side, as if trying to figure out what she was doing. Why was she just standing there? He wasn't going to go anywhere. Slowly, the Spirit stood. He waited, trying to see how the woman reacted to his movement. Slowly, he bowed towards the Human. A sign of ancient respect. "Greetings, Human." he started, his wolf mouth moving. "I am Ryrja, Guardian of this Great Forest. Tell me who you are and what you business is here." His green eyes were staring intently at the Human. He was sure that she wasn't used to talking animals and perhaps should have just shifted into his other form. He watched her as she reacted to what he'd just said.

The Spirit then took a few, small steps towards the Human. "I mean you no harm. Do you not know how dangerous this path has become?" He regarded the Human. She was quite pretty and wondered briefly who she was and why she'd come so far into the wilds. "I've been tracking your movement since you entered into the Forest." The Spirit slowly turned his head, as if watching for something."Have you heard of the Phadan? They are returning to this world..trying to become stronger by stealing the souls of your kind. I have been successful in keeping them out of the Forest..for now. It's only a matter of time until they are able to break through my barriers." The Spirit sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. Do not mind me. I'm only an old creature that has lost its drive. I find the days long and tiring. Do you realize that you are the first being that I've seen in such a very long time? I had all but thought that this path had been forgotten." Ryrja had sat again, trying to calm the girl. He wanted her to speak with him. Perhaps she would allow him to guide her to the end of the path? At least then he could make sure that she made it safely.

As he stood, her back leg tensed and her gaze diverted, searching the nearest trees for the easiest route off the ground. It wasn't as though she wasn’t use to running from something that might potentially kill her, mind you; it was just that this threat was so…exotic. Tearing back to the creature, she found it just standing there. Perhaps it was just being as cautious as she was? Well, maybe this wouldn’t be so-

Annnnd then he spoke.

Helen’s eyes widened and she became even more still than before, breath seeming to lock within her chest. At her feet, the few pebbles and twigs that had blown over onto the great road shuttered on their own, moving as if gently shook by some unseen force; her power went a little wonky when her nerves were shaken.

Her mind began to search for answers, distantly tossing his name around as she was more concerned with the absurdity of the moment. That was not possible. Speaking animals. And a forest guardian? She had heard of them before, of course, but they weren’t supposed to be real. Well, at least Helena hadn’t believed in them. She was more of the mind that the only things to have faith in were your own actions and mind, anything else was pointless. Especially mythical figures that no one had ‘seen’ in eons.

As he took his steps forwards, Helena took equal steps back to maintain a safe distance to which she could flee in if needed. However, once he spoke again, she actually began to listen to his words. Well, at least it said it didn’t want to hurt her. That was a far better start than she had been thinking of, toying with the idea that she was going to end up as something’s meal. As he continued, Helena just listened to what he had to say, doing her best to process the high volume of information she was currently being bombarded with.

Once Ryrja was sitting again, the muscles in her legs relaxed and the debris on the forest floor returned to their still state. “I…I’m sorry, Ryrja was it?” she asked, a quiver to her voice. “I, uh, I’m H-Helena. Just, you know,” she motioned towards the road with one hand, “Heading to Iadan to- you realize you’re not supposed to be real, right?” Helena suddenly interjected. “I-I mean you’re a-a-ohh,” she muttered, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded about the whole thing. “You’re a guardian,” she finally mumbled after a moment, hand rising to run through her hair. “Not like a stone one in a park or something, but a-“ she stopped, motioning to him as, for the first time, she let her eyes run over the impressive looking creature that Ryrja was.

In all, he was a bit breathtaking, which at the moment was overwhelming to the girl. “And Phadan? No idea,” Helena muttered distantly, having not been listening to the whole ‘things that might kill you’ part. She had to process one thing at a time and, for now, that one thing was the fact that Ryrja existed at all. “How can you be real?” she said softly, speaking more to herself than to the guardian, hesitantly moving a step closer as her eyes continued to take in each and every detail, from the swirl of his fur to the jewels on his head.

Ryrja watched the woman intently as she finally reacted to him. “I…I’m sorry, Ryrja was it? I, uh, I’m H-Helena. Just, you know, heading to Iadan to. You realize you’re not supposed to be real, right? I-I mean you’re a-a-ohh. You’re a guardian. Not like a stone one in a park or something, but a-. And Phadan? No idea.. How can you be real?" Helena managed to get out. Ryrja contemplated all of her ramblings. "I have always been. As have the others of my kind. I have been protecting the Great Forest all of my life. It is the only reason that this forest is still standing as it did so long ago." Ryrja had noticed Helena's movement. He slowly stood and moved a bit closer to the Human. He then began to circle her playfully. "Phadan are soul stealers. They live to rip the hearts out of Humans and Spirits. If they are able to do this, then they become so very powerful. For many years we have been able to keep them out of the world. Somehow, they've been able to slip past all of our barriers. If they steal your soul, as a Human, you would become lifeless, living life in a grey haze. You would have no feelings..no cares. I, on the other hand, would simply stop existing. I would die. Spirits cannot live without their souls, you see. I've been told that it's a terrible feeling, having your soul ripped from you body." he said, continuing to eye the girl. He came to stand in front of her once again, closer than before.

The Spirit tilted his head, as if trying to decide something. "I'm afraid that if the Phadan are not stopped, we will be forced to pull out of your world. I would be greatly saddened if it comes to that." he said. He looked off to the right, as if sensing something. Turning back to Helena, Ryrja wagged his long tail. "I think that you should at least allow me to escort you to your destination. I would feel better knowing that you arrive safely." He wondered if the Human would allow him to go with her. He'd not informed her of his ranking, hoping that she would trust him either way. He hated that most of the other Spirits were only kind to him because he was so powerful. He hoped that Helena would come to like him for..well..him. "You know, if its easier on you, I can shift into my other form." he said. He began the shift, a bright light surrounding him..blocking him from the Human. Ryrja felt his bones changing. Getting stretched, broken, and healed. His fur disappeared to be replaced by hair upon his head. Lastly, his horns and gems disappeared. The bright light faded and revealed Ryrja's form. He appeared Human now. He was quite short, standing at only five foot two. His hair matched his fur color, a shocking blue. A nose piercing was able to be seen. The Spirit was fully clothed, wearing a white dress shirt, a black pinstriped vest, black pants, converse, a black and white checkered scarf, and a black beanie upon his head. He was smiling at the Human. "Is this better?" he asked. He continued to watch Helena, wondering what she was thinking.

As he began to circle her, her body began tense and her head tilted down and to the side, eyes watching whenever he moved back in front of her; spirit or not, she still didn’t trust something that looked as though it could do that much damage. Her right hand lifted a little, tensed as though she was holding something, however, it remained still while Ryrja continued to speak.

The whole ‘soul being ripped from your body’ part didn’t sound like something too pleasant, but the whole not having feelings or cares? Yeah, Helena could definitely go for that one. They had both caused her nothing but grief for the majority of her life and she’d be eager to shed them at the first chance, but of course she wasn’t taking dealing with this Phadan as an opportunity for it.

As Ryrja sat, she once again calmed a little and continued to listen, looking surprised at his sudden offer. “You…you want to escort me?” she asked, not quite sure that he was being serious about the whole thing. Falling silent for a moment, her mind shifted between a myriad of thoughts. She had though that, somewhere long ago, she had heard that the Spirits only aid those who are good and pure hearted, not people like her. Especially not people like her. Yet, here Ryrja was offering to walk her through a forest to protect her from unseen force?

About to ask a question, her lips parted but stilled when he spoke again. “Other…form?” she asked, head tilting to the side. She instantly threw her arm up over her eyes, jumping back away from the light that engulfed the gigantic spirit, continuing to take a few more steps back as it continued. Standing there baffled, the look of surprise only further deepened on her face when there stood a human instead of the furred beast before. Her lips stayed parted, the confused look reigning supreme on her features.

“I…uh..yeah. Yeah that’s, you know…better,” came her distant sounding tone, her mind once again having to process each thing that happened. Her eyes scanned over each and every inch of the now human Spirit, taking a few steps closer to him. Well, he certainly looked less menacing. That was a plus. “….how did you do that?” she mumbled, though once again this was more to herself than to him. “It’s rather handy trick, I must admit.” She stepped a little to the side, now being the one to walk around him as she checked to see how genuinely human he was. By the time she made it back to the place where she had started, she had to admit it could have fooled anyone.

Her eyes finally rose to meet his bright blue ones. “Are you sure you want to escort me?” she asked at last, worried that this was some sort of trick, however, if there really were things floating around out there she couldn’t see, she’d hate to have to go at them on her own. Not that she couldn’t, of course, but it would at least be nice to have some warning. On top of that, if anyone did happen to come after her on the Great Road, she’d have some back up. Win-win situation…of course unless Ryrja ended up figuring out she was a terrible person and ended up eating her or something.

“I could use the extra set of eyes,” she finally added, as if sealing the fact that she would accept his help if he decided to give it.

Ryrja eyed Helena closely as the woman realized that he now appeared Human. She took a few steps closer to him. “….how did you do that?” Helena asked. The woman was walking around Ryrja, seeming to take in his new appearance. “It’s rather handy trick, I must admit.” The Spirit smiled at the Human. "Well, my kind..we are ranked by our achievements..our success in the field. I have reached the highest ranking possible..that is..for those of us that are not High Born. The High Born are the original Spirits that watched over this world. They now are our..leaders. They are the ones that give out orders..our purpose. Anyway, those of us that are not High Born must work to earn certain abilities. Each of the gems that are upon my true form symbolizes an accomplishment which in turn granted a new power. Only the highest ranking our my kind can shift into a Human form. I believe..if my memory serves me correctly that there are only two others right now that are able to shift." he explained, smiling at Helena. He hoped that by being in his Human form that the woman wouldn't be so weary of him. He wanted to help her. He felt..almost..drawn to her. Felt the need to protect her. To make sure that she made it to her destination.

As Ryrja stood eyeing Helena, the woman finally raised her eyes to his own. He held her gaze steadily for a moment before the woman spoke to him. “Are you sure you want to escort me?” Confusion crossed his face for a short moment. Why would she ask him such a question. Did she think so little of herself that she thought that he shouldn't want to escort her? Before he was able to speak, Helena was speaking again. “I could use the extra set of eyes,” The Spirit slowly turned away from Helena and began walking upon the Great Road. He looked back to Helena. "I am sure that I'd like to escort you. Come. It is a long ways to the end and it is best if we get on our way." he said. He turned his body back around and began down the road once again. They traveled for a long time. As they traveled, many of the wildlife seemed curious that the Spirit was walking upon the Road. Most of the time, their Guardian preferred to stay off of the Road. He paid no mind to the animals, seeming to feel no threat not even from the few wolves or bears that they would pass. "Tell me, Helena, about yourself..your world. It's been such a very long time since I've left this place." he said softly. He slowed down a bit, so that he could walk beside of the woman. He wondered if she'd calmed any around him yet. He hoped so. He turned his bright eyes to the woman, watching her closely.

((Sorry it's taken me so long to reply! I went out of town for my wedding and ended up not having internet..even though I was supposed to :())

High borns. Gems. Powers. Yeah, Helena was lost. She was trying to follow along, a furrowed brow having taken over the expression on her face as she did her best to catch all the new information being tossed at her. She brought one hand up, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shut her eyes. It was bad enough that the Forest Spirit existed at all, but now she had all this to process which wasn’t exactly sinking in past the sheer barrier of shock created by the situation. Still, she did her best to settle it all in, retaining enough to learn that he was rather high ranking for his kind, and that there were others; a thought that Helena couldn’t decide if it unsettled her or not. Well, there were those…evil…thingys out to get people, right? So it might be a good thing if there were more of like him lurking around.

At the thought, the girl’s dark eyes scanned the forest around, as if another strangely colored dog would just pop out of the woods. Finding none, her eyes finally turned back to him as he answered her questions. Giving a soft nod of her head as he began walking, staying a few steps to his left and about a half pace behind, taking the opportunity to gaze over at the blue haired male. He was…strange looking to her, though she was sure most of that was due to the fact she knew what he really looked like behind that guise. Still, at the same them, there was something strangely alluring about him. As if the sheer magnitude of what he really was somehow seeping through this form as well.

Magnatude aside, the whole him looking like a human finally soothed her a bit, and she quickened her pace to walk astride with him, though she did keep a wary eye towards him every now and then. Sure, he seemed genuine and friendly, but she was accustomed to things changing quickly in her line of work.

She jumped a bit when he started speaking, having been watching the animals that passed, fascinated with the way they just wandered out and stared. “Oh. Me?...How about we stick with the world, it’s far more interesting.” She reached up to run a hand through her hair as she thought. “There is…well, the same. Really. People get in spats, constantly develop new technology, and then use it to mess with each other,” she muttered, though took in a deep breath, knowing that sounded a bit droll, as was her outlook on the world in general. “Well, for something new, people have started messing with…abilities and such. Like telekenisis and working with energy fields. Once again, something new to mess with other people with…umm, other than that, things seem to be the same. New clothes, I’d imagine. That is about the only thing that every truly changes with people, yeah?” she asked, figuring he’d seen a far wider span of time than she had.

“To be fair,” she continued, “I’m not the best person to ask about the world. I like to keep my head down and just cruise along on my own life. Get through it, you know? Do whatever I need to get out of the system.” There was a sort of unpleasant tone in her voice at the last statement, showing she wasn’t too happy with her method of life. However, as she spoke, it seemed to slowly take her mind off the fact that Ryrja wasn’t just another person, her pace slowing a bit more as she walked closer to him. Her eyes drifted up as she talked, meeting and holding his gaze as she spoke; something she did quite often with people, as she was accustomed to searching for their true intentions. Even as she spoke to him now, her eyes were focused on what she found in his gaze, which only further served to disarm the woman as she felt a welcomed presence of sincerity, something that she hadn't seen someone possess in a very, very long time.

Ryrja listened closely as Helena spoke to him about the world and its people. "Yes. Your kind has never been satisfied with the way things are. Always messing with things that should be left alone." the Spirit said softly, smiling. It was true. Though he'd not been out of the Forest in some time, Ryrja had once been allowed to travel the world many long years ago. Even then, Humans had looked to meddle in things that they should not have. Before the war between the two Human races, both races had sought to find a way to cross into the Spirits' realm. The High Born had not punished the Humans openly. No. That wouldn't have looked good upon them and could have wavered the faith that had been placed in the Spirits. Instead, the High Born had decided to wipe the event from the Humans' minds. Ryrja had always doubted that his leaders had managed to erase all traces of the event. Someone, somewhere had to of kept a record. As the Spirit brought himself back to the present and back to Helena, he realized that the woman was still speaking. “To be fair, I’m not the best person to ask about the world. I like to keep my head down and just cruise along on my own life. Get through it, you know? Do whatever I need to get out of the system.” the woman said. The Spirit tilted his head as if in confusion upon hearing Helena speaking. It was obvious to him that the woman wasn't pleased with her way of life.

As a Spirit, Ryrja had never really had a option..or..the ability to choose what he wanted to do with his life. It was the only thing that Ryrja had ever really admired about the Humans. He wondered why someone would be doing something that they didn't want to do. It made no sense to him. The woman had turned her eyes to his, holding his gaze. The Spirit allowed it and he doubted that the woman realized that it was rare for a Human to look a Spirit so in the eyes as she was doing. Ryrja smiled at the woman brightly. "I must admit that I do not understand your kind..at times." Ryrja paused for a moment, thinking of how to word his statement. He removed his gaze from Helena's and looked ahead, trying to keep his senses on alert. "I have seen, in my time, many that do not care for what they do or aren't happy with their current situation. It..confuses me. We are not given a choice. We are simply told what we are to do with our lives. I envy your kind...you know?" The Spirit was now eyeing Helena out of the corner of his eye, waiting for her reaction. "I love what I do. Do not get me wrong, but the ability to choose to do it..that I think would be a wonderful thing." he laughed lightly. "I'm sorry. I must sound silly." As they traveled along the road at a moderate pace, Ryrja went silent once again. He feared that perhaps he'd said too much but at the same time he felt oddly happy that he'd told Helena how he felt. He wasn't used to having someone to speak to and he had to admit that it was quite nice.

Hearing him out, Helena listened to the spirit’s thoughts. For a moment, she too feel silent as they walked, gathering her thoughts together before speaking. “Not silly at all,” she finally commented with a shrug. “But I just don’t think you understand enough about being a human to realize that some people don’t have a choice. They’re stuck doing what they have to do, just like you.” She turned her gaze away from him now, not wanting to hold it any longer for her own reasons. “If someone is…good at something, gifted you might say, they are rather stuck in life to do that. Sure, you can try to do something else, but if you want to pay the bills, you have to do what you can do and, if you’re good at it, all the better. Well, it’s kinda like you, in a way. Not completely, but sometimes life seems to assign you a job and you’ve got to go with it…well, unless you don’t mind not having a place to sleep or food to eat. There’s always that nasty little catch of being mortal that people, and apparently spirits too, forget about.” There was a sour tinge to her words, almost a bite of resentment towards Ryrja for insinuating that humans were completely free and could just do as they pleased. Sure, you could attempt to do that, and it might even work if you were a lucky one. However, for most of population, you were stuck doing whatever you could do to scrape by even if that work happened to be unsavory.

Helena fell silent after her last comment, subconsciously shifting around the black pack on her back before rubbing the back of her neck; it was quite clear that she was a little uncomfortable with what she was doing, and with exactly how life had worked out. Sure, she wasn’t going to mope around all day and have a pity party for herself, but there were times that it didn’t set well with her. Attempting to pull out of it, she finally just looked over to Ryrja again. “So, I’m assuming that Spirits don’t have to pay pills or put clothes on their back, so what’s keeping you from doing what you want?” she asked, the surreal nature of the whole situation allowing her to speak a bit more frankly to him now that he wasn’t walking around as a gigantic dog. However, she threw out a guess to her question before she allowed him to answer it. “Wait, let me guess, some sort of grand responsibility or sense of purpose? Feeling like you are obligated to protect everything and just hide in the bushes all day?”

Though her tone was a little dull, she did honestly wonder what the motivation was being one of those eternal spirits…well, except being a spirit at all. Obviously, Spirits were going to do what they were created to do but, still, Ryrja was being rather open with her and doubting she’d ever be in a situation like this again, she took the liberty of sating her curiosity.

Ryrja listened to Helena as she spoke to him and he did not speak for some time after the woman had finished speaking. He wasn't quite sure how to take what she'd said. He did anything but hide. He made sure to allow his face no room for looking bothered by Helena's statement. Instead, he chose to smile though he was sure that it wasn't quite like the others that he'd given the woman. "The reason that I remain here, protecting the Forest, does partially have to do with what you said. I am obligated to do so and although those have been my orders since my creation, I would not change them. I take great pride in serving the High Born." he said, continuing walking and looking ahead. It was true. He could think of nothing else that he would ever rather do. Anything other than serving the creators would not satisfy him. "Just so you know, I do not hide in the bushes all day. I am actually kept quite busy as of late because of the Phadan." with that he became silent again. His eyes flicking about as if looking for something. He led the way for another two hours before slowly coming to a stop in the middle of the road. "It's getting late. Perhaps we should find a place to sleep for the night." he said softly. He smiled at Helena, and then turned his body around and quickly made his way off of the road. He walked for a ways until he came to a small clearing. He decided that this would serve them for the night. As a Spirit, Ryrja would not become cold unless the temperature was terribly awful. He normally didn't need a fire and therefore didn't even make like he was going to make one. He leaned against a tree, watching Helena closely.

He was unsure if the Phadan had realized that there was a Human in the Forest yet. He really hoped that they hadn't. The longer that they were able to travel without the threat of the demons..the better. The woman he was escorting seemed to be reacting better to him in this form and if they were being chased..he would have to shift into his true form and he wasn't sure how she would react to that. He would have to pray to the High Born for them to see the pair safely through the Forest. Ryrja wasn't worried about himself. No..he was more worried about Helena. He didn't want to think what would happen to her if the Phadan got to her. Rumors had begun running around that the demons had begun actually killing their victims. He really hoped that wasn't true. The Phadan were cruel creatures and why they'd not been able to eradicate the creatures was a mystery to Ryrja. "You should rest as much as possible. Our journey will be long and if we are unlucky then we won't be able to rest like this often." he said, eyeing the woman. His bright eyes seemed to almost glow in the increasing darkness. Finally, he looked away from the Human, closing his eyes. He could sense all of the wildlife around them. They all seemed to be feeling curious and...worried? A troubled look crossed Ryrja's handsome face. Why would they be worried? He would not be sleeping that night..at least until he was able to find out what was bothering the creatures.


[Again, I'm really sorry about the wait. :( I was able to get it done before work though! ^^]

Helena listened. Well, at least he enjoyed what he had to do. Must be nice, she thought and a little envy squirmed its way through her, though she was quick to squash the tiny green beast back down where it belonged. Besides, he was a otherwordly sort of spirit who had a job to do…not much higher callings really existed out there but, still, that wasn’t at all what most human’s faced. She was obviously a woman inclined to thinking that the world wasn’t all that it was cut out to be. Thoughts attempting to deviate from the current situation, they snapped back when Ryrja added that he didn’t just ‘hide in the bushes’. A small, rather devious smirk curled at the corner of her lips as her eyes ran over him, a brighter gleam within them. Oh, so that bothered him, did it? Good. She’d remember that.

Helena had fallen silent over their walk, seeming intent on watching the forest as well. Though she wasn’t as aware of the danger as Ryrja was, she was still cautious all together. Normally, she had been stuck in more urban settings and the growing shadows of the forest were forigen to her. The sounds of the animals were all new, a chorus of unfamiliar chirps and calls that she had no idea what they were for. Occasionally, at the snap of a twig or a far off sound, her steps would falter as she gazed warily in its direction, unsure of her surroundings. When not seeming distracted by the forest around her, she would let her gaze linger to the male who walked beside her, only slightly more settled with his presence than she was the forest around her. She just couldn’t figure him out, nor really cope with his existence for that matter, but at least he seemed to be helping for now which was a small comfort though…there was something disarming about him that she couldn’t place. Something trustworthy. She hadn’t quite figured it out yet.


As Ryrja spoke, Helena jumped slightly. “Oh, yeah.” She gazed up and around, painfully aware that it was getting dark quickly. She hadn’t yet come to terms with the entire being in a forest overnight, thing. Normally, traveling somewhere alone didn’t bother her, but being stuck in such a massive forest had thrown her a bit out of her element and, honestly, she was rather glad Ryrja was there. It was a small comfort in unfamiliar territory. “And don’t worry about me and rest. I don’t often get a full night’s sleep, so I am accustomed to long days,” she assured him before returning her attention to the clearing.

Gazing around, she finally walked over to the base of a large tree, moving to sit as she removed her pack and sat it beside her. She began rummaging through it, pulling out a few cellophane wrapped bars and a small canteen of water out. Removing a small flashlight, she set everything down next to each other before she reached down and removed the gun off her side. She began checking it over, body falling into a routine she did every night when on a mission. Satisfied with it, she placed it back on her hip but kept the holster unbuttoned for ease of access. Reaching to the side, she picked up one of the bars and began to unwrap it, stopping suddenly as she remembered that she actually had someone with her for a change.

“Oh…you, uh…do you eat normal food?” she asked, quite unsure if he did nor not. “I mean, if you’re hungry I have a few energy bars that I make. Not the tastiest thing but they pack a punch of nutrients. Keeps me from having to stop and get food all the time.” She reached over and gently tapped the other one with her finger before sliding it out a bit, offering the peanut butter flavored thing to if he wanted it out of a show of kindness, not wanting to seem rude.

She settled back a bit more against the tree, one knee propped up now as she began munching on the bar, eyes going to the Forest Spirit again. “So, these whole Phadan things…anything else I should know about them? I don’t like having no clue of what I am up against. I mean-,” she began to look around as she spoke, “How do they move? Attack? What can I expect from them? And, I mean, if you are what a good guy looks like- not what you look like now but what you really look like, than I can guess they are probably going to be something rather...alarming to look at. I want to be ready. Just in case, you know.” It was in her nature to want to know what she was up against and how to best approach an attack. Sure, she could handle herself, but the element of surprise could turn the entire tide of a battle in the blink of an eye, and she only had one trick up her sleeve that she doubted would put them off.

Ryrja gazed at Helena closely. The woman was sitting at the base of one of the trees that was in the clearing. He was intrigued as she went about some sort of routine. It was a curiosity to him. As a Spirit, Ryrja normally was not in his Human form. He had no need for such nighttime rituals. Normally, he would eat and then go back to his cave that he normally stayed in, and then would lay down to sleep. It was a sort of ritual, perhaps, now that he was thinking about it. It really didn't matter though. It was when she offered him food, that he seemed to snap out of the deep thought he'd been in. He looked to the woman and then the energy bar that she'd moved away from her a bit, offering it to him. "I can or I can hunt. Either is sufficient for me. But, I thank you for your kindness." He fell silent again, eyeing the woman as she began eating. It wasn't long before Helena was speaking to him again..asking him about the Phadan. Ryrja thought for a moment, trying to decide how he should begin.

After a long moment of silence, Ryrja's face grew a bit grim. "The Phadan have been around as long as we have. They are..quite different from us, I'm afraid. They are larger than us, by at least a foot..sometimes more. They are dark in color, in order to easily avoid detection by your kind, I suspect. When they do reveal themselves, before they attempt to steal your soul, their form is that of what you would consider a giant.." The Spirit thought for a moment, attempting to think of what the demons looked like to a Human. After a moment of silence, the Spirit continued. "A giant onyx colored tiger that has flaming red eyes that glow." The Spirit watched Helena as if trying to gauge how the woman was taking this information. The Phadan were terrible to look upon and he somehow felt that no matter the description he gave of them, it wouldn't do them justice. As for their movement, the Phadan move much like I do..in my true form. They are a bit quicker, though. Their use of the darkness aids in this."

Ryrja gently slid down so that he was sitting against the large tree. His eyes had yet to leave Helena. "Their attacks are strong and violent. They will use their fangs and claws but if somehow you are able to stand up to them, they will then use energy-like attacks. Dark energy that is. I fear that I have never seen a Human withstand their energy attacks. They are unkind and will find anyway to get to you. They thrive from fear. They are..almost attracted to it, you could say. They are terrible and I can only hope that you never cross one." he fell silent, still watching the Human. "Do not fear. Should they find us I will be able to at least distract them long enough for you to get away." He closed his eyes again, trying to feel the emotions from the wildlife once again. Still worried. Perhaps after Helena was asleep he would shift and investigate..just to make sure that nothing was wrong.

As Ryrja continued to speak, Helena was completely silent. The look on her face grew more and more grave as he just continued to add lovely details about their new ‘friends’ that were probably lurking somewhere in the forest as they spoke. She shifted uncomfortably and looked around, eyes scanning the forest before finally coming back to him as he continued to go on about their attacks and exactly what they could do to a person. Taking a quiet moment to regain her composure, she took in a deep breath and tried to act as evenly as possible.

“So, giant black tigers with flames for eyes? Don’t think I am going to miss that one and,” she began rummaging through her pack again, “if I do, shame on me. Really, if I miss a black tiger running at me, I kind of deserve to be eaten or...or whatever it is that they do to a person.” Finding what she was looking for, Helena leaned back. in her hand was a sort of silver high tech syringe. The long needled was capped and the tube above was a pure metallic silver with only one sliver of transparent glass to show a bluish liquid that filled the inside. She leaned up and settled it into her left boot, keeping it close in case she needed it. Though she didn’t speak about it, it was obviously something important enough that she wanted to keep it close on her person.

“So,” she muttered a she continued to fidget with her boot. “ Let me get this straight. Gigantic black flaming tigers that can not only smell your fear but love it, and they attack using not only deadly claws, but some sort of magic? Huh....Well then, I suppose there is only one question that is left to ask.” Her gaze slowly moved back to Ryrja, looking through strands of her hair that fell out of place. “How do I kill one?” A small smirk formed on her lips, an attempt to lighten the rather dire mood that was currently settling over them. Sitting back up, she silently watched the forest spirit for guidance, knowing that the information he gave her now could save her life. Secretly, though, she hoped she’d never need to use it.

"Assuming I even can, of course," she added shortly after, relaxing back against the tree once again as she let one hand rest on her holster while the other laid in her lap. Despite the outlandish situation, the woman was rather tired and it was beginning to show as her shoulders were slowly relaxing and the intense, guarded look in her gaze began to be replaced by the haze of sleep.