Tirou grinned, "God is a joke..." She turned and walked off in some direction, she wasn't sure where she was going to get yet, but she needed to find some place to stop, where it would be safe. Leaving a mark on the world? Pointless. She took a seat, leaning back against a rock, taking out her map. Let's see... There. She marked a medium sized city, it was farther away than the one the others were going to, but big enough for no one to notice her coming in. "Better get goin' then..." Tirou hopped up to her feet and began to head out. "Well, good luck to them... They'll certainly need it." Tirou whistled to herself as she walked.

Interesting change of tables, this...

Kaleb watched Tirou walk away from the group, angry and skeptic. She could not have waited for a better opportunity. Uncrossing her arms from over her chest, Kaleb hopped off her Spectral Board and landed softly in the grass. This Tirou had quite a fire inside her. An individual; those were rare in these times.

She leaned against the cool bark of the tree, waiting for Tirou to come closer.

Tirou's stomach growled. Guess it's dinner time then... She sat down near a tree and took out her pack, pulling out some bread and a fruit. "Well... Better than nothing." She ate slowly, leaning back against the tree and looking up at the sky, it was going to get dark soon. The temperature out was a bit chilly, but, it didn't bother Tirou in the slightest. Gonna have to sleep soon...

Kaleb, still unseen to the untrained eye under the shadow of her tree, decided that it was time she make herself known. The girl looked like she had cooled off since her exchange with the group, and people were usually a lot more approachable like this. She reached into her pack and produced a canteen of water.

Taking a swig of the clear and refreshing liquid, Kaleb strutted forward toward the eating girl. She had not forgotten that this girl had been the one to defend her from the attacks of the insolent Chosen, Clad or something like that. Kaleb had no ill intention toward this girl at the moment, and if she played her cards right, then there would be no need for hostility at all. Casually, as if she were some ordinary citizen out for a walk, Kaleb approached Tirou.

She offered her canteen, "Something to wash it down with, kid?"

Tirou looked up at the woman, "That whole shadow thing must be useful..." She reached up and grabbed the canteen, taking a long drink from it, and handing it back. She rose to her feet, eyes set on Kaleb's, "Name's Tirou, and I'm not a kid." She smirked and leaned against the tree. "So! What can I do for you?" Guess this is it... She'll either kill me, or try to recruit me... "Oh and, sorry about earlier, I figured I'd help them since they had the numbers, and what I thought, the advantage. But apparently, I was wrong."

"Strength in numbers," Kaleb said, recapping her canteen. "I see we're the kind to chose the winning side, no matter whom that may be. And don't sweat it - I've been betrayed by closer acquaintances. Heh, I like you already, kid." Despite what Tirou had told her about not being a child, Kaleb couldn't help it. In the language her home country, sentences addressed to people younger or relatively close in age to you ended in a suffix that roughly translated to 'kid'. She did not say this to be mean or to seem condescending, it was just a term of endearment.

She put her hands in her pockets, looking up into the darkening sky with a curious smile. Kaleb had a feeling Tirou knew what she had come for, but there was no need to rush the recruitment just yet. "Big place, this world of ours. You ever wonder what we must look like to people in other worlds? Well, if you believe in that sort of thing, I mean..."

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," she said. In accordance to her homeland's customs, Kaleb bowed before Tirou. "I am Kaleb, Shadow Master. Yourself?"

Tirou nodded in response to Kaleb's bow. "Tirou, not-so-master of ice." She grinned. "What people of another world think of us? Well frankly I usually don't concern myself with what others think... But, I guess it all depends on what kind of world they're in. But I suppose we would look like fools either way, and I imagine we would think the same of them..." Tirou shrugged off the kid comment, it didn't seem she meant any disrespect by it. "But, that's an odd question.. Why do you ask?"

"Well." Kiisan watched Tirou leave, intrigued by the little conversation she had with Tiberious.
"The girl may have a point there. I don't do so well with.. questions. I'm not one of your little cadre of all-powerful heroes.." She chuckled a little. The very thought of such a thing..

Tiberius turned to face Kiisan and an odd expression played about his face.

"I assume that you do not want to stay out in the open, and you are certainly safer with us. But I suppose it's your choice any way. Though I am sure we'd like you to stay."

"Oh, no reason," Kaleb said casually. "A bit of a test of the mind, I s'ppose. I liked your answer."

"So you control ice," Kaleb affirmed. "Interesting element that one - I was under the impression one must master both water and air before being able to create a second-level element. But you say you're not very proficient? Well, there's training for that. I suppose this is all new to you, though - so you're not very versed in this sort of thing. Well, I could help you master your element, if you'd like. I'm no master of earthly elements, yet I, if I recall correctly, a master of ice owes me a favor."

"Training?..." She let the idea settle in, she had seen what her element could do, with training, she knew she could do much more. "I suppose I'm interested... But what's the catch?" Tirou had learned that nothing comes for free, despite that it may appear to be, there's always a cost somewhere down the road. She doesn't seem like such a bad person... Though I don't think I have enough information to judge anything quite yet... What are her motives? She eyed Kaleb up and down, "Say... Where are you from?"

Kaleb noticed Tirou's glance - probably interested in her odd attire. This was something that happened more often than not when outside of her hometown. But Kaleb had become so used to outsiders and foreigners taking in her style of clothing with a bemused expression on their faces, that this was no longer an issue of discomfort for her. If anything, it now added a sort of zeal to her wanderings.

"I hail from a place very much far from here," she said, looking into the distance. Not a hint of nostalgia accompanied the recollections now flooding her mind. "A few well-defined mountain ranges and bodies of water stand between myself and that place now, but I do not miss it. Though custom usually calls for one's place of origin to be called 'home', I have to admit that it was no home to me."

For a fleeting instant, an old ache began to throb across Kaleb's back. But she blocked it from her mind - now was not the time to dwell on painful childhood memories. "But I digress...you asked for a catch. Well, it's not really a 'catch' - more of an exchange rate, if you will. Quite obviously, it would not be to my advantage if I were to send you on your merry way to train with an ice master if your plans are to reunite with the menagerie of Chosen you aided earlier today. At the risk of sounding overtly blunt, if you were train with this master, I would like to be beneficial to my cause.

'But as I see you can be indecisive at times, I must know that my investment is a sure one. So all this deal will require is your word - or rather, blood signature - that you will remain faithful to my cause until it is complete. Afterwards, you are free to do what your heart pleases without any concern for a contract."

Tirou noted a hint of discomfort after mentioning her "home". Hrm, perhaps I'll dig deeper into that later... "A reasonable offer." Tirou nodded, "But before I sign on with you, what exactly IS your cause?... Whatever it is, it doesn't matter to me, I mainly ask out of curiosity." Ain't a bad deal... I get training, and in return I join her side, which so far appears to be the winning side... And once my job is over, no further commitments. Not like I've got anything to lose anyways. Tirou looked up at the now, night sky. She took in a deep breath of the cool night air, simply watching the stars as she waited for a reply.

Another smile could not help but spread across Kaleb's face. Well, it was more of a smirk that a smile, but it was a facial expression nonetheless. "Always like to know what we're fighting for, eh?"

"Well, put simply, to wipe out the disgusting blemish that is humanity upon the face of this beautiful planet," she said very non-nonchalantly. "Humans repulse me. They take this earth and do with it what they will, not even considering what consequences their actions will bring. It makes me sick to my stomach. And this is why they must be wiped out. This earth is not theirs - they are not in tune with nature as we are, they cannot feel the pain that comes with every tree they cut down, every river they dump waste into."

"I plan to make a world of elemental beings. Only us, who know and feel the rape of this earth, can live on it. Only those of use who would care and nurture this sphere are able to live on it."

Tirou nodded. "Where do I sign?" A small smirk made it's way across her lips. I can't say I feel as vindicated to this cause as she does but... Tirou attempted to stifle a yawn as she stretched. Blood signature... Wonder what exactly that is... Sounds kinda painful. She shrugged to herself, leaning back against the tree.

"Sign, eh?" Kaleb stuck one hand out into the shadow under the trees. The lsunight might have faded, but the moonlight still shone brightly in the sky. She pulled forward, and a strand of shadow came to stop at her feet. Another swift move from her hand, and the shadow stretched, stopping at Kaleb's face.

"Well, basically," Kaleb began. "All you have to do is put a drop of your blood on this here piece of shadow. In addition to signing up, this is also my sort of - insurance. If you happen to leave the cause without my knowing or approval, the shadows will sense it. As they have your blood, you will be consumed eternally by the cold darkness that is the world of shadow no matter how far away from me you manage to get."

She spread the shadow out before Tirou, so that it appeared almost like a piece of paper, and held it up to the girl. "So if you still want to sign, go ahead and do it. No hard feelings if you decide not to, however."

Tirou couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, that definitely is some effective insurance." She peered at the sheet of darkness, poking at it. Eh well... Tirou reached into her jacket, pulling out a small knife, she made a cut on her right palm. Blood began to drip down, she moved her hand over the sheet, and let it drip down. Still not sure what this all means... But... At least this way, I have some sort of purpose, some sort of goal. I know who I'm fighting, not fighting some abstract concept of "evil". She watched the blood fall, and the sheet, it seemed to move in slow motion, her mind was in hyper drive. This drop of blood... Is now my future...

(OOC: I'm going to have to go on hiatus for a while. Not certain how long. As soon as I get a computer of my own though I'll be back here. For the meantime, just assume Kiisan went her own way. Hopefully this won't be for too long. I'll try to read and keep up with the storyline. Keep up the good RP, have fun.)

Tiberius watched as Kiisan went her own way. He thought it slighlty odd, but it was her choice.

"Looks like it's just me and you Clad. Well, were do we go, you're the one in charge."