In order everyone left their respective tunnels to meet in the same chamber. Takato, Saru, Gale, Rapheal, and finally Cheryll carried by Shild. The chamber was large but down the tunnel they could see light at the end so good bet it was the exit. At the end of that tunnel was the exit outside and the sun was high in the sky above them. Off in the distance the start of the desert sand was visible and to the west a town was close by. A town that wasn't on any map of either Masu Empire or the Desert Nation.

When they got to the town Cheryll had regained enough strength to move again, if shaky at that. The town was small and seemed to consist ranches with many different animals, some were strange mixes of animals as well, never before did most people think they would watch a man ride by them on a horse colored like a cow, with utters to boot. Schild left the group to go find an inn and took Cheryll so she could rest. When He left the rest of them were approached by a man in a long dark red robe that reached down to his ankles, his feet were shoed by sandals. "Travelers I see." He looked at them all and said, "From the north I assumed, or albino to not get a tan in this heat by now." He laughed a bit and said, "Welcome to Veleeon, is there anything I can help y'all with?"

Takato was baking alive, all the metal he had abosorbed was attracting heat like a microwave oven. He whipped his shirt across his brow with aditated speed. "Yeah i definatly need some clothes that would keep me cool."

Saru was already down to just his pants but seemed to be enjoying every minute of it as he ran from stall to stall gawking at all the animals.

Rapheal was using his powers to keep himself cool. "If you would like i could cool you off." Rapheal said not thinking about how metal cools off faster then the normal materials he is used to dealing with. "I have never visted a desert before it is really hot. It is better then the lava though." Rapheal says out loud to noone in perticular. Rapheal watches Saru run form stall to stall and says "I thought as a traviling animal you would be used to seeing different kinds of creatures."

Saru responded while goading a squirrel monkey to move with his staff. He didnt even turn his head. "im not really a monkey technically."

"Who are you trying to kid monkey boy?" A familiar voice said from behind the group. Hiuko, with Bangs on his shoulder, walked up to the group with a smile on his face. Looking at how dirty the group was he had to ask, "What happened, you guys go through the mountain tunnels or something? You do know that the road from Masu Empire leads up to the mountain pass, quite a nice place to pass through as well, they upgraded that road to cobblestone."

Saru had bangs in the air cuddling with glee. His staff lay at takato's feet, his hair unfamilarly short, features quite refined and tail no where in site. "Now this is my favorite hybrid animal!"

"Ha, told you I'd get the first hug." Bangs mentally said for everyone to hear. "Ya ya, you're just lucky you're cute." Hiuko said looked around at everyone. He walked over to Rapheal and held out his hand, "Seems I don't know you, the name is Hiuko Silverbane."

"Did that cat just speak?" He asked outload to noone in perticuler. Turning to Hiuko with a smile "Hello i am Rapheal Taym nice to meet you and did your cat just talk?" he said still confused by the talking cat

"Well kinda, she says it telepathically." He answered as Bangs wriggled free of Saru. Bangs walked up to Rapheal and looking up mentally said, "The half elf is right." She told him mentally.

Hiuko looked around and asked, "So I thought you guys had an air ship, what happened to it?" While he was talking four men were walking up behind him heading from the mountains into town. Hiuko stayed silent as they passed by the group and whoever had answered his question he interrupted by whispering, "Anyone else notice the townsfolk left the street when those four guys started walking in."

Saru shrugged, "Something about a lizard or sumthin." He muttered examining a turkey pig ignoring the strangers.

A person in a black cloak walked up to the four and what the person said was unsure but it invoked loud responses from the other men. One yelled, "We have an army of men in the mountains ready to strike this village, you think you can take us all on!?" The cloackes person reach out and grabbed the mans face with his left hand. He raised the man off his feet and simply held him there, squeezing. After a minute the man off his feet yelled in pain and went limp. He was tossed aside like a rag and the other three ran away in fear. The cloaked person raise his right arm slightly, but put it back down rethinking the idea, the cloak kept the hand hidden the whole time though. The person just stood there and watched as the three went to gather the army.

Takato sighed, his hand meeting his head. "How do we always get involved in these things?" Hus attention strafed to the cloaked man. What did he just do?

Saru was mounted, hloding fast onto the neck of an ostarick cheetah he had found somewhere. "WE RIDE AT DAWN!" His face was spilt in a smile of exagerated proportions. "I love you guys, never a dull moment."

"Dawn? I don't think we have that long." The voice from the cloak was very low, undoubtedly a male voice. The man lifted his head a bit, the motion told the to turn around, men were walking out of the mountains by the hundreds. "Hold on a sec. I've got some more people coming in from the desert." He turned his head and a girl wearing gyspy clothes, a kobold, a minotaur, an insectoid with six arms, a strange purple monkey with two thumbs on each hand, hands for feet, and a hand on his tail, and three normal humans. One human had two scrimitar on his belt, one wore all black armor and wielded a long sword, and the last wore samurai like clothing, not armor, and was holding a wooden stick about as long as a short sword. The man looked at his eight comrades and said, were are the other two?" The woman stepped up to him and said, "They're on their way. Sure be there soon."

A phantom of a silver-haired woman stepped from the shadows of a stable, her expression masked behind the skull of some great horned monstrosity. She looked to the the man that was the small group's leader, and slowly, cautiously made her way towards them, keeping one eye on the newcomers and the other on the group that she'd somehow found herself a part of. Bones and beads of only the gods knew what kind of animals clicked and clattered in her hair, and one tan hand moved to rest comfortably on the dagger that was lotched in her belt. "More people..." A voice rumbled from underneath the skull. "What trouble will befall us this time, I wonder..." 


Berz didn't turn to her but just said, "Oh just the usual, bandits thinking they own this village. We've scheduled a little war. Glad you could make." The bandits were walking out a forming up on the outskirts of the mountain, although a ways away it was obvious there were hundreds of them. "Looks like the other isn't comings, he waved his hands in the air and everyone started to following him. He stopped for a moment by the group of people and he looked at each other them, his face though stayed hidden under his cloak. "You remind me of the rumors I've heard. If you are even as remotely strong as they say then I would appreciate your help. If not then stay away. He walked with everyone in tow and stopped at the edge of the town. Hiuko looked at everyone and shrugged before running up to join the fight.

Saru had changed instantly and tood by the group now seven foot tall and build like a house, his wild mane dancing in the slight breeze. "Bandits com get but whopped." In transformation apprently taking away from his mind a bit.

Takato bit his thumb and plunged his own hand into his chest as his family's seal was broken and a silver hole formed. He began to pull as bit by bit his massive broadsword appeared. He plunged it into the soil beside him as he deposited his katanas in Arkanias realm.

The wind kicked up around the group, dust swirling as Gale began to connect in her element. Her tonfa's swirled slightly as she saw the group approach. "Why do i always get into these kinds of things with you guys?"

Rapheal knocked an arrow and it glowed blue as he aimed it at the bandits, "Does this happen a lot?"

Hiuko smiled as he turned his head to Rapheal, "More than you can imagine." He let out a small laugh and waited. The silence of the soon to be battle field push pressure on everyone. It was that calm right before something big was about to happen. One movement, no matter how small, was all that was needed for both sides to run. After a couple minutes a bead of sweat formed on a bandit and quickyl rolled into his eyes. He arm raised to wipe it away and in that first muscle movement Hiuko took off at the enemy, he found it strange though that Berz had started running the exact moment he did, he liked it though. They crashed in the bandits hard and everyone else was only moments behind them. Hiuko was conducting his usual free style movements to dispose the enemies. Berz was bare knuckle brawling, his right fist moved so fast no one could even see it. The gyspy girl used he staff in an artistic fashion to take out every enemy that surrounded her. The mintaur had no problem picking up a bandit and using him as an improvised weapon. The insectoid whipped out multiple weapons being that it had eight arms and used all of them with deadly force. The monkey humanoid was taking out enemies using its multiple hands, the kobold jumped from foe to foe slicing their necks with speed and accuracy. One human quickly defelected and countered every attack near him, one human simpley walked and disposed his enemies using the scrimatars with ease. The last human used his short wooden stick for a while and all the sudden, in the middle of battle, it enlongated and showed itself as actually being a three sectioned nunchaku. They fought so well people watching would think the bandits needed more help to even survive. A few bandits though were able to get away from them to attack Takato, Gale, Rapheal, Saru, and the woman with the skull on her head.

The leading bandit approached Takato with a intimidating battle cry only to fall into two halves as Yaminia sliced into the dirt under the bandit. Takato was a furry of blows his ludicrous blade swishing through the air like and clearing real estate like a walking tank.

Saru had opted to switch back to his half from and was leaping and rolling through the horde, his staff cracking down on any skull that came his way. Primal growls erupted from his mouth, his form truely replicating that of a rampaging primate.

Bangs ripped through a straight line of enemies and paused behind Saru for a second to rest. "What's up monkey boy?" She caught her breath and shot off again before he could respond though. 

Rapheal stayed back and a light blue glow carpeted the sky as he volleyed arrows into the army freezing many bandits in blocks of ice.

The fight raged on for only half and hour before the last of the bandits decided to retreat. The people from the desert started to move after them but Berz held up his left hand. "We'll get them in the morning." He turned as the sun was setting on the horizon. "Go get some rest." While the others left he and the gypsy girl walked over to everyone and Berz said. "It seems the rumors don't ring true although I suppose rumors stretch the truth a bit. I thank you for your help." Hiuko shook his hand and it confirmed his suspicions, although Berz gave a hard hand shake. He took a step back and held his hand. "Good hand shake sir." Berz didn't acknowledge and continued to shake everyone's hand. "We will finish the bandits once and for all tomorrow morning, would you like to join?" Hiuko turned to everyone else, his answer would be apparent but he waited for the others to decide first. No matter what everyone said though Hiuko was sure Berz and them would be able to handle it on their own after watching how they fought.

Saru ran his sleeve across his lip dispelling the blood. "Like i said, we ride at dawn." Takato had already floored him in the back of the head for the lame joke by the time it came out.

Berz looked down at the monkey with his face in the ground and said, "I thought it was kinda funny." He shrugged, although under the cloak it was hard to tell and bowed a bit before putting his left arm around the gyspy girl and walking off to the inn. Hiuko looked at everyone else and said, "Well I'm off to bed I guess, Bangs?" She looked up at him and said, "I'm gonna got catch dinner." She stopped by Saru's face buried in the dirt and thought, "Congratulations, I think that's the furthest in the ground your head has ever gone. Ooh found one." With that she ran after a mouse which ended up meeting its end by the well. Rapheal said, "I'm sorry but Schild and I have to go report the town to captain Tinikam, hopefully there won't be as many monsters through the tunnels as last time. We'll leave right away." With that he was off and he took Schild with him. Luckily Cher was in a stable state so all she needed now was rest.

Saru coughed up dirt as he raised his head. Great that was impressive, for masters sake i bet she thinks im an idiot. He glared at Takato for the uncool before he was floored again, but the wrenched back up and helped inside by the same hand. "Come on romeo." Takato enjoyed the fun at his friends expense.

There was some clattering from the well by Bangs as a hand reached up, the nails sparkled blue, and pulled a teenage girl out of the well, she had dirty blonde hair, soothing blue eyes and a lean figure. The most prominite thing was that she was wearing a red lose knit hat, that she paired with a tight blak tee-shirt and ripped jean shorts,.Thank God I got out Luna thought leaning over and reaching into the well to grab her black converse. When she turned she saw Bangs and froze."Um..." she paused for a few awkward minutes before taking off toward the desert.

Bangs jumped up to the well and looked in to find it quite full of water."Are you okay, I don't see people crawling out of wells to often." Bangs thought to Luna before she walked too far. She then just blankly stared at Luna waiting for an answer.

Luna froze a few feet away from the well and Bangs,Woah, she thought in suprise at Bangs thoughts to her, her nails turing white. "Oh um..I'm fine thanks," she said cautiously.Then her serious face lightened into a smile,"Well I don't have to climb out of wells often," she giggled and her nails sparkled back to blue.

Bangs walked around the rim of the well and sat down when she was on the side closer to Luna. She licked her paws while she thought, So why were you in the well... that doesn't seem like the typical place to find a merperson.

"I didn't say anything about being mer." Luna said cautiously her nails quickly fading back to white, she was scared and nervous no one was supposed to know about that... her body went stiff as she stood there her eyes locked on Bangs.

"Sorry it just seems that way" Bangs thought to Luna inspecting her. "You smell a lot like fish and last person that smelled like that much fish was a merperson."

Gale was brushing the dust from this saloon like town from her shirt with distaste. She happened to be close to the well when Luna had emerged and started chatting with everyone's favorite kitty. "Well well, wind, steel, ice, fire, nature and now water. This group has all the bases covered."

Rapheal came back into town noticing Gale dusting herself off and looking at the person that is talking to Bangs. Rapheal walked toward them saying "Well hello Bangs, Gale how are you and Who is your new friend?" Rapheal looked at the newcomer and said "Hello I am Rapheal Taym." he said with a small bow.

"Woah woah woah woah woah." Luna said raising her hands as if to tell them to give her room,"Lets back up a little here shall we?" she staggered back a bit overwhelmed by the other people."I may be a mer but I will not confirm it," she said to Bangs before turning to Gale and Rapheal,"And I didnt say anything about joining you..who ever you are." she said, she knew it was a bit rude but she didnt have much expericance talking to humans and deffinitly was more comfortable talking to the cat. Luna had backed into a tree by know and was quite terrified, her nails where a ghostly white.

Noticing her actions as the same as a scared animal Rapheal decided that it would be a better idea to go and find the others. "Well the I think I shall take my leave. I wish you the best of luck in future endeavors." he said as he turned and began to start looking for his other comrades. He hoped that with his leaving that it might help to clam the situation. "See you later Bangs and Gale." He said as he was walking away.

"Check the inn." Bangs called out to him as he walked away. She turned back to Luna and thought to her "Sorry, my friends can be a bit outgoing, and I'm sure you aren't very comfortable talking to a cat of all things." He mind let out a small giggle at that and she continued, "My name is Bangs Silverbane. May I ask your ma'am?"

"No need to call me ma'am." Luna smirked."My names Luna Cresent, Its a pleasure to meet you Bangs, but I am more comfortable talking to a cat. she ometted to Bangs. Her nails where now stuck inbetween white and blue, she was obviously more comfortable know that the man was gone.

Jaga was surprised to see how quickly night had fallen in the town. And how cold. Wrapped up in a thick cloak she'd managed to barter off one of the men working under Berz, the silver-haired woman had found herself at a loss of what to do with herself with the newset group to enter the scene. More then a little anti-social yet unwilling to wander to far from the strange group that Berz had created, the woman wandered the streets, pulling the hood of her cloak over her skull, only to recall the last time she'd done such a thing, where the cloth of the hood had gotten caught in the horns of her bicorn's skull, and quickly and carefully pulling it back down once more. Where can I go where people won't be drawn to me? She wondered, catching more then one stare from the surrounding denizens and feeling her heart grow quick in her chest. Why not up? A voice that was not her own whispered through her mind, and the woman frowned from underneath her skull, looking to the heavens and the rooftops that decorated it. "That's...a good idea..." She murmured, turning down an allyway in search of something that would look like a good foothold to the roofs above.

Rapheal noticed the strange looking woman with an even stranger skull on her head walking down an alley and decided to follow wondering what her intentions were. As Rapheal followed he her lost site of her after she went down the alley. When he entered the alley he did not know that she went UP. He decided to stop and try to figure out this new puzzle.

Following a path a squirrel spirit through various foot holds, the tribal woman quickly made her way to the roof top, slipping only once on a piece of wood that had broken with her weight. That had not been fun. Ignoring the laughing rodent that had helped act as a guide to the top of one of the buildings, Jaga lifted herself on top the roof's edge with a grunt before scurrying away from it's edge, mindful that tiles could come loose around old and withered edges. It looks like you've gained some attention, Little Shaman. The squirrle spirit whispered, scurrying up her cloak to rest upon the woman's shoulder, where the small critter looked back to the roof's edge in interest. A scowl fell from underneath a mask of bone. "Wonderful.." She growled out.

Rapheal heard something form above and looked around seeing if there was something watching him. He did not see any thing but he knew that the woman came down this way but it was nothing but a deadend. The wall at the dead end was covered by planks and the side walls were made of some type of clay. Rapheal pulled out an arrow and let some of his power flow through it. He used it as a light to look around and still didn't see anything. "I wonder were she went. I wanted to ask her about her skull. I have never seen any animal like that in any of the forests that I have lived in." Rapheal said out loud not knowing that the woman was above him.

Bangs sat down on the well and thought to Luna, "Nice to meet you Luna. I guess it is good you can talk to me, most people are freaked out by a cat talking in their mind. Although it seems you have a problem with men, he seem rather relaxed with Rapheal gone." Bangs noted slyly. She started to lick her paws and asked, "So where do you plan to go, hopefully not the desert alone. It can get dangerous out there, and rather dry too."

Luna flinched when Bangs mentioned a desert.I dont exatly trust men, you understand my situation with them don't you? she said cautiously to the cat, then added."Desert, oh I better stay away from that, Where are you and your.. group? going." She relaxed enough to move closer to the cat.

Her ears twitched as a voice rose from beneath her, and Jaga's frown deepened as Raphael's words reached her. Ignoring the snickering of the spirit on her shoulder, the woman carefully and cautiously moved foreward, hoping to peer over the edge and see the face of her would-be pursuer. The shaman-in-training croutched for better stability against the tilted roof and looked over the edge, spying a head of dark hair that must have been the owner of the voice. Who in the Mother of Monster's name was that? He didn't look familiar. It was a sad fact known by many of her tribe that Jaga had a bad habit of forgetting faces she'd seen only rarely, as was the case with the man beneath her, failing to recognize him from the battle earlier that day. Instead, the woman rose to her feet once more, deciding he wasn't worth further investigation and preparing to move to another rooftop, one further away from her stalker. And as she rose, a loose tile rose with her, falling from the rooftop it had rested on and to the ground below.

When Jaga hit the ground Rapheal jumped back a few feet and said "Mother of all that is holy what was that?" He looked at the shaman ready to throw the arrow at her, when he noticed that it was her he relaxed and said "Are you all right? I almost threw this arrow at you and that would have been really bad." The light faded slightly from the arrow. when the arrow finally went out he put it back in his quiver. He reached out to her to give her a hand up. "Would you like any help?" he asked wondering what she was doing up there.

Bangs looked up at Luna and said, "Well we are going up to the desert actually. Sorry to say that I can't point you in the nearest direction of water either. However I do know of a river that leads right into the ocean from the desert, if you can survive the dryness and heat that is." Bangs said thinking of the geography of her last visit to the desert.

Heats not as much of a problem for me, Its the dryness. Luna thought to Bangs.If you dont mind could I say, join you? she smiled cautiously.It would be great, I don't have anything to do really, She knelt down and pulled on the black converse she had been holding.

The woman grunted as her body impacted with the ground, while above her head the chattering laughter of a squirrel haunted her ears. The woman rolled onto her feet, grimacing at the sudden aches and pains that flared up before glancing to the owner of the voice, staring at the arrow notched and aimed at her body. She watched as the odd aura surrounding the arrow faded with the stranger's words, yet even as the young man offered a hand to her, the arrow gone and out of sight, Jaga found herself wary. She refused the hand offered to her, brushing it aside in favor of picking herself up with her own strength and slowly rising to stand. "You...you are the one following me." She said, the comment a statement rather then a question. "Why is that?" She demanded, taking a few steps away from the archer to keep her distance from him.

When Jaga refused help Rapheal put his hand down. "So you knew. Sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to ask you about your skull. I have never seen an animal like that in the forest before or in the mountains either. Oh and my name is Rapheal." he said looking at the skull with a child like curiosity. He didn't notice her take the step back like a scared animal he was trying to figure out the skull and if it was a unicorn with some deformity or if it was its own creature.

Measuring the distance between herself and the one who'd introduced himself as Raphael, Jaga did a mental once-over to see if she was a good enough distance to either lash out with the knife she wore or turn and run should the man show any signs of hostility. The silver-haired woman took one step, then another back, before shifting her position just enough to take an optimum advantage of either situation. That done, she finally said, "My skull? Why would you want to know about my skull?" Bright eyes narrowed in suspicion at the man's seemingly innocent question, one of many voices in her head warning against giving her name to the stranger-especially one asking for information about a bicorn skull. The creatures were dangerous-the mounts of demons and the devourers of humans. Nothing good could come from anyone, especially a human, asking for information about them.

Rapheal finally noticing what she was doing when she took the few steps back decided to take one back him self to give her space. "I have never seen an animal like that. I would like to ask you some questions. If you dont mind?" Rapheal said and without giving her a chance to respond he began to ask his starter questions. "What is the name of the animal? Is it good or evil? If it is evil then did you kill it because it was trying to hurt some one? IF it is good then why did you kill it? Is it a magic being or does have no abilities at all? If it is evil can kill it and study its body so it doesn't hurt me? If it is good can I befriend it and talk to it about what it has seen and lived through?" his curiosity once again took over and when he finally noticed what he was doing he said "I am sorry if that was to much at one time I just want to learn more about stuff I don't yet know."

The hairs rose on the back of Jaga's neck at each new question thrown her way. Feeling overwhelmed by the large number of inquires, the woman didn't even notice her crouching ever so slightly, a growl rumbling softly in her throat and a snarl threatening to overtake her features that remained hidden underneath the very mask the man in front of her sought information about. The step away from her eased her tension only momentarily, and even as the man apologized, Jaga could found herself rubbing the handle of her blade,trying desperately to take some sort of comfort from the objects presence. The shaman found herself unable to respond, still unsure of what Raphael's true intentions were and unwilling to give any sort of information to him.

Rapheal smiled at her and said "Be careful who you growl at someone might take offense." His posture slightly changed ready for the woman to jump at him at any moment. Rapheal started to channel energy in to his daggers so if she was to jump at him he could make a quick side step and slash with both of his daggers freezing her in place. "I hope I did not worry you with my inquiries." he said as polite and as soothing as he could. "Again I have never seen a beast like that and I am simply curious." His tone now soft and gentle but his eyes watching for the first muscle twitch of attack.

"The more the merrier, and safer in some cases. The desert is a harsh place so the more people we have the more eyes on the surroundings. I went with my companion, a half-elf that is virtually blind (Haha) on the sand. Just the two of us was hard to handle. We managed though and ever since we took a ship around... until today that is. Anyway I'd ask my companion Hiuko and you'll have to meet the others but they are always happy to meet and help people." Bangs thought all of this to Luna in a happy tone of thought and then she asked, "So, if I may ask... why were you in the well?"

The woman exhaled loudly from underneath her mask, as though smelling a change that spoke of a quiet warning to her, just as much as the spirits that had begun to surround her, growls and hisses transforming into whispers and sighs that sang a tune of caution deep within her mind. If she was paying anymore attention to his words, it was quickly growing absent, his words little more then inaudible grumbles coming from lips with no voice. No...instead something else whispered to her, and with a start, Jaga violently shook her head, banishing the voice and the spirits that arose with it, focusing once more on the man before her. His last words she caught, and thought the waryness in his eyes betrayed the kindness in his voice, Jaga found herself responding. "The creature I wear...this bicorn mask...it is not something a man such as yourself should delve into. There are some things in this world better left unknown, and a bicorn is one of them."


"Sounds like a deal, Thank you," Luna smiled at Bangs she was a little anxious at meeting the others, since it seemed they are men."It's a looong story.It started off during a storm, she said launching into the whole story.

"Maybe we should go to bed we have to get those bandits tomorrow morning?" Rapheal said as he turned and headed to the Inn. As he did so he released the energy he was holding in his daggers. A cool air seemed to settle were he was. "Besides it might be better to talk in the sun light were we are less likely to be attacked by something evil if we say its name to loud." Rapheal said as walked.

"Bandits?" Jaga growled out, some of her trepedition retreating as she recalled the ones from earlier that day. That's right...she'd forgotten about the bandits in her conversation with the man before her. And now as he mentioned the cool of the night, the shaman took note of the surrounding cold as well-one that had only seemed to grow stronger the longer she conversed with Raphael. As much as she hated to admit it, the inn did sound like a nice idea at the moment. The woman took a deep breath, releasing it slowly and watching her breath come out in a puff of condensation, calming her own nerves and the growls at the ones in her mind's eye. "Fine...let's go." She said, turning and walking off towards the entrance of the ally. Only to pause and look behind her, one foot frozen above the ground and the other in pose that looked like she might tip over if one should touch her. "Wait...what?" She looked back behind her, wondering if her ears had heard correctly with Raphael's odd comment, before shaking her head in disdain and turning away. "No, nevermind." She growled. "From the sound of it, you'll have plenty of time to explain yourself tommorrow." With that she turned away once more.

As Rapheal entered the Inn he asked the person behind the desk if he could get a room for the night. If there is space avaliable he will pay for the room and go to it. Once he enters his room he will go to bed until about two hours before dawn. If they don't have a room he will ask to see if he could sleep in one of the chairs in the lobby.

That night everyone that wanted one was able to find a room, the town gave them the night free for staving off the bandits. In the morning Berz was the first to get up and stood facing the mountains where the bandits lie. Hiuko walked out shortly after and talked with Berz for a bit. Some of the others from the desert walked out after a little while as well. Berz was going to wait for everyone from both groups before they headed off to the bandit's keep.

Gale floated back to tera firma after a comfortable night on her usual cloud. Her hair was a complete mess until she simply blasted a gust at her own face instantly fixing the frizz. With a stretch she decided to wait by the door for her comrades.

Rapheal walked out of the Inn and seen Gale standing waiting on the group. "Hey Gale how are you this morning?" he asked as he put his bow around his shoulder. He was in full out fit and it all seemed strangly clean. "I hope that this thing with the bandits doesn't take long. Bandits are really annoying." Rapheal said after Gale resonded to his first comment.

Luna climbed back out of the well with a yawn. After explaining her story to Bangs they had decided to get some sleep, Luna chose to sleep in the well in her natural form, since it was more comfortable. She shook her wet hair and reorganized her clothes before stretching and leaning against the well to wait for Bangs.

There was a huge crash as a cloud of movement erupted from the inn. Limbs and punches could be seen mid hit from the jumble. It finally settled in the middle of the street to revile saru and takato in mid brawl fighting over...a banana of all things. "Im hungry!" Takato yelled a foot pushing his face away. "So am i! besides im a monkey i deserve it!" Saru shouted a finger pushing his eyes back." "Monkey my ass you sorry cosplayer."

Luna looked curiously at the two bickering boys, she was confused and nervous.More boys, Joy oh Joy she thought sarcastically. Her nose crinkled with disgust as their language.

Rapheal notched an arrow and shot the ground under Takato and Saru hoping that when the ground froze that they would slip and fall stopping the arggument about the banana. If they did slip and dropped the banana Rapheal was going to pick it up and cut it in half for them to share. If they did slip but did not let go of the banana Rapheal was going to see if he could snatch the banana away so he could slice it in half. If they some how avoided sliping on the ice Rapheal woudl just give up and say "Now please stop that nonsence." In a polite a tone as possible hoping that they would stop. "You should never behave like that in front of ladies." He said as he noticed Luna standing by the well. He gave her a small wave as he tried to handle the crazy people infront of him.

Cheryll walked out of the inn stretching her arms and yawning. She had her vest on so she took it off to stretch her wings out to their fullest. Then they shrank back and she put the vest back over them. To no one in particular she asked, "I was so exhausted yesterday, so what did I miss?"

Rapheal caught the banana and with the reflexes of someone use to using daggers he pull one out and cut the banana in half before Saru could get to him. When Saru get to Rapheal he will be handed one half of the banana. "Hey Takato catch." He said not realizing that he wasn't paying attenation an threw it at th eback of his head.

Takato slid across the ice on his back skidding into a wall. Saru used his tail to spring back and follow the banana as it arched straight into Rapheal's hand. Takato grumbled and sulked off to join gale not even wanting his half anymore.

Luna nodded at Rapheal uncomfortably. Her eyes widened at Cherylls' wings,but she was a little to out of her element to comment. All she wanted to do was get into some water, or just get some, being out here was torture.

Cheryll looked around and walked over to Luna who seemed a little off-set from the others. "You seem a little... nervous. They're not too bad really. I'd just not get in between those two when there are bananas." She laughed hoping it would break the ice with Luna. She held out her hand for a hand shake, "My name is Cheryll, may I ask yours?"

Jaga awoke with a start to the sounds of shouts and yells from outside her window. Carefully, she got up from the floor she'd slept on in the space in between the bed and said window, the bed the room had come with lumpy with pillows trying hard to look like a person. Carefully, her own paranoia getting the best of her, she peered outside, spying the odd display before frowning and moving away. She grabbed her mask and put it on. She'd overslept. Looked like it was time to eat.

When Jaga opened the door she almost hit Bangs who too overslept. She pounced out of the way but didn't raise her hackles, she was used to things jumping out at her by now. "Good morning." She thought to Jaga before prancing off down stairs and outside. She didn't seem to remember people usually think its strange to hear what Bang's thinks to them, she was too focused on how fun today would be. She walked outside and over to Luna, "Good morning Luna, and to you to Cher. Looks like a good day to meet some people right?" Her question obviously aimed towad Luna.

Jaga jumped with a start at the foreign voice that entered her mind, head whipping around in an effort to find the owner and spying nothing but a small black cat bounding away. For several seconds, the woman simply stared, long after the little creature had dissappeared down the staircase. Finally the shaman in training shook her head. "Was that...a familiar?" She asked aloud. "In a place like this?" Finally came a snort of amusment. "I wonder what else I'll find come this morning." With that said she traversed down the staircase as well, making her way to the commonroom.

Rapheal looked around and said loud enough for everyone out side to here. "When are we going to go get those bandits. I have built up one hell of a cold snap just for them." Rapheal looked around to see who would respond to his question.

Berz whipped around and said, "We'll move out now since all are accounted for." Everyone walked about twenty minutes and they approached a group of boulders that blocked their presence from any watchtowers. Berz drew a rough map in the dirt of the ground and there was a large trail leading up to a large strong gate. The trail was littered with watchtowers, three archers each with flaming arrows. "I can have Kruz handle the door no problem." He said motioning toward the mintaur who cracked his knuckles in reply. "We'll just need a distraction to make the watchmen look away so we can take them down quietly, or a destructive force that can take down the towers in a matter of two to three minutes. Hiuko cleared his throat and said, "Hey I heard that one of the watchtowers had a stash of bananas in it." He smiled slyly looking over to see what Takato and Saru would do. Kruz would rush in after them and the rest to follow about a minute after Kruz.

Saru seemed to fade as reality caught up with his momentary comedic and glutton induced speed. He barreled up the trail on all fours, his staff glowing and melding into his form caused him to almost double in size and mane grow wild and down his back. This time his ape form seemed even larger than usual. "BANANAS!" The man beast roared, he launched himself into the air slamming into closest tower. With a primal howl his fingers plunghed into the stone molding and reared back shearing a car sized chunck from the tower. He launched it back aiming for the next tower as it smashed into it wall at head level blowing away a good portion of its wall. The form formerly known as saru bolted to the west tower and with a flying lung he released a haymaker that literaly shifted the entire structer to the left on its foundation like the leaning tower of piza. Saru started to pound his palms on the ground in a all to familiar way, the force shaking bricks from the wall in a thirty foot radius.

Luna smiled down at Bangs, Hello, Bangs" she remembered that she was being rude and said out load. "Well, Hello Cheryll, I'm Luna." Luna just looked at the womens hand curiously, not knowing what she was doing. She turned back to Bangs and said softly, "Oh um I guess..." as she followed them to the boulders, not really knowing what they were doing. She raised an eye brow and listened as someone began to give orders and laid out a plan. She stepped back as a monkey like boy launched onto one of the towers and proceeded to knock down a couple. The rush of wind the smashed walls made as they leveled blew back her blonde hair. She was a bit scared as her nails faded a ghostly white.

Bangs was right next to Luna and she laughed a bit mentally after Saru shot off into his demolition duties. "This will give you a good estimate on how well these people can protect you." She thought to Luna. "Just stick close to me." With that she blazed into her demon cat form and winked to Luna, "Don't worry, I've been protecting people my whole life, I'm very proficient at it." (Luna will just be getting protected while Luna watches the fights.) Kruz followed shortly after the monkey and watched him destroy the watchtowers. Kruz dodged each tower as the debris fell and scattered across the trail. When Kruz got to the gate he would find Saru with a banana, who knew there was actually one in the very last one. Kruz charged faster and faster, then he became so fast that the wind stopped resisting him and he took down the gates easily despite them being made of metal and easily twice his size. The doors slid into the fortress a good three miles and crashed into a building making a large hole that quickly made the rest of that entire side collapse. Guards started pouring out from every crevice to fight that minotaur and when they got to him the rest arrived from the trail. With a smile on most of their faces the jumped into battle each to their own part of the semicircle and easily dispatching enemies. Even Hiuko jumped in and Bangs stood by Luna, both watching the fight.

Rapheal watched Saru chane forms with slight amazment. "I didn't know the monkey child could do that." He said as he readied an arrow an charged it to its max. "Here is a cold snap just for you." he said as he released the arrow stright threw the gates freezing any enemy that went near it. When the arrow impacted a wall it froze everything that was in a twenty yard radius. "I call that one Flash Freeze. When did it get so hot in the desert?" he said phisicly exsasuted. his ability not sustaing any more he sat down to recharge for a sec. After he was done he got up and started to fire arrows in the sky and covering the ground with Bandit-pops.

Jaga watched the transformation in surprise. "What an...interesting group of people you all seem to be." She muttered to no one in particular, having already recognized the man from last night as well as seeing another's abilities now as well. As the groups attacks on the bandits began, the voices of several of the spirits that clung to her like leaches took note as well, and now they whispered excitedly in her ears, enticing her to begin her own attack. Blue eyes warpred into the slit gold of a feline, and as claws sprouted from fingernails, Jaga ran from her cover, charging the first bandit she came across with a roar as human as it was animal and sinking her new-found claws into his torso as he ran to meet her. 

Takato had actually rode the minotars back into the fight and sprang onto the metal doors as he demolished them. When the dust settled from the Minotars attack he steadied his spinning head and leeched the entire metal frame from the doors, they became almost putty like jumping onto his arms forming to ridiculously large metal gauntlets with wich he proceded to deck any wave of bandits that dared approach.

Cher took off her leather vest and her wings shot out from her back she shot through the opening and whispered, "Feather." Her feathers slowly detached and she landed gracefully in the middle of a large number of guards. Her feathers floated in the air gracefully then all at once the snapped to attention and they struck down hard and fast slicing up each guard they came down upon. The feathers floated back up to her back and she had a wicked smile facing the next enemy as a golden halo chakram formed in her hand.

Rapheal not seeing a good shot put up his bow and arrows and got out his daggers. His daggers glowed with a firce intensity almost as if they seemed to be his stronger of two weapons. He ran into the fray every bandit he hit burst in a brillint display. If anyone was watching him it would look like a brilliant dance. Tiny ice shard floated around him cooling down the imidiated area around him. "This is more like it." he said with childish glee. "I haven't used my daggers in so long I keep forgeting that these are my main weapon." He said as another bandit burst in a shadder of ice. "So how dose everyone like my dance of absolte zero?" he asked any one how would listen.

"It's pretty nice." Hiuko said as Rapheal finished his dance since there were no more guards left. "They probably lost most of their men from yesterday." He looked at the building at the end of the compound. "I'm gonna guess that's where the head is." Berz started to walk and all of his people followed. Hiuko shrugged to everyone and started running to catch up. Close to the door though Berz stopped and the doors to the building oppened. There stood two women. One wore a beautiful red cloak with the hood down. She had blone hair and she was gorgeous. The other was wearing leather armor and held a scythe in her hand. Her very presence gave off an aura of death. They stopped seeing the large group and the one with the cloak smiled, "Well that was easy. Here I thought we'd have to roam the desert to find you." The one in leather added, "Oh look, it's the people that killed the general... well almost did, I had to finish the job." She smiled looking right at Takato. The walked forward a bit and parted so that a large man could come out at well. He ducked to get under the door and he stood easily 7 ft tall. He was build like a lighthouse but that was all that could be seen due to his dark red cloak. Where his cloak met the ground it looked like there was heat distortion. "Well my work here is done." The three stood there blocking the entrance and the group gave off a feeling of evil stronger than anyone had felt before.

Takato stepped forward, his gauntlets melting and seeping into his skin for later. "So your the one who killed him? You and your despicable organization. Who gave you that right?" He held his massive sword resting on one shoulder as he confronted the scythe wielder. Saru immediately felt aggressive towards the man. He was easily as big as himself in ape mode and saru's primal instinct were screaming to assert his dominance to the foe.

"Who gave me the right... why death himself." She said said resting her scythe on her shoulder in similair fashion. "I believe he calls himself the grim reaper." The man's hood visibly turned to Saru giving off a wave of uneasiness that even made Hiuko get a shiver down his spine. The blonde haired girl though simply leaned her weight on one leg and watched her companions do the tough talk. Her hands were on her hips but her fingers wouldn't stay still. The large man let out a low chuckle and said, "Ladies I believe you are the one's looking for them, my mission here is done. I have other things to do." He started to walk straight at everyone and Hiuko's memories started to flash through his head, horrible memories of his past, every painful moment in his life reeled through his head and it made him take a step away and face the scythe woman instead. The man kept walking towards eveyone, it seemed like he didn't care that they were enemies and he just expected them to part to make way for him to get past.

A shear wall of on unimaginable force wind erupted between the factions cutting off any chance to advance. Gale stepped forward her wrist rhythmically turning generating the defensive wall. Her eyes giving off an aura of shear hatred. "I suggest you go around, and don't think for a second I have forgotten what your group did to my mother."

"Group? Hardly. I don't like to associate with these corporeal things, they are but a means to an end. Besides that was during the General's free time, not the master's prerogative." His words, although creepily low toned were filled with wisdom and expressed quite fluently. The cloaked man touched the wall of wind and it was slapped away by the wind. "I have qualms with you, so lay down your defense. You focus should shift to them as they are beings you can actually fight." He waited patiently for Gale's answer but under his hood his eyes scanned each one of the Desert Storm members analyzing their expressions, movement, breathing and heart patterns, and even their very thoughts. The two women stood there smiling hoping Gale would keep her defenses up, the result would be hilariously devastating for Gale.

Rapheal put up his daggers and pulled out his bow and arrow charging it imediately as he pointed at the individual. When Gale threw up the defensive wall Rapheal changed his focus to the two ladies before him pulling out another arrow. Both arrows charged and pointed at the two ladies. "I don't know who you are or why you threaten these people but I don't care if you are Death himself I will not let you harm them." He said as the arrows grew to a blinding Blue light. The Runes on his bow began to stir as his focus hightened on the newcomers waiting on them to make an advancement.

A growl erupted from Jaga's throat and the woman snorted as their scent hit her nose. "You people reek of death and rot." She grumbled, hands that had lengthened to claws twitching reflexivly. "With a scent like that, you don't deserve to be amongst the living." The shaman bowed her head, peering through the sockets of her mask with inhuman eyes. "I think we would only be doing this realm a favor if we ended your existance right here and now." One eye glanced to the one she'd come to call 'leader', waiting for Berz's signal to attack.

The man in the cloak simply waited for Gale to let down her wall and the two woman waited silently ignoring the two. Then the man turned to the blonde hair girl. "You heard that correct?" Before this there was a small break of silence. She sighed and nodded. "Ya, I've got it." She turned her head to the Desert Storm people and said, "Sorry I can't kill you now but I'm needed elsewhere, maybe next time m' kay, come on nighty." She ran up hugged the cloaked man and they burst into a dark red light. When the light dissipate they were gone. Leaving only the sythe woman. She sighed, "Why don't I ever get the fun assignments, I'm always stuck assassinating weaklings like you. Berz looked back to see everyone ready for a fight and said, "Gale, drop your wall. If this woman wants a fight we'll show her what we've got. The wind died down and everyone attacked, each trying a different direction.

Gale nodded and twisted her wrist retracting the wall into a concentrated ball which she forced into a layer around her tonfas. With a growl she lashed out with a two step down strike then side bash toward the woman with the scythe. The small tornandos lashed out like bars extending the reach of her tonfas by three feet.

The woman disappeared right before the attack and reappeared away from everyone with one hand on her hip and another held the scythe resting on her shoulder. "You people really are slow aren't you. If you are this slow then this should really throw you for a loop. The moon hung in the sky despite the sun being out and it clearly turned red like blood spilled upon it and her eyes changed to match. Then everyone saw three images of her shot out at them, they looked real, sounded real, everything about them was real and even any pain felt from them was quite real albiet temporary. The pain only served as a temporary shock technique so she could shoot in fast and kill off her opponent.

Takato's first instinct was his sheild technique. "Commo ci defense!" The metal from within his own body lept to his skin forming a protective skin but it left him immobile for a moment becuase of the relative inmealability of iron in the body.

Saru's ego driven form decided the opposite and charged the copy only to be cut down, leg clipped and bleeding as he slid across the dirt on his face.

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