-Fianna
-Enzeru
-Kelly

---

It wasn't so much the dripping of water that awakened Fianna as the shifting biting cold that drew into her meager clothes. She blinked, scowling, and pulled the thin shawl around her more tightly as she pulled herself into a tight ball. For a long moment she stayed that way, thinking little at all about her surroundings, until she finally opened her eyes slowly. Instead of the low grey sunlight she'd expected to see filtering through the window, she was met instead by a much fainter bluish glow reflected in shimmering wet rock. Her eyes narrowed accusingly at the sight. "Bloody 'ell," she grumbled and blinked hard, reaching a hand to grind against her lashes then weave through her hair, which was surprisingly soaked for just a leaky ceiling. When she opened her eyes a second time to the same blue glow, she shot upright, looking startled and more than a little dazed. Her gaze flickered left and right, scanning every inch of her surroundings, and almost immediately regretted it with the pierce of pain that shot through her head. "What's all this then, eh? Strong bloody drop o' ginn'a...aye...mm," she grumbled, rocking with her hands pressed to her forehead, mumbling unintelligibly.

Kelly woke up to a faint whistling sound and the dripping of water, Is my sink leaking again? she thought to herself as she opened her eyes and sat up in surprise, What the hell, this isn't my bedroom! she thought to herself she wrapped her arms around herself suddenly feeling the coldness, she realized that she hadn't changed into her pajamas which she was thankful for because she would be even colder, and she was also thankful that she still had her cost wrapped around her waist and her bag was lying next to her. Kelly put her coat on and pulled her bag to her before standing up and looking around, "Where the heck am I?" she said aloud into the silence.

Anna went still and quiet, twisting her neck slightly the her left where the echo bounced off the cool rock walls. Her brows narrowed as her mind cleared a bit. What's this place? she asked herself, scouring her brain which she had until know assumed to be under the heavy fog of alcohol. Quietly she breathed against her hand, catching the scent of her breath, and though the traces of alcohol were nearly a constant it was obvious she wasn't more than bit knackered. Her scythe lay not far away and her rifle still sat idly by her side. Anna stood and retrieved them both, holstering the rifle and wielding the blade carefully balanced as she stepped forward in the dimly lit cavern. "Who's tha', eh?" she hissed.

Kelly heard Anna's voice and turned to where it came from and saw the outline of Anna, "My name is Kelly, who are you, and do you know how I got here?" she asked her with a curious tone in her voice.

Kelly? Irish lass... Anna thought, allowing her guard to let down momentarily before it built itself back up in a hurry. That accent was no Irish accent. No accent she'd ever heard before, anyways. It was thin and slurred and not at all familiar. Ignoring the woman's question, she said, "Where ye from? Yor a mite far off from where'er tis. 'Ave ye brought me here, hmm? Don't take kindly t'wakin' in strange places." She stepped closer and into the light, green eyes hard and keen as they stared into Kelly's, blade aimed for the woman's neck a foot or two away.

"I don't like waking up in strange places either, I didn't bring you here and I don't know how I got here either. Oh, and I'm from America, where are you from?" Kelly said looking at the woman's blade her hand on her Kantana sword that was attached to the right side of her belt in case she needed it. Jeez, I must've been more tired than I thought yesterday, I fell asleep with my Kanata on. she thought to herself as she stared at the woman.

Anna glanced at the sword, noting the mild threat without much importance, and smirked doubtfully. "'Merica, eh? Bit vague, in'it? N'I'm from Ireland--no, the U Kingdom--better yet, the British Empire. Ha!" she chortled, grinning with a hint of malice. "Why don' ye tell me what you're really doing here, lass, n' where this is, hmm?"

All the loud noises... the talking... the faint light shining right in his eyes.. A groan escaped Enzeru's lips as his eyes flickered open, a pounding headache making his temples pulse. He slowly pushed himself up onto his elbows, realizing he was face down in the dirt of a cold cavern... a place he was vaguely familiar with. He spat out what little dirt stuck to his tongue and groaned again, swallowing back his thirst. "Baka.." he mumbled and pulled himself up onto his feet with help from the cavern wall. He blinked tiredly and looked around, everything blurry for a second. The back of his head hurt most. He stumbled forward a little, found his throwing needles and sword at his hips and stumbled another step forward. "H-Hello?" he called out weakly. He could have sworn he heard voices..

Anna simultaneously took a step backward and swung the blade slightly to her right, eying the dark shifting silhouette looming behind Kelly without ever losing her aim, ready to strike either target. "'ey-lo there," she called. "Who's that then? What is this?" Though she tried to hide it she couldn't quite conceal the confusion that lined her brow at being confronted by two strangers in a totally different place than she had ever recalled seeing in her life.

"I told you I don't know where I am!" Kelly exclaimed before seeing Anna take a step backward she turned around to see what Anna was looking at and saw the silhouette of Enzeru, "Wh-who are you?" she asked him curiously.

Enzeru blinked at the two women, instantly jumping back from Kelly when he saw how close he had ended up to her. He then noticed Anna's hand on her weapon and he pulled his own in the blink of an eye, one smooth movement and his own katana was out in the open. He held his hands steady and looked between them both. "W-who are you?!" he asked them both, his blue eyes slightly wide. "Where am I?!"

"I'm Kelly, and I have no idea where we are, I told her that but she doesn't believe me!" Kelly said pointing at Anna, "The last thing I remember was laying down on my bed the next thing I know I'm waking up here." She said sighing.

Anna looked between the two of them, sparing an unconcerned but wary glance for the strange blade the man had drawn. Her attention was more focused on his appearance--in fact, on the woman's as well. Their accents were strange and difficult for her to understand, and their confusion seemed legitimate enough. As if she had known all along of their innocence, she smirked and swung the scythe behind her back where it caught in the leather strap that held it. "Sounds like we're all a bit lost, hmm?" she deduced and promptly sat on a nearby rocky outcrop, running hands through her messy thick red curls, which were clumped in wet clusters now and ironically cleaner than they had been in a while. As she did so, she seemed to make idle conversation. "You may or may not be from America, young lass, but the likes o' you"--she pointed toward Enzeru--"I don't believe I've seen before. You're los'er than us both, a'thinks."

Enzeru slowly resheathed his sword after Anna had put her own weapon away and he frowned at her with caution. "My name is Enzeru Gomoshi of the Imperial Army." As soon as he'd finished that sentence, he gasped and blinked, looking around. "The battle! I was in battle! The Emperor's temple was under attack just before I was here! I got hit in the head with a rock..." he trailed off and rubbed the back of his head with a disappointed frown, then sighed and crouched on the balls of his feet with his head between his knees and his arms over his head, as if hiding. "I'm a disgrace."

Kelly didn't know much about the man, but she could see he was troubled, she knelt beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Why are you a disgrace, you got knocked out it isn't your fault, and what do you mean you were in battle, what kind of battle, what happened?" she asked him curiously.

"Ah, a milit'ry man," Anna scowled thinly at the word and turned away briefly as if in disgust at his actions. She eyed him momentarily but logic won out on her anger. Sighing in what sounded like defeat, she came towards him and knelt nearby. "Listen, wherever 'tis we are I don't think it's anyplace near home for any of us. That means wherever 'tis we were no longer matters, eh? And that means no disgrace for anybody," she reasoned aloud with a grin. "On that note, compose yeself and start again. N' speak slow--can hardly understand a bloody word o' ya."

Enzeru sniffled a little and slowly lifted his head to look between Anna and Kelly, and he quickly composed himself, rubbing his face and standing up again, sighing deeply. He bowed at his waist to show respect, his eyes and head down, and cleared his throat. "I am Enzeru Gomoshi, second in command of the Imperial army. But most just call me Angel." he said formally and then stood upright, smiling at the two girls as if he hadn't been just about to break down into tears. "And what might your names be?"

"S'more like it, Boss." Anna popped back up, grinning still. Even as her feet were light and her smiles shone true, her mind raced. Was this a dream, these people, this place? Had she been captured in the night and exiled rather than simply killed, along with these strangers? No...that wouldn't make sense. Was this a set-up and they knew of her already? The corner of her mouth twitched. If they were from Belfast--or anywhere in Britain for that matter--they were hiding very well. She'd let herself fall into a potential trap for now. Extending a leg behind her, she performed a pretentiously (and surprisingly) graceful courtesy, smoothing out the rags of her dress and flaring the strands that dangled from her clothed hand and arm. "Name's Anna. Just Anna'll do for now," she answered finally, nodding to them each in turn.

Kelly looked from Anna back to Enzeru, "My name is Kelly Smith, and I'm pleased to meet you both." she said smiling and bowing her head slightly, "What should we do now, should we explore this place and try to find a way out so we can find out where we have ended up?" she asked Anna and Enzeru curiously looking around the strange dark place.

"Hold on a tick," Anna interrupted. "Any o' ya recall coming here in the first place? Because if this a bloo'y dream we might be wanting t'get it straight first, eh?" She grinned again and there was mixed emotion in it this time, nervousness and a tinge of malice, not so sure of herself as she usually was. "For I know I wasn't asleep, y'see. A tad knackered mayhaps, n' a bit out o' the mind, but hardly asleep."

Kelly thought for a momment before repling, "I came home after training and I fell asleep right after laying down. You know we could try pinching ourselves or something, because I hear you can't feel pain in a dream." Kelly said looking at Anna then at Enzeru.

Enzeru frowned at Kelly and shook his head. "No... Please don't hurt yourselves." he said to them and gripped his sword. He looked around and sighed, trying to figure out something to do. The last thing he remembered was the searing pain in the back of his skull, falling paralized to the ground and watching his best friend and commander die. He chewed his lip for a moment, then turned and started walking. "Let's just find a way out of this cave."

Kelly looked at Enzeru with a surprised look, "Well ok then, but I wish we had some light in here." she said with a frown and a sigh.

Might as well keep playing the nice lass, I s'pose, Anna thought. She rifled through the pockets of her ragged dress until she came up with a wad of what looked like hay and then swung the rifle out of its holster. Cocking it back, she eyed the barrel--empty--and made a satisfied sound after inspecting the hammer. She looked to Enzeru and Kelly. "Well, either of ye happen t'have a bit o' long wood with ya? Mayhaps a staff, a stick...even rock'll do. Doesn't take much to start a flame up, just need somethin' to put it up with's all."

Enzeru nodded in understanding and turned around on the spot. There were plenty of rocks in this cave. He bent down, lifted a piece and inspected it with blinded eyes and intrigued fingertips, then he sniffed it and tossed it away with a frown. He did this same thing a few times before finally grunting in satisfaction and offering the tiny rock to Anna. "Flint. Starts fire easier." he mumbled.

Anna grinned up at him, somehow always a little malicious, and (with the gun cocked safely) pulled the trigger. Thin orange sparks flew off the hammer and died on the ground by her feet. "Never 'eard o' a flintcock, cara? Ye certainly must've been dead the past decades, or else very much out o' the world," she scoffed, but although her grin held a tinge of malice, her voice did not. That said, she took the flat rock from him and pocketed it before looking for another. After a moment she'd found a wide slightly curved stone and piled the small mound of dry hay on top of it. Taking care that her bags of gunpowder and shot were far out of the way, she held the rifle over it and pulled the trigger again. This time, the sparks gleamed briefly against the hay before igniting it, fully illuminating her stretched and freckled face and revealing the scar that ran from her shoulder past her ear and jaw. She cupped the stone gingerly and blew against the flames to let them taste the air. "There ya have it. That should hold us a fair time."

Kelly looked at Anna and saw the scar, she figured it was best not to ask about it incase it was a sore subject so she let it go. "That's great, we have light now!" Kelly said smiling happily.

Enzeru blinked in shock at the weapon in Anna's hands and he took a tentative step back with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What black magic is this..?" he asked softly, his brow furrowed gently. "Surely you're not a sorceress of some kind..?"

At first Anna could only blink at the statement, then she let out a bark of high-pitched laughter that echoed off the cavern walls. "A cailleach? Ha! Bloody outrageous accusation that is, boyo. Ya'll 'ave me hanged for it, t'be sure, sayin' such things," she said, and as she laughed her heart thumped a little faster. Either he's out his mind, or he really hasn't a clue what he's just said, she thought nervously. Witching may have been somewhat in the past, practiced only by watery old tarts rotting alone in cottages, but it was still no less than a stigma at best. "No, boyo, I'm no witch, insomuch as the craft goes. You're saying ye've never seen a gun before?" This time she looked legitimately curious. She lifted the fire closer to him, peering into his dark features. This was no ordinary man of the isles, and certainly nothing like anything she'd ever dreamed of before. "Where'd'ya say ye hail from again?"

"I hail from the Heijō-kyō Empire in Japan.." Enzeru said cautiously, watching her with a confused frown. He slowly took his hands off his sword and instead reached them towards her, palms up and open, bowing at his waist respectively. "May I see that item?" he asked politely. Naturally, he had no idea what it could do, and he was curious to find out. He'd never even heard of the word "gun" before.

Anna scowled warily, glancing away defensively at the very suggestion. He really doesn't know...he hasn't an idea in the slightest, this one... she reasoned with herself in awe. Japan? I know I've heard the name but...only in sailor's talk of the Orient, the stuff of fairy tales... After a brief contemplation, she smirked and jolted the rifle closed with one hand before handing it to him. "It won't fire. Ya'll need the powder n' such for that. Might I be seein' that cutlass blade there in return, eh?" she bargained, her hand closed tightly still at the center of the rifle as she awaited a response. "Collateral and all."

Enzeru glanced at the rifle, then at Anna and he smiled, nodding as he untied the sword from his belt and offered it to her, sheathed safely. "Makes sense." he nodded in agreement and smiled in a friendly manner. "Be cautious, it's heavy." She doesn't have the body frame to support such a weapon if she tries to fight with it. There's no reason to be nervous, Angel. he told himself mentally. He then looked to Kelly. "Do you have anything to contribute as we're trading interesting and strange items?" he asked with a charming chuckle.

Kelly dug into her bag and pulled out her flashlight, I totally forgot I had this, ugh I'm so stupid. she thought to herself. "I forgot I had my flashlight we won't need the fire, well I hope not." Kelly said stepping into the light of the fire where her clothes could be seen properly, she was wearing black jeans, a black shirt with fishnet sleeves, black combat boots, and black leather fingerless gloves.

Anna smirked at the warning and took the blade with her left hand as she handed the rifle over simultaneously with her right. Only two fingers could be seen gripping the sheath from beneath the cloth dressing. She turned to Kelly curiously, idly running her thumb over the ornate sheath of the blade. "What's a 'flayshloit', love? Candle o' a sort, eh?" she guessed, but only glanced at the bag, more intrigued by her style of dress now that she could see the woman properly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen such pristine leather, and never in black. Not to mention the strange lace-like weave covering her arms, which seemed to serve no purpose. Finally she looked up at the flashlight in her hand, which appeared to be no more than a metal tube.

Enzeru took the rifle as he simultaneously handed over his sword to Anna and he instantly sat crosslegged on the dirt, the rifle in his lap, looking it over under the firelight. He studied every detail with a look of supreme concentration on his face, his fingers weaving and exploring the fine piece of wood and metal. "Iron... and.. oak? No... not oak... fleetwood. Perhaps.. Fire? What is 'gun po-wader'?" he asked Anna, not taking his eyes from the gun. This truely was an interesting tool. "What does this contraption do?"

"Ya shoot with it," Anna answered, setting down the warm stone and lifting the sword lengthwise in both hands now that they were free. She traced her clothed hand slowly across the sheath, studying it fleetingly. It was heavier than a typical cutlass would be, thicker or a heavier metal perhaps. Either way, it was expensive and probably symbolic. Kingly fellow, this one, she thought, glancing at Enzeru. And certainly bot from 'ere t'all. Switching hands, she gripped the bound handle and pulled it from the sheath, relishing the slick scrap of metal that echoed dimly in the cavern. She grinned. "Now this 'ere's a fine piece o' work, mate," she complimented, crouching to lift it in the firelight. "Never seen a blade like this one. Mostly just the typical fencer-poker n' bayonets n' the like." Anna squinted, studying the make of it more closely. "Imagine it's custom too, eh? What's it made of? Bloody heavy."

Enzeru raised his eyes to look at Anna, studying her like she was strange for never having seen a weapon. Even the Westerners that sometimes invaded their country would take items as souveniers and brag about them. He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Steel. It's made of wrought steel. A special fire-welding keeps it together, but you have to do it just right otherwise it's too heavy." he explained with a shrug. "And yes, it was custom made to fit my hands only." He went back to examining the gun, wondering what the term 'shoot' meant, but that was when Kelly's so-called flashlight caught his eye. "Is that... producing light?!" he asked, his eyes wide. Keeping the rifle in his hands, he stood up and went to Kelly, almost eagerly grabbing for her flashlight, but stopped himself with his hand outstretched. He blinked, instantly took an awkward step back and fell to his knees. "Forgive me for my rudeness, mistress. In my excitement, I neglected to show respect. May I please see your... item?" he asked, now politely holding his hands out to her, the rifle on the ground beside him, his eyes on the dirt.

"It's alright, of course you can see it." Kelly said smiling as she handed Enzeru the flashlight. "May I see your rifle Anna?" she asked as she turned to Anna.

"Cad é...?" Anna asked over her shoulder from where she stood aside from them. She was now attempting to find the proper grip on the blade, first trying just her right hand in various positions, then switching to two with a determined huff. "Ah...right, right, get ye on," she mumbled, now working to balance it against her clothed hand. Finally, the cloth seemed to be far too much in the way and with what could only vaguely be interpreted as a curse pulled it off altogether. The tight pink scars glistened strangely in the light, like plastic, and most of her left hand appeared to be missing. Nevertheless, she managed to find a grip at last and grinned, giving it a practice swing. "Not bad, mate. Not bad," she breathed, growing more accustomed to the weight of it.

Enzeru eagerly then took the flashlight, leaving the rifle on the dirt for Kelly to take, looking over the metal tubing and shining the light right in his eyes in the process. "AGH!" he growled, sheilding his eyes. "It's so bright! Brighter than even fire! Could this be god light..?" he pondered, frowning at the flashlight once the bulb was turned away from his face. He studied it, seemed to notice a piece sticking out a little more than noticeably, and with a push of this strange piece, clicked the light back off. He made what sounded like a childish "Eep!" sound and jumped when the light suddenly vanished, then clicked the button again and gasped when the light came back on in a flash. He grinned widely and tried this several more times, just turning the flashlight on and off again, seeming to be utterly amused with it. "How does this contraption work?!" he asked. "I must know! Where did you find such a creation?"

"Oi, watch it, ya caffler," Anna said with a wince as the light shone around the cave, turning to the source of the flashing. She hadn't taken much interested in the thing at first, though not that she watched how it was operated she approached them, intrigued. "Looks akin t'the lantern riggin's we'd make for night battles n' the like. Stick 'em on posts with metal sheets t'reflect it. 'Cept this one has no fire, eh?" She listened briefly and made a soft thoughtful noise. "No gas or oil, either? I'd be mightily interested in such an item..."

Kelly had been looking over the rifle amazed at how old it looked, "Hey be careful Angel, or you'll waste the batteries, and it won't work." she said as she saw Enzeru switching it on and off with amuzement.

Enzeru blinked up at Kelly from the ground and slowly tilted his head in curiousity, which looked rather cute, even on a grown man such as himself. "A... bat-ter-ee?" he asked slowly. "What is that?" He then looked back down at the flashlight and turned it this way and that, this time keeping the light off. "Where do you keep this... bat-ter-ee?"

Kelly smiled at how cute and confused Enzeru looked, she knelt beside him took the flashlight from him and unscrewed the top and pulled one of the batteries out and handed it to Enzeru, "That is a battery, it's what gives the flashlight it's power so it can produce light." Kelley explained with a smile.

Enzeru examined the small battery in his palm, just blinking down at it with a very frustrated pout on his face. "This? This?!" he asked in disbelief. "This... tiny... object gives this... 'flash-light' it's power? But it's so small! How does it work?" he asked and growled, picking it up in two fingers and twisting it to see every angle, as if looking for some clue.

Kelly looked at Enzeru, Has this guy really never seen a battery before? she asked herself in disbelief. "Well I'm not exactly sure, but it has to do with electrons, the battery has a positive and a negative end, and they work together to power the flashlight, it's hard to explain really." Kelley said looking at Enzeru.

"This is unbelieveable, I don't understand a word you're saying!" Enzeru sain in exasperation, finally just putting the battery back into the flashlight and closing it up like he'd seen Kelly open it. He offered the strange contraption back to Kelly and shook his head again. "Both of you carry such strange items... so foreign... so... complicated." he sighed, then blinked at Kelly in the firelight and tilted his head. "What are you wearing, mistress Kelly?" he frowned. Never in his life had he seen a woman wearing such tight clothing.. and strange.

"What do you mean what am I wearing, I'm wearing clothes. Why'd you aske me such a question?" Kelly asked Enzeru curiously. What's wrong with him, why is he asking me these questions? Kelly thought to herself, "Have you really never seen a flashlight, batteries, or clothes like this before?"

Enzeru shook his head with a deep, troubled frown. "Never in my life! Not even from other parts of the world." he explained. He also looked at Anna then. "Your... ry-fall--I believe you called it-- is also very alien to me. And the same for both of you, your accents are so odd. I've never heard them before.... Where are you both from again..?" he finally asked, looking between them. He then sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "Forgive me for my constant barrage of questioning, but you must understand I'm a little concerned by all of this." He then realized that with their clothes the way they were, compared to his and his sword, he probably looked just as strange to them as well.

"I'm from America, I've never seen clothes like yours either Angel." Kelly said starting to grow concerned, Why is he acting like this, has he been living under a rock or something? she thought to herself staring at Enzeru.

Anna looked between them, studying them, her mind racing. She didn't answer his question, but instead peered intently at their faces, one at a time. "How old are ye both?" she asked suddenly. The more she looked, the more her mind pulsed with memory. She recalled seeing strange things like what this man wore and carried, but these things were old to her and only in books now. As for the woman, she'd never seen clothing the likes of this, but the lace-like netting on her arms and the tight cloth around her waist and legs reminded her of the catalogs she'd seen occasionally from England and America.

Enzeru shifted uncomfortably on his feet before he slowly approached Anna to retrieve his sword and sheath from her, gently taking it from her and tying the sheath to its proper place on his belt, then sliding the sword into it. "I'm of twenty and one years." he explained. "Everyone tells me I should have a family by now, and I feel a little old, but.." he shrugged as he trailed off and looked at Kelly, as if waiting for her to answer Anna's question as well. He was curious to see where she was going with it.

Anna nodded vaguely, as if slowly taking in his answer, letting her thoughts chew over it. "And you, lass?" she asked, turning to Kelly.

"So you're twenty one then?" Kelly said as she looked at Enzeru, she then turned to Anna, "Well I'm twenty two, so I'm just a year older than Angel."

"Mm-hmm," Anna mumbled. "Ya see, I was born in dead winta o' 1818, which makes me round about thirty I reckon by now, and I've never seen quite the likes o' you both, not even from elsewhere than dear Ireland. You must both be royalty n' crazed as mad dogs or spirits from yonder, then, because no one right in their head would walk about as you two, dressed to the nines or in naught at all. So why are you here, truthfully?" She eyed them very warily, her hands itching at the ready to grab the scythe on her back. After inspecting them each and racking her brain, she no longer felt especially safe with these strangers that were far stranger than she had assumed at first. There was no mirth in gaze, just an awareness, a steadfastness.

Enzeru blinked at Anna's information, his mouth falling agape when she announced the year she had been born. "By gods, there is no way! I am younger than you and I was born in 794! Last new years was the dawn of the eight hundredth and fifteenth year! My birthday was then!" he insisted, shaking his head. "1818, there is no way! That is so far in the distant future, I believe you're the one we should be questioning!"

Anna smirked humorlessly but didn't appear to be entirely surprised. That would certainly explain that bloody excuse for a gown he's sporting, she thought. Ignoring his accusation and instead turning to Kelly, she said, coolly, "Looking quite fresh for a man your age. Makes me think yon lass may be fresher still...am I right?"

Kelly's eyes were wide as she stared at Enzeru and Anna in disbelief, she finally found her voice after her shock dimmed, "Well then I'm younger than you Enzeru I was born in Febuary of 1987, when I fell asleep it was June of 2009." she said still staring at the two strangers she was with.

Enzeru blinked at Kelly and Anna, looking them both over cautiously. Am I to believe that these two ladies are from.. so far in the future..? "Pardon my next words, for I am not calling either of you liars... But... how is this possible? That I am from my time and that you both are from... so impossibly far in the future..? I mean... a year two thousand and nine?" he asked in disbelief. "I-it's absurd! How would we be able to stand in front of each other this night with each our own stories if they were true?! And if this was true, then in what time could we possibly be now?! And where?!"

"I have no clue, but maybe it's possible that someone or something took us each from our own time and we all ended up here in the same spot for some strange reason." Kelly said think aloud and even to her this theory seemed strange and so far-fetched.

"Some witchin's upon us," Anna offered, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Mayhaps, if such is the case, they brought us three together for a reason. Traveling through time...sounds a bit absurd, but I've heard stranger tales, n' there's more in this world than all we can see sometimes." She looked over her shoulder, left and right, watching water drip from the walls. "I don't recognize this place. Could be anywhere. Certainly isn't where I last recalled meself to've been. I suppose the real question, however, is why are we here."

"I don't recognize this place either, but I do believe we're in a cave somewhere." Kelly said as she looked around her. "I think that is the real question here, but I want to know how we got here and who brought us here." Kelly said looking at Anna and Enzeru.

Enzeru nodded in agreement and bit his lip, seeming nervous and unsure again for a moment. But within his own thoughts, ideas were stirring. This is very unsettling.. I've heard of magicians and dark-workers who could do this sort of thing, but I had never seen one before in my life, nor crossed one enough to deserve such a punishment.. But regardless of what time we are, we won't know any answers until we can gauge WHERE we are.. The best thing to do would be to get out in the open.. assess our location. These women need a strong man to take care of them now.. "Very well." he finally said, as if making some inner decision against turmoil. He nodded once, adjusted the sword on his belt and checked the blade habitually, then counted his poison darts in the strap against his chest beneath his robe. "We should try to find our way out of this cave. It's our only option and hope for answers. Perhaps there is a town or village nearby that can help us." He looked between Kelly and Anna, then at Kelly's flashlight again, and smiled. "Would you mind if I borrowed that contraption, Mistress Kelly? Or would you prefer to lead the way?"

Kelly blinked and blushed in surprise no one had ever called her Mistress Kelly before and she sort of liked it, "Oh, you can have it." she said handing Enzeru the flashlight.

Enzeru bowed with respect as he recieved the flashlight, and he held it delicately in his fingertips, pointing it across the walls and frowning as he studied them, moving closer to one and putting a hand flat against it. "There is iron ore in here... We're in a mountain cavern." he explained. "Come... There will be a way out." He motioned back for Kelly and Anna to follow him. "You may put that fire out, Mistress Anna."

Kelly looked at Enzeru, "Wow, you can tell that by just looking and touching the walls?" she said with admiration as she walked up to Enzeru.

Anna grimaced a little at the order, her lips pulling aside into a scowl. Placing the stone on the ground she stamped out the puttering flame, leaving the embers to die, then shouldered her rifle and followed a little behind them. "You're a bit presumptuous, givin' orders n' flingin' 'mistress' about. Not sure about the pretty lass here, but I certainly need no order from a fresh-as-daisies pup like you." She said the words off hand and coupled with a smile, as if this should have been perfectly obvious. No one ordered Fianna Dag'nir. Not on her life.

Enzeru smiled at Kelly and nodded matter-of-factly at her question. "Sort of. See, Iron Ore has a particular smell when around fire and you can only find it in the mountains. Very rarely is it seaside or in a valley." he shrugged. "As for touch, it's usually very smooth, but sooty, like charcoal." He then frowned at Anna's words and he stopped walking, turning to face her with a bit of a look of shame. After a moment of silence and shifting on his feet, he decided that perhaps this woman did not need a man to lead her about. "My apologies Mis--I mean... Anna--this is just the way I was raised. But you are my elder, I suppose... and as such, you have the right to relinquish me of my duty, if perhaps you would like to lead us?" he offered, bowing at the waist and standing aside to let her go ahead of them, even offering the flashlight to her.

Anna blinked at him. Rather easier than I thought. S'pose this'n knows his place. Nice change from the men o' home. She grinned, taking the flashlight with a nod of appreciation. "Happy to oblige, good sah. Thank ya kindly. Good to know there's still some sanity n' dignity left about." She paused in passing and turned to Enzeru with a kinder smile. "Apologies. Rather--this is just the way I was raised." She patted him on the shoulder, then twisted the flashlight in her good hand for a brief inspection. This was where she belonged, on the front lines leading the band, as always.

A scream faintly echoed through the halls, barely audible above their footsteps. A few minutes later, a shot cracked through the tunnels like thunder.

Enzeru was the first to react, wincing and flinching back behind Anna visibly, his eyes wide on the tunnel ahead and his hands on his sword, ready for whatever was ahead. "There was a shout! Perhaps there is someone ahead in need of assistance?" he said softly, but nevertheless urgently. "Come! Let's hurry!"

Anna didn't flinch at the sound. Such things were a regular occurrence to her both on and off the battlefield. In fact, as she unholstered the scythe once more, her thoughts revolved first around the threat to herself than to some stranger they couldn't identify yet (or even say with certainty was a victim). Nevertheless she switched hands so that the flashlight now balanced in the palm of her left hand so she could wield the scythe. "Let's see what the trouble is then, eh?" she said and headed deeper into the cavern.

Kelly reacted instictively by putting a hand on the Kantana at her side, "We must be careful as we approach so we're not attacked." she said as she followed Anna.

Enzeru nodded in agreement to Kelly's words, knowing there was a very strong possibility that either this was a trap, or they were outnumbered up ahead. He tightened his hold on his sword, not bringing it out just yet, even as they rounded a corner and voices seemed to grow. "They're close!" he said softly. "Perhaps, if there are others, there is also a way out ahead?"

"Quite right, I should think," Anna mumbled, though she didn't much agree that this was a trap. In fact, she could almost say she was certain it was not. Nevertheless, the sounds spoke of danger in some fashion if not to themselves, and their close proximity needed to be taken into account. "Now best shut your blubberin' mouths n' carry on. No need to warn the pig 'is bacon's cooked, eh?"

Kelly nodded in agreement to Anna's words and didn't speak as she followed Anna and Enzeru towards the voices ahead of them while keeping her hand close to her Kantana.

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Group 6.0 Groups 3 and 5 combined!

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