Don't Let Your Hope Fade

"Fine," Lauren said with a bit of a hiss to her tone. This guy was really turning out to be quite boring. How was he not phased by her exposed breasts? Was he straight? He had to be with how uncomfortable he was looking.

"Do you happen to know what the meaning behind the name la'Ronk is? Most people don't realize the significance of that name. The la part of la'Ronk is more than just a term to beautify such a simple term. It's dated back quite some time, too." Crawling back toward the pillows, Lauren rested herself chest-side down on the bed. "Anyway, the la has significance. It's initials. For example, Lauren Allison. L.A. It's quite beautiful how they went about naming such a great ruling family."

Playfully pulling at her hair, she patted the pillow beside her and would not continue the story until Adam was beside her. When he finally moved closer, she smirked.

"Lauren Allison Ronk. My name is la'Ronk. Do you get it now? Do you see why I take such pride? I am a la'Ronk. In fact, I'm the eldest. Unfortunately, I had to have a brother. Had he not been born, my life would be simple. But no, he had to be born, which gives him all the power. It's annoying. I heard a rumor that his fiance's lover joined the rebellion. I really hope they kill this fellow. If they do, it'll solidify my brother's heart, which is needed if we're going to continue this reign of rule. He's too much of a pushover right now. I bet if they were to convince his fiance, Jenny Lynn, that they, the heroes, were good, he would order that the la'Ronk army should stop hunting them down. Can you believe that. What a pathetic prince he is. Some la'Ronk. Tch, he sickens me."

Butting her head up against Adam's shoulder, she gave him a sincere smile. "To be honest, for a while I thought you might be a hero. But you're too... I don't know. You just don't feel like the enemy."

Adam let out a small sigh of relief at her finally agreeing to answer his question, Adam sat up and listened intently to her story. Adam's heart was still racing from what had transpired only moments prior. Lauren began her tale Adam had never paid so much attention to one story in his life. Lauren carried on for a bit and began to explain the significance of the la'Ronk name.

She flirtily pulled away and remained silent, she had a look in her eye that said come hither. Adam moved closer to Lauren and laid next to her, she continued speaking when she revealed something that shook Adam to his core! "Lauren Allison Ronk. My name is la'Ronk. Do you get it now? Do you see why I take such pride? I am a la'Ronk. In fact, I'm the eldest." Adam's eyes widened I'm in bed with the la'Ronk Queen...by the gods this is awkward...

"So you're the la'Ronk Queen? Well...aren't I the lucky man" Adam let out a nervous laugh Shit shit shit shit...this could go VERY badly... Lauren rubbed her head against his shoulder again causing Adam to have tremors run down his spine.

Adam couldn't help but laugh slightly to himself upon her comment of him not being a hero. Okay I have to play along or she will suspect me! Adam shifted himself onto his knees and began removing his jacket "I'm a man of my word, and I'll remove an article of clothing." Adam finished removing his jacket revealing his simple tight black t shirt, and the small belt of seeds wrapped around each arm "Shit...IIIII left my seeds from gardening on my bad haha!"

Rynn grinned to herself as the man talked about the ninjackles. Of course the one she would pick would have someone she was interested in but not acting on- very much the same situation as herself. "I know exactly who that one should go too." Rynn laughed softly as she grinned, making note of which one would be Nick's. She also took note of the big one, as that one should belong to Jenna. Lightning needed to most electrifying one.

"Again we much appreciate your aid in these hard times. I know its a dangerous thing you guys are doing, and your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Thank you for everything you are doing for us." Rynn said, smiling at the man as she stroked her ninjackles nose. "She needs a name. I suppose it shall come to me. And yes, I agree, we need to go pick up food for them. We can carry much more now that we have them to come with us. It also makes us quite more serious looking." Rynn stepped away from the creature, moving back with Devyn and nodding that it was time to gather up food. Meeting time would be coming up soon and they needed to be ready. They'd have to leave under cover of night.

After Michael instructed them about the location of the Ninjackles and how they should retrieve them, the pair walked off to go about the rest of their daily activities. They had already obtained enough money and they had just eaten. Furthermore they found information out about The Alliance.

Turning down another main road, Nick pulled Gavyn in closer. He hated the idea that people were constantly gawking at her. She was cute and adorable. Nicholas might have stared, too. However, he found Gavyn to lack the appearance he sought - Rynn's look. Now that she had managed to get back into his mind, the black haired hero turned away to blush. Oh how he missed her. Next time, he thought to himself, he would make sure he was paired with the fiery woman. But who would Gavyn work well with?

"I think I'm going to start rooting for you and Adam. You see perfect for one another. Speaking of Adam, do you want to go try and meet up with him? Or maybe we can bump into Cole and Jenna. I foresee those to getting pretty tight. And, not for nothing, I would, personally, like to see Rynn again and my good friend Devyn."

Stopping in his tracks, he looked about. "Hmmm, I wonder where the others are."

Cocking her head to the side, Lauren sat up, but not without pulling a blanket around her chest first. With ease, she slid over beside Adam and rested her head on his shoulder. A laugh followed. "I can sense you're not interested. Well, let me rephrase that. You are, but you're trying to hold back. If you feel that strongly about not playing with me, I can respect that. Granted, it's not what I want. However," her lips nibble at his ear, "not respecting a man is pretty bad. You see, I'm so used to being in charge and getting my way that I forget that... well, people have choices."

As she slipped across the bed and onto the floor, the woman put on a silk robe that hardly covered her exposed chest. It covered the necessary parts, but it definitely showed off more cleavage than necessary.

Sweeping her way back to his side, Lauren kissed his cheek. "So you're a farmer! That's quite wonderful. When I retire, I want to open up a quaint little flower shop. I've always, don't laugh, loved flowers. I often wished I was named after a flower." Her ginger hair slid into her face. Lauren's fingers traced the outline of Adam's bicep; this little action seemed to calm her, which would probably relieve the poor Earth Hero.

"If you're ever in Kittmund, look me up. Please." Out of the pockets of her robe she made a card appear. Placing it on his person, she smiled up at him. "If you present this at the castle gates, you'll be allowed to enter. You can come and go as your heart desires." Silence then fell on her. Just having him there was nice. With her head on his shoulders and her one hand wrapped around his arm, Lauren finally felt content. She had finally found a man she enjoyed. Someone she didn't want to... behead.

Out of nowhere, Lauren broke the silence. "You must really love her. Most men would jump at the opportunity to be with me. All the money you could ever want. All the power, too. And yet, you want nothing. Not even... me." A tear slipped from her eye and landed on his hand, although Lauren didn't realize this.

Adam breathed a sigh of relief he truly thought he was caught there for a moment, "I truly am sorry Lauren...it's nothing against you I mean you are gorgeous. Any man would be lucky to have you!" Adam let out a heavy breath upon having his ear nibbled at, it felt truly intoxicating.

Adam couldn't help but stare at her bare chest until she covered it with a robe still revealing a massive amount of cleavage which still caused Adam to stare some. Adam looked away and began paying attention to the bed sheets, this was interrupted by a kiss on his cheek.

"Ahhh...yes I'm a farmer, I've always loved plants. As a child I grew up playing in the woods and fell in love with plants in general. My farm isn't so much vegetables, and fruits but mainly trees, and other rare plants." Adam laughed softly when she ran her fingers over his bicep, he was quite ticklish.

Adam's eyes widened as he received the card that'll allow him to enter the castle whenever he wants. "Nay I would never laugh! Flowers are amazing I would never insult you for loving flowers. Thank you very much Lauren, it means a lot. And I do promise if I ever am in Kittmund I will stop by." Adam sat on the bed his mind was racing This went extremely well...I'm going to dance when I leave.

"Uhh yes...her name is Gavyn. I just met her but I feel a connection to her, if that makes any sense..."

Adam placed a kiss on Lauren's cheek, "You are an amazing women Lauren, and I wish you luck with your future endeavors. I do hope that our paths will cross again. It's late I should be going, I do thank you for your time."

Adam stood up and grabbed his coat and put it on his body, and headed out the door of the bedroom. And out of the main door and back towards the group.

When Nick pulled her in, a yawn escaped her small mouth. She was tuckered out for some reason, maybe it was a combination of lack of food, a long day and not the best sleep in the world last night, she didn’t know. As they walked, she pondered the days events in her head. She was exposed to a world she never imaged to see, but she… had fun. It was a productive day as well, meeting the alliance, getting a good sum of money AND acquiring a pack of Ninjackals. Gavyn felt good about everything for the moment, but was a little sad that the day had to end. It was nice to get some quality time with Nick, or as she should regard him, her new brother. The thought brought a smile to her tired eyed face.

But that tired little expression perked up a bit at Nicks words. She brought her hand up to her face, a little embarrassed. “What makes you think a guy like him would even be interested?” The whole idea was out of the blue, it was true, Adam was kind to her, but he was kind to everyone. But the idea was nice to think of, she drifted off toying with the idea, her mind bringing her fictional images of the two growing close, his lips moving closer in on hers, but before they met she shook the idea out of her head, her face visibly on fire.

Quickly she waved her hand in the air, “Yes, yes let’s go meet up with Adam and the rest of our little clan, hmm?” Her voice was squeaking slightly and she rushed to get those words out to possibly direct Nicks attention to something else.

Gavyn stopped when Nick did, watching him look about. “Wouldn’t it be the best bet to try meeting back at Devyn’s house?” In her eyes it was the most logical decision, considering that was where they all dispersed. She tugged on Nick’s shirt pulling him toward the sought destination. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but she really did want to get back to Adam, just to assure herself that all went well. The wavy haired female couldn’t help but feel suddenly anxious.

Adam walked quickly away from the house I need to head back to Devyn's before Lauren wises up and wants this card back, also self five Adam getting the card into the castle. Adam walked alone for some time slightly paranoid that at any second he'd be overrun by la'Ronk.

Adam got back to Devyn's house "Huh...looks like no one else is here...sad." Adam walked over to his tree Martha and climbed up her and rested inside her branches waiting for the others to return.

After finishing up with the Ninjackles and memorizing their location, Rynn made her way with Devyn back to the house. As they came upon it, she noticed that they had been beat there by Adam. Walking up to the base of Martha, Rynn rested her palm against it, looking up at him. She didn't want to invade his space without asking, so she figured talking from the base of the tree would do just fine.

"Hey Adam! Glad to see you made it back relatively intact." she laughed, continuing to look up through the branches "Did everything go allright? We've got some awesome news for you whenever you and Martha are finished." There was a smirk curling upon her full lips, she was clearly teasing him, but he was good-natured, it was all in good fun. The redhead remained at the base of the tree, waiting for Adam to come down so she could explain the Ninjackles without having to yell up a tree.

As the smaller groups finished up their errands and made their way back, the sun began to set. It was nearing 6:30PM when all the members of the "gang" showed up. With everyone piling into Devyn's house, they decided they would get the important things out of the way first.

Rynn and Devyn explained to the group about the Ninjackles and how they were going to have some help with fighting the la'Ronk. It was then when Devyn suggested that they should head out as it was nearing 7:00PM. With their bellies full, as Jenna and Cole were nice enough to provide everyone with a hefty dinner, the crew wandered toward the abandoned barn.

Instructing that they pick the creature that beast suited their personalities, the band of heroes had a heartfelt goodbye as they waved to Devyn. Devyn had, at the last minute, decided to stay behind and keep watch of things. He had heard a rumor that Princess Lauren was in town, something that Adam confirmed (without spilling too much information). With Devyn as their new informant, Rynn instructed that they leave soon before the la'Ronk army took to their night posts.

With a bit of heavy heart -- as they didn't want to leave the wondrous yet sinister city -- the brave heroes rode off into the night. It was arranged that they would take turns with regards to shifts. Nick, being the Dark Hero immediately volunteered for the 10:00PM to 1:00AM shift, as it was when his powers were strongest. Adam and Gavyn were signed up to take the 1:00AM to 3:00AM shift. Rynn and Cole picked the 3:00AM to 5:00AM shift. Jenna finished up the watch with the 5:00AM to 7:00AM watch.

For the most part, the ride through Ciel'fant wasn't too bad. They crew only had to stop once, which fell during Nick's shift. The poor dogs were thirsty, so he slowed the group down and stood guard while his comrades and their beasts took a short break. But, other than that, everything went smoothly.

When the group finally stirred that morning, Nick instructed that they not follow the course they were previously traveling, as he recalled a book that was in his house (they had previously decided on seeking out the help of the Priests in Waal. It took a bit of convincing, but he was finally able to get the group to head north rather than veer east. The next few days would be spent avoiding all major cities and doing their best to not stumble into enemy populated towns. A low profile was a good one. They, surprisingly, didn't cause much alarm. They did run into a few creatures from time to time, but it was nothing the crew couldn't face.

**All hero posts should be made in Nithlium. Note that the heroes are not in the same distract as the la'Ronk soldiers, so they will not be crossing paths... yet.

The Sixth Month of Twelve in the Evening
Seven days after the start of our story

Now only one day away from Nick's house, let us see what happens when the heroes encounter their first real challenge. They are nearly lost in Nithlium's frozen tundra and their hopes are running thin. It's almost as if Void is watching them because when the sun begins to drop, they feel a pair of eyes on them. Things might get a bit... bloody.

**All hero posts should be made in Nithlium. Note that the heroes are not in the same distract as the la'Ronk soldiers, so they will not be crossing paths... yet.

The past few days had been very fast paced for Gavyn, so much so they practically seemed like a blur. As the bitter cold wind pressed roughly against her forehead, turning the tip of her nose a bright pink she was relieved that she had made a few quick purchases in the city. It was a lucky thing she had coin of her own to spend, seeing as she didn’t want to take any money from what Nick had gathered. With a little help from the others she came back changed into this. It was hard for her to pick out things outside her comfort zone but the girls had showed her that clothing wasn’t just about functionality, it could be fun and show some personality too. She did wish she purchased a hat of some sort though, or maybe just an entire ski mask to fight against this dry and bitter cold!

It was sad to leave Devyn behind after just meeting him, but his reasons were just. This Princess Lauren seemed dangerous in her own right, and they were all lucky that nothing happened to Adam in the time he spent with her. Although he did smell strongly of perfume when we met up afterward… She had meant to ask him about it sometime during their shift together, but she ended up getting too nervous or flustered to even mention it. With that thought, Gavyn puffed out her cheeks and leaned forward into Ava’s soft fur. Ava was the name she decided on when choosing her Ninjackle. This one happened to be one of two twins that were small in size, she seemed to be the most timid out of the pack but Gavyn quickly got on her good side, and frankly the two bonded very quickly.

It was difficult to see even a few feet in front of them, Gavyn squinted to assure she was still steadily behind Nick and Rynn. Nick better be positive this book is still somewhere in his home, otherwise this trip will be a bust. When he delivered the news of changing course, Gavyn was quite shocked to hear that he came from Nithlium as well and was apprehensive for going back home. But more than likely, Nick lived nowhere near her village so she wouldn’t have to worry about her relatives snatching her up and locking her back inside their little home.

As dark came rather quickly, the temperature dropped even further. Oh how she wished just to get through this night as quickly as possible. The lack of cover, and inability to see their surroundings she felt like they could be ambushed at any moment. The only relief she seemed to have was the fact they were surrounded by ice… so if something did happen, she had more than just the water in her vessel to work with. Even though the days and nights had remained so busy, any moments she had of free time she worked hard on improving her power over her element. She was presently working on the density of the forms she could make. It was hard for her to enforce pressure on her targets or hold a barrier for very long, but she was getting there.

Nithlium had very quickly topped Rynn's list of her least favorite place in the entire continent. Ka'Lent had seemed bad, but at least there she wasn't completely surrounded by ice which, frankly, made her uncomfortable. She hadn't noticed if her powers had weakened, but all the ice still made her uneasy. Rynn had purchased a fur lined cloak for this part of the country, as well as upgraded her thin Alshmerean pants and tank top for pants made of a much more insulating material that was still flexible and thin enough to move in. She'd also traded the tank top for a long sleeved top of the same material as the pants, her boots were made for allweather so thankfully her shoes were not in need of replacement. Rynn had invested in gloves as well as a scarf.

Halfway through the ride, Rynn realized that she could use some of her power to maintain a comfortable warmth under the clothing. She would also send small fireballs to hover in front of her friends to warm them up if they seemed a bit too chilly, though she had to be careful with her power. Rynn didn't want to expend it in case the ice did, in fact weaken her. Rynn also didn't want to alert anyone, so she was careful that they were isolated when she chose to use it. She rode near to Nick, her ninjackle, Ary, just tended to naturally keep pace with his and vice versa. They were at the front. Rynn would occasionally venture a glance and a smirk at him. Sometimes she managed to catch his eye and sometimes she didn't, it just depended on how thick the snow was at that point in time.

It was during this time that the magnitude of their mission fell upon the young woman. This entire continent depended on them, and they were at a very real risk of losing their lives. Yes they were powerful, yes they had a lot of abilities, but the La'Ronk hadn't managed to keep control this long by being stupid- they'd done it with strategy and military intelligence. She looked behind her at Gavyn, at Jenna and Adam, as well as Cole. Her eyes moved forward to Nick. All of them depended on her leadership, they were all counting on her ability to keep them alive and play this intelligently.

And Rynn just wasn't so certain she was up to the challenge. She'd have to be, of course- there wasn't a choice anymore. Rynn knew she was a capable leader, but this mission was so great. It would take years quite possibly. They were her family, her friends, her lover (It seemed like he would be), her charges, her protectors, her team. They were the most important thing in the world to her. Gavyn's innocent naivete but determination to be strong, Jenna's strength and calmness, Adam's kind heart full of the best intentions yet the ability to fight when needed, Cole's protective nature over his companions, and Nick. She didn't know where to start on Nick- his odd mood wings, his hell bent determination to laugh it off, his insecurity hidden behind straight bravado. All of them were important to her, all of them depended on her. And she wasn't going to let them down. She couldn't. They were her family and she wasn't going to let them die.

Not again.

After riding for this long, Nick was beginning to wonder if he was even male. The way the spine of the Ninjackle moved could have probably worn something down. It didn't help that they had, more or less, rode nonstop. As his body swayed with the alternating trot of the beast below him, his shoulders continued to slouch forward. All hopes of redeeming his posture were lost. Lost, I say! There was no way in hell he would straighten up his back. It was stiff and sore.

Sooner or later, he was going to be frozen to the creature. Oh, wait! That's right. He was born in this land. That would explain why he wasn't shivering. Wait a minute? He wasn't shivering? Yet, if one were to view his hands, they would see they were numb and purple. Hmmm.

Finally caving in, Nick rolled his shoulders back, which brought forth a most unwanted ache. Rolling his head from east to west then back again, he listened as the bones in his neck realigned. It was a good thing he and his brother always used to mess around. Time and time again, Nick would return home with a sore neck and his father would have to pop it back in place. After doing it for so long, Nick was a semi-natural self-chiropractor. Ah yes, those were the good old days when things were easy.

Suddenly, a wet feeling sent a shiver down his spine. When his eyes tuned in to his hand, he noticed a tongue and a friendly pair of eyes. Ewwww. Ninjackle slobber. It was rather amusing. His partner was quite the jokester. Nicholas believed it was due to the fact that he was in love. The way the beast behaved around Ary, Rynn's ninjackle, was more than adorable. He would act all rough and tough, but would end up making a huge fool of himself -- his most recent stunt ended up having his tongue stuck to an icicle, and a large one at that. The more time he spent watching the pup, the more he realized he was just as foolish when it came to impressing Rynn.

Rynn. Not daring to move his head, he let his red colored eyes slip over to her person. Studying her for no longer than ten seconds, Nick adverted his eyes back to the whiteness before him. Despite the harsh landscape that they were boldly traveling through, Nick was still able to comment on the beauty of the moment. Rynn stood out more than he did, which caused him to stare her way far too much. His black hair and clothing -- he was wearing the same attire he wore when he met the crew only he purchased a black cloak because he said it made him look royal (one could assume he was trying to impress Rynn with it) -- were pretty plain in comparison to Rynn. White and black. It was all around them. But red? Now that was a real treat. Her hair not only danced in the wind, but it also helped heighten the red color that had taken a liking to her cheeks. Her full lips were set in stone as they had been for a while now, but they looked as lovely as always. A little brighter than normal, but they still looked just as beautiful (and tasteful) as could be.

Somehow, his eyes had managed to wander back to Rynn, and his ninjackle, Kapu, had picked up on this. Practically colliding with Ary, Kapu let his long pale tone wipe across the female's snout. Fighting his laugh back, Nick turned his head and grinned at Rynn. "I have no idea where he gets these ideas from, I blame Ary! It's her fault... I think she put a spell on him," as the words rolled off his tongue -- breaking the long silence -- he leaned to his right and planted a quick kiss on her icy cheeks.

Nick. One.

Kapu. Zero.

Yes. He was keeping tabs.

Swinging away before she could swat him back, -- he liked to believe she wasn't a fan of his affection, especially since the others weren't as public about their little crushes as they were -- the black haired lad found himself swimming in a pile of white fluffy stuff.

"Ack! Kapu! Where are you going! Rider overboard; I repeat, rider over...."

Something shifted in the shadows. His red eyes seemed to growl brighter as they peered into the sea of swirling flakes. Squinting his eyes, he could make out a tree-line. They were nearing his neck of the woods. Thinking for a brief moment, he recalled some rumors about frozen wasteland and a mighty terror. Shiva and Sekth. They were an old urban legend. They were said to kill people in these parts. But they were just rumors.... right?

Kapu let out a deep growl as he neared Nicholas' backside. "Steady, boy," he heeded, placing his arm out before the creature, as if that act alone would prevent Kapu from charging.

Adam rode along with the heroes on his Ninjackle "Speratus" Adam wove one of his vines attaching itself to each foot stringing along the underside of Speratus. This helped Adam balance during the long amount of riding. The riding was fun for the most part but got boring at times.

He enjoyed his watch shift with Gavyn, he made a promise to himself that when they got to the next town he would tell her how he felt. The ride through the giant areas of ice unsettled him greatly. He didn't mind them but he felt somewhat powerless.

He still had his seeds but was not near any soil which bothered him. But he knew if they were ambushed Gavyn, and Cole would be able to protect everyone. Adam was cold but his jacket helped some, he wasn't able to grab any winter clothing before they all rushed off. Luckily he was able to wrap vines down his arm to keep him warm.

Adam was about to loose it but luckily he saw ahead a large forest area, "Finally! I feel useful again!"

Rynn burst out laughing as Kapu licked Ary's nose. Ary growled at Kapu, but still nudged him affectionately. "You're saying Ary's got Kapu spell bound? Hmm... wonder what it feels like to have someone spell bound." Rynn said, meeting Nick's eyes with her emerald ones, her lips curled into a mischievous smirk as she held his gaze, waiting to see if he would dare return the grin. Sometimes Nick got a little shy, which amused her.

A moment later she felt an icy kiss on her cheek. Looking through her lashes, Rynn cast Nick a sidelong glance, her lips parting ever so slightly. She was about to return the gesture when Nick moved away, growing shy again all of a sudden. And then he was in the snow pile. Rynn let out another laugh, though she stopped suddenly as she heard Kapu growl.

Rynn narrowed her eyes, pulling Ary to a stop to halt the group until Nick could remount. "Why is he growling Nick? Did he see something...?" She asked, the uneasiness radiating off of Nick was started to cause a distinctive dis-ease in her as well.

Did he see something? What kind of question was that! Would a creature just growl for the hell of it? He believed not. Snapping his head around so he could look at Rynn, he found himself snorting fur instead. "Gah, Kapu! Get your fur out of my face!" Batting the creature with flailing limbs, he managed to get plowed over by the creature. Just as he was about to sit up, Kapu decided it would be fun to sit on Nicholas. With his tongue rolling out in pleasure, he seemed to have disregarded his previous defensive actions.

Once satisfied with his show of dominance, the ninjackle moved off his companion before he started to trot toward the thin woods. "Kaputin! Get back here," he barked at the dog-like animal.

Not even registering his actions, Nick fumbled through the knee-deep snow after his ride. Once at the base of the forest (you couldn't even call it that as there were only twelve trees), his eyes adjusted in the darkness and honed in on Kapu. Seizing hold of its tail, he playfully tugged at it. "Come on, goof. Let's get back to the o-o-o-ot-other.... shit!"

His eyes were finally fully alert as his perception changed so it could see through the thick snow. In his hands was not the tail of Kaputin the Ninjackle, but it was the horny tail of the terrible Sekth! Flailing backwards, he realized retreating was impossible. The snow in the area was up to his waist now and Kapu was nowhere to be found. Blackness was all around him. Looking for his tracks, which were practically filled back in, the male's adrenaline started to rush through him. Death was inches away. Just inches away. And no one was there to assist him.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, Nick felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. His eyes grew heavy and, within no time, he was sprawled out on the snow. A small pool of blood started to stain the white ground red. Numbness overcame him as hypothermia moved into its next stage. His limbs grew cold and his head throbbed with an unbearable pain. Trying to fight to stay conscious, the last thing Nick remembered was a girl's laughter and the sound of something being dragged.

Meanwhile, Kapu had pounced his way back to the group. Cocking his head, he looked at Rynn and wondered where his master went. A whimper came next, which was followed by his muzzle plowing into her crotch. Another whine came before he tilted his head back to let out a sorrowful howl.

With Nick not appearing, the heroes probably feel a sense of uneasiness. Kaputin's howling doesn't seem to make things any better. Just then, from the darkness to their left, comes a horrific sounding screech. A peeling sound follows as does the crashing sound of trees being smashed to pieces. A scream follows.

After a moment of silence, the heroes hear a cackling sound that seems to be drawing nearer. With the ground shaking below them, they know that something large is approaching. The Ninjackles immediately sense the threat and begin to bare their fangs. Snarling sounds as well as growls shoot out from all directions. Although the "thing" is not quite in few, they are beginning to see the smokey outline of what looks like a horned beast with... with... what is that... is that... no... no it can't be... a... a human riding its head mounting a staff. And what about that... that thing dangling from the beast's front horn? Could that be... no, oh god no! It's Nick! Whatever will our heroes do! They can't launch a full scale attack with Nick acting as a shield! They'll have to be cleaver if they wish to not scathe their unconscious comrade.

**Side comments: The tail on this Sekth is about two stories long. Although the creature is small looking, it's actually very long. Its body is close to eight feet long. The tail is, obviously, closer to twenty feet in length.

Shivering Jenna pulled her fur hood farther over her face. Like Rynn she had also purchased a fur lined cloak. She had also bought a thick wool cowl that covered her lower face. She was sitting in the lotus position on the back of her ninjackle Zeus. The name fit him perfectly as he was a beast and seemed to love lightning just as much as she did. At first it was hard for her to get him to settle down. He was a very hyper ninjackle, his personality was completely electrified. But they soon became completely bonded, almost as if their minds were connected. She loved her beast with her whole heart.

Jenna was riding at the back of group, covering the rear. Her staff was laying across her lap, her cloak wrapped tightly around her. She had also bought, well stole this time, a pair of thick but flexible pants to go over her spandex like pants. Her small tight top had been replaced with a long sleeved back shirt, and a fur vest laid over it. Stealing came in handy when you really needed the stuff. She had also jacked a pair of wool gloves and socks.

For awhile now she had been sitting on the back of Zeus, legs up in the lotus position. For most of the time she had her eyes closed, opening up her hearing. With all the snow it was easier to listen than to look. She trusted Zeus to not lead her away from the others. Now she opened her eyes and looked around. Zeus had come to a stop and that puzzled her. She heard Kaptuin start howling and then she heard the screech and scream. Underneath her Zeus started to shake and growl. His growls and snarls were massive and she patted the side of his neck. Uncurling her legs she sat on him properly and yipped at him. She urged him forward and over to Rynn. Coming to a stop near her she gasped at the sight before her. Nick in the jaws of a massive beast.

Grabbing her staff she clicked the button and the two blades shot out. "We need to need to think up a plan and quick. There's no way we can just attack that thing, not with Nick hanging from it's horn. I've never heard of this creature before." It looked like the stomach of the beast was vulnerable. Reaching her hand under her cloak she grabbed one of her batteries and quickly tied it to her wrist with a string of thick leather. It was wide enough to cover the whole battery. Using her teeth she pulled on each end of the string, making sure it wouldn't slip off. Having the battery near her hand helped her draw on it's electricity much easier.

Without hesitation Adam released the vine holding him to Speratus. Adam perched himself on the back of his Ninjackle and leapt off of it towards the forest. Using seeds strapped to his legs (Much like the ones strapped to his arms) he used them to produce vines that ran down his pants extending a great deal adding 3 feet to his height, making him only appear a foot taller above the snow. Adam ran past Rynn, and Jenna at a full sprint "Here's the plan I grab it you kill it!"

Adam swerved behind the beast, luckily he was in some semblance of a forest. The vines covering his arms uncoiled themselves and shot forth! Some grabbing the tail, some wrapping around its neck, the remaining vines grabbed Nick a carefully but quickly removed him from the beasts tail. The vines holding Nick shot back to the other heroes "Protect him! Also if anyone has some free time could they please help me?!"

The beast moved trying to break free! Adam had to concentrate all his power to hold the beast, but he knew he couldn't hold this beast for long. The vines that were holding Nick shot back and grabbed the rider on top. The beast thrashed about trying to break free, Adam let out a small scream. The amount of concentration needed to hold this beast was enormous, every movement the beast produced caused tremors of pain down his entire body. It was only a matter of time before the beast broke free. Through grunts of pain Adam yelled "I can't hold this thing much longer!"

(( This was never here~ xD ))

((Just saw Xavi's post. I saved what I wrote..))

Remaining mounted, Rynn did her best to calm her Ary as the creature appeared. She took a moment, just a split second to take in the situation. The best was large and powerful looking, the rider looked like she could hold her own as well. The heroes themselves were not yet powerful enough to kill this and manipulate their powers around Nick so that they could decimate it yet keep Nick safe, and they needed him.

"Everyone! Don't over exhaust yourself and stay mounted!" Rynn called to them, glaring at Adam. He was so brash. Those seeds were all he had out here, and he was throwing them away without giving the other heroes time to do read damage. "Adam! Don't worry about the beast, get Nick back on Kapu and get back on Speratus. We can't find this now, we don't have the control needed to keep Nick safe. Get him on it and we can run away. I know thats not the bravest thing, but right now its the smartest..." Rynn said, creating a fireball in her hand, readying it to shoot at Adams vines should he decide to not place Nick back on Kapu. She was also holding it at the ready so that if the beast decided to do more than threaten she could slow it down some.

Growling under her breath Jenna patted Zeuses massive head. "Let's go Zeus." With her words her companion leaped forward, quickly running over to Nick. She didn't bother waiting for Adam to respond to Rynn. The faster he was put back on his ninjackle the better. Hugging onto Zeus with her thighs she leaned down while he was making a circle around Nick and gripped nick underneath his armpits. With a a lot of effort and a grunt Jenna pulled him up to lay in front of her. "Zeus, go to Kapu quickly!" She urged him.

Her ninjackle kept running, but changing directions over to Nick's. Zeus pulled up to Kapu's side and Jenna leaned over, patting the ninjackle. Her beast pressed as close as he could get to Kapu, making it easier for Jenna to try and get Nick back on his own beast. She finally managed to get Nick on Kapu, laying on his stomach face against his neck.

Looking up she glanced at Adam. "Let's go! We need to get out of here right now Adam!" She hated shouting at him but like Rynn she wanted to be out of here. There was no way they were going to defeat that massive beast. If they didn't make their escape now, they never would. Clicking the buttons on her staff the blades retracted and the thing shrunk down to it's tiny size. After sticking it back in her boot she focused on her powers, sucking some electricity out of the battery making it crackle over her finger tips. She held the crackling energy there, prepared for anything. Beneath her Zeus growled loudly like he to was telling them all to get away. She could feel him twitching beneath her thighs, as if he was holding himself back from running.

Adam stood trying his best to hold the beast and its rider, Adam could barely make out Rynn's comment. "He's right next to his fucking Ninjackle! Are your arms broken? I'm holding this thing to keep it from charging the rest of us!" Adam's vines began to snap under the beasts struggle "I'm not stupid enough to fight this thing! Just trying to save Nick and I did so mission accomplished!"

Adam watched as Jenna ran and placed Nick on his Ninjackle "Thank you Jenna for placing Nick on his ninjackle that was 2 feet away!" Adam wasn't trying to be an ass to Rynn but being in bad situations caused Adam to vent a little. More vines began to snap! The beast was ripping them off left and right Adam knew he only had seconds before he had no hold on the beast.

Adam had to act fast he needed an escape plan unfortunately he was in no area where he could grow some more vines to keep him safe. And he couldn't spare anymore seeds without being rendered useless for who knows how long.

A loud SNAP was heard as the last vine broke all Adam could do was brace for the inevitable strike and mutter out a low "Fuck!" The beasts paw came down in a swiping motion knocking Adam to the ground with great force! Adam pushed himself off the ground and quickly grabbed one of his bags of seeds right before the beast hoisted him into the air gripping him with his massive paw!

"Okay one shot at this!" Adam used the remaining bit of strength he had and burst the bag open cause small vines to cover the beasts face causing the beast to drop him. Adam rushed from the immediate area barely keeping a steady jog due to the amount of power he had been using. Adam let out a loud whistle! Speratus then came running over to Adam, Adam quickly climbed on the back of his Ninjackle and rushed over to the group "Okay next time someone needs saving let's not let me do it in an area that in no way can support vegetation."

With Nick finally secured, but not quite safe, the group dared to move toward the city. However, the great beast and his rider seemed to have other plans. Cackling like the fiend she was, Shiva thrust her hands toward the pack of heroes. Cracking a whip, she flipped from the beast and found herself surrounded by a furry of snow. Lips curling up to reveal her nasty grin, she smirked at the pathetic heroes. They were going to die here and now!

As Sekth charged at the already wounded hero, Shiva snaked her away from to the back of the group. They were to split the team in half. And then, one by one, take out the weakest link.

Writhing in pain, Nicholas swung himself around onto the other side of Kapu and held on for dear life. If things persisted, both he and his partner would be laying face-up in a shallow grave.

It was then when a tremendous pain shot through his eyebrow. Doubling over, the Dark Hero fumbled off his Ninjackle and onto the earth. Thankfully, he was greeted by powdery snow, but, still, the tundra was not as kind to those that were bleeding.

Kicking himself away from Sekth, Nick's crazed eyes slammed shut with immense pain. His body grew numb with each passing second. He could feel his heart trying to burst from his chest, but he kept his ground and held his position. Sekth was after him. If he could lure the monster away, the others could take Shiva. As, according to rumor, Shiva was quite weak.

Kapu seemed to pick up on his rider's plan and immediately darted over to his friend's side. Whimpering, he knew all to well how things would end. He seemed to whimper, "Self-sacrifices are the cowards way out of the biggest of burdens."

Jaw ajar, Nicholas Fusion though about Kapu's words. In his state of pain, anything was possible. Despite the fact that the dog wasn't speaking, Nick was, indeed, having a conversation with his inner-self. Although, this would never click with him in his deranged state.

Twisting his head to the side, he watched as Shiva yanked the hinds of Cole's creature. Without a doubt, Cole's Ninjackle would need to be put down. It was never wise to ride a cursed creature.

Thinks continued to get bleak. The storm around them seemed to draw nearer and darkness was really setting in. Cold nipped at their faces as the wind ripped through their clothes.

Is this the end, Nick thought before he felt his chest freeze. A last puff of smoke streamed from his nostrils and vanished in a cloud of flakes and sleet. As his lids closed, he thought he spied, in the far distance, a growing black speck. Fighting to stay conscious, he felt the warmth of another from behind. Rynn. Or so he believed. Without moving his head, he watched as Jenna scooped Cole up and how Adam took to aiding and defending Gavyn. They weren't safe, but at least they weren't going to die alone.

But before the heroes could be meet with death, a wicked howling sound erupted from the throat of Sekth. A severed head slid into view and a blood-stained sword swung around, upper-cutting the sky. The thunderous hooves of a majestic black horse kicked up a blizzard of snow as it reared itself.

As the horse stood on its hinds, the rider slipped off and flung itself at Shiva. Sword through the heart ensured an immediate death. Removing the limp body of the fallen fiend, the rider turned its head toward the sprawled out band of heroes.

Wearing a helmet, it would be impossible to know who the rider was. Although, against the white snow, the black rider's leather suit hinted at a nice pair of breasts, which confirmed that their savior was, indeed, female.

Her cloak of red suddenly ripped from its resting position and tossed about in a whirlwind of snowflakes and ice. Bracing herself, she trudged forward to meet her mighty horse. With her chest thrust forward, she spun her horse around and had it stand at attention.

Before she started to move it toward the village, she cast her head to the side to look at the heroes. Though they could not see her, she could see them. All of them. Each and every one. The heroes of the earth were just... kids.

Popping her head forward, she kicked the gut of the horse, which signaled it to walk. Lifting its hairy, massive hooves from the ground, its razor-black feet sliced through the icy-snow. Nothing could stop this beast from returning home. Nothing.

For a moment, the hero of darkness just sat there propped up against Rynn. His mouth was agape, but it wasn't unexpected. In fact, most of the heroes where in a similar state. A trance-like existence. They were not only mesmerized by the black rider, but also awestruck by her sheer vigor and brute force. Sh e slayed Sekth and Shiva without even breaking a sweat. This, if anything, proved her power and strength.

It was at that second that Nick rustled from his spot and did his best to find his land-feet. Stumbling around some, he was meet with Kapu's muzzle and hip. "Thanks, boy." Slipping onto the back of the Ninjackle, he waited for his peers to mount their dogs. Once they were on aboard, they followed the large footprints of the horse's to the city. By dawn, they would be in the heart of the city.

Had it not been for the mystery rider on a wondrous black horse, the heroes might have blinked their last blink. Following their savior in silence, the heroes had enough time to think to themselves and, mentally, prepare for the journey that would greet them that dawn.

The valiant efforts of Jenna and Adam will not be forgotten as they will serve as a reminder for how they were scared shitless and were put in their place. Although they are heroes, they are still mortals. They are incapable of performing such godly tasks, despite popular belief. With heavy hearts and a new-found fear in their hearts, the heroes are probably doing a lot of soul-searching. After all, when was the last time you let your friends down and almost died?

**It is encouraged that all heroes take a moment to reflect what happened and think about the important things in their lives. It is also recommended that they try to picture what the masked rider might look like. You know, paint a face for their great hero. Also, feel free to have them thank their item as it is rumored that the item can call for help (or, in this case, a savior).

Adam was ready to get the hell out of this area! He was shaking from nearly being killed by this beast. He thought that they all made it out scott free but this was not the case. The beast lunged forward causing Speratus to rear back causing Adam to fall back into the snow.

The beast was charging towards the whole group, without thinking Adam ran over to Gavyn's Ninjackle and stood in front of it. Protecting Gavyn as best he could, the beast flung its claws towards Gavyn Adam grabbed the staff on his back and swung with his remaining strength at the beasts arm to distract it.

But before his staff even made contact the beast had already shifted its focus to Adam and quickly swiped his claws across Adam. Adam jumped back to avoid the claws and landed in the snow. He was sure he'd soon be killed by the beast but luckily the beast had shifted focus to the other heroes.

It appeared as if the heroes journey would be over before it even began, when suddenly like a flash the beast was slain. Standing above it was what appeared to be a woman in armor riding a horse.

"Okay now we know! If we get attacked again we need a huge sword!" Adam walked over to Speratus and gave him a reassuring pat on the head, and swung his body onto the Ninjackle. This motion caused pain in Adams chest. Adam pulled the neck of his shirt out to peer down into it and saw a large and deep gash across his upper chest that was badly bleeding.

"Shit!" he swore softly Adam didn't want to make a scene since Nick was far more injured and he knew he could easily patch himself up later. Adam took a small seed and placed it on his chest causing the seed to burst to life and grow vines around the wound to contain the bleeding.

Adam moved Speratus over to the mysterious rider "Thank you, if you hadn't shown up we'd be dead." Adam knew the rider was female but wondered what she looked like, stern he thought a woman who was chiseled out of stone and could handle any situation.

Adam couldn't believe he had escaped death twice today at that moment his chest seized in pain causing Adam to tighten his grip on his Ninjackle reigns. He tried to focus on other things to distract from the pain. And hoped that the blood wouldn't seep through his shirt causing a fuss from the others. Adam guided Speratus over to Gavyn and her Ninjackle "Are you okay Gavyn?"

Her fears had been realized. Gavyn weakly froze up in the time of battle, the water heroine had nothing to offer in a setting like that. How pathetic she thought, silently following the group. How long had they been standing out their in the snow? Filled with so much fear and sense of weakness she simply froze with terror at the feet of that beast and it’s vicious rider, time moved faster than she realized.

The whole event was a shocking realization. If it wasn’t for the nameless rider that saved them, they wouldn’t have made it. She was sure of it. Who was this masked hero? In an odd way, the woman reminded her of Rynn. Probably older though, but more than likely similar in a lot of ways. Such an honorable and brave example of a human being, the hero to the heroes.

Gavyn was doubting herself, her skill as a hero and if she even served a purpose within the group overall. This wasn’t something she would share with the group, because certainly all of them weren’t feeling one hundred percent at the moment. But what could she have done differently? Was she really made for this life like the others certainly were? Plenty of introspection came from the silent ride, but was eventually broken by the uplifting voice of Adam.

That’s right, Adam. At that moment she realized that she hadn’t really been aware of her surroundings, her Ninjackal was doing a good job keeping up with the pack on her own, not taking much direction from Gavyn. Eyes clearing up out of a foggy daydream, they focused on his form. It suddenly became evident to her that he was badly wounded, reminding her of the moment he was injured protecting her.

“I’m okay… but you, you’re injured…” It was true, Gavyn wasn’t hurt in this battle physically like many of her friends. It was remarkable in itself that Nick was still conscious, he had far more stamina than she imagined. “When we arrive at our destination I’m going to insist on getting a once over before we press forward again. Just to be safe.” This would be the least she could do for them, seeing as she was absolutely no help in battle.

A slight return of purpose flooded back into her veins, and her ribbons began to glow brightly once again, a familiar voice humming in her ears. “There you go dear child, don’t lose sight of your purpose. You may not be powerful, but you are not useless.” A small smile came to her lips, not one to mend all her worries, but aid them temporarily.

She had been pushing Ary to run as fast as she possibly could, and Rynn had been doing a damn good job getting away, but then she heard a roar that was much louder than the thunder of the ninjackle feet, and Rynn knew that they were being pursued. Stopping Ary dead in her tracks, Rynn turned her completely around and faced the beast, her emerald eyes making contact with it's eyes for a split second.

That split second nearly killed her, but it would have saved Adam. It was distracted from him by the fiery redhead, and Rynn wasn't going to back away, not with the way the beast was attempting to toss her only family around like children's toys. Rynn wasn't about to let that happen, and so she went back into the fray. If she couldn't save them at least she tried. It was the fire in her, there was no stopping her desire to kill it, rip its heart out and feed it to her ninjackle. Just as she was about to engage it, she caught sight of Nick's injuries. Rynn could let him fall like that, and die alone. Changing course at the last minute, she leapt off of Ary and landed near him. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around his slender body. Looking up, she met eyes with the beast one more time, Rynn's lips parted as if to say something. The beast spoke first, letting out the most wretched howl she'd ever heard, and then its head fell to the ground before her.

It was dead. Looking up slowly, still clasping onto Nick and trying to remember how to breath, Rynn found her eyes upon their savior. A woman no less. How odd. Rynn didn't have long to look however, as the woman killed the rider and bolted off on her own. Why wouldn't their rescuer at least stay to introduce herself?

No matter, they were safe. Looking around, Rynn saw all of her companions picking themselves up after the battle. She still held fast to Nick, but released him once it occurred to her that they had to keep going, there was no staying here, or anywhere. Every second they wasted gave another beast the chance to show its hideous face. Shaking snow out of her beautiful red curls, Rynn remounted Ary and took her position at the front of the group, saying nothing.

It was seldom that the heroine of fire was at a loss for works, but she was. She wanted to comfort them all, but how could she? The thing she'd feared the most had almost happened. They'd almost been killed. They were her charges, she had to protect them, how could she let someone else save them? It was a hard thing for Rynn to admit, that she had needed saving. Rynn had never needed saving, not once in her life, and it was a fearful position to be it, knowing she couldn't have survived on her own wits. They'd have to train, they'd have to be more careful. How was it possible that six of them hadn't been able to handle that beast but one woman could?

Who could that woman have been? She was so strong, but so unapproachable, it was like she hadn't even existed but for a moment. Why wouldn't she have saved them and then left like that? But those thoughts did not occupy Rynn's mine so much as the still looming fear that she could have lost them all, all of her companions, the only things she had left in this world. They could be dead.

It wasn't her own life she was so concerned about, but the fact that she had so utterly failed at doing what she was supposed to do. How the hell could they be the heroes of the world if they couldn't even kill one monster? HOW?! Frustrated, Rynn buried her head in Ary's neck. She didn't need to be able to see to ride at the moment. The storm at subsided and Ary knew what the path was. And then Rynn felt something she couldn't believe she felt.

A warm wetness tugging at the corners of her eyes, silently, Rynn gasped out for air as the tears came. She still had her face buried in Ary's fur, her hands gripping the beast tightly. She was coming undone, Rynn had failed them, and there was nothing she could do to fix it, and so the tears came. She didn't want them to, she wanted to fight them off, but there was no point. Hopefully, her companions would only think she was cold and wanted the animals warmth or that she was still shaken. She would never want them to know that she had cried. Fortunately the tears began to subside as she felt a small growing warmth coming from her ring.

Sitting up after assuring herself that her eyes were no longer glistening, Rynn drew in a deep crisp breath as she thought she heard her ring speak. "Do not let your worth be so quickly determined by one failed battle. Its a learning experience, you are still fit to lead, but only if you learn from this mistake..." Nodding silently at the words, Rynn returned to her usual riding posture. She wished she knew who that voice was, but it was no one familiar to her.

After drawing in another deep breath, Rynn allowed herself to truly calm down, and to refocus her energy at protecting them in the future rather than worrying about how she failed this time.