Journey Below

[Felypsa]

"I suppose that's the only way we can figure this out," Azarak said, sighing. "Now, I'd love to fly and go faster, but I'm personally afraid of being sucked into the Rift. So, we could walk - walk fast, mind you," he added, scrambling up onto Hawk's head. "Downwind, then. And let's hope for the best, eh?"[/color]

Ammolite winced as Phoebus pulled on her earring, then nodded to show she understood. She looked at Spectre, who smiled at her, and she could not help but smile back. She jogged a bit to catch up with him (he was moving quickly) and said, "We're looking for my father, Phoebus and I. Supposedly he's at the Rift."[/color]

"And you've come thus far?" Spectre raised a brow as he continued to set a fast pace. "It appears you're not from around here. Still, you've managed to get to the Spirit World. Impressive. I'd love to hear more."[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

Hawk smirked as Azarak spoke and gripped his head. Suddenly the mascu and lowered his body to the ground. "Fast it is, you might want to hold on." With that, the wolven sprinted down the Rift. He ran swiftly, being one from the desert. The speed that came naturally to him was amazing. He was not abnormally fast, but it indeed helped them to cover ground. Also, his fitness prevented him from growing tired to quickly.

Phoebus did not like this Spectre fellow. Perhaps he was just being over zealous in his protection, but he got bad 'vibes' from this creature. He found it hard to believe that anything that would like the form of a cobra could be anything but trouble. Yet he remained silent as Ammolite spoke. Whenever she grew too close to giving away things he did not want reveal, his beak would lightly touch her head in reminder.

[Felypsa]

"You 'might' want to hold on, he says," Azarak cried as they ripped across the fertile countryside, alongside the Rift. "Thanks for the efficient warning, you - " But whatever Hawk was was lost as the wind tore the words away. Azarak squinted in the onrush of wind, keeping an eye - and a nose - out for Ammolite's father. But inside, he was worried. I hope the landscape doesn't change again, he thought. If it does, we're lost.[/color]

Ammolite would love to tell more. "Oh yes...we're not from the Spirit World at all. This is my first time." She grinned as she walked briskly alongside Spectre. "Az - As Phoebus knew how to get here, however, I brought him along," she said, feeling Phoebus's beak on her head and making a quick recovery. "We climbed these mountains back home and tried to find the overlap of the Spirit World with our world."[/color]

"Fascinating," Spectre drawled, looking at Phoebus with admiration. "Really, that's quite commenda - hang it all," he said suddenly. He pounced on Ammolite, transforming into a cobra in the same instant. In snake-form, he wrapped around Ammolite's body loosely. The sky's colors began to change rapidly, and the landscape around them blurred. A few moments later, they were in a different land, a vast plain full of blue and purple grass-stalks and flowers. Green light streamed from the sky above. Everything seemed stable again. Slowly, Spectre released Ammolite.[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

After several moments, Hawk began to feel himself growing tired. He slowed his pace down a bit to allow himself to catch his breath. As he jogged quickly, he spoke up to Azarak between breaths. "Exactly....how big....is this....Rift?" The mascu began to feel his energy returning, but did not have quite enough yet to resume his fast sprint.

When the cobra curled about Ammolite, the hawk went into a craze of rage. His beak snapped forward at the snake as did his talons. Yet when they lands swirled and they found themselves in a different area, Phoebus ceased his attacks. However, the proud bird did not offer and apology. Instead he simply resituated himself upon Ammolite's back.

[Felypsa]

Azarak laughed harshly. "Beginning to get a feel for the size?" he asked wryly. "You're right. It's enormous. But I'd say we've covered a good, oh I don't know...one-ten-thousandth of it. You should be proud of yourself." Azarak sighed. "I'd say we need some help finding Fiendark. If he moved towards us at the same time we moved towards him, we'll increase our chances of finding him. Unfortunately..." He glanced up at the sky and scowled. "I'm not sure if I should attempt sorcery again. It seems to backfire here. What say you, Hawk?"[/color]

Spectre hissed and changed back into wolf form. "I'm sorry I have offended the bird," he spat. "But if the landscape had changed and we weren't in contact with one another, we would've been separated for who knows how long. I apologize for startling, but it was necessary." He glared at Phoebus, then spoke softly to Ammolite. "Are you alright?"[/color]

Ammolite indeed was quite shaken, but she smiled at Spectre and said, "I'm fine. Thank you. It was quite startling, but I'm glad you did it." She turned to Phoebus and whispered, "Thank you too." She smiled, then looked about her. "Where are we now?" she wondered out loud.[/color]

"No further from the Rift than we had been, but no closer either," Spectre said after glancing around. "I believe this is the Cobalt Plains. So long as the landscape doesn't change again, we should be at the Rift soon. I warn you though," he added, "the Rift itself is absolutely gigantic. I can't promise we'll be anywhere near your father when we get there." He began to walk quickly across the Plains, calling over his shoulder, "I believe you were in the middle of an intriguing story before the...interruption."[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

Hawk came to a halt as Azarak spoke. Only so little of a percentage. The mascu shook off the depressing feeling and stretched slowly. "I just ran hard for a good time. I say that I covered several leagues in that burst of speed. If you are right about the Rift being so big, I say why not take the risk and use your sorcery? We have nothing to loose and everything to gain." The warrior again lifted his snout to the wind, hoping to himself that he might find the scents of Ammolite and Phoebus. Yet he did not. And who knows...we might just find the others. I hope they are ok..

Phoebus quite suddenly took to flight. His wings stretched broadly as he ignored the whisper from Ammolite. The little hawk was in a sour mood it seemed. His golden, glossy feathers moved fluidly with the air through their fibers. Soon he was just a shimmer above them. Yet he left enough room that if the lands choose to shift again, he could dart down to Ammolite in a matter of a second. High above he could not hear what the two were saying, and he cursed himself for not having ever taken the time to learn to read lips.

[Felypsa]

Azarak grimaced. "I figured you'd say that. Alright, then. You're right, of course. But get ready, and don't drop me. If we go anywhere, I'd appreciate it if we stuck together..." So saying, he lifted his eyes to the sky and muttered something. Nothing happened. Azarak growled. "This would be so much easier if Ammolite were here," he mumbled, then tried again, this time tracing something in the air with his claws. The air shimmered and engulfed the two creatures, like a bubble of wind. Moments later, they were in a different place, although there was no evidence that the landscape had changed at all. They were still beside the Rift, but obviously in a different position. Azarak looked around and sighed. "Well, the sky didn't revolt, so that's a good sign. But I don't know if we got closer or farther away from Fiendark. My nose is not that good; Hawk, take a whiff, tell me if you can smell anything."[/color]

Ammolite watched sorrowfully as Phoebus took flight, wondering why he was in such a foul mood. She hoped that if he spent some time alone, he would feel better and rejoin them. But without her faithful companion, she was suddenly much more aware and decided to be exta cautious. There must be a reason for Phoebus to not trust Spectre. After all, she had disliked Luke and Kindare, and she had turned out to be right...what if it wasl like the same thing? She turned to Spectre and resumed her tale. "So we found the overlap, and Phoebus was able to tear open a portal to the Spirit World. But we had no idea where we were, nor where the Rift was. We were wandering around this area, when we found you. We certainly were lucky."[/color]

"You certainly were." Spectre smiled and moved closer to her. "But there's one thing I'm confused about. When I first saw you, Phoebus was wounded, and you healed him. It was a grave injury, too. What happened? I was not aware that passing through the Spirit World could be so harmful."[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

Hawk watched as the area changed slightly. At Azarak's words, he nodded and raised his head to the wind. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. Those glowing eyes of his drifted shut for a moment as he processed the information given to him. This time he smirked as his eyes opened. "I smell something coming from the Rift. Whatever it is, we over shot it by about two dozen leagues. If I sprint, it will take us a half hour. Yet to do so would leave me rather tired out. What do you suggest?" The mascu found it amusing how when they first met, him and Azarak did not get along. Yet now, here they were relying on each other's skills.

Phoebus took this opportunity in the air to use his sharp gaze to try and locate the rift. His eyes narrowed as he focused with all of his mind. What he saw was a bump in the land. Yet after said raise in elevation, there were barren lands. Slowly the creature let his gaze return to normal, now seeing how far away they truly were. He decided to remain in the air for a moment to let Ammolite tell her tale. After all, she wasn't a pup. She could most certainly tell a convincing story without giving out too crucial of information.

[Felypsa]

Azarak frowned and pondered the situation. “I suggest a compromise: walk. It’ll get us there, if not as quickly as possible, and you won’t be so worn out. I imagine—and hope beyond hope—that the landscape won’t be changing for a while yet. If, however, we start to feel it change…” He threw up his claws. “Well, we’ve just got to keep an eye out. Let’s go.”[/color]

Ammolite looked up at Phoebus, just to make sure he was still nearby. Then she thought fast and came up with some kind of reply. “The portal closed faster than we expected…nearly sliced Phoebus’s entire wing off. We sort of tumbled into that cave back there, which only made things worse. My gem cracked, and Phoebus broke his wing. Thankfully, I was still able to heal both.”[/color]

“Remarkable,” Spectre said softly, “absolutely remarkable. Well, we should be at the Rift within the hour, unless the landscape changes again. And then…” He shrugged. “I cannot guarantee you will find your father. But you are welcome to stay in the Spirit World as long as you choose…time here passes differently than in your world, or so I hear.”[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

Hawk nodded to Azarak's words. Yet instead of doing a walk as suggested, he began to jog at a brisk pace. The movements did not tire him out hardly and they moved much swifter than they would have at a walk. Slowly the mascu's golden eyes looked to the Rift as the faint scent grew stronger at a slow rate. After many, many long moments, the mascu began to slow down to a walk. His steps were careful, and his eyes glued to the edge of the Rift. "We should be close to whatever it is I smell. It's definately within a league or two."

After a while, Phoebus swooped down to the others. Lightly he landed on Ammolite's back and shifted his wings. When he found a comfortable position, he let his fierce eyes look over to Spectre for a moment. The wirey bird of prey kept his beak shut and his tongue tied. He knew not of what tale Ammolite had spun. It was then he noticed his mistake in flying off to vent his anger.

[Felypsa]

“You, sir,” Azarak murmured, “are determined.” Then he fell silent for the duration of the journey. When Hawk finally spoke, the lizard sat up, eyes flashing. “I hope you’re right. I am very eager to see Fiendark after all this time…”[/color]

Someone…approaching…what now? A wolf with dark green, almost black, fur struggled to retain his grip on the edge of the Rift. He had traveled almost a league sideways in this manner, a long, harsh journey. But now, he wondered if it was all justified. I thought I had sensed demonic sorcery…who could it be? A savior, or destroyer? Did he compel me to travel this far?[/color]

Ammolite beamed at Phoebus as he rejoined them. “Glad to see you again,” she said sincerely. “Spectre says it’s not too far to the Rift. Isn’t that wonderful?” Her eyes sparkled with the idea. “We might finally find my father…after all these years…and maybe even—” She cut herself off, however; she almost mentioned Azarak and Hawk.[/color]

Spectre raised a brow at whatever she was about to say, but deigned to comment. Instead he turned to Phoebus and smiled wanly. “Phoebus—you’re lucky to have Ammolite here to heal you, after that close call. But tell me, do you know how to get back?”[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

Hawk thought he could see a creature hanging from the side of the Rift. It was then he noticed how powerful Fiendark had to be. He recalled how powerful the pull had been when they flew over the Rift. Ammolite's father had been hanging from the edge for who knows how long. Hawk spoke to Azarak as he cautiously aproached the being who was still at a fair distance. "Do you see what I see Azarak? Is that him?" The golden pelt of Hawk's moved fluidly across his sinewy muscles as the distance closed.

Phoebus noticed that Ammolite did not mention Hawk or Azarak which brought a smile to his mind. Good. She didn't mention them. The other's words drew his attention from his mind however. He looked back to Spectre as they posed a question to him. The bird shifted on her back before speaking. "Sir, I admire your thirst for knowledge, but I would rather not answer that question. The matters of my sorcery are ancient and have been in the ancestory of the family I protect for centuries. I trust you will not be too disappointed if I continue to hold these secrets as just that, a secret."

[Felypsa]

Azarak peered closely, his eyes like twin beams of light cutting through the strangely-colored air. “Glory be, I do believe that is Fiendark!” he exclaimed. “Goodness gracious, aren’t we lucky. You should call out to him, he’s probably wondering who in hell we are. I would myself, but my voice is too tiny, as you probably well know.”[/color]

Fiendark observed that the approaching creature was a golden winged wolf. A denizen of the Spirit World, or…from mine? He still did not know if he was to trust this creature or not. He could not see Azarak from where he was. Yet he still felt the strange coercion to move towards the approaching figure.[/color]

“Understood, Phoebus, of course. So you are the protector of Ammolite’s family? Why, then, has her father been suspended on the Rift for so long?” Spectre was not trying to be difficult, but he was quick; he felt that there were a few…inconsistencies in Ammolite’s story. Spectre did not particularly like being kept in the dark.[/color]

Ammolite shifted uncomfortably at Spectre’s pressing questions, but decided not to answer. She would probably mess everything up if she did. Instead, she turned and began to admire the Cobalt Plains as if nothing was wrong. The Spirit World would be so beautiful, if it weren’t so sinister, she thought. She glanced at Spectre as she thought it.[/color]

[Monkey Monk]

Hawk heeded Azarak's advice and halted in his movements. He looked down at Fiendark and called out with a friendly temperament. "Hail! Be you the one called Fiendark?! I have a lizard and a young femme who would dearly wish to see you!" The mascu smiled warmly to show that his words held no malice. His golden eyes surveyed the area as he already tried to figure out how to get the creature from the grasp of the rift. His eyes took not of a sapling nearby as an idea formed in his mind.

Phoebus easily deflected the question, answering as if it was nothing more than a simple, harmless inquiry. It would be obvious to Ammolite that the fierce hawk was no stranger to spinning a web of lies to hide the truth. "It's a simple matter. I can only be brought forth from Ammolite's jewel when the ancestors deem that I am needed. Who am I to question the decrees that come forth from the congregation of spirits?"

[Felypsa]

Fiendark looked up blearily at the wolf who addressed him. “A lizard…?” he asked, bewildered. “The only lizard I know vanished years ago—I say, Azarak!” The cave-demon stared. “I thought you weren’t coming back. You’ve proven me wrong.” He somehow managed a smile, then turned back to Hawk. “Who and where is this young femme you refer to?” he asked eagerly.[/color]

Azarak hopped down from Hawk’s back and shouted, “Ahoy, Fiendark. You were wrong; I have come back, expressly for this purpose. This here is Hawk, he’s been very helpful in finding you.” He grinned, and tapped his claws on Fiendark’s paws. “Glory be, it’s good to see you again, even in such a sorry state as you are.”[/color]

“I see,” Spectre said tightly. “Well, such sorceries are beyond my comprehension, so I suppose that’s…reasonable.” He fell silent. No one spoke for many long moments. Finally, Spectre said, “Aha—the Rift. You can see it up ahead. We’re nearly there.”[/color]

Ammolite raced ahead of Spectre at those words and stared, ecstatic and full of awe. There was the Rift, spread out before her, a deep and ragged slice through the middle of the land. It was greater and more enormous than she could have imagined. “By Dalia Below, what a sight!” she murmured. “Phoebus, come see!…oh, how are we ever going to find my father?”[/color]