<font color='#000080'>OOC: <ul type=square> <li>Day: 23 <li>Month: Tessera <li>Year: 81377 </ul> IC: Midday and a desert. Those two things do not go too well together, and Zac was finding that out the hard way right now. He walked briskly under the blaring sun, the sand crunching under his feet. Though it seemed totally out of place, he was whistling cheerfully, occasionally raising one of his paws to adjust the makeshift handkerchief cap that covered his bladed blue hair. Sweat was glistening all over his ruffled scales, making them reflect the sun like small mirrors, the grays and blues utterly dissapearing under the white hot glare. Two packs made of some sort of hide hung at his sides, connected by a wide leather band across his back. Even though there were no paths among the constantly changing sand dunes, Zac didn't look lost. He strode happily along, until he glimpsed a couple of black rocks in the distance to the right. He cheered joyfully, setting out towards the cliffs that jutted out of the sea of sand like the prow of a sinking ship. Why actually was this elderly pendragon wandering round the Tmu Desert, a dangerous place that surrounded a well known and feared prison? That's a long story... ***It was the beginning of Tessera and Zac had just returned to Janard from one of his field trips. His adoptive son Rallyn had persuaded him to visit the library at the Academy, where, as the Nioti said, he would certainly find lots of scrolls that may interest him. Listening, for once, to his son's advice, Zac had spent a wonderful afternoon in the library, reading many a scroll about the things he was interested in: Archaeology, Geology and History. Just before closing time, he checked out as many tomes and scrolls as he could carry, which was rather lot, mind you. The whole Archaeology section was gone and jumbled up in the big paws of the husky pendragon. The librarian had tears in her eyes, but nevertheless proceeded to check the literature out. At home, our pendragon-ish Indiana Jones sat awake under the beam of a lamp until early morning, totally drawn into the various books. He was rather dissapointed though; most of the scrolls spoke of things that had already been discovered, whereas Zac looked for even the slightest hint of something that was still waiting for an adventurer like him to uncover its secret. At long last, he fell upon a book of the earliest Ramathian legends. Of course he knew them, having heard them as a child and then again at school. But he still read the decorated words, and soon fell upon something he had never realised before. It was the legend of how the rapine was cut off from the Ramath-lehi. It spoke of how the great Goddess had severed the bridges between her land of pendragons and other worlds. Zac sat up, dazed. If he ever found a bridge like that... and figured out a way to get back... he could end up anywhere! The problem of transporting through the universe would be solved! The following morning, the librarian found a stack of scrolls of the doormat. At home, the only thing Rallyn saw when he went to wake his father up was an empty bed. Zac Tyler Greedyfingers had set out on a discovery mission once again. ***And here he was, sitting down in the shade of the boulders and taking a sip of water from a field flask. Through the ticking out method he finally decided that one of the places containing a bridge was the Tmu Desert. Now there was only one last thing... where in the vast expanses of sand should he look?</font>
<font color='#728FCE'>occ: how do you like it? <^v^> its like two pages long... PS: --really just an intro to my 'char' and how she ended up in the desert. i didn't have another char that was better for the part.--(think i spelled my own characters name wrong in places) yep-o. IC:   Dymikca raised a hand to shield her delicate eyes from the harsher rays of the sun, but only momentarily before the guard forced her to lower her arm. They walked onward through the camp, but not without a few whistles and catcalls from the males working outside. She sighed, twisting her fingers in the mans strong grasp. It was hot, she felt like she was baking in an oven. Dymikca felt uncomfortable, damp and sticky in unmentionable places that she hadn’t even known that she had in her worn blouse and shorts. Sweat was collecting at her nape and underneath her elbows, knees, back, anywhere and everywhere. She looked horrible in her raggedy clothes, not to mention the smell of her after three weeks in such weather under a dirty hole, in a prison full of god forsaken male ‘dragons.   But she was glad to see the light somewhat, but now she wished she hadn’t complained so much in her cell about not having a window. She glanced up at the guard, he was…unclean. He smiled at her with large yellow rotted teeth, most of it was largly a big gaping hole, and she smiled faintly back. If she didn’t he would take it as an insult and probably throw her in the Tmuka pits, if it was too much of a smile he would take it as an invitation. She decided something in between would do for the moment.   He led her outside the gates, and she couldn’t help her heart racing at the prospect that they weren’t just being cruel and showing her what freedom she could possess and then lock her up for another month while they laughed at her suffering.     Picking up her things in one hand and a water bottle in the other the guard dropped them on the sand which created a small dust devil as the wind picked up. He flung her over him and dropped her on the ground with a thump, as if she were a tiresome package. Grunting she got up and dusted her self off roughly. She couldn't help staring up at him with a shocked expression, one thought revolving through her mind. They were letting her go. Why? “Your free to go, go where ever it pleases yea, and never set foot near this prison again!" he tossed a flask at her and she caught it one handed. “B-but I, what will I do? There is no one around for miles! I-what will I do about food, shelter, water?" there was a desperate ring in her breathy tone; her eyes were wide and frightened. He grinned that toothless smile at her again and shrugged, “That’d be fine with me Miss Lit. Bringer, you are a doc, you should be able to survive out here in the blistering heat with all them deadly snakes about," Dyminika shivered despite the heat at his encouraging tone of voice, “If you don’t want ta go then we can find somethin' useful for ya to do here."   He spread his hands as he talked in a sugestive wave, still acting coy as usual. She shuddered inwardly, she definantly didn’t want to know what that “something" might be, but as she turned around to stare out into that dusty barren waste land, she had to debate where her priorities lay. Stay alive and go back in there with all those rowdy men with bad intentions, or go out into the desert to fry and die. That was hard. “Could you just give me a days worth of food?" she asked tightly, her paws drawn as fists in her frustration and anger. He laughed a great rolling laugh that chilled her to the bone. “Naw miss, you know better than to ask that!" he laughed again, "it was nice knowin' you miss." she didn't like the sound of that, it sounded final, like she was doomed...   And with that last remark he walked through the gates high walls and closed it in her face, leaving her to fend for her self or die trying. Gulping down the knot in her throat Dyminikca started to go up the hill when male ‘dragons on all sides on the wall started to hoot and holler after her retreating figure. Muttering and on the verge of tears she grabbed her pack full of medical supplies with the flask and clamored up the first dune that lead, she was certain, to no where. She sniffed and wiped away a tear while cursing Gregory for getting her into such a mess in the first place. She wondered where he was, and what he was doing at the moment. god it was hotter then hell its self!   Oh, it was hopeless! Where would she go, how would she survive? She didn’t know this territory at all, she knew nothing about it, and all she knew was that she was running out of ways to endure this hell and it scared her, it really did. She needed shelter, but looking around there was nothing but an endless ocean of…nothing. If she could only find a Chiscanth tree, but she doubted such an encounter. She sighed then, running a hand over her already aching back. Oh, like it mattered anyway.</font>
<font color='#000080'>OOC: Love it! You're really great! Oh, and I wanted to apologise for Zac... in his mind, I compare Dymikca to an antique vase, instead of something more... poetic... like a rose or whatever. But remember, he's an Archaeologist, and quite crazy into his trade, so I guess an old vase would be more beautiful to him than a rose... IC: Sprawling in the somewhat cooler shade of the rocks, Zac dozed of for an hour or so, his stretched out body covered by some white blanket. It was actually mode from a special sun-resistent material that reserchers working in hot and sunny terrains used. Now a blue maw poked out from under the cloth, opening in a wide yet silent yawn. Zac scrambled to his feet, ready and refreshed. He squatted into the shade and started pouring over a map that had been copied by his untalented hand onto a piece of paper. It mapped the whole of Tmu Desert - well, as nearly as anyone could. You never knew when the sand dunes change or shift, but at least it showed most of the dangerous Tmuka-infested parts, as well as the one oasis that could be found around these parts. The blue pendragon mumbled crossly, for he could not make out where he was. There was a poor number of landmarks one could rely on, but at least the position of stars had been marked around the central part. Zac wasn't really interested or good at Astronomy, his knowledge patched up entirely from the few hints and remarks he had heard in his years at the Academy. But as he examined carefully the postion of the shiny geometrical designs that marked the night sky, he thought it couldn't be that hard. The main trick was probably to match the stars on paper with the stars in the sky. No problem with that. Yet he had to wait until nightfall, for what good are stars marked down when the skies are blue and there is just one great star shining in the middle of them all? Standing up, Zac decided to explore around a little. He pushed the pack and the blanket into a small crevace just under the nearest boulder. It was not very probable that someone would come along, but the ole' pendragon just wanted to be sure. And anyway, the food inside would cool down a little. Dried rations are better cold than warm, he grinned at his own, private joke and then scanned the landscape, white in the hotness of hell. Suddenly his eyes noticed a small brown speck some metres away, could have been a kilometre perhaps. It was oddly contrasting, standing out against the silvery sand like a lump of chocolate slowly dissolving in warm milk. As he strained his keen sight on it, Zac realised that it was moving - slowly, but surely. Pulling his cap over his forehead, he sprang into the air lightly and then bounded off in the direction of the maroon splash of color. Whatever it was, it was alive, and anything alive around here was worth meeting. Zac ran on and on, the distance between him and his object of interest quickly shortening. Sand flew from under his paws as he finally slowed down to a step as the other creature got close enough. Startled, he could see that it was a brown female pendragon, a beauty by the looks of it. Her light wings were folded along her spine, and she dragged along, her back sagging under a backpack. Zac's heart gave a lurch, the same one he had felt when he had seen a rare antique vase fall down from the hands of a young Apprentice and shatter into a thousand pieces on the tiled floor. This girl was apparently coming down with thirst, sunstroke and maybe hunger. Zac knew immediately what he should do. Springing to her side, he gently hoisted the backpack off her shoulders and heaved it onto his own back, sliding one arm around her for support. "It's allright now, young lady," he said in a gentle, fatherly tone. "If you'll just come with me to those rocks over there, there's shade, and we can have something to drink."</font>
<font color='#728FCE'>A small slim darkly clad figure climbed up another dune, grains of sand dancing underneath her weight. Was it a real person she saw, or just another friendly, fatal, mirage? Dymikca couldn’t tell from this distance. There was nothing, nothing for miles and miles and her throat was parched from heat. She had been traveling for miles, and still nothing but the occasional raptor patrolling around the area, waiting until she rolled over and dropped dead. She had drunken the water sparingly and all of the little food that had been in her sack to began with was rotted and probably attracting more scavengers where she left it on one particular dune, or maybe the sand had swallowed it. She shook her head, in which to clear her vision and mind but this only brought along more pain then necessary. Dymikca was letting her mind wander again, and that was dangerous for she needed to focus, she had to. Taking out her flask she uncorked the lid and sipped the water. Her back was barley damp, but still the heat and scorched and plundered through her flesh creating raw welts where her shoulders had carried the burden of an almost empty backpack. Underneath the fur was badly burned, crisp, thin, wafer like, skin that was red and shinny with rashes. Her brown fur had turned a more golden hue; she almost fell when she realized this. Her wings were damp and hung lifelessly at her side, they ached to be spread open but she feared the suns harsher rays. She hadn’t flown for it would have been to much a strain to do so. At least she still had her hat. Nothing, nothing and more nothing. There was something here, but nothing she needed, or wanted. The ground was looking pretty friendly by the time Dymikca realized she was going to die, and it didn’t really matter when or where. Suddenly her eye caught something interesting in the vast expanse of golden waves of sand. What was that in on the simmering horizon? She lifted a hand to steady her wide brimmed hat that threatened to bounce off her head as the wind picked up. It was darker then the surrounding area. It was unfocused, blurred no matter what angle she looked at it in. Perhaps it was Nera, come to rescue her, perhaps it was the backstabber Gregory come to gloat as she turned into a pile of ashes. What if...what if... her mind was jangled, this had also festered in the heat with the rest of her body? “Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust." she muttered underneath her breath, the tone tinged with irony. Grains of sand blew in her face and she coughed and almost gagged. Goddess, she was sorry, sorry she had ever thought to come out here and for all her good deeds she was repaid with hate and destruction. With pain. She trudged on wards, still holding her hat to her head. That dark figure, must have been a rock, a very large bolder in the middle of a desert. Shade, cool shade? Dymikca’s heart lepta within her chest, a gleeful sound issuing from her throat that sounded more like a croaking moan. It looked like a camp down there, or at least someone inhabiting the rock, it looked like she was saved. She ran then, sliding down the slopes and almost tripping on her own two feet. A smaller figure in the distance was moving, moving, to wards her! Arms flailing about limply at her sides she felt her brain slow, like someone had turned off a switch. No, not now. She thought widely, no. she feared she was going to faint before whoever it was reached her first only fifty feet away, forty, twenty…and then suddenly “it" was at her sides, a large, no, huge burly looking blue colored dragon, shocking her into complete stillness. And then it spoke, "It's all right now, young lady." The sound of his voice was smoothing, it gave, it promised. The male said something about food and rest and she felt her heart float at such words, more appreciated then any other sweet mushy love phrases she had ever heard. Dymikca let whoever the blurry figure was take her knapsack and help her over to the small shadowed area underneath the rocks. It was cool, and her burned flesh sang with gratitude. He looked up at him, her throat sore and just as raw as her skin, "Thank you, Thank you so much! I had thought I was going to die, I almost did! And Gregory left me on my expedition and I was in that jail and everyone was so vulgar and then that guard, so grotesque. Then there was this huge ugly raptor circling and it was horrible you have no idea how terrified..."her voice was thick with fatigue and pain and she noticed her ramblings and stopped before her rescuer regretted the rescuing. She looked up into his stunningly beautiful gaze, his eyes a pale grayish blue, “I-I am sorry, thank you, I think I will take you up on that offer of food and water, I’m famished." she said quietly, feeling oh so awkward in her disillusionment. Then at that moment she made it her goal to keep her mouth shut, forever. Except at the moment, unless spoken to, putting out her hand to shake his, her grip weaker in her current state, “I’m Dymikca, I am a doctor, and I am obviously lost and naive, as well as suffering from some sort of heat stroke, nice to meet you." and then she almost passed out, but managed to keep her composure all the same.</font>
<font color='#000080'>Zac was fumbling through one of his packs, tossing the contents he was not looking for aside, until a small mountain of utils, maps and other things one might find useful piled up at his left. At the very bottom of the sack he finally found what he was searching for, enough dried meat to last for a week. He had been really sorry that there wasn't a way to preserve dried vegetables and fruit without ruining the taste. But for now, meat will do good. He grabbed a flask of water that lay on top of the haphazard pile and turned back to the young female, who had evidently been telling him what she had encountered in the vast expanses of the Tmu desert. But not knowing her whole story, the blue pendragon didn't - couldn't - understand her remarks about Gregory and the prison. Well, partly. The brown pendragon had something to do with the prison that had been built in the middle of this barren, sand-covered wasteland, but as far as Zac was concerned, this was something he didn't need to know. He discarded the thought like a burden one doesn't need, intent on providing first aid, with food and water, that is. He passed the water flask to the girl, taking firm hold of the paw that had been outstretched towards him. "Pleased to meet you, Dymikca," he said, smiling, but a hint of concern showing in his face, "I'm Zac Tyler. Archaeologist and Historian." He didn't mention his last name, because many pendragons looked at him differently once they had learned it. Zac sighed a little - it was no use telling the majority that pups aren't usually named after the traits they might display in the future. The Greedyfingers' name had been in his family for ages, no one knew where to look exactly for its origin. As for one of the latest branches of the family, Zac, the name didn't fit him at all. Being the nice, good-natured giant who wouldn't harm a fly or steal a penny, no wonder. "Just have a rest now, please," he said, forcing the water flask into Dymicka's grasp. He let the bag of food fall to her feet with a soft thud. "You'll tell me about the raptor and Greg later, if and when you feel like it." He sat down, looking away, yet sometimes his gaze still wandered off into the direction of the newly-found companion. She had said something about an excursion, right?</I> he mused silently, trying to decide if she had meant an exploration, or something totally different. And what was that about the prison? the abandonned though returned, sneaking through his mind. Zac reminded himself to ask later. Even though he was not a doctor, he could tell when someone needed some time to recover.</font>
<font color='#728FCE'>Dymikca watched as the older more experienced male as he shuffled around with his bag for a moment before he tossed her a flask of water. She gulped but was too tired to feel foolish and nodded to her new companion. She gently felt the roughed edges of the container, feeling around a large deformed chunk in the leather; almost like some one had taken a bite out of it. Puzzled but at the moment uncaring she uncorked it and threw her head back to guzzle the cold liquid, and then reminded her self she was dehydrated and that such an action could make her seriously ill. Sipping at the water slowly she looked out beyond to where the edge of the desert began and seemed to end, it looked fascinatingly real, but she knew it was just another illusion. Sighing she reached down to gently hoist the saddle bag into her lap to explore. There was beef jerkey in a little package next to a flash light. Now how did that get in there? Shaking her head she continued onward: dried bananas, apricots, nuts of all kinds, and something that looked a lot like fresh Chiscanth berries. So there was a Chiscanth tree around here somewhere…taking out a piece of jerkey she bit into it hungrily and munched slowly while looking around thinking her jumbled thoughts. The area was shaded, but it didn’t stop it from being just as hot without shade. But sitting down sipping cold fresh water out of a container was a hell of a lot better then being out there without shade, food or water she had to admit. Licking her lips she reached for a chiscanth fruit, biting into its sweet tangy juicy meat. “This is wonderful! Where did you find such delicious fruit?" She said enthusiastically, wiping her mouth with a stray piece of paper, thinking he hopefully hadn’t needed that. Dymikca’s stomach was barley full, yet it felt bloated. Fatigue struck her again and she groaned. She should know better then to eat. She got up and walked over to where a makeshift pile of papers sat. Pacing foolishly she slowly undid her long braid in the back that had gone wild and messed, letting it fall to her shoulders and down her back in long chocolate waves. She looked down at her torn clothing washed with dirt and smelled of mold. She knew she felt less confidant, she felt less professional, but what mattered more was that she felt grimy, sticky and frankly like hell. There was another set of clothing in her back pack she would have to get out and change into. The heat made her wary and the desire to just lie back and sleep was overwhelming. But then again she needed to stay awake and drink water, and as a natural female she was all too curious in her weakened condition about her new companion. Looking over at him she gave the older man a soft angelic curve of her lips. “Chiscanth fruit is a good way to find water out here, Mr.…Zac, there is so little out here, the desert takes more then it gives. You seem to know your way around here." In this light he looked younger, and almost twice as young as he must truly be, he looked so much less her senior. Calling him by his first name seemed somehow rude to her, she didn’t want to be a bother, and she didn’t want to offend. Sitting down in an opposite chair she sipped her water tensely. “what are you doing out here? I don’t mean to seem forward but I have an insatiable curiosity about how a ‘dragon can survive out here; there must be something of value to you, out here in this godforsaken place…" She trailed off, her voice suddenly going soft in reflection. “I am sorry, I’m rambling again, and I feel a little drunk. That seems to be one of my faults, I just too out spoken." she clapped her hands in her lap, looking straight at him, her eyes still shinning with curiosity. “You tell me your story and I will tell you mine, agreed?" she felt giddy. That wasn’t a good sign, at least she thought it wasn’t, but she couldn’t remember.</font>
<font color='#000080'>He turned to face her, mild curiosity shining out of his face as well. A smiled crossed his features, turning the corners of his mouth upwards, and lighting a sparkle in his blue, almond-shapes orbs. Dymikca seemed better, at least she wasn't so dead-looking as before. But with the threat of instant death gone, Zac realised she was rather dirty, more dirty than some sand could make her. He shrugged it off though. He knew how very grimy he could get himself when digging and cleaning fossils, or just working on something. "Well, as long as you keep on drinking that water while we talk, it's fine with me," he replied, his voice rather happy. Here comes someone who is actually asking something about him. "And please... just call me Zac, right? All that politeness wears one down," he rolled his eyes, but then added hurriedly and apologetically, "I don't mean to sound like some rude and impolite bloke, but don't you agree that when two people meet in a desert, balancing on a slim, thin bridge between life and death, some misters and madames are not really needed?" He sighed, drawing a circle absent-mindedly into the sand in front of him, "They set pendragons apart." He smiled at one of her last comments. "If you call that rambling, Dymikca, then I have done nothing but rambled all of my life." He pushed the backpack he had finally taken off his back further into the shade. Strange, he hadn't really noticed the weight dragging him down, but once relieved of it, he felt as if he could fly. Stretching his back slightly, just to ease the thought off, he strode over to the pile of papers and then squatted beside the female, spreading out the traced map in front of them. "We're probably somewhere around here," he said, pointing to a spot in the vast expanses of yellow paint, somewhat to the right of a blue spot showing the oasis. "Though I don't know for sure. Over here, right in the middle of the desert, is the prison," his finger traveled over to a brown square with a skull sketched next to it. "Don't mind the bones," he mumbled, his face growing red, "I was feeling bored sitting in one of those transportation systems. Anyway," he picked up a lighter tone, "the Wailing Star, one of the brightest stars around this place is just right above the prison. I'm not a geek into Astronomy or anything, but I'll be able to figure out where exactly we are when the stars come out. Then I'm planning to go to the oasis, which shouldn't be so far from here anyway, and determine future moves." He studied the map a bit longer, his brow furrowed as he was trying to put something together. At last he rolled the map up again and tossed it on top of the heap, taking another paper out. He smoothed it out and they could see that it was covered in notes written in some unreadable handwriting. Yet its curves and lines didn't seem to puzzle Zac, as he poured over the paper, evidently reading and re-reading the words. "This," he said finally, pointing to the paper, "is the reason why I came here in the first place. You certainly know the legend about how the first Goddess fought the rapine by severing bridges between Fronima and the other worlds. Well, the legend goes on that there were certain lands that this change didn't affect. One of them was the Ramath-lehi, others are unspecified. I came to a conclusion that one of the bridges that would lead straight to some other land - not over Fronima - can be found around here, in the desert. The old script that I found said exactly this:" Zac scanned through his notes until he found what he was looking for. "'Behold, for the path to thy heart and to lands unknown wounds its head around unbreakable glass in the midst of Yellow sea'. Now, "head" probably means beginning, and the yellow sea is evidently a desert." He thumped his fist onto the paper angrily. "The bridge must be somewhere around the oasis. Where else would you find 'unbreakable glass'? But if it was, it would have been found out ages ago!" He growled silently, his maw retracting. The act lost its ferociousness and hidden meaning a split second later, when he turned it into a sort of a joke. "Growl," he said mockingly, pestering himself, "But I'll solve that. No need to get so taken away by it anyway." He started crumpling the paper up, then changed his mind and tucked it somewhere into the pile of papers. He was exasperated from having so many things with him, but he found paper more reliable than electronic notebooks. They got erased all the time, especially right before you needed the stuff in them. So he just waved his hand and looked away from the pile, turning his head. Suddenly brown eyes loomed in front of him, and he looked at Dymikca, interested. "That'd be my story," he announced, "How about you? How come you've ended here?"</font>
<font color='#728FCE'>Dymikca couldn't help herself; she was fasinated by his tale. "unbreakable glass?" she mused quietly to her self. "hearts desire, hmm..." she smiled faintly, "I was never good at riddles." sand, glass. There was a connection of course, sand fire water=glass. But that didn't really make sense. Did it? Puzzled she smiled up at him again. "I took history, mythology, in high school and last year in collage, so I know something of it. I know of the bridges to other worlds, most 'dragons think it’s a legend." she said softly, a hint of a chuckle in her voice. She ran a paw over a crease in her shorts hesitantly. Including me, she thought, but not saying it out loud. Yet the whole sounded much intriguing, and she couldn't help as her pulse raced at the prospect, of something, something she didn't even understand. She cleared her throat, feeling more uncomfortable in her clothing every second, “my partner and I were on a class trip you could say with just each other, it was an experiment of sorts. I was to live out here, find certain plants and herbs in the area, record and document our expedition to pass the final exam, so we could become fully fledged M.D.’s." Dymikca’s voice was tight as she fought down her frustration, and her will won that battle, “but we couldn’t find the plants we were searching for, they’re nowhere around here. So Gregory and I packed up and started to go back home you see, by buggy and then when we reached the next city we would go by plane. Apparently Gregory thought it would be fun to steal one of pieces of gold from the tombs we had visited for three nights." she shook her head. “you know how that turned out, Gregory got off the hook by ditching me the night before and when I woke up with guards surrounding me in my PJ’s, stunned." she sighed, placing a slim hand on her head as if it would wipe the images from her mind. Dymikca looked up into his face, her own looking more soft and fragile then before, yet her voice was strong, “and so I spent the next three weeks in a cell of rotting wooden planks under ground. It was damp, and it reeked of urine and was stuffy and humid. Screams, everywhere, people moaning. There was always a fight breaking out, and I have a pretty good idea it was about me, you see, there was, I… she jumped into a new sentence not finishing her other one, “You have no idea how good they treated me in there! I could look a lot worse if they beat me every day like they did some of the other prisoners!" she gulped trying not to think about it, which was impossible, “it was all Gregory’s fault! If he hadn’t… she blushed suddenly, the red color highlighting the red tints in her hair. Mumbling something she shifted about, “I still don’t know why they let me go, it’s a mystery really. Something I will never know. And there’s no way the institution knows if I’m dead or alive, and I will probably never pass anyway because I didn’t get my exam correct, I failed" Hot temper rushed into her face, causing her eyes to sparkle and flash a brilliant green, but there was nothing she could do now, so why get angry? She cooled slightly whisking tiny tendrils of her hair away from her face. “Well that is my drama, my own tragedy. I have sought knowledge, and tried to be nice to everyone at the same time. Nice guys finish last, and so it's true." she laughed curtly, “if I had only…" she shook her head, one hand sinking to her lap in a defeated gesture, then she looked up tight lipped and brave, “There is no time for regrets, I must say that’s a waste of time. So if you don’t mind I am going to change my clothes, and then I will get back to you, alright Mr.…I mean, Zac" she said almost too cheerfull, hiding her true emotions behind a smiling mask. Dymikca got up to check her pack and then nodded to him, “Now where can I do this?" she smiled at him, eyes twinkling with passion, though her pose quiet and watchful as always.</font>
<font color='#000080'>OOC: Sorry for not replying so long! Limited computer time and had to reply to only a couple of threads per day. It should be ok by now though IC: Zac's paw balled into a fist as she heard Dymicka speak about the treason of her partner. As she told her story, he was becoming more and more protective of her, as if he was afraid her bad experinces may return and harm her. The pendragon shook his head. Where was he coming to? God, he was here for a reason, so he should stick to it... but... but... Too late, Zac was lost. The chocolate female had mentioned studying mythology and she knew about the bridges. That won her the elderly pendragon's trust and a place in his heart. He already felt as if they had something in common... but then again, he always had that kind of gut feeling when he met a soul friend. Someone who understood. "You've certainly been through a lot," he said reassuringly, "That's really terrible about the prison. I've never been there myself, but I've heard all sorts of rumors and guesses about it... I'm just so grateful they behaved nicely when it concerned you, and I guess you shouldn't really ponder too much about them letting you go." Lightheadedness flooded his face; he was unable to hide it, even if he had wanted to. Wiping his face with his paw, he sighed. "Just take it as a fact," his face darkened a little as he continued, the light feeling he had experinced only a moment ago draining away from him, "That Gregory... I hate the sound of him. Such a cheat. I will never understand how pendragons can just chuck their sins and wrong doings on someone else. Especially someone they are supposed to be working with and to be on good terms with." A trace of sadness crossed his eyes, but it was gone barely after it had appeared. "Maybe we should be rather sad about ole' Greg, though," Zac said, trying his best to sound dark and emphasive, "The ancient blokes knew what they were doing when they built those tombs, and they protected them as well as they could. I've been to one mastaba-kind thing - illegally of course, but I'd probably get the permission to enter if I didn't mind waiting a few months for the local state organs to decide - literally filled to the brim with gold. But guess what? Around the gold statues were the half-rotten corpses of thieves who had managed to get inside and touch the treasure. All of it was coated in some poisonous substance." "Believe me," he added, chilled at the mere thought of remembering, "The very thought haunts me to this vey day. The look of surprise and pain they had on their faces. The liquidified eyeballs. The grinning mouths, filled with rotten teeth," he stopped himself from giving any more gory details. Was he trying to scare Dymicka into having bad dreams aswell? How very selfish of him. He watched his companion taking up her bag, her unexpected (for him), cheerful question catching him off balance. His face turned red as a tomato and he looked quickly away. "I'll... uh, just stay here if you want. I'll take a walk and you just call out when you're ready," he mumbled, not looking at her, innerly furious with himself. He trotted around the set of boulders, dissapearing completely from view. "What a smart answer," he scolded himself as soon as he was out of earshot and walked a couple of steps further, his muttering ceasing and his face returning to a normal hue. Then he laughed a little, smiling again and trying to think positive. "I guess being quadraped and not wearing clothes is more comfortable at times," he smiled to himself, looking over his hankerchief cap and khaki shirt, the only piece of clothing he wore, to protect him from the treacherous sun. Underneath that, his blue gray scales peeped out into the world of orange rock and yellow sand.</font>
<font color='#728FCE'>Occ: sorry for replying, or lack of it, actually. Just wanted to wait until new years and Christmas break was over, then I couldn't stand it and had to reply... well, and I got grounded off of the computer... anyhoo, here I go-      Dymikca sighed, wiping a sweaty palm on her forehead, which was equally bubbling with sweat, her fur matted and damp. Growling she shuffled around in her bag then unbent and watched her rescuer of sorts walk away. She had to admit, she liked him, for an old guy, he was… kind of cute. Cultured yet strangely innocent, interesting combination. Taking up a spare random towel from his own cluttered mess, in which she approved, she wiped away all of her excess grim that left her feeling a little better then before. Quickly she stripped, peeling away the clinging layers. She rubbed her self down, trying to erase the last 21 days in a matter of minutes. Feeling a little more refreshed she straightened and took out another set of shorts and a take top, fresh socks. “If only, if only I had thought to bring sandals…"           She mumbled grudgingly thinking of Gregory again with fury. She blamed it on him; it made her feel that much better to blame him for all her problems. Letting out a heavy breath she closed her eyes and counted to ten. Opening them she finished dressing, then took out a rather destroyed brush and began combing her hair.      Dymikca would have been happy just to look around, snoop for a while. His mission more then intrigued her; it set her on fire with ambition. Or something likes it. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, and the more she thought the more the idea consumed her. But what, if anything could she contribute?           Well, one way or another, she had to get home, get home. Repeating this to herself she ran out from under the shade of the very large jutting rock. Suddenly Dymikca’s heart fell into her throat, she couldn’t go home. Staring out into the barren wasteland she saw a small blue dot in the distance. What was for her, at home anyway?      Nothing… there was only the disappointment she could see in her fathers eyes, the blankness of her mothers face, the back of her brother, because he wasn’t coming back. There was an unfamiliar wet trail on her cheek. Stunned she lifted a slim paw to touch it, and she brought it back staring at the glistening liquid on her hand like it was totally alien. She sucked in a cold breath despite the heat. Tears, tears of course.      Dymikca put a paw to her maw, covering the slight gasp and desperate sob that almost escaped. Why now? Why break down now when for weeks she had been so strong?     She inhaled slowly, wiping away the tears with an unsteady hand. She ran out further, waving her arms around her, “Zac! I’m done, come back!"      The wind was picking up, and tears blurred her vision making him seem farther away then he really was. “Zac!" Dymikca called one last time before turning away and going back underneath the shade of the bolder. She sat down, waiting for him to emerge on the opposite side. She ran a stiff paw over her temples, messing her fur again. She waited, to exhausted to do little else, to exhausted to even feel sorry for herself. Asking, “why me?" would get her no where. She would just have to deal with every hard ball, and at least try to hit every single one that came her way, out of the park.</font>
|:| O O C |:| I apologise for not posting so long. School assignements have been pressing on me in the past few days, and I didn't have time to go on the computer. Sorry again. |:| I C |:| Zac slouched his shoulders, his head hanging low. The sun was getting to him faster than he thought it would, and his "little walk" was slowly turning into a fiery grave. He turned around to head back, not really eager about getting fried. To his surprise, Dymikca was waving her arms at him, calling out. Ready then, he thought to himself and quickened his step, breaking into a brisk trot. Sand flew from his paws and his vision blurred as he turned his head towards the sun. He groped around blindly for a moment, until the hazy mist passed away. Silently he vowed he'll find his sun-glasses as soon as he was back by the rock. The weather was treacherous. Zac looked back, just once to scan the suroundings. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the horizon. For he could clearly see the outlines of trees - palms by the look of it - and the baby blue shimmer of water behind them. The whole outline was slightly hazy because of the hot air separating them, but there was no mistaking what it was. The oasis that was supposed to be somewhere around. The blue pendragon bounded towards the rock, circling it and dropping down on his stomach as soon as he was in the shade. It was only a little cooler in the shadows, but at least the sand wasn't burning. He turned to Dymikca, eager to tell her the news. "I've seen the oasis," he blurted out, rubbing his eye. A grain of sand had invaded the sensitive surface of his eyeball and was itching terribly. He'll have to see to those glasses. Zac occupied himself eith his orb for a few moment before finally managing to clean it. Only then did he look at Dymikca, noticing for the first time how upset she looked. He gave a sad sigh and walked over to her, sitting down at her side and leaning his back against the rock. "What's wrong?" he asked, searching his mind for some reason that could cause her sadness. He could think of nothing though, and was forced to give up after a few seconds. The only times he himself had been on the verge of tears was when he realised his parents have died. And none of the chocolate female's close relatives had died right now, no? She would have said that, probably. Maybe she wanted to keep it to herself, pondered Zac, deciding to ease his worries and uncertanity and ask. "Is it something about... you know... about someone dying? Sorry!" he added hastily, not meaning to sound too long-nosed and curious, "But you look sad. Is there anything that I can help you with, perhaps?" The sun, a golden boat, sailed across the sea of the skies, slowly dipping towards the west horizon. Very slowly. Zac hadn't realised how much time had passed, but evidently more than just a few minutes have flown by since they met each other. Soon it will be nightfall, and he'll be able to pinpoint their location and they'll make their way towards the oasis. He knew the basic direction from his encounter earlier, but he still wanted to be completely sure. Who knows, it could be further away than it looked. Hot air has most eccentric behaviour, making distances longer or turning them upside down, or creating the fata-morgana. That's something to study, Zac though with disgust, Some scientist should look into it. He turned his head sideways, looking at Dymikca crouched by his side.
OCC: WHOA! everythings like, all changed, and weird.... different, excuse me. i love the new smilies, very...interesting. Anyhoo, hi, i haven't been on lately, i can't go on, i'm grounded off of the computer, so i can only go on at school, so yeah. ^^ so i will reply sometime, much later, much, much... thinking a month. <_< yeah, thats it.
