Daylight cracked across the horizon, illuminating the clouds lingering above in an illustrious glow of orange. It was the perfect day to venture out through the lands, the temperature wasn’t extreme, but instead had been quite bearable. On top of that, there seemed to be no other soul in sight and that came as a big relief to him. The last thing he wanted was to run into another person, especially on the day he had devoted to Shadeen and Shadeen only. No one would disturb what time they would spend together, because it was only theirs to spend.

Casting a wayward glance over his shoulder, his eyes would come to rest upon the form of Shadeen standing behind him. It would seem his previous night of doubts and worries were all for nothing, since she was with him now, prepared to thrust herself into the great unknown that laid before them. No less with a man she had all but really knew. It seemed as if hours had been passing while he absentmindedly stared at her from his current position, but he would quickly snap out of it and advert his gaze back in front of him in a slow methodical scan of the land.

Nothing but sand seemed to spread out into the distance in front of them, leaving him to really wonder whether or not they had truly been prepared for such a task. Reassuring himself, his hand would move down to the bladder of water that fastened itself tightly to his belt. Finding everything in order, he would again create a mental list of the things he had carried with him, starting with the water, then to his blade, and lastly to the short sword that laid attached to the side of his leg. Once everything checked out okay, he would turn to face Shadeen fully now.

It would almost seem as if he had been some sort of beacon of the Heaven sent with the way his wings would sparkle radiantly in the light that would cascade across them. Also, his armor seemed to pick up an elegant appearance to it as fragments of light bounced off of it giving it the appearance of slight incandescence. And lastly, the sword at his side seemed to glow with a radiant light of its own, having been a weapon of an Angelic at one point in time. There would be one last factor that would only add to it and that was the rising sun that had positioned itself behind him.

A smug grin would cross his lips, as he offered his hand to her, “It’s now or never, Shadeen. You have one last chance to turn back if you wish, or take up my hand and together we will head to the city of Istan through these beautiful golden planes. While they may be beautiful, remember we may be getting in over our heads. The desert is a harsh and unforgiving place that very few decide to trek across and what lies within their golden hills may be something that might just be far beyond the both of us. So, we will have to be careful, but I must know if you’re still with me on this or if you’ve changed your mind.” With a smile, his hand would continue to patiently await her decision, after all he wasn’t about to force her into making a decision, it would be of her own free will and that’s what he had liked.

The sand stretched out in front of them for what seemed like forever, as if when they stepped onto the surface it would consume them. She didn’t find the thought altogether that bad considering who she would be stuck with when they were consumed completely. She couldn’t help but smile as she stood facing the sandy wasteland before them. The light breeze that rippled her hair was refreshing when she turned her face into the wind, she would enjoy it while she could since she had read that deserts were harsh climates. She had never actually been in one though and the new quest before her excited her.

Shadeen smiled when Varonen rested his eyes on her and she absently touched the clover caught in her hair and blushed. She hoped he hadn’t completely noticed how she’d been starring at him. His wings were beyond compare, and they sparkled in the early light. She watched him move his gaze around the expanse of sand and she did the same, wondering what he was looking for. Everything seemed the same to her, and after thinking that she returned her focus to his back once again.

She had brought his cloak with her, unsure if she would need it or not, either way it was nice to have it still. She supposed she’d have to give them back when they crossed the desert. She didn’t mind, she had enjoyed having them, but they were his after all. She had shed the outer layer of her dress to wear the white portion beneath. She thought it would be easier for her clothing to breathe that way. Her hair was caught back in a pony tail at the nape of her neck and a few strands had broken free from the breeze. Briefly she touched the hilt of her katana and the waterskin she had been provided. She was ready to dive head first into the desert with this man.

When he turned to face her she held back her awe with the way the sun glinted off him and the way his armor glinted against the sky. She smiled at him and laughed at little. Listening to his speech she believed that she had never been more sure of anything in her life than she was sure she wanted to go with Varonen. He offered his hand to her and she touched the clover before she placed her hand in his.

“Now or never,” She repeated. “I would never turn back when I have you at my side. These beautiful golden planes may be dangerous and we may be getting in too deep but you should know that I’ve never been more excited for anything in my entire life that to plunge into this danger. Even if the desert is harsh it helps to have a companion that isn’t,” She smiled at him, it seemed to her that those were the boldest words she had ever said and she fought down the urge to blush. “I with you,”

She squeezed his hand.

When she spoke, curious eyes would befall themselves upon her in grave interest as to all she had to say. It was a great relief to finally know where he had stood with her and on top of that, he had seen a new side of her. That side was the side of fearlessness, a trait that very few had possessed and certainly one he hadn’t expected to see from her. By no means had it been a bad thing, in fact, he admired the burning interest she had for adventures and her willingness to confront any forms of danger that may lie ahead of them. Having taken notice to the clover still at her ear and a smile would plaster itself upon his face at its mere sight, knowing that she had kept it there ever since last night. Maybe things were finally about to start going right for him for a change; it would be about time.

Never parting his eyes from hers, his hand would grip tightly around hers, but light enough not to cause her discomfort, “I would have no one else at my side other than you. I’m glad you’ve decided to join me today; I was a little worried you would have changed your mind. After all…” His words trailed off into silence and his gaze would immediately fall to her feet out of habit. Taking in a deep breath, his attention would lift and turn itself off in the direction Istan had resided, “It doesn’t matter though, you’re here and I care about nothing else. This is our time together and there’s nothing that will take that away from us.” Again he would repeat himself, “Nothing.” Giving her a slight nod, he would begin off in the direction of Istan, leading her by the hand as they finally began to delve further into the wastelands known as the Istan Desert. Once on the correct course, his pace would slow to allow her to walk along side of him, as opposed to tagging along behind him like some sort of lost kid.

Even though his eyes would remain transfixed upon the direction of Istan, his mind would remain focused on her all the while. This was their time together; he even made sure there would be no interruptions, what with leaving Geist and Cypher within the care of the old man he had become rather good friends with as of late. He knew they would be fine in the man’s care, for he was the same man who had attended his services to the stables in Kellen. Besides, Geist and Cypher were well enough to take care of themselves without the help of him or anyone else.

Giving her hand a light squeeze, his eyes would shift over to her for a moment, but only briefly before returning their diligent watch to the horizon. In a soft melodic tone, his voice would break the silence between them, “You’ve never been in a desert before? So this is all new to you then. The first thing you will notice out here is the intense heat and if we’re really unlucky, you will witness a sandstorm, but I hope to everything that’s Holy that we don’t get caught in one. They’re quite the bothersome thing, really. Next to the sandstorms, there’s the wild life here. Snakes and scorpions are a most common thing to find in the desert and by no means are they anything close to friendly. So, don’t try to pet them.” Musing to himself over his words, a soft laughter would break through his parted lips, knowing full well that she wasn’t dumb enough to try and pet either of those things; he had just hoped she would see his humor.

After their short time of travel, there had been a sudden change in the ground their walked up. No longer was it hardened by the lingering drought that parched the lands, but now it was nothing more than fine ground sand. With each step he had taken, his feet would gradually sink within its softness, almost threatening to throw him off balance. But he would continue on, making sure that she was still with him, “Know what I hate the most about this desert stuff? It’s cleaning your boots and clothes out afterwards, I feel like I take half the bloody desert with me every time I travel through this place. And on top of that, walking through this stuff is like trying to walk through snow.” He was complaining now, but soon she would realize just how annoying it would be once they would reach their destination. As they reached a dune, he began to make his way up to the top, making sure to get a good footing before taking the next step and repeating the process until he reached the crest of it. Once there, he would wait for her, before ushering her to go down first, that way if she lost her balance or footing, he could pull her back towards him as opposed to letting her tumble down the dune. As she would begin to make her way down the dune though, a question would throw itself from his tongue, “I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I’ve been kind of afraid to ask. I’m not sure why I’m worried, like a friend told me, if I never ask, I would never know, right? So, I suppose I should….Do you have an interest in anyone special or…Or is that something that doesn’t interest you? I’m just curious, is all.” All the while he spoke, he would gracefully begin to descend down the other side of the dune in her wake.

She moved up to walk along side him. There was a slight bounce in her step as she moved across the desert sands. She had been on the sandy beaches at the ocean’s edge but walking on the desert sand felt much different to her. It was softer it seemed and the sun the shone on it made the distance disappear in a blur of orange and blue. She wondered absently if there were many oases in the desert and if they’d run into one, or if she’d see a cactus.

She couldn’t stop smiling while her hand rested in his. It felt right just being with him as they trekked across the desert sands towards an unseen destination. Emotional or Physical she knew that something would grow on this trip, no matter what happened. When he brought up her changing her mind she grimaced in memory. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Samathan he just seemed a little to . . . forward for her liking. Always seeking something and she didn’t like the feeling like she was a prize. She liked to grow in her relationship instead of jump into them. Something like her a Varonen were doing. Getting to know one another as friends first, although the interest she had in him was hard to hide.

“Nothing?” She mused and smiled at him. Nothing he said and nothing it would be. She’d love to have this moment wrapped up and put in a box so that she could revisit it whenever she felt the urge to. She walked at his pace, wanting to stay at his side; he didn’t make it hard so she didn’t need to worry. She followed his gaze into the distance assuming he was looking towards Istan and she wondered what it would look like once they reached it. She felt the weight of her katana on her thigh and the wind about her face; she breathed in the hot air and felt the sand beneath her feet. She felt so content with the world and her surroundings it was hard to imagine anything bad could happen.

When he mentioned sandstorms her skin crawled a little and she sent a silent prayer out that they would get through the desert without seeing one. She laughed a little when he mentioned petting scorpions and snakes. “You mean I’m not allowed to pet the dangerous sand creatures?” She mock pouted until she just couldn’t hold it back anymore and she laughed and smiled at him. “No petting, touching, kicking.”

She felt her feet sinking into the ground after awhile of walking and since Varonen showed no discomfort she assumed it was something that was natural. She wiggled her toes in the sand for the short seconds they sunk into the ground.

“Know what I hate the most about this desert stuff? It’s cleaning your boots and clothes out afterwards, I feel like I take half the bloody desert with me every time I travel through this place. And on top of that, walking through this stuff is like trying to walk through snow.” He said and she nodded along. She could already feel the sand getting stuck in her sandals and she was glad that she hadn’t brought her boots.

”Only snow is freezing!” She had a pet peeve against the cold. She had to be bundled up in as many layers as possible before she’d even get out of bed in the winter. She started up the sand dune and noticed that her feet sunk in deeper here as the dune sloped upwards. She struggled with her footing for a moment before she got the knack of walking up the sand. She was glad Varonen waited for her at the top and finally took the last steps up to stand beside him.

She started to answer his question but almost stumbled on her first step down. Catching herself she giggled a little and started on the way down, arms outstretched for balance. Once she reached the bottom of the dune she turned towards him. “You don’t have to be afraid to ask me anything. And I might have an interest in someone... Depending on how this trip turns out,” She smiled at his before turning away and taking a few bounding steps forward.

As her arms stretched out to a parallel base with the soft sand bellow, his own would lift with hers in perfect unison, prepared to pull her back towards the dune should the need arise. Once they came to the bottom of the sloping dune, she would turn to him a smile broad on her lips as she spoke the words he didn’t quite expect to hear. So she did have some form of feelings for him, he had thought it to be true, but he had been wrong the last time he had assumed such a thing. If the years had taught him anything, it would be that nothing was for certain and that nothing was as it would seem no matter how sure a person was.

He loved spending time with her, to be in her company and to bask in her radiant beauty. She was incomparable by far, since no one came close to her, both in spirit, mind, and body. She was like a perfect package, something that never happened but once in a life time. When she began walking again, he would pick up in her wake, before drifting up along side of her, her hand still within his the entire time. Casting a wayward glance over to her, he would swiftly find himself staring; admiring the way the sun highlighted and shadowed the graceful contours of her face. Also, the way a few strands of her dark silky hair strewn themselves haphazardly across her visage with the blowing of the wind. But his admiration would be cut short when something caught the tip of his boot, sending him stumbling forward, only to release her hand in the process. Falling face flat upon the sand, a light murmur of a curse would escape his lips, before pushing himself up to his hands and knees, “Don’t you dare say anything, Shadeen.” While his voice seemed threatening at first appearance, the soft laughter that would resonate from him would say otherwise.

He felt foolish and almost as if all of his suaveness had been garnished within that very instant, whatever of it that could be considered as such anyway. Slowly, he would rise back to an erect stance, before dusting himself off absentmindedly, before turning his gaze over to Shadeen, “It’s entirely your fault anyway.” A coy grin would place itself upon his slender lips as the words trailed from them, knowing full well that she would be able to read the sarcasm in his voice. But the more he thought on it, the more he had realized it had been her fault, even if she had done nothing at all. If she didn’t interest him that much, there would have been no issue, but if she wasn’t interesting to him, then there would be no reason to have invited her on this trip. So in a sense, he was kind of glad to have tasted the sand, even if it did seem rather foolish. Raking his fingertips through his onyx colored hair, the individual strands of hair would part from his fingertips and fall lifelessly back into place, “If you weren’t so distracting, I would have never tripped, so I’m holding you responsible.” A playful smile graced his lips in response to his own words; though it would fade off into a blank state, when his attention shifted up towards the rising sun.

It had been getting later and the sun would soon become a factor in their trek, which made him once again draw his attention down to his waist to make sure the bladder had still been there. Being in such a place without any form of water was a sure sign of suicide, no less stupidity. Also, it had been the last thing he had wished to have happen to him, especially now of all times. Peeling his gaze from the bladder, it would return itself back upon Shadeen. Did she have a worry about being out here in the desert, or had she been completely content with her existence here in these golden dunes? Perhaps he was worrying too much about what could go wrong, as opposed to what had gone right, for instance….Her. Tilting his head off to the side, a question would rise to the tip of his tongue, before setting itself loose, “About that special someone. If things go well, would this beautiful young woman before me wish to join this special someone to see his sister, after wards? Or is that decision still left up in the air?” Thinking on that for a moment, he would recollect back to their night together at the stables. He had known quite a bit about her as far as her interests and that went, but what did she really know of him? Was there something she had wished to ask him, perhaps he would offer her a chance to do so. Clearing his throat, he would speak up, “You know, you’ve never really asked me a whole lot, other than some simple things back at the stables, is there anything that you truly would like to know about me? If it’s something I cannot answer, I won’t hesitate to tell you, so don’t be afraid to ask me.” His eyes would soften and another smile would grace his visage as he patiently awaited her response. Besides, he had no intentions of stepping another foot until she had answered him…

She loved the warmth of his hand in hers; although she enjoyed the closeness she was glad that he kept his grip loose, as if there was no real pressure on her to keep her hand in his. She felt more comfortable than she had before although she couldn’t exactly explain where the feeling came from. The wind in her hair, the scent of the outdoors, it made her exciting and anxious all at once. She was itching for an adventure but she also wanted to spend more time with the man at her side. She couldn’t possibly begin to plunge the depth of the emotions she was feeling, she just knew that they were all added up to her wanting more than anything to be here right now.

She risked a glance at him and noticed his eyes on her and she blushed before turning her head away. Suddenly she felt very self-conscious and nervous, wondering what he was thinking of her right now. She turned her eyes down to her feet and focused of placing one in front of the other. Suddenly she felt his hand being pulled from hers and she turned to look at what had just happened. She was just in time to catch him fall face first into the sand and murmur under his breath. She didn’t quite catch what he had said but she was too busy holding in her laughter to try and figure it out. She shook her head when he told her not to say anything, showing that she wasn’t planning on it, but when his soft laugh reached her ears she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She laughed with her arms wrapped around her stomach, trying to regain enough control to ask a simple question. “You okay?” She bit her lip but her eyes gave away the laughter she was holding back. With a deep breath she composed herself but couldn’t seem to stop smiling at him.

He brushed himself off and she watched the sand tumbled from his body back to the dunes. She twirled a stray sable tendril of her hair around her finger as she watched. He turned his gaze on her and spoke. “It’s entirely your fault anyway.” She reddened a little at his coy grin but played along anyway. “Oh? How is this my fault?” She smiled at him and raised an eyebrow, a playful look in her eyes. She watched him play with his onyx hair and absently played with her own, realizing her had been staring she moved her gaze to her feet. “If you weren’t so distracting, I would have never tripped, so I’m holding you responsible.” She raised her eyes back to his face and found a smile there which only made hers broader. When it shifted to a blank stare her own smile dropped from her face and she moved her eyes in the direction of his. She caught the rising sun and she shifted in her place, wondering if they should start moving again. She didn’t want to lose the moment but it seemed too late to return the playful banter. Instead she moved closer to him.

“About that special someone. If things go well, would this beautiful young woman before me wish to join this special someone to see his sister, after wards? Or is that decision still left up in the air?” Sister? She hadn’t known he had a sister. She wondered what she was like, and if she had the same black hair and green eyes as her brother. Her thoughts wandered away from Varonen and onto his sister, submerged in what she would be like. Suddenly she was aware she hadn’t even answered him yet. “Of course. . . I mean I’d love to,” She smiled lopsidedly at him. “What’s she like? Where’s live?” She was already full of questions about his sister when she stopped and thought. I’m with Varonen. Don’t ruin it by talking about someone else. “Actually. . . I think I want it to be a surprise.” She wanted to take this time to get to know him better, not his sister. He could meet her when Varonen took her. She pushed the thought of his sister from her mind and focused on the man walking with her now.

When he asked the question her mind slowed and she picked through the things she knew about him (a little about his life), the things she wanted to know (about what he liked to do for fun), and the things she thought she’d learn over time (his favourite meal). She pondered over the best way to ask her questions, but decided it didn’t really matter. If he didn’t want to answer them he wouldn’t. She’d start small and maybe move her way up onto bigger things that she’d like to know about. “Well. . . I supposed the first thing I’d like to know if really just what you like to do for fun?” She smiled a little playfully, “Excluding marching through the desert with women you’ve just met.” She tugged at the pony tail at her neck and pulled free her hair. She gathered up the sable locks and retied the tail higher up on her head.

A sense of qualm seemed to wash over him, when the wind began to kick up again. It swept itself up and around his frame, before falling back into the stillness that it had only been mere seconds ago. The wind had always been a calming thing and he loved the feel of it as it flittered through the feathers of his wings. But what made this day even more better was the fact that she was here, which is what made him think getting out of this desert was probably a good idea right about now. Normally he had no worries about himself, but now that she was along, he wanted to keep her safe and away from anything that could hurt her, including the sun.

Returning his attention back to the question that arose from within her, a few thoughts of contemplation flooded his mind. What DID he like to do for fun….? It wasn’t exactly an easy question, nor was it something he really thought often about, even if at all. Lifting a single finger up to his face, it would place itself against the side of his chin as he thought, before dropping it back to his side, “I suppose spending time with Geist and Cypher would be the sort of things I do for fun. We train together, make sure we’re prepared for anything we face and also… I suppose I consider myself a protector of the woods. Other than that, there’s really not a lot interesting about me.” It was kind of true, he had sort of lived a droll kind of life as far as entertainment went, so to get out and do things with other people was change that was most often for the better.

Darkening his gaze, his eyes would scower across the sands out of pure instinct. Something didn’t quite feel right, but he couldn’t place a finger on what it was exactly. Not wanting to startle her, his eyes would return to hers for a brief instance, “I guess you might be surprised when you see my sister, depending on what you’d expect her to be like, after all she’s not quite like me. Though, I won’t elaborate on that, or even tell you anything more than that, since you want it to be a surprise, right?” A sly grin crossed his lips, but his eyes would once against return to the sands, only to take notice of something coming towards then. As the grin faded, his right hand would move out to her arm. When his digits coiled lightly around the thickness of her arm, he would move directly in front of her and to the disturbance in the sand that seemed to be on the war path towards them. The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt and if she was behind him, then all he would have to worry about was protecting himself. His voice would come in a soft soothing tone, but there was a slight urgency hidden with their depths as he spoke, “I want you to stay behind me and pull out your katana, it seems we’ve stirred a Titan of the sands.” The final words he had spoken, seemed to linger in his head, knowing full well what this confrontation would bring.
In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he could fair much of a challenge against something like this, but remain he would. Even if they had ran, the thing still had more speed than them and would have no issue catching them, no less there would also be the chance of stirring up whatever else may reside within these rolling dunes. Settling a hand upon the hilt of the massive blade at his side, his digits would curl themselves tightly around its girth and in one swift motion it would be let loose of its bindings at his side. Only to be brought just in front of him, where both of his hands would join themselves, before lowering his arms slightly and locking themselves in solid placement. Shifting his stance, one foot slightly ahead of the other, his weight would shift itself back and upon the back leg, before leaning forward ever so slightly. Wasting no further time in his preparations; a few inaudible whispers would let themselves loose from his lips and his strength would increase substantially, enabling him to face off against nearly anything he wanted. He would be prepared for this so called Titan, should it decide to rear its ugly head in attack, but until then, his eyes would continue to follow its movements.

Tufts of sand seemed to spray forth from the desert sands and a warped appearance of a line would trail in the wake of it, leaving most aware of the oncoming presence. Judging from the distance, he had figured it to be only off by a few kilometers yet, so they still had some time to prepare themselves. Sucking in a deep breath through his parted lips, he would exhale gradually trying to settle his nerves, “Okay, this thing isn’t going to wait for us to explain ourselves to it, so it’s going to be after us for blood. First, I’ll tell you a few things about it. I’m unsure if you know what a sand worm is, but that is what this thing is. He burrows through the ground, but he can be tracked once he surfaces like this. Also, if you’re in tune with the ground, you can feel the vibration of its massive body slicing through the earth itself. And with you wearing what you are, you should have no issue telling of its location….” A slight smile would grace his features, before continuing, “Now…This thing is nothing small, but it lacks the graces of sight itself. It can tell our locations by the vibrations that both our voice and feet cause and also the shifting of the sands beneath the weight of our bodies. Now…I want you to listen to me. He seems to be occupied by either one of us, so if and when he attacks, I will try to lock up with it. Don’t worry; I’m quite aware of what I’m doing. But what I need you to do is to look for any parts of its body that are exposed, weaknesses and the likes. If I remember correctly, the sand worms usually have some thick plates that cover its backside, but in order to find a weakness on it, that means you’ll have to leave the safety from behind me and walk around it. I can’t guarantee if at that point it will go for you or not, but I want you on your toes, okay? Now, I will ask you, is this something that’s okay with you, because there are other methods I can use to bring this thing down, but I can’t do it without your help. I have to know you’re with me, I can’t have you worrying about me, nor can I have you becoming afraid at a time like this. I need you to be strong and be willing to listen to anything I say without second thought, because I know you’re not much of a fighter. How’s that sound…? Because we’re just about out of time.” He would bother not with trying to look at her, but knew she would understand the urgency that now became their situation. And for now, he would wait for the thing to rear itself so their plans could be put forth into action…

She thought of the queer little animals that Varonen had as companions. The coal black rabbit named Geist; she adored him. He had the softest fur and the strangest red eyes. Somehow she wasn’t put off by his appearance and just thought he was adorable. The other was a little dragon, so different from any creature she had seen before. Cypher. She thought of the name a little proudly. Then she couldn’t help but giggle when she thought of Varonen wielding a wooden stick against a little black Geist that just sat chewing on straw.

Shadeen watched him gaze out across the desert and she got an uneasy feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She wasn’t sure where the feeling came from; perhaps it was just the slight way that Varonen had changed his stance or his gaze. When he started talking the feeling subsided slightly and she found herself wondering about his sister again. “Oh I do want it to be a surprise. It’s just more fun that way. I can’t wait to meet her though.” I can’t wait long enough though. She thought to herself, half slipping into a daydream when he smiled at her. She returned it unhesitating. When his grin faded hers did as well and she wondered what had happened. She felt his hand around her arm and she soon found herself staring at his back and those brilliant white wings. However the urgency underlying the soothing tones when he spoke in worried her and she did what he asked.

Her fingers curled around the katana she had brought with her and she pulled it out of its sheath. She felt it out in front of her desperately trying to understand what had brought on this sudden urgency and the need to protect and be protected. She wasn’t sure what a Titan of the sands actually was but it didn’t sound pleasant from the way Varonen spoke. It worried her a bit but she tried not to let it show.

Shadeen watched, impressed, as Varonen pulled out his own blade and locked into a position that she assumed he had learnt through his years of training. She mimicked it with her own blade, although she felt she lacked something to it as though there might be something more she wasn’t doing. It was the best she could manage at the moment and so she stuck with it. He shifted his stance but she remained where she was behind him, feeling that she was safe enough at the moment, and since the threat didn’t immediately present itself she felt she had a bit more time to be prepared.

She couldn’t see much from her current position but she noticed sand flung up from the earth, although what was making it do such she couldn’t pick out. She shifted her weight from foot to foot growing nervous. As Varonen spoke she repeated a few details to herself so she wouldn’t soon forget then, especially in this situation. She didn’t want to die out in the desert. Burrows. Feel the Vibrations. No sight. Weaknesses. A surge of worry passed over her and made her feel a bit faint when Varonen mentioned grappling with the Titan. She wanted him to be safe, coming out of the desert alone wouldn’t help her at all, and would more than likely leave her with a burden that weighed heavy on her heart.

“Okay so, I have to leave safety and move around the creature to find any weakness like cracks or breaks in his skin, places I can slide my katana.” She said this as conformation that she was listening to all he said, and to make sure she was doing the right thing once she did leave his safety. “I’ll do whatever you say if it will keep us both alive.” She solidified her stance and closed her eyes for a brief moment, sensing the sand worm move towards her and Varonen. It was a great rumble beneath the earth, almost as though it was a sound instead of a motion. She tightened her grip on the katana and prepared herself to move out from behind safety once Varonen locked up with the great creature.

You can do this.

Her words broke their way through the loud rumbling sound of the sand worms burrowing, long enough for him to hear that she was indeed listening to what he had said. The question from there would remain in whether or not she could follow through with what he had wanted, but he would put no doubt in her. When people were faced with troubles and the fact that their life lingered on the line, they often than not surprised a person. And he was most certain she would do the same with him and it would be at that point where he could accurately gauge her abilities and perhaps train her better, when the time would come and considering if they would survive this or not.

There would be no more time to prepare themselves for the massive beast lurched forth from the sands and high into the air. At first sight, the beast almost seemed majestic with its appearance. Sand flittered from the sides of the beast and fell effortlessly through the air around it. Sharp arcing tusk like structures came to jagged points just on the outskirts of its mouth, which held a wide base to it, but came to a slim thin line. Large plates broke in segments from the top of his head, much like that of a helmet, while the others were just shell like coverings, separated by a couple of inches to give it its range of movement. Between those separations would reside the soft flesh of its exterior, where it would be the most vulnerable to sudden attacks. On top of that, would be the soft vulnerable underbelly of the beast, that had been the most susceptible to attack.

All in all, the beast seemed quite overwhelming with its shear size, making Varonen almost feel like some sort of toy in comparison. How he intended to hold off such a great beast was beyond him, but he wasn’t about to give up now, not now that they’ve come this far.

The large mammoth of a creature reared its head back, mouth jarring itself wide open before thrusting itself downwards and towards the form of Varonen in hopes to swallow him whole. The beast would be suddenly mistaken, because the second it had begun to bar its ugly head down upon him, Varonen swung the blade with all his might. Each muscle strained as it forced the blade forth with immeasurable strength, only to collide with the beasts face. The blade itself came flush with the creature’s mouth, the top of the blade held the upper section of its mouth, and the base of the blade held the bottom section. The action caused a lot of strain on Varonen’s body, but he quickly shook it off and focused his full attention upon the beast, trying to maintain the confrontation as a stale mate. The only problem lied in the beast, because the second they had locked, it had gradually increased the pressure of its weight and strength against the blade, threatening to thrust it back at Varonen.

Re-situating his grip on the blade, he would take a hand from the hilt and place it against the blunt edge near the top of the blade. After giving himself a better defensive state, he continued to force forward and against the beast in hopes of continuing this stalemate of strength, but it seemed to be working against him. Because it seemed the more he pushed against the beast and it against him, his feet would begin to gradually sink deep within the sands beneath. If this would keep up, he would soon find himself neck high in sand and that would do neither of them any good. His only hope rested on Shadeen now. With a strained grunt, his voice would pick up, showing the stress that wracked its way through his body, “Shadeen, now! Find something, anything that would appear to be weak. Anything that is unprotected, anything except his underbelly! Once you do, stab it and clear some distance, it will rear and probably go for you the second you do, so keep aware! I don’t want you getting hurt, so please, be careful.” His hopes were that she would be able to find something while he rambled on, but the way this thing appeared, it would be doubtful that it would offer many spots of weakness so easily.

((OoC: If theres anything wrong with it just let me know and I'll edit whatever I need to :D)

Shadeen slipped out of her sandals, aware of the slight heat that emanated from the earth below her soles. She curled her toes around the sand, testing if her feet would hold up against the heat. It appeared that the sun had not had the time to warm the sands to a burning state and for that she was glad. She thought that if she went into it without anything on her feet she’d have more of a chance, since she had found that running barefoot made her a bit faster, Perhaps that split second she gained would be helpful, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she was getting out of this alive. No matter what! Unless that what was Varonen. She shook the thought from her mind and braced herself to run on his word.

The earth shook with such force that she found it hard put to find her balance on it. It felt like she was on a great ship, rocking with the power of a storm. She carefully got her balance and once she had gotten used to the feeling she found it was easier to move and control her body. That was good since she needed it to be working at its highest peak. And then it broke free. Sand slid off its body in a shower. It seemed like some unearthly demon surfacing to cause destruction. Sharp tusks curved from the outskirts of its mouth and its head was well armoured in large plates. Jade eyes ran along the creature’s body, searching for the weaknesses that Varonen had told her to look for. Plates covered the thing’s body, separated by mere inches to allow movement. Those were what she needed to find, but she sensed it would be more difficult. Then she heard it. A large thundering sound and she had to keep herself from yelling out Varonen’s name when she saw him fending off the beast with his sword. It scared her more than anything ever had, but it also made her eyes steel over. She was determined to win this fight.

He altered his grip and she watched as the beast was too strong for him. On his word. She’d wait for his word. He forced his way forward and the beast pushed back. On his word. She’d wait for his word. His feet slipped into the sands and she held herself back. On his word. He grunted. On his—

“Shadeen, now!” She didn’t wait to hear the rest. Shadeen’s feet moved gracefully across the sands, running the length of his body. Once she was a few feet from Varonen and sure that the beast had heeded her no noticed she slowed to a walk. She could still hear his voice and it relaxed her enough to gaze carefully at the creature’s plated armour. Each plate was long, about 12 feet in length, and between each were only a few inches of space. Maybe 5 or 6, she couldn’t tell for they constantly moved together and then apart as it writhed its body. She wouldn’t have much time, if any, in which to plunge her katana in and pull it back out before she ran. She was still too close to his head, close enough to hear Varonen grunt with effort. She couldn’t waste time. She moved on, the next plate was much the same, only the time in between each movement was greater. It would have to do since she wasn’t sure that she’d have the time to find the next weakness.

She wrapped her fingers about the leather hilt of her katana and unsheathed the blade. She was careful not to move her feet much, hoping that if she kept her movement to a minimum she’d also be able to keep her vibrations to a minimum. She knew that wouldn’t matter once she plunged in the blade, but she’d keep the beast’s attention away from her as long as possible. Without moving her feet she positioned the blade for insertion, waiting for when the plates were far enough apart that she could safely do what she needed to and get away. Just a few more seconds. Now. She moved her hands and sheathed the blade to its hilt in the creature’s skin. It screamed. She wasn’t sure if it was a physical sound or if she had just felt it, but the pain was real. She quickly drew out her blade as the plates closed together.

She didn’t have time. No time to think. No time to look and see if Varonen was okay. She didn’t have time. As soon as the blade was safely out of the sand worm’s body she turned on her heels. She wasn’t sure even what direction she was facing but she ran. She could feel the sand beneath her feet, its warmth touching against her skin. She ran. Everywhere was a blur of golden yellow. Yellowish gold. She wasn’t sure where she was heading but she ran. When she slowed down she could see that she was still along the creature’s body. Another plate separation right in front of her. She couldn’t bring herself to look back and see if the thing was on her tail so she just repeated her actions once again. This time as she slide in the blade she sent a silent prayer out. Simple, four words. Please. Keep Varonen safe. And then she was moving once more. She thought about trying to find her way to his other side, but she didn’t know if she had the time to find a way there. Climbing over its back would be too dangerous, and far too difficult.

When the words flittered out through his lips, she would be gone within the blink of an eye and it was at that instant, he knew they would be fine. Determination and focus was what made a warrior strong and she was just that, strong. Albeit she didn’t possess the skills of any legendary swordsman, or even the most basic ones, but it didn’t matter so long as she held the spirit. She was a true find and the shear thought that she choose to be with him on this fateful day brought a wry grin to his face.

It was that thought that seemed to instill him with a new life and determination against this massive beast before him. Releasing a strained grunt, his arms thrusted themselves outwards, extending until they locked into position. Once they had, one foot would lift upwards and place itself slightly in front of the other, continuing to shift his weight between the two to make sure no ground would be lost in the efforts he exerted. Step by step, he continued to force the beast back until he could do so no longer, which would be the point in which the beast would be forced to rear back and upwards. And that’s what it would do, because at that exact second, Shadeen would plunge her sword within its tender flesh. The beast released a loud screeching sound, which caused Varonen to instantly drop his blade to the shifting sands beneath him and instantly bring his hands to his ears in hopes of silencing the horrid sound. The sound seemed to wrack his entire head with an unbearable pain, which caused him to slowly drop to one knee and then to another, before it would silence itself.

Removing his hands from his ears, a low key growl emitted from the depths of his larynx, but it would be cut short as Shadeen would plunge her blade into its tender flesh one final time. Again the ear shattering sound ripped through his ear drums, causing his hands to jolt back to his ears to shield them from the sound, but it would be to no avail. It had felt like someone had taken a whistle and blew it directly into his ears. The feeling left his body weak and try as he might, he couldn’t even bring himself to even try to clamber back to his feet. It was like he had been sapped of all of his energy, but it wasn’t just from the physical exertion he endured, but more so from the sound that ripped its way through his ears.

Meanwhile, the beast’s attention drew itself upon the now fleeing Shadeen intent upon making her pay for what she had done. Coiling its way around in a full 180 like turn, it pursued after the fleeing woman, which would prove quite easy to catch after a short pursuit. Even despite all the pain that she inflicted upon it, it seemed to have little difficulty moving at almost the same pace it had done many times before. The beast then reared its head backwards, before bringing it crashing down, mouth wide open and towards Shadeen….

Never parting his hands from his ears, his eyes would flicker up and towards the worm, only to catch its sudden movements towards the retreating form of Shadeen. Panic struck its way through his entire entity, as the thought of losing her became a prominent possibility. Doing the only thing that came to his mind, a single hand would part from his hand, raised itself into the air. Spanning the digits outwards, they would curl themselves inwards just enough to be able to touch them all upon the ground at the same time. Wasting no further time, his hand would bring itself sharply downwards and slam each of the tips of his digits into the soft sands, before drawing themselves together to create a star like symbol in the sands. Withdrawing his hand a few inches, his digits would span and set themselves in the same manner as before, but this time, they would touch just on the outskirts of each line. Rotating his hand slowly, his digits would drag themselves in a clockwise manner on the outskirts of the lines to create a circle like appearance around them. The entire action seemed to take him minutes to accomplish, but in all reality it had only taken a matter of seconds. Lifting his hand from the symbol in the sand again, his digits would span once more, but they would keep themselves extended this time.

Letting loose a brief incantation, his hand would bring itself down to the soft sands only to smash an imprint of it over the symbol he had drawn moments ago. A bright light suddenly emerged forth from the symbol, but what it would manifest would quickly begin to take shape directly in between both the worm and Shadeen. The sands seemed to snake their way upwards in four separate tendrils. Each pair seemed to wind and interweave themselves until they resembled two well structured legs. From there they would continue to wind upwards, until they joined into one single pair of tendrils, where they would construct the body and then split again to two separate pairs to finish up the arm. And then lastly they would join again to finish up the structure of the head.

There it would stand, another titan of the sand which separated Shadeen from the worm, but it wouldn’t be all too long if the thing didn’t make a move and soon. Lifting its massive arms, it would bring its hands out into separated placements, in hopes of latching onto the large tusks of the beast. By no means was it a small thing, but instead stood nearly thirteen feet tall, each arm was size of a small tree trunk, while the legs were like that of a large oak. Completely constructed from the sands beneath them and compacted into a raw earthen form, the behemoth of a creature would be well enough a match for such a creature such as this. But it was limited on what it could do, especially without its master commanding it’s every move. Though, there was one thing the behemoth knew and that was why it had been summoned, to protect Shadeen. As long as it existed, it would try and hold out that soul purpose no matter what.

When the beast drew its ugly tusked face closer, the behemoth lifted its massive hands out to lock themselves with the large tusks. With a loud rumble, the two titans clashed, locking each other in a dead stalemate of strength. The behemoth gripped the tusks of the beast tightly, not wanting to release it or allow it to gain any form of ground against it. So even if the beast wanted to rear back and try again or change its target, the Behemoth would not allow it to do so, which would give both Varonen and Shadeen some time to sort out their next plan of attack…

Varonen relaxed himself when he caught the Behemoth locking itself up with the beast and perhaps saving Shadeen from total annihilation. It was like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, which could almost be taken literally. He was bar far in no shape to even try to do something like that again. Granted he still had the strength to do so, but the strain on his body had been much more than he was used to contending with. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he could pick up and wield his blade effectively with the pain that wracked its way through his very core structure. No less with the pain that still pounded through his head, from the annoying screeching that the beast had made not moments ago.

Releasing a frustrated growl, he would try to push himself back to his feet, but would quickly stumble back to a single knee, seemingly exhausted from the previous exertion with the beast. Placing a hand down upon the sands for support, his chest would rise and fall heavily in efforts to regain his breath. But it wasn’t his breath he was worried about, but instead the rising thirst that plagued his dry mouth. Quickly pushing that all aside, his focus would return to that of Shadeen, before speaking softly, “Thank the god’s you’re safe….”

(OoC: Sorry. I feel like its on the short side)

Shadeen ran. She wasn’t sure what else to do except run. She never looked back too afraid of what she might see, afraid that she might fail. She didn’t let it get in her way, instead she did what she was supposed to do, plunging in her katana and fleeing. She had just pulled it out of the worm’s body and started running when the ground shook. She wasn’t sure how far she had run or what was ever making that rumbling noise. It seemed to rise from the earth itself. She risked a look behind her.

Tusked head barrelled down on her and her heart jumped into her throat as her stomach turned over. It was hot on her heels and she tried to make her legs move faster, make them get her body out of the way of that hideous head. She ran. The rumbling continued and, in fact, grew more fierce as she continued her flight. She risked it again, she had to know. She looked. The sand was coming out of the earth itself, and she saw that two legs had already been created, a body as well, arms, a head. She stared in fascination as the sand. . . golem? Was that what it was? Appeared out of the earth. Then she fell. She could feel her feet sinking into a loose patch of sand, and her balance was compromised. The earth rushed up to greet her.

Her hands flew out in front of her and caught her body, lowering it more softly to the earth. She whipped around in time to see the giant sand creature catch the tusks of the worm in his grasp. Relief flooded through her and for some unexplainable reason she felt that it was Varonen who had summoned this behemoth to save her. “Thank you,” She whispered, as she scuttled backward on her hands. Once she felt that she was a safe distance away she picked herself up and turned to run once again. Luck seemed to favour her this time though. She had gotten up right next to another gap in the worm’s body. “This one’s for Varonen” she whispered. She ran up and sunk her blade into the soft flesh, wrenching it to the side before she drew it out once again and turn to run.

This time her feet carried her towards Varonen. She felt like she couldn’t move fast enough. Her feet barely touched the sand below them as she ran. She felt the grains brush her toes for a split second before her foot was moving again. If she had a faster way she would, and the distance between them was killing her. Her ran under the golem’s too legs as she dashed forward, ignoring the sounds of the struggle. She ducked around the worm’s giant body and a wave of relief washed over her as Varonen’s body came into sight. He was down on the ground, and she pushed herself to go faster, faster.

She was only a few feet from him when she dropped to her knees and slid the distance between them. The sand gathered up around her legs and she stared into his eyes. Her jade eyes watered and she could have cried from the sheer joy of seeing him alive and well. Maybe not well, but he was alive. She could have wrapped her arms around him but she refrained, there was too much to be done, too much at hand. She wiped away her tears with one hand, grains stuck to her fingers and a few fell from them as she moved them across her face. The water that had threatened her a few moments ago was gone once she lowered her hand back to the sands. She hoped Varonen hadn’t noticed, but at the same time she was too happy to care.

“Are you okay?” Her voice wavered again and she wanted to fuss over him, to make sure that he wouldn’t brush her off with just an ‘okay’. She knew she didn’t have a choice though, that she had to do what was necessary, until they were out of harm’s way. She looked down at her hands, noticing a few scratches in the sand, but it seemed that she had destroyed the rest when she came to a stop.

A sound came from behind her and she turned her head to watch, the two giants clashed against each other, neither seeming to give an inch. She hoped that she hadn’t somehow cost them everything by coming back here. If she had run any further away though she probably wouldn’t have been able to get back in time. As she watched the unmoving struggle she slowly became aware of the ache in her legs. They were folded under her and to the sides. She rubbed one absentmindedly as she watched the two giants push on each other. She supposed she’d have to get up sooner or later, but she’d move when Varonen did.

“What now. . ?”

(( OOC: Whoops, wrong character. Oh well, pretend it's Decadence. XD ))

It had felt like something had literally beaten the holy hell out of him, with the way each muscle ached and burned. Wanting no more than to simply fall back and relax, the sense of urgency at their current situation would once again rise to the surface of his thoughts, overriding all the others. The behemoth wouldn’t be able to hold off the worm forever, no less keep it in check like he had done for the past couple of minutes. This much he had known, but what was there that they could do? If they parted from the two giants, then there would be the chance where the worm could escape and chase them down only to draw more attention to them. That idea wasn’t pleasant, because the thought of having dozens and dozens of those things chasing them wouldn’t be all that grand. Then there was the possibility of them staying and finishing the job. It would come with risks and dangers, but it seemed the most probable of all their choices. At least they would know the beast wouldn’t be hunting them down later and that they would be able to predict things that it threw at them. As opposed to simply running along and getting run down by it with no sense of defense.

Lifting his eyes up towards the approaching form of Shadeen, a look of relief washed away the worried one that had plagued his countenance only moments ago. She had been safe, at least for now and would remain as such so long as he still had breath in his lungs. When she asked if he had been okay, every fiber in his body wanted to tell her that he felt like total and utter crud, but he would refrain the urge and simply allow a simple, “I’ll be fine.” Not wanting to worry her about his own affairs, which would be exactly what she had expected to hear from him.

A faint smile would cross his slender lips at the shear thought of what she must be thinking about his response. It often than not pissed women off to hear men act so macho and tough when they truly appeared much more shattered than they would let on. Sucking in a deep breath, a low grunt would escape the depths of his larynx in a strained effort to push his exhausted body to its feet. Rising in a haphazard manner, his feet would quickly set themselves and a lone hand would move down to the bladder at his side. The thirst was beginning to get to him and if he didn’t drink now, then it would quickly consume him in the next moments of this entire ordeal. Plucking it from his side, he lifted it before him, quickly untying it before emptying a good portion of its contents into his awaiting mouth. Retying the bladder, he would refasten it back to his sash and return his attention upon the worm a good distance off from them. What would be the best means to take such a beast down were the only thoughts that crossed his sub-conscious. By no means was he interested in killing it, nor was he all for letting it go free, knowing full well that it would turn back upon the two of them. There was still another option, there had to be, but what….?

After a short while of thinking, it had hit him like a bag of bricks ( which would be a horrible thing if it were true. ) Maybe he would be able to put it down without killing it or leaving it for dead the second he would. Yes…A truly well devised plan it would take, but it would be one that would not involve Shadeen. Casting a quick glance at her over his shoulder, he would offer her a coy grin, “I think I know just what to do and I won’t have to kill it to do it. You just wait here, but be prepared should the need arise that I need your assistance. I will leave my sword here, since I don’t think I’ll need it. And if I use it, It’d be a near certain thing that I would kill it in the process.” It was by far the most foolish thing he had ever said, but he strongly disagreed against killing and that meant anything, whether friend nor foe and he would not put that in jeopardy now.

A new found determination drove him forward into a slow trot, before picking up his pace into a sudden rush towards the two mammoth like creatures that seemed fairly well matched. The sand seemed to play no factor in his movements, but it would never get the chance to do so, for his legs would bend and launch himself up into the air, his wings quickly spanned themselves to take on a slight glide, before flapping themselves a few times to bring him up to the same level as the sand worm’s head. At that exact instant, he would begin to pick up his pace, but all the while echoing commands through his mouth for the Behemoth to follow.

At the first command, the Behemoth pushed against the sandworm only to cause it to rock back slightly, just long enough to dislodge one of its massive arms and bring it high into the air. Balling its hand into a tightly woven first, it would quickly drive itself down and to the top of the worm’s heavily armored head, causing its head to drop sharply towards the ground and leaving a heavy crack in its armored plate. Again the behemoth would take up both of the tusks and proceed to hold the worms head in placement for the next follow up attack, which would be delivered from its Master.

Focusing all of his attention upon the worm and the Behemoth, his opportunity would present itself when the Behemoth would strike it, to leave a crack. A flaw, finally a flaw that had been prominent and most likely the one that would finally put this thing to a rest, at least he had hoped so. Flapping his wings harder, he would rise higher into the air, before rocking forward and descending down upon the worm like a dart focused to a target. At the last moments of his descent, both of his hands would latch themselves together and draw themselves up and over his shoulder, intent on bringing his elbow careening down upon the beasts head in the same exact placement as the Behemoth had done only moments ago. With the added strength and the momentum he carried, it would only be all too certain that the beast would drop like a sack of potatoes, or least he had hoped so.

Waiting for the last possible second, his arms would draw themselves out and down in a sharp manner, as a spell slipped through his lips. It was a spell he used often and one that would only add to the shear impact of the blow. Which it had done, because the second his arms would make contact with the top of the beasts head, a loud thud would echo out and the worm would instantly drop without any further resistance. Following through with his attack, his arms would swing off to his other side, but it was at that instant when his body could take no more. Just then his wings would fold in behind him, releasing any amount of air they held to keep him buoyant in the air. Free falling now to the soft earth bellow, his legs would brace themselves for the coming impact. The second his feet touched, his legs would bend quickly to accommodate for the sudden drop and within a mere second more he would be upon his knees in the sand, with hands placed not far off in front of him to keep himself from falling flat to his face.

Exhaustion riddled his entire entity, but at least he had put an end to this annoyance. Again, he would attempt to push himself back to his feet, but struggling again as he had done so. Lifting a single hand high into the air, he would wave in victory towards Shadeen, a smile prominent upon his visage. This was by far one of the greatest accomplishments he had ever achieved, but it couldn’t have been done without her. It was her that instilled that strength and confidence within him. Without her, he would more the less be lying in a pile of sand somewhere. Deciding to make his way back to her, he would place his right before his left, but it would be at that moment when he would notice something amiss with his leg. Once all weight seemed to be placed upon it, it seemed to shift off to the side, causing his balance to be thrown off slightly. Working past the minor set back, he would continue to make his way, taking grave caution to how much weight he would put on his right leg, as he mainly focused towards using his left to support the majority of it.

As he hobbled along towards her, the worm would once again rise up behind him, its armored helm completely split down the center from both his and the Behemoth’s blows. Quickly it shook its head, trying to ward off the effects of the blow, only to cause the armor to drop completely from its head and onto the soft sands bellow. It would care very little now as its main focus resided solely upon Varonen and returning the favor of its discomfort to him. Completely ignoring the idle standing behemoth, it would charge towards the hobbling form of Varonen, before bringing its head down to thrust one of its large tusks through him. The behemoth took notice of the beasts movements and acted as fast as it could to get to Varonen first. The behemoth seemed to be a good deal faster than the worm, but it was only from Shadeen and Varonen’s onslaught they had unleashed upon it. Arriving to Varonen before the worm, it would only have time to thrust itself against him and knock him out of the way just in time to take the hit for Varonen.

Just then a heavy weight collided against him and sent him tumbling across the sands, until he would finally come to a dead stop. Quickly turning as fast as he could, his eyes widened as the Behemoth suddenly burst apart into a flurry of sand from the worms powerful blow. It would appear that it would just be the two of them now to face off against this Titan. All hope seemed to fade fast when the worm turned its attention upon him and would once again begin to rush towards him. All he was left to do was to simply watch as this creature would finally get its just revenge upon him. He couldn’t run, especially with the last hit he had taken from the Behemoth. Not only was his body exhausted and thoroughly beat up, but his right leg had finally been put out of commission. Even if he wanted to, there would be no way to get up, to run or anything. So he would simply hope that Shadeen would take this opportunity to run and spare herself from this beast while she could, but somehow something told him, she wouldn’t…

“I’ll be fine,” It was what she had been expecting, but she gave him a look that said ‘I don’t believe you’. She was too relieved to see him well and whole before her that she let the look go and smiled broadly at him, wanting nothing more than to fling her arms around his body and feel that he was really still before her. The faint smile that crossed his lips discouraged her and encouraged her at the same time. He could smile, that was good, but the faintness of it worried her. When he grunted she wanted nothing more than to yank him back to the sands and make him stay. Shadeen knew though, knew that he had to do something, because now that she had done her part she was rather worthless when it came down to it. She could do little things and following instructions, but that was about all. Summoning giant sand monsters was far beyond her capabilities, she might learn one day, but at the moment it would probably have killed her to even try. And so she knew, he had to be the one to do something.

He downed some water and she sat in the sand watching him. She watched him, emotions moving over his face, she couldn’t read them though and had no idea what he was planning to do at this point. She shivered worried for him, she didn’t know what he was planning but in this state she just hoped he could handle it. “I think I know just what to do and I won’t have to kill it to do it. You just wait here, but be prepared should the need arise that I need your assistance. I will leave my sword here, since I don’t think I’ll need it. And if I use it, It’d be a near certain thing that I would kill it in the process.” She nodded along, not sure what else she could really do or say. Something had to be done about this worm or they would probably be hunted down. She watched him place down the sword and her eyes scanned it. It looked way to heavy for her to lift, and so she moved her eyes back to Varonen’s.

As he started to trot towards the worm and behemoth she picked herself up off the sands and stood watching him move away from her. A sense of loss washed over her as he moved away. They had been together but now he was leaving again. He launched himself into the air and she followed his voyage. A loud thud-like noise made her move her eyes over to the battling giants, in time to see the worm’s head plummet to the earth. The sand giant grabbed the worm’s tusks again and held it in place. Everything after this happened very fast, and she found herself trying to recall what had happened just a moment ago and it seemed a blur. Someone had smudged the image in front of her. All she knew was that Varonen brought down the worm with a loud thud.

Her heart jumped into her throat but she was happy when Varonen landed safely. When he waved to her she felt a wave of relief wash over her. She took a step towards him, and he moved towards her as well. But then she froze. The worm rose up behind Varonen and Shadeen’s eyes widened in horror and a sense of loss hit her like a hammer. She mouthed the word ‘no’ and reached out a hand towards him. But the sand giant stopped the attack shattering into a rain of sand. Varonen had gone tumbling and Shadeen’s jade eyes quickly found his form on the ground.

She ran towards him. She couldn’t think of anything else to do but run for him. The worm raised his head back into the air and posed to strike Varonen, a death blow for sure. There was no way he would survive if she let that worm get anywhere near him. She vowed that she wouldn’t! Wouldn’t let the worm win this battle. The fact that she even felt emotions this strong surprised her, not enough to stop her, but she would need to look into this later. She had never felt this way about anyone. She slowed her run to a trot and pulled out her katana. She gripped it by the blade and threw it. It cut through the air and swished end over end. It made contact with the worm’s eye. She knew it wouldn’t kill him but the scream that issued forth from the worm’s mouth was ten fold what it had been when she had plunged her katana into his soft skin. Shadeen covered her ears and ran forward, trying desperately to shut out the sound. She pushed forward, trot turning to a run, she dropped her hands from her ears and her feet seemed to dance over the sand.
The worm fell to the ground and writhed, kicking up sand, she didn’t know if it was dead or if it would retreat. Her eyes fell on Varonen and never left his for a second. She was a few feet away when she dove at him, her arms wrapping around his neck and the impact knocked them both over into the sand. She pulled herself away from him. “Varonen.” Her eyes ran up and down his body. “Are you okay? Please, tell me the truth,” She flung herself around him again. “Are you okay?”

“Oh!” She gasped and let go of him, setting herself up on the sand, sitting cross-legged. She blushed a little and suddenly she was aware of the fact she had no shoes on. “My shoes,” She wiggled her toes, “Your sword!” She said and clapped her hands over her mouth. “I didn’t bring it,”

It seemed all would draw to an end for him soon, to be doomed in by this stupid worm before he even had a chance to accomplish any of the things he wanted to do. To have a child, a loving wife, and even present himself as something of importance and protect those who could not protect themselves. None of it seemed fair, to have everything stripped away from him so easily and to have nothing to say or do against such a fate. Anger washed through his very core entity when the thoughts of holding back against this thing entered his mind. If only he hadn’t this would be a much different story, but it was his stupid honor that brought him to such a fate. An honor that if he killed senselessly, then he would be nothing better than the scum he fought.

When it seemed all hope had been lost, his emerald hues shifted off to the rushing form of Shadeen. Why wasn’t she retreating like he had hoped she would have done? There was no point in getting the both of them killed by this thing… And that’s when it had hit him on what Shadeen’s intention had been. It was something that took him completely off guard; especially with the fact that she said she wasn’t all that skilled with a blade. With shear elegant grace, her blade would be launched at the beast’s eye, only to plunge hilt deep into it. It was at that instant in which his eyes would tear away from her and towards the worm. Instantaneously his hands jolted up to his ears to stifle out the horrid screeching sound of the worm as it writhed uncontrollably before flopping to the sand bellow, seemingly dead.

Before he could get a chance to lower his hands, Shadeen flung herself upon him, only to knock him back onto the sand. Laughing softly, she would pull back just enough to allow him to sit up again, “I’ll survive. My body aches, my muscles throb, my ears are ringing, and my leg is out of commission. I’ve seen better days physically, but mentally I’d have to say no other day rivals this.” Unsure if she would get what he meant by it, a simple smile would slip across his lips. When she would mention both her shoes and the sword, he would simply shake his head, “It’s all right. They can remain as they are for now, what’s important now is that we’re both safe, because of you. My warrior woman…” A coy grin spread across features at the shear thought of beyond saved by her, a woman. There was never a doubt in his mind that should would surprise him, but never like this. It was like someone had taken over her body and acted on her behalf, but perhaps she did possess such skills to begin with and wasn’t aware of them until this point. Whatever the case was, it was of no importance now. What was important was getting out of this desert before something else would happen to them.

Placing his left hand flat upon the sand, he would roll off in that direction, only using his left leg to help him up to his feet, before rising to an erect position. Standing now, his eyes cast themselves over to her, before locking with hers, “I’m going to have to ask you to be our strength for now. I don’t think I’ll make it very far walking on my own, especially with my leg and the condition it is in…” The second the last word would trail from his lips, he would bend over and bring his hands down to the bottom of his right pant leg, before pulling it up until it came to a stop just beyond his knee.

Bit by bit the leg became exposed to her view, its sleek metallic finish shimmered softly in the light of the sun above. There seemed to be very few imperfections on it, with the exception of a few indentations from what would appear a sword had hit. Other than that, the first section seemed remotely perfect in its appearance, but the further up you went, the more mangled and distorted the metal would appear as it soon reached the knee cap. The metal was twisted and wrenched in a manner that was beyond explanation. The cause of the damage solely resided in the fall he had from earlier, which was by his own matter of choice. Instead of mangling both of his legs, he had made certain to land with the majority of his weight upon his right.

Curious eyes probed hers with eagerness to see what her expression would be or whether or not she would even care. Deciding to put it off, he would roll the pant leg back down and re-erect his frame before turning his attention off to where his sword would reside, “With my leg in this state, my walking on it may only cause it to break and crumble. I do have an idea, but it’s up to you if you wish to do this. It will involve you having to carry that massive blade over there and also me. Now wait wait, before you say anything. I know you’re thinking, ‘How in the world would I be able to carry you?’ Thing is…I’m not going to be in this form if you decide to do it…” Adverting his eyes from the blade and back to hers once more, they would probe again for any form of reaction before continuing, “You see this armor here…?” Lifting a hand, he would place it just off to the small symbol that resided upon the center of its chest, “All I need to do is place a hand over this symbol and think of anything I wish to be and my body will change to that. I could make myself look like you if I really wanted, but I wouldn’t be too sure how a piece of metal could replicate something so beautiful.” A light chuckle passed his parted lips, only to be followed by a sheepish grin, “I was thinking of becoming something small so you wouldn’t even notice my presence. The last thing I want is for you to struggle, especially for something that’s my fault. Now…I figure…”

Breaking his eyes from hers, they would lightly scan across the horizon for a moment, before faltering to a dead stop, “Istan City is in that direction.” To confirm which direction, his arm would lift and point a single finger off to better direct her, before dropping the arm back to his side, “We’ve had to have spent at least a good portion of the day here by now, so I judge that we can’t be all that far off. I’d say by the time the sun reaches the highest point, we should arrive there, but hopefully much sooner than that. Now, one last question; how would you like to carry the sword? I can give you the strap I normally use to hold it, or if you really want, you could carry it on your shoulder. And I suppose, the last option is to drag it if it’s really too heavy for you.” His right hand lifted and placed itself at the back of his head, rubbing it nervously, “Buuuuuuut…I really like it shiny, kind of gives it that certain appeal if you know what I mean. With it all dull, it doesn’t seem as threatening or even cool looking. Though, I can’t possibly expect you to carry it, so whatever you choose is fine with me I suppose, just don’t beat it up too bad.” Offering her a nod, a smile would then grace his features again, “Sooo…Does this sound okay to you, or is there something you would like to ask me before we get going here?”

“My warrior woman,”

Shadeen blushed and ran a hand through her hair. She laughed a little nervously and smiled at him. She didn’t know what to say or how to react. It was thoughtful, in a way. More so it was cute, and she couldn’t stop blushing. How did it ever turn out that she had met him? She didn’t like to think that she was the luckiest person in the world, but close right now. Something had just clicked between them, and it seemed to be growing with each word they spoke to each other. She trusted him, and she let herself giggle a little.

He lifted himself up off the ground, saving Shadeen from thinking of a witty, or even coherent reply. She followed him with her eyes and nodded along when he spoke. Her mind was a tad elsewhere, and she blamed him completely. She was about to reply when Varonen began to roll up his pant leg. She had wondered why his descent from the sky had left him unharmed. Here was her answer. As the fabric rose the shine of metal came into view. Her eyes widened as she watched as piece by piece his leg came into view. The metal shone in the desert sun, reflection full of brilliance. It seemed perfect as he started the pull up the fabric, but as more came into view there was something clearly wrong. Once the fabric was up to knee height the metal was twisted and mangled. Shadeen was at an utter loss for words. She reached out a hesitant hand, but didn’t touch the metal at all. Instead she placed her hand on the ground and leaned forward, inspecting the leg.

“Wow. . .” She said a little breathlessly. She moved her eyes up to Varonen’s, “How did you get this? It looks so . . . advanced, and . . . remarkable.” She understood now why he needed her strength, although the question didn’t enter her mind for another few moments. She was focused on the metal when it did hit her. “Be your strength?” She thought about carrying Varonen or even helping him walk. She wasn’t sure she’d have the strength to do it, but she didn’t want to disappoint him. “I’ll try my best,” She stood once he lowered his pant leg and faced him, nodding once before a smile broke out on her face.

When he said he wouldn’t be in his natural form she wondered vaguely what he meant by it, but she figured he would explain it soon enough. He didn’t seem the type to leave her in the dark. She was proven right a few moments later. She wasn’t sure what she wanted him to be, but she would decide that after she figured out how to carry the sword.

“So you’d rather have your sword shiny than me still alive. I see how it is,” She said playfully and stuck out her tongue at him. “Well . . . I’ll try to carry it. Don’t expect too much though,” She said, still smiling. She made her way over to the sword lying in the sand, her shoes only a few feet away. She gazed down at the sword before she decided she would like to have her shoes first. She trotted the distance and picked up the sandals, not bothering to brush the sand off them. She slipped them on and laced them up, wiggling her feet to and fro before she moved back to the sword. She used the time that she spent gazing at the sword thinking over reasonable questions to ask.

“Is there any way you can shrink this?” She laughed. Wrapping both hands around the hilt she pulled on the blade. She managed to get it off the ground and resting with the flat on the blade on her shoulder when the weight of the thing kicked in. She took a few steps backwards before toppling over. “Uhh. . .” She said, blushing a little embarrassed. “Well umm, I might be able to carry it on my back if I hunch over like an old woman.” She laughed and picked herself up off the ground, moving the blade off her body. “So . . . maybe the strap would be a good idea.”

She looked off into the direction that Varonen had said Istan was. It didn’t seem like it was that far off, and she thought that if she just took her time she’d be able to carry the sword, and a tiny Varonen, there. Once she received the strap from him she asked him to help her position the blade on her back. It took awhile for her to get used to the extra weight, but once she did it wasn’t that bad. She found that it was a bit better if she leaned forward and walked with a hunch. She hoped she didn’t look too much like an old lady though. The blade didn’t bite into her skin like she had secretly worried it would, instead it rested on her back, the sheer weight keeping it from swinging and cutting her.

“Now,” She said, her eyes and voice playful, “What should I make you?” She thought for a moment, wanting to choose something easy, yet small, and not too embarrassing for him. “How about . . . a bird of some sort? Small, and you could just sit on my back or shoulder, or I could just carry you.” It was the best she could do, and she smiled at him, shifting her weight in the sand.

A soft laughter passed his parted lips at the very sound of her words. He knew she would have some sort of witty comeback in mind, but not quite to such an extent as this. This…This is why he loved her, no matter what the situation they seemed to get along well and still have fun doing it without hurting one another’s feelings. Despite him being the shape he was, there still had been room to play around and enjoy themselves, but it wasn’t as if he were dying either. And that was something he didn’t plan on doing for quite some time from now.

With a smile, he would retort to her comment about shrinking the sword, “What do I look like, some sort of magical do it all God? I’m not a miracle worker here, but I would like to say I’m pretty close.” Again a melodic laughter would break forth from him, but it would soon fade off into the silence as he simply winked at her. He was nowhere near conceited or so confident to think so highly of his abilities, but it was all merely in fun. It was one of the qualities he enjoyed sharing with others, especially with those who could return it or even understand it. She was one of those few…

Meticulous eyes scanned across her body while she picked up the blade, debating on whether there would be an easier way for her to hold the blade. His question would quickly be answered the second she would come to a clutter upon the ground, sword atop of her. So perhaps the strap would be the best option for her at this point. While he never personally wore it on his back, it still held that capability. Then again, he could carry it and wield it without much effort, while she couldn’t come close. It wasn’t that she was weak or even that she couldn’t. It’s just that she never was trained with such a blade, just judging by her choice in weapon.

Doing the best he could, he would carefully saunter his way over to Shadeen, all the while undoing the belt at his waist that attached to the strap itself. Pulling it from his waist, he would slip in behind Shadeen. Taking the buckle end of it, he would lightly throw it over her right shoulder, judging that to be the stronger side of her body with which she could support the weight. Then taking the other end, he would now make his way around to her front side, where he would grab the buckle end of the belt. Taking each end, he would feed the non-buckle end in through the buckle and bring it to a tight position, making sure to position its placement at the center of her chest as to not create too much discomfort. Grabbing hold of the buckle on her chest, he would tug on it lightly and wiggle it a little to see if it would allow too much movement. The last thing she would want is for the strap to rub her skin raw from carrying the sword. Having found it suitable for the sword, he would withdraw his hand, before pausing. A light red tint seemed to gather on his cheeks as he looked from his hand and to where it had been placed at her chest. Swallowing roughly, his eyes broke up to hers and a nervous laugh escaped his mouth, “I—I’m….I didn’t...Sorry.” Would be all he allowed in response, before stepping back a few steps and dropping his eyes to the ground.

Deciding to pay it little mind, his eyes would shift across the sands and over to the blade lying beside her. Bending over briefly, his right hand would grasp the blade and sling the blade up and over his shoulder with little to no effort, before moving back around and behind her once again. Hefting the blade from his shoulder, he would position it in front of him so the tip faced the ground before slipping it into the two straps on the belt. The first strap held just before the hilt, while the other held itself at the midpoint on the sword. There had been one last strap, but it was only optional in its usage. More often than not, he never used it since it seemed a tad restricting, but in this case it might be wise to use it. After all the swinging blade may make it harder for her to carry and the fact that its swinging may end up hurting her given time. Reaching down, he would fasten the final strap to hold it snug in its placement, before he would make his around back to her front side, a smile prominent on his face, “There, all set. Now…It’d be wise to counter act the weight and keep your body tilted forward a bit. Also, keep in mind that on those dunes…You will have to keep more weight forward, otherwise you’ll fall on your back like a turtle. And that’ll do us both no good. Oh and lastly….”

Lifting his hands up to the back of his head, they would bring themselves to knot that tied the band to his head and begin working at breaking it. The band would soon slacken and drift over his eyes for a brief moment, before his hands would withdraw it from his head. Holding the band in one hand, his other would reach out to take up hers while the other would place the band in her hand, “This…This is just in case a sand storm hits. If one should, just slip this band over your mouth and nose. It’s made of a very light fabric and should be easy to breathe through. Also, it’ll keep the sand out of mouth. I’m sure you don’t want to taste that stuff now do you?” The second the words trailed from his lips, his attention would quickly shift back to her curious, but rhetorical question.

A bird…The thought was something that perplexed him as to what he should turn into exactly. There were so many birds to choose from and what he wanted to be was very limited and not very suitable for desert climates. The only birds that were very desert compatible had been vultures and like hell he would be one of those. Debating on it further, he decided upon something small with white feathers to reflect some of the heat from the sun. Almost as if to confirm it, he would speak a few soft words, “So…A bird? Sounds fine.” Taking a single hand, he would place it over the symbol and in a flash of green; he would alter into the form of a small bird with feathers as vibrant as his angelic ones. Putting what little strength he had left, he would flap his wings a couple of times until he reached shoulder height and found perch there upon her left. Deciding to take the time, he would begin to rest until they would reach their destination….

((OoC: It’s a tad on the short side but I figured if I ended it fast the faster we could get to the City. Hehe. Plus not much to put))

Shadeen accepted the band from Varonen and nodded. She hoped that a sandstorm wouldn’t strike them but she couldn’t really do anything about it if it did. She would just have to settle with the fact that she would get to Istan as fast as she could and that if I sandstorm did fight she’d do her best to keep both her and Varonen safe.

That sounded odd to her: Keeping Varonen safe. She couldn’t help but smile at him, although she offered no explanation to the smile, or even to the direction of her thoughts. Her look of joy turned to one of curiosity when Varonen placed a hand over the symbol. A bright green light absorbed his form and when the light faded a bird would flap his way over to her. He rested on her shoulder.

“Oh!” Shadeen exclaimed. “Varonen, you are absolutely adorable.” She ran a finger through his feathers. They were soft and light. It had been the first time she’d really ever pet a bird before. “Well we should get moving before we die of the heat,”

Istan lay in the distance and straight ahead was all sand. Shadeen took an experimental step forward. Then another. And another. They were on their way to the city.