Tears down from her face and she felt the gouges in her stomache and looked down at the blood spltattered on the grey rock being washed away from the sinful falling rain.Her hands burned as she struggled to hold on for her life.She looked up her lface shone with the water againsit her pale flawless face her rosy lips purple from the cold and she hugged the rock "i-im not sure"She hoarsely replied.But her muscles ached with fire rfighting for rest.She couldnt control her fatiquing body no longer.She hands became numd and slipped of the slick slate.She fell. Air pushed out from her chest but not a noise came out.She closed her eyes in free fall preparing for a drop into the ices of black water and a painful drowning.She remebered when she was a child of getting caught in the sea her body ripped and puppeted through the cureent she imangined it like that she let her mind and body go.

Shikamaru caught her easily; Kage staggered slightly at the extra weight, but nothing more.

"Ugh, are you okay?" Shika wheezed. She'd knocked the breath out of him when she'd fallen on him, and he felt a cracked rib poke ominously into his muscle wall. This would hurt tomorrow. Kage snorted at the twinge in his side - his master was hurt. This didn't bode well...

((Ugh, short. :x))

Luxe turned to face him she forgot blood flowed out of her stomache and got him soaked.She saw his flawless face and forgot..almost everything."yea are you okay i heard a crack"she became dizzy from loss of blood but pulled out a sweet real smile she hugged him.

(sorry i drew a blank)

Ugh, she was a cuddler.

Shikamaru mentally winced and Kage chuckled as best as a Kioka could. "So-..." the Nara cleared his throat subtly, "...where's your Guardian? We should retrieve it and get someplace safer where we can tend to your wounds..." He trailed off as his broken rib protested beneath his soaked shirt.

---

Kiba petted Mouken's trembling head as he listened to the conversation between Alana and Rane. It interested him on a social level, but nothing more - his soldier-like instincts told him to keep moving as long as an enemy was around.

"Umm, we should go." He muttered softly as he dug his heels into Akamaru's sides, earning a whine from the dog. The beast moved forward past Alana and into the dwindling rain and instantly, Kiba was embarras.sed - he and his canines were soaked, and smelled like wet dog.

Ugh. How undignified.

((Meow Rocca and Sweeny forgot about me XD Well forgot about Ero XD))

--

Rane let the treat go as the natural Gondra took the treat. Her sliver orbs looking into the gondra's red ones. An ever so slight smile could be seen from the corner of her lips. The reiflemian chuckled lightly as she found out the way to the gondra's trust zone. Good one less enemy to deal with..

"I'm happy to hear that, Norane-san," Rane continued to be as polite as possible as she still could. Then the Gondra spoke himself. The dark haired girl nodded to show a sign of agreement, "Yes, it's good to be cautious but not aggressive unless someone make you do so," Hichigo turned away, half interested as he watched the Albino dragon as he stared at the pet bowl filled with water with a confusing look. A slightly annoyed aura around him and the ebilia knew why.

"Glaceri, Glace or whatever it was, my partner does that alot. She tends give anyone a pet bowl. In the end I carry that stuff," He grumbled as he received a slight bang on his head by Rane who was now back on his back. the rucksack wrapped around his neck. He began to continue walking.

"Thank you for letting us p*censored* Alana-san. If you want you can keep the pet bowl, or leave it here for the breeding center to somehow use," Rane said polietly as the duo's attention turned to Kiba who was petting Mouken's seemingly shaking head. It seemed he was listening to her conversations. After he said they should go, The two reiflemians nodded and followed in a slower pace that made them notice it was still raining. Hichigo held in a mocking laugh as the canines and the boy were soaked. Rane giggled slightly as she dug into her inventory rucksack- it seemed she has everything in there, and pulled out a dark grey towel, "Hehe, the storm has moved northeast eh? Come back in and dry yourselves before you get a cold," Rane truthfully smiled.

----

((ERO >3< Pff.. I thought there was ground before the cliff >3< Ero is somehow on top the the cliff and Kin went down the cliff XD))

Ero stared with a worried look as the girl let go and the pony tailed guy caught her. Even the pink haired boy hear the crack caused by the impact of the fall. He couldn't hear the short conversation between the two and Kin couldn't either due to the gushing winds crashing down on them. Both the Iluvu and the Iluvu look-a-like laughed slightly as the girl hugged the guy.

"Ow that's got to hurt the guy's broken rib," Ero winced. He heard that the female was missing her guardian. He did notice a Iluvu on the edge of the cliff infront of him. He was stuck if the Iluvu was either a ginger or a natural one. He had brown hair which was strange for a Iluvu to have and a red bandana wrapped on his head. The pink haired boy moved closer to the edge and peered his head out the cliffhead, "Oi, guy with the pony tail, Her guardian is up here. I know of a cabin nearby, my guardian can show you the way there if you like. That injury needs to be aided or else it will hurt a alot," 

---

((I need to stop before I write too much XD)) 

"My name is Shikamaru." The Nara called up nonchalantly, the pain from his cracked rib only slightly evident in his voice. "We'll be up shortly."

He made a flurry of quick hand-signs behind the girl's back; the shadow beneath them twitched to life, then slithered swiftly up the rock face, sticking out and forming giant pikes in places along the way. Shikamaru dug his heels into Kage's flank and the Kioka leaped fluidly forward, using the shadow-spikes to climb quickly up the cliff. His master held on easily with his knees, but exhaled sharply every time the girl in his arms bumped against his bruised torso. Kage nickered nervously as he climbed, trying his best to soothe his master.

He clambered smoothly over the lip of the cliff, then bowed to let Shikamaru slide off of his back. As the Nara hit the ground, he winced, but remained standing; he bent to rest the girl on her feet, trying to ignore the protests of his damaged rib cage.

---

Kiba turned to look over his shoulder, a scowl on his face.

"I told you the storm had pas.sed to the Northeast. That doesn't mean that the rain has stopped. And it's beginning to dwindle even now. Besides, this is a seaside city; Akamaru and I will croak from old age just waiting for you to have decent enough weather to travel if you wanna be like that. Let's get going."

Glacieren nodded slightly at Hichigo's comment, his eyes on the now empty water bowl in front of him. "It is fine. I appreciate the thought... and my name is Glacieren" He nodded again, this time in Rane's direction before looking up at Alana, who was smiling at girl. "I'll allow the breeding centre to keep hold if thi this" She indicated the bowl that lay in front of her guardian. "I'm positive Kiba may have more use for it than I" She then watched as both Rane and Hichigo followed Kiba outside, leaving her and her guardian to keep an eye on the centre until he returned.

Glacerien had moved, and was now slightly further away from the door, his face seeing to be preoccupied, as Alana went  to stand by him. "Something wrong? Your mind seems to be elsewhere." Of course, she did know something was bothering him, it was large part of the relationship between guardian and master to know eachothers feelings to an extent.

"I am worried about those on the front lines, Alana. As I'm sure you are too... Nothing major seems to have happened yet. And I'm sure If it had, Either Shikamaru or Neji would have sent word back..." Glacerien stopped as Alana's hand touched the white scales of hi nose, before continuing. "I just have a feeling..."

"Do not worry so much. Both of them can handle themselves... and we shall head to the front lines ourselves once we recieve word." She allowed her hand to run the length of the albino gondra's neck as she smiled at him, her own thoughts elsewhere. Glacieren's feelings were mingling with her own, so she understood entirely his predicament. She wondered just how they both were getting on out there. Shikamaru and Neji. Neji...

"And you tell me not to worry?" Glacerien brought his eyes to Alana's, who tapped him sharply on the nose in response the moment she recovered from her reverie. "I'm not worried."
"Oh... no, of course your not worried... about Neji~"
She chose to ignore the last comment, her eyes focused somewhere on the wall in front of her as Glacieren laid himself on the floor for the second time that day, his wings pulled close to his sides. Alana simply smiled at him, before looking back at the wall, her eyes unseeing, her thoughts with the warriors on the front lines.

((Bump? Sort of can't do anything. :x

And it's Sunday - remember, I can't be on.))

~(Kiba needs to take Rane to the Inn? And Shikamaru's gotta get the injured girl somewhere? xD

Oh right... Has Rocca quit or... ? o-o)~

((Wait should I reply o.O >3< Maybe Alana follows them just because she's curious XD Better than just standing waiting for Kiba :P Now to shorten my writing slightly XD Nopoe it never will be short XD))

---

Rane frowned slightly at the boy's reply. She continue to hold the towel but decided they would take anything from her. She turned her head and said her farewells to the people and creatu behind her as she exited the building and into the pouring rain. She covered her head with the trench coat's hood as the liquid began to pour down on the small group. Hichigo didn't mind since he was really just bones but the feeling of water slowing ponding inside his skull was pretty annoying. 

"Inuzuka- san," Rane spoke in the mists of the rain," Where precisely are you taking me? I would rather not travel across trough the city for an occupied inn. I would think most poeple would at least trust a traveller enough to show them a way to the nearest inn, I'm sure you wouldn't want to travel for a mile or two in the rain," Hichigo nodded in agreement. They waited for either a snarled answer or complete ignorance.

"Isn't Ero and Kin traveling near the Relcorian front lines? I heard they live in some deserted cabin in the middle of the forests," The black Ebilia asked as he analyzed the information in his head, "How stupid of them to do that at that time, I bet either two are getting into trouble with the officals," 

"Yeah they are. We should visit them soon," Rane murmured back as the two fell silent as they followed the two canines and the human leading them to somewhere they didn't even know where. 

====Ero=====

"The name's Ero, but save the introductions for later kay?" The pink haired warrior chuckled as he soothed the worried girl's guardian, "It's gonna be alright, your partner is safe now. Kin! Come up now," He chanted the last part to his partner. The chatty Iluvu squeaked and rushed up the cliff edge without much problem and then sat next to his guardian.  The two watch intriguingly as they saw the shadows turn into stair-like spikes which the kioka climbed up carrying his partner and the hugging girl which seemed to be elbowing the man's broken bone. Ero watched the seemingly painful slide and the man placed the girl on her feet. 

"Oi, don't move much, it's gonna hurt if you do," Ero said as he took a view of the girl. The blood on her stomach caught his attention first. Instinctively he pulled the pale pink ribbon that was wrapped around her waist then he unwrapped the fabric on his blade which the sword fell on the slightly slippery floor. He moved towards the girl wrapping the longer piece of fabric around the girl's flesh wound on the stomach ((I'm not sure if this is power playing or not >3<)). Almost instantly the ribbon stained red around the bleeding area. He took the other fabric and looked to the taller man, silently asking permission to wrap it around the man so no more damage could be done to it, "Which bone is it? do you want to wrap it now? Or after we reach the cabin?" Kin climbed on Ero's shoulder looking at the scene in front of him. 

"Should Kin, show where home is, is?" Kin said as he descended the short boy and onto the ground. He was slightly tired from climbing down and up the cliff.

"Yeah, Shikamaru," He looked at his guardian then to the wounded man, "Can your guardian carry you? I can carry her. It's only a minute or two away. The cabin that is," He pointed at the black haired girl. He waited for an answer.  

There was a series of growls and rasps as a Roditore, perched atop a tall shelf, called out a number to her understanding master.

KoKo wrote the number down as her Orchid Guardian called it out from the top of the tall shelves. The Roditore leapt to another tower of shelves, and counted the Relcorian eggs there. More rasps and barks. As Klarissa jumped down, KoKo wrote down the statistics, and sighed, shaking her head. "This war is bad for business. We sold only two Reiflemian eggs, four relcorian eggs, three Atquatian eggs, and not a single Scrian egg. Of course, we're out of Super Healing Potions..."

She glanced up from her clipboard as she felt her Guardian's concentration. "What is it, Klarissa?" The Orchid Roditore scurried toward the door of the storeroom, then rose to her hind legs, pressing an ear to the door. Then she opened it and walked to the front door on all fours, her master following. She pressed her ear to the front door, earning a look from her master that said 'Are you insane?'

Suddenly, the Roditore barked sharply, signalling to KoKo that it was someone they knew. The girl set the clipboard on the counter, and opened the door. Sure enough, across the street was the familiar form of Kiba riding on the back of his dog Akamaru. Klarissa glanced up at KoKo, her eyes asking if she could go greet them, but her master declined.

"We still have quite a bit of counting to do." She was answered by a pitiful whine. KoKo sighed. "Fine. But when you come back and have a cold, don't expect me to feel sorry for you." The Roditore smiled and dashed out into the rain to greet the Breeder. KoKo leaned against the door frame, not one to really want to go into the rain.

((Sorry I poofed, busy with school.))

"I'll take you to one of the less-crowded Inns. Not far from here." Kiba muttered over his shoulder. Akamaru's heavy paws splashed through puddles as he plodded up the hill; the Inuzuka on his back dug his heels into the dog's ribs and spurned him into an easy lope, picking up the pace but sending mud splashing up into Akamaru's fur.

The dog's tongue lolled from his mouth. He loved the rain, and let out a happy, rumbling woof as he reached the door of a nearby building. After a quiet rustling within, the door opened, revealing a kind-looking old man carrying a senile Paor in his arms. The man and the Breeder exchanged quiet words, but both had smiles on their faces; Kiba then nudged Akamaru aside and gestured towards the Inn.

"Here you go. Shouga here will take care of you until you find your stay in Adagu too unbearable." He smirked and tapped Akamaru's sides twice with his heels; instantly, the dog was off at a heavy-footed gallop, speeding past the girl and her Ebilia and off into the muddy distance. He called something back on the wind:

"See you around, stranger."

---

Shikamaru waved the boy away, wincing as he gripped his side; he felt the bone nudge the inside of his muscle wall. It would come through if he moved too much.

"Nah, I can heal this myself..." He mumbled, pushing on Kage's nose as the Kioka bent his head and tried to sniff the Nara's stomach wound. The teen gripped his guardian's antlers and swung himself up onto the Kioka's back without too much trouble, but flinched when he settled and leaned forward. The pain was bad, but bearable - it would have to be. The road home was long.

"Well, I'm off. I'm not one for heroics, and I think that girl's in good hands with you. Besides, I gotta get to a healer - we're on the front lines, and I can't wait around here for my comrades to face battle alone." Shikamaru said quietly. Kage paced worriedly, glancing up at his wincing rider - he'd have to run smoothly.

During the time it took Kiba to escort Rane to the inn, Alana had checked on all the young creatu's in the centre, ensuring each one was fine and safe before stepping outside and into the drizzling rain. By this point, the weather had laid off, the rain was nowhere near as heavy as it had been earlier, and the sky was slowly beginning to brighten, very slowly. She remained outside the centre, keeping an eye on the doorway as Kiba had asked, watching the black storm clouds sluggishly floating away from them in the distance.

Glacieran had of course, followed his master outside, and sat beside her, his wings slightly extended, the rain running in little streams off his white scales. He sat directly beside the door, his eyes searching the street for any sign of Kiba. "Do you think they may need us anytime soon?"

"Out on the front lines?" Alana looked over her shoulder at her guardian. "Not at the moment, I don't think... We have not recieved word about what is happening out there yet, anyway..." She looked back towards the storm clouds. My... Talk about making war difficult, not that it wasn't difficult enough. All those lives that could be lost, and all those that were. She sighed and walked back towards her guardian, coming to a stop beside him and leaning against the damp wall of the breeding centre, her back protected by another sheet of thick white material she had wrapped over her shoulders.

"Are you still worried?" Glacieren tilted his head slightly at his own question, then moved his head to look up the street, catching hold of a new scent on the breeze. "Kiba's on his way"

"A little... But that is to be expected." She looked at her guardian. "We won't know anything until it happens afterall..." She also lifted her face to look in the direction her guardian was facing, watching the street through the drizzle that still lagged behind the storm.

((Souga? Who's that XD Grr.. I write too much XD))

---

Rane followed the running dog and the brown haired breeder in silence. Hichigo from time to time hopped slightly, gliding parts of the way so that he didn't need to move his legs. Every raindrop hitting his open body and his guardian's coat. The strategist dazed off before the calm ride halted as Rane's face almost met, Hichigo's heels jolted as he watched the breeders talking to someone who seemed to be the inn owner. After a few minutes, Kiba came to them with a smirk that neither of them felt comfortable looking at. Hichigo suppressed a growl and Rane frowned ever so slightly.

"Thank you Inuzuka-san, I'm sure I will enjoy Adagu. I might even move in," Rane joked as she gave the man a polite bow. The two Reiflemians watched the two speed of back from where they had came from. Lifting her hand up and waving, "See you again too," The dark haired girl stared into disappearing figures. Hichigo grunted as his guardian hopped off him. Calmly stretching his hind legs. He muttered.

"Yup, see you in hell weak mutts," Hichigo snarled quietly. Rane's vein popped and the ebilia receive a slap on the head, "What the? What was that for?" The black skull was silenced when his yellow glow met the girl's angry eyes. Rane turned to face the inn owner and spoke silently.

"I would like a room for night please, I need to go buy some things before though so I will come back in a while," She bowed and started to walk back to where she came from. On the way she noticed a shop that seemed to have a roditore that plunged his ears when he noticed that Kiba was coming. They seemed to know the two so since she needed another pet bowl and stock up on some other things she might as well go there. They walked for a moment before the shop came in sight. Rane opened the door slightly as Hichigo barely managed to some through. It was better than being soaked. Letting her hoodie down she began to spoke.

"Urm, I would like to buy some supplies prehaps? Unless you are closed now," Rane asked as she wiped her wet hand on the towel she had in her dripping rucksack. At least it was waterproof so the contents didn't get soaked.

-----Ero-----

Ero's eyes slightly closed as the man waved him off but returned to normal. He nodded as Shikamaru announced that he could heal himself. He seemed capable of doing so, so the pink haired warrior didn't argue. He watched impressively as the man swung back on the kioka without much trouble even with the wound. 

"Heh, yeah see you too, I will probably have to send her back to the better healers in the camp. I get what you're saying. What man leaves a fight to his comrades? You wouldn't mind if after I tend her wounds and drop her off in your camp? I'm a traveller you see and cuddling girls aren't just my cup of tea," He laughed as he picked the girl up, bridal style -carefully avoiding any wounds and waved the pony tailed man of polietly, "Well take care of yourselves alright, don't overwork yourself kay? I might see you one day," He started to walk towards the woods and his cabin. 

"Take care, care," Kin squeaked as he gleefully and jealously behind his guardian and the wounded girl. He was jealous due to the fact that the girl was getting Ero's attention.

"Now, may I know your name miss?" Ero asked as he trenched the forest ground.