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he knew her role in the war as well as she knew his, they may not have been around eachother for the war but it wasnt hard to keep tabs on clan members from time to time, his question was used to keep his mind off the pain. he wiped the dried blood from the corner of his mouth and ran his tounge around his mouth before spiting off to the side his blood and leaned his head back and gritted his teeth as she worked. a discomfortable grunt escaped as he focused on the conversation. "im sure youll find somthing to bring out that warriors spirit" he smirked and gave a light laugh

"the Stalkers didnt appreciate Gromms vote for me to be trained as a stalker when the war started" he began with a grin. "too small...that was their main reason" he didnt have to explain because the Stalkers were huge, easily the size of n'yaka-de whom they had just met. "but...as you kno, Stalkers dont generally deal with the cities...i did" he jerked away from her hand for a moment and relaxed within a moment to let her resume work.

"they needed somone like me, even if the Stalkers didnt like it, it was hard to go from flipping off ruins and hiding in sand to pulling the skulls out of the dead and parading them about in open combat" his eyes focused on the past, he could feel the meds working, the pain sub siding. an absent thought had him putting his fingers to his forehead to trace the tattoos he earned.

"as for what happens now, i think we leave" he lifted his pad and flipped the armor of it up and began to imput figures into the pads surface, the 'stand-by' was turned to 'all clear' there were some other figures imputed and he closed the armor'd pad and dropped his arm as his mask flipped down and sealed, the dried blood of the kill still present on his mask.

"if i understand these people enough, theyre similar to us in a way, before we go, they'll probably try and stop us to ensure our secrecy...i think i prooved myself as an honorable creature in the arena...my word should be sufficient...if not...we may stay a while" he pulled himself to his feet and replaced his armor. hiding away the healing she had done and the tender wound there in under the armor.

he reclaimed what he could from the quick-camp set he put out and pulled his soft-armor on with tender care. "if we stay too much longer i worry that we may need to eat what they eat" he didnt have to point out the problem with that 

She replaced her mask before turning to face Cain once more, knowing the strain the channeling would have put on her. She wasn't all that tired but it did take it's toll and she would not be showing that to him. She nodded to his words listening as he shared his experiences during the war.

“It seems too bad we have to abandon our search here, it seemed to me it might prove fruitful for my searches at least.” she said lightly packing away the last of her stuff. “Still we should try and get topside and get some food.” the thought of eating what those creatures ate made her slightly sick. “I am hungry and so is Digger.” with those words Digger would give a hearty snort in assent.

“I also want to get to a relative safe camp so I can give you some deep muscle massage, I am sure you are in more discomfort than you are sharing.” she spoke with almost a clinical aloofness but deep down she worried for him. His body showed too much damage and he pushed him self harder than most. She wondered if that was because he was smaller than the stalkers and let that thought slide away as unimportant.

She again palmed her crossbow and with a soft sigh “I lost two quarrel projectors today. I need to have the smith make me more but the metal I need is so hard to find.” she didn't know what the metal was called but knew it was a special treated type. She wondered if she could trade the 'bracelet' she found for some QPs as she tended to call her darts.

“I didn't go with the warriors, Cain, because...” she faltered walking past him she stopped and put a hand onto a wall as if to brace herself. “...because I despise killing, I think it is wrong.” there she had said it. She was the only Nomadii in the world that was a pacifist and she wasn't happy about it. But each death felt so wrong like something special and important was leaving the world. She would argue with herself that it was necessary, especially the Demkii and others of their ilk, but still it would tear at her each time. She didn't know how to explain that she felt each life was part of another whole, shaking her head she frowned within the mask. She couldn't even explain it to herself much less make anyone else understand her feelings.

Looking upwards at the path they would most likely follow she said “How long till we can make it to the surface do you think?” changing the subject not allowing for discussion. It was what it was. She could be a cold hearted fury in battle when someone she cared deeply for was in trouble but afterward she mourned the losses.

as they walked, the rubble from the collapse was up ahead, he attention turned to her as they walked. "these people didnt seem interested in old world goods, they seem fairly well lived in down here, and yet you were able to take that piece off the dead with ease...we may return" his head turned back towards the path they wallked, his comment didnt seem to hold much interest in tech though. he stopped as she placed a hand on the wall, he would not assist her but he would not abandon her either, continueing the topic as they went along.

"its been three months since we parted from the parted from the camp, it took us three months to get this far and upon arriving we immediatly went unto the unknown and proceeded to break my bones, my gear and im sure your wits" he laughed a bit as they began to move again. "you may want to go with the warriors to avoid dealing with me again" 

he was quiet for a moment as he offered Xrysis the end of the rope he had and the hound began to hop up to each level into the heights above and into the darkness to give them a climb out from the deep hole Cain had made only hours ago. "but seriously Seri, i know we hadnt done anything like this in years, i appreciate you still trust me in these situations even after the time spent apart" he gave the rope a tug and began to climb, he took his time due to the pain in his side but he managed.

"i think the others were surprized too" he grunted out as he climbed, he had resigned at that point that talking while climbing and with busted ribs was a terrible idea. several floors up and he arrived at the point where he had fallen, his claw marks still in the wall. "go ahead and come up" he called far down to her and took a seat while Xrysis kept himself ancored to provide a path strait up.

At his words “you may want to go with the warriors” she stopped and lay her gloved hand lightly upon his forearm, halting him for a moment to speak. “Are you nuts?” and she would laugh. It was a musical laugh when not wearing her mask but now it was just tinny. “I would have gone to war with you had I not felt I would have been an absolute bother. You are the reason I am Tehzai. You had faith in me when no others did.” she shook her head. “No, Cain, I am afraid you are well and truly saddled with me.” and again she laughed before dropping her hand and reaching out for the ropes. “Lets go slow poke, Digger is complaining we are taking too much time and he is powerfully hungry.” The great hound barked approval and nipped at her heels.

She moved up the rope as quickly as she could and mused on his words more. “I am not sure why the surprise, you were my reason for surviving the desert and my reason for being Tehzai. Besides I think Digger is a bit on the queer side and loves Xrysis far more than is normal.” with that she would laugh so hard she would snort. Digger shook his head and looked at her quizzically then nipped again.

Reaching Cain's side, where he stopped to rest, she stopped and reached into a pocket pulling out a bit more Corona “Take this.” she demanded quietly “I need to know should the occasion arise you can still fight.” she knew he was in pain, with all the damage he had sustained you would have to be a troxen brain to not know. “When we get to camp, once a fire is successfully started and I have a Kimari spitted and roasting, you will strip down and let me work those muscles. She had some good ointments in her main pack and she would slather him with them before he rested. “I will take first watch.” in a tone that would brook no argument from him. He was a warrior but she needed him strong so he needed to heal and she would dose him with a potion if he did not obey....and he knew it.

“Besides, you seem to go where all the good herbs and spores are located. So teaming with you is best for the tribe.” she offered logically. Nudging him she pointed up. “We best get going or Digger is going to snack on us.” she joked.

he finished retrieveing the rope and began the run-around way of going up the various levels rather than leaping up the orginal shaft that fed them down the superstructure of this massive ruin, regaurdless of the dirt arena, Cain wasnt entirely sure they were at the bottom of the ruins where they had been. at the mention of Digger haveing a hard-on for Xrysis Cain looked with that void metal face at his hound, the hound looked at Cain and then at Digger with a look that was easy to read 'dude, no'

Xrysis shook off humor he could feel from Cains hidden grin. the hounds ears turned around and he lifted his lips to bare his teeth at a figure in the shadows waiting for them after they had reached the next level up. Cain turned to veiw the large figure, a pair of red eyes opened with those duel pupils and stepped forward. "N'yaka-de" the figure stopped just out of range for an effective attack and looked down to the small group "Tehzai"

Cains attention went to Seri for a moment and then back to n'yaka-de who had apparently been following and listening to their conversation, Cain wasnt sure if the word Tehzai was familer or if the figure that stood before them knew their tounge. Cains words then changed from the common tounge to that which was only known to their clan [Seri, go ahead and make camp where we first arrived, dont leave the ruins] the words were a mix of clicks and hissing sounds, like hushing somone while gurgleing water.

Xrysis came around in front of Cain with his hackles lifting again, but a reasuring impact to his flank had him looking to Cain who only provided a head motion to go with Seri and Digger. for all his experiance he hadnt heard nor seen those following them, he was...impressed. n'yaka-de stood without words and let these strangers speak to eachother in their tounges.

"yin'tekai" the brooding figure spoke quietly "yin'tekai?" Cain tried to mimic the wording with some difficulty, their speech was difficult to recreate or maybe it wasnt, he wondered if he was looking too far into the pronounciation. the figure lifted a single clawed digit to the trophy Cain had tied around his waist. the figure stared in thought for a moment, and Cain said nothing. "h'on-chur" Cain leaned forward a bit, "honor?" the figure then lifted the digit to its lips in an all too familer sign of silence. Cain understood the meaning, his honor would be stained should he report these people. 

n'yaka-de cupped his hand and brought them to his chest, was he...cupping breasts? then pointed in the direction Seri would have been told to go. "lou-dte kale Seri" Cain understood the name but not the first portion of the phrase, "lou-dte kale Seri yin'tekai?" cain spoke with thoughtfull process. the figure was impressed by Cains understanding and nodded while slowly lowering his hands, Cain nodded "Seri yin'tekai" he brought his finger to his lips and nodded. 

The reaction that Xrysis gave to Digger elicited another laugh from Seri and she gave an affectionate head rub to the crestfallen Digger. “Maybe we need to find you a girlfriend...” she was cut off as the hounds again took up defensive postures. Well hell she thought maybe we haven't gotten out of this mess yet.

When Cain began tribal speak she listened intently, for her the language was still a new skill. She gave a one word reply “Understood.” She turned on her heels and snapped her fingers at Digger indicating to him to come with her. They began to make their way out the last little bit of the ruin. She didn't want to leave but Cain specifically asked her to go and make camp. She would rely upon his gut feelings because it has always served them well in the past.

With Xrysis following them she fretted over Cain remaining alone but took solace in the fact that Xrysis would know instantly if Cain needed help so for now would assume all was just fine.

Reaching the entrance she looked at the two hounds and asked politely “Xrysis, stay with me please. Digger retrieve fat Kimari.” Digger barked cheerfully and took off with a leap happy to be active and doing what he loved more than anything, hunting. She didn't want Xrysis hunting in case either she or Cain got into trouble and she never liked to give orders to others hounds, out of courtesy and because you needed to have a pretty good link to accomplish that.

Digger would return shortly with a couple of the big rodents and she began to make a small fire, she expected Cain would arrive before she finished.

Xrysis hardly seemed interested in hunting, he walked over to Seri and circled her once and then went to stand at the top of the shaft which was the quick way down, his ears were up and flicking about, it was clear he could hear the two below him speaking, an iritated hind leg lifted and stomped in frustration. but after short time his ears lifted again and he could see Cains form below moveing in the darkness, alone. the hound turned and moved to the ruined doorframe that led to their camp and stood in wait. although it took several more minutes to yeild any fruit.

Cain arrived to the light of the fire with a hand resting on the doorframe with tired body language. he stood for a moment and stared at the fire. Xrysis looking up at him he shoved a snout under the hanging hand and grunted. Cains thoughts returned to him and he said nothing as he walked past Xrysis and running a hand over the hounds scaled head. 

the cloak cain had left at this point when they first began to decend laid folded with his travelers pack and he sat upon it with a heavy weight and sighed with slumped shoulders. "i didnt realize how hunger i was untill now" he smirked and lifted his hands to his mask. the familer hiss of the mask unsealing echoed, barely audiable over the soft sound of the fire. leaning to and fro his soft armor was tossed aside and he, as before, unclasped the chest peice from the pauldrons.

he pulled off the headpeice that his mask ussually attached to and revealed the clips to his pauldrons, tire arms lifting to pull off the pauldrons as a single peice. the battle harness exposed on his shoulders showed what the armor was clipped onto directly and kept the armor from shifting and makeing noise when moveing even in jerking quick motions he was known for, a remarkable set of armor, heavy deffence with zero sound penalty.

this was where he stopped pulling off his armor though. the armor on his back remained and he leaned back onto his pack to lay back and relax with noted groan. hands going behind his head and riding through his hair which came loose. the braids fell open as his head fell back as sleep threatend to take him there. several braids laced with the main clan cords, status, and rank. All possible identifing markers for a Nomadii and any combination desired for a Nomadii at his disposal.

She watched Xrysis as he waited with growing impatience for his partner. Then she turned to the business of setting camp up. Unpacking a long digging tool she moved over to a clump of spike thorns and began digging at their roots. In just a few moments of intense digging she was rewarded with some slender roots that when baked would provide a tasty accompaniment to the Kimari ...she halted and stood putting a hand to her back in what looked to be a listening position...which had just been caught. A smile covered her face as she felt Digger's triumph on his catch.

She greeted Cain with a smile as he returned and watched silently as he lit the fire, then when he sagged a bit she bit at her lip but still said nothing and watched as he removed his armor. She would be distracted by Digger's triumphant return to camp with a very large Kimari, taking it from him she priased him highly and rubbed his head. She deftly took one of her long knives and gutted the creature allowing Digger to snack upon the entrails, knowing that when Xrysis was satisfied that Cain was fine he would get his own Kimari, then she skillfully separated the skin from the carcass. Finally she placed it on a spit and leaned it across the small fire allowing it to roast. Carefully she placed the roots near the fire and covered them with rocks.

She moved to her pack and withdrew a skin of water and moved towards Cain. “Here drink.” she offered knowing he must be thirsty after all his efforts. As he took the skin she returned to her pack and withdrew a small jar and brought it to him moving to his back. Opening the jar she pulled out some of the ointment, having a strong herbal smell of sage and lemon grass. She put some on his shoulders and began to work it in paying attention to the knots gathering at his shoulder blades. Using her thumbs she would press in deep encouraging the knots to release.

As she worked on his shoulders she began to speak “I had this strange dream. It was a warm pleasant night with a full moon, but the moon was tinged blue not the harsh yellow we know and I was by a large body of water, so vast I could not see the far side. On top of the water there seemed to be lights or floating jewels and a voice called to me. I couldn't resist so I stepped into the water and soon I was floating in a sea of calm. I felt like I was home.” she stopped and put a scented hand to her face to muffle her laugh. “Silly isn't it?”

She put the lid back on the jar and stepped away to replace it in her pack. “There that should make you feel a bit better.” Now she went to the Kimari and turned it on the spit, the aroma wafting through the early evening air. “I will fix you a special tea with dinner to help your muscles relax some.”

he took the skin from her and gave her a look like she was too worried about him. regaurdless of how thristy and weak he felt. Even though, he took a drink and cleared his throat a bit as Xrysis moved off out of the ruins and back up the cliffside of the great tear in the earth, from the top of the ridge he looked out to the sun which was close to setting, the red sky stretching across the infinate landscape. his ears flicked about a few times and he turned and padded off with a quick gate.

as she worked on his shoulders and the knots, Seri would be able to see thick patches of skin that blotted here and there, becomeing more frequent the closer to the spine one looked, each patch offered more normal coloration than the rest of his pale and sickly looking flesh had to offer, at the base of his skull one of the patches had peeled up and formed a barely noticeable nub of a point. although the remaining patches of thick skin dissapered behind the armor that hid the entirety of his back.

he listened to her words as she worked on him and tried to invision the scean she painted for him. water that stretched as far as the eye could see. "not so silly" he looked up in thought. "in the historical documents i remeber seeing glimpses of such a thing" he sat up strait and rolled his shoulders and lifted his arm to inspect the brusing over his ribs. "names long forgotten im sure" looking to her as he dropped his arm. "on that topic....you cannot report N'yaka-de and his people...or make notes, scripts of them" his eyes were serious on this topic. 

"you found mooshroms and that armpiece" motioning to her treasure. "i fell through the floor and got injured...you recovered me...to which i am gratefull, and then we sat down for dinner" offering his right hand to the fire as he spoke matter of fact to her. "these people are unknown to the outside world, and if N'yaka-de susspected that shadow of existance would be threatend...we wont survive the night"

Bending over the fire, turning their roast meat, she turned and looked at him then straightened up. Putting her hands on her hips she looked at him levely and seemed puzzled. “Whatever are you speaking of? We have seen no other life since we got here, no Demkii nothing.” walking to him she retrieved the water skin. “I have nothing to say except I do wish when we are exploring you would take more care. That fall could have killed you and then where would I have been.” smiling she turned on her heel and walked back towards the fire and her backpack.

Putting the water skin away she poked at the baking roots. “Dinner is almost ready, hope you are hungry.” she was pleased she had found some savory herbs to rub onto the meat helping to make it tastier. She set about getting his meal ready, she poured him some of her special tea and even poured herself a cup, as her muscles were a bit tired as well. Pulling the meat from the spit she split it in half and set it upon two very thin pieces of cactus bark. Along side she place the roasted roots. Taking the makeshift plate over to him she carefully set it near him along with his cup of tea. “Dinner is served.” No utensils were offered, he had hands and he had a knife that was all the utensils needed. She retrieved her own dinner and sat cross-legged on the dirt near him and began to tear pieces of meat off the Kimari. Popping a chunk into her mouth she chewed thoughtfully on what he had said and would honor the request of never revealing these people to the outside world. Honestly she rarely talked to anyone in the tribe. She had shied away from making any close friends, she was still troubled by the shunning she had experienced so many years ago by the Nomadii.

The firelight flickered and made intriguing shadows on the ground as well as highlighting sections of her silver white hair. She kept it in tiny braids for ease of care but in truth it highlighted her heart shaped face. Eating quietly she finally spoke, “As I said I will take first watch. Is there anything in particular I should be aware of?” she hoped they would not receive guests in the dark of night. Digger came to her and lay his great head upon her knee giving her a doe eyed look of pleading and she relented giving him the leg and thigh. He snatched it with undisguised glee and noisily ate it bones and all chewing on them in a noisy cacophony of sound. She turned her attention to the roots and began to munch on those waiting to see if Cain would reply but honestly he looked like he might fall asleep where he sat. Sipping her tea she smiled almost feeling the tea beginning it's work. Seeker...she liked that word

his arm lifted and he flexed, resting his other hand upon the flex he grinned. "it'll take more than a simple fall to finish this one off" chuckleing lightly his arms dropped as a pair of dark eyes and stained with blood came to the ruins. aganst the darkness the figure came to them, Xrysis, returned with a kill, the amount of blood upon him showed he had already taken one down and consumed it, this one was extra.

the hound brought the dead Kimari to Cain who took it and had to play a game of tug-o-war with it with his hound before the head sheered off in the hounds teeth. Cain kept the body and a loud crunch was heard as the hounds powerfull jaws crushed the skull and he consumed it as well. Cain pulled a knife and went to work on preparing the meat to be cooked and dried for travel.

the innnards were tossed onto the fire directly to cook, as he worked the meat into strips and tossed them into the fire directly the smell of blackend flesh came and he ensured to turn both the meat and intrails as they needed. the outside of the flesh was chared, the inside hot enough to kill the sickness. when the meat was sufficently over cooked he pulled his pack and the skin full of salt and stuffed the meat into the salt pack after he scraped off the black from the meat. tieing off the salt he replaced it into his pack.

his food was warm at the best at this time, but he ate it gratefully as if it were fresh and pipeing hot. the luke warm tea was taken down like one would alchol. after his meal, he produced a set of tools and began to work on his damaged left set of retractable blades, his eyes tired but very focused he spoke half heartedly to her as he worked. "no more than ussual id assume, i doubt anything seeking and easy meal would climb down here from the cliff top and risk the endless fall"

the metal began to glow red and he began to dap scrap metal from the ruins around him that were suffiently clean, the metal glowing hot a small droplet of metal dripping into the crack between some of the inner workings of his gauntlet. the heat was powerfull enough to cause sweat to form on his brow. "as for whats below...i assume our neihbors are the only worry" his brows lifted a bit as he talked.

"we might be able to sleep very well here this night" he checked the motion of his fingers with blades retracted and manually deployed them with a safty switch, and again checked the movement of his figures. "if the entrance to these ruins is on a sheer cliff...it might explain why these people are so well hidden"  he retracted his blades by automatic function and made a tight fist. "consitering no one has seen the bottom the Great Rift...there may be millions of them down there" a fantasic and scary thought.

As Xrysis returned she turned to look at the two partners and began to laugh as they had a tug of war. Digger bumped his large head on her hip pleading with her in his way and she grinned. “Go, get yourself another. You big baby.” Her hound bayed in triumph, a loud brassy noise, and then galloped off, thrilled to be on the hunt again. Turning back towards Cain she just said “Get ready to salt more meat.” It was probably a good idea to have some extra in case Cain got an idea to go off on another look through in the ruins.

She sat down working with her collection of plants and spores deciding if she needed more or had adequate supplies. She carefully put away the treasured Corona and looked back towards the cliff side.”I wish we could go back...for more Corona.” she said wistfully. It was a hard substance to find and once found it chaffed at her to not seek more. When he suggested 'millions' might be there she chewed on the side of her cheek and decided she was not so eager to go again, so soon.

She picked up her mask, a gift from the Tehzai and carefully checked it for any damage or wear. She took a soft piece of leather and polished the surface. Unlike Cain's her's held no paint or ornamentation save the incised designs in the metal. It appealed to her to have her mask be so pure in essence. As she worked over her mask she hummed softly keeping herself amused. The sun had set giving them blissful peace from the intense heat. She bent to the fire and added some more fuel, not a lot but enough to keep it burning evenly and would create some good coals for drying the meat.

In short time she could feel that Digger had been successful and smiled, he would be back soon. As she prepared to deal with the meat she asked evenly “Will you be going to the gathering?” The gathering or Great Meet as it was called was where all major disputes were settled and marriages performed. A time for all Nomadii to meet together. It was a mostly joyous celebration lasting a week long of games, feasting and parties. It also was when the great court met to decide what would happen to lawbreakers. In all it usually was very entertaining. She kept her eyes down on her utensils but she was highly aware of what he was doing and listened for his answer.

a basic fix to his claws was acheived after thework he did. his lifted a hand and his fingers flexed as if he gripped at an invisable ball, those finger blades of his snapped forward and arcs of blue energy zapped between all his fingers like a tesla-coil, the ominous sound of the energy between his fingers created a hallow buzzing sound that  sounded in of itself powerfull. pleased with the results the arcs ceased with a noted pop and his claws retracted.

his attention returned to seri, his brows raised but eyes tired he smiled a bit at her desire to return to the ruins. "yes millions, i think our first experiance was plenty good enough, im sure youd be lucky a few levels down, but i dont think it would be smart now that they know we're here."

she seemed to agree, though she hadnt said so, the bitten cheek was a sign she was reconsitering. after a small pause in the conversation he retrived another tool from his pack and resumed work on his gauntlets, they were damaged from his fall, minor repairs were fine, but they had gone fine and he still had most of the night. there was no reason not to continue work...why settle for a half assed job in this world? that was the path of the fool.

"im not sure if ill attend. i went last year and nothing had changed since the three years i had skipped before that" he spoke at her with eyes on his task. "the clans shun and banish, the clans join and marry, the disputes are small for the nomadii rarely offend another." lifting his hand up he looked at it and continued. "disputes come more as an irritation from people outsidethe nomadii. no one is happy with the cities, the demkii are skill a pain. and rumors of the mythological Tehzai are scoffed at." he looked across the fire at her with a disinterested look. "im surprized you ask, are you not tired of that world?"

it was not forbidden to attend, the Tehzai were of coarse Nomadii at heart and origin, but they were  a mythos to their own kind, and for cain at least, he felt like taboo to join company with people you were suppose to remain hidden from, to wear your mask so none could see your face, his concern was that people would begin to question why a nomadii would not should their face to their kin.

pulling his legs in he crossed them and rested his hands in his lap. "dont misunderstand, there was a time when i looked forward to going. but that time has passed for me is all" he gave a weak, but reassuring smile to her that he would not judge her if she had desired to go.

Blue eyes flashed in the light of the fire and she laughed softly. "Oh no, I have no wish to go to the Great Meet. Those people as you say are all about mostly petty quarrels. I was just wondering if you would attend and ....well .." she seeemed to stumble over her words and finally poked rather forcefully at the fire "...thought you might look for trade there." she made sure she kept busy at the fire and shrugged not really knowing why she brought it up except for a good portion of her life she had always looked forward to the event.

She especially loved the dancing but then dancing is what got her into trouble with her former clan. She stopped at that thought and her brows furrowed. She always felt a tiny bit sad this time of year, she would wonder about her child. She allowed herself to wonder only once per year because in truth she could not claim having a baby.. Now that the war had come and gone she wondered if it still lived and if the father lived as well. One last poke at the fire and she left her memories there amid the coals not to examine again until next year.

Turning to face him, hands on her slender hips she cocked her head to one side and watched him with his claws. "Cain can you make me some more darts? I only have four left and really could use more. While I do love the metal ones, I was thinking maybe you could make some out of troxxen bone. It is very sturdy and for small darts I am sure would work quite well."  she gave him a bright smile and moved closeer to kneel down next to him as she asked for this favor.

"a woman?" he interupted her thoughts dureing her pause, eyes lighting a bit when she finished her thought at his looking for trade. he laughed a bit. she had made herself look nervous in his eye, he wasnt quite sure what to make of it, esspecially when they had been talking about the Great Meet. he wondered in part why she had seemed to stummble over herself over somthing as trvial as trade. even still, still smile on his face he looked back down to his work and continued at repairs, he was glad that he had a good amount of needed supplies that would be nessassary to repair all of the damaged parts of his bladed gauntlets.

cramming several larger chunks of meat into his mouth he worked with both hands and just used his cheeks to hold the food and work on it as was nessassary and able. the blades retracted and both hands worked as well as they had at the start of the day, there was a pleaseing feeling from being able to fix somthing on the fly like that and bobbed his head about appreciativly to inspect the work and then began to close and lock the armored plates that covered some of the more smaller and fragile parts.

his eyes came up and inspected her as she walked about with hands on hips. he nodded with mouth full of the next helping as she put in her request for his work. lifting his fingers up to indicate need for materials, or compensation, but that wasnt a very common thing to ask for between the two of them, or their clan for that matter.  his hands flexing on some bent armor to atempt to bend it into place. he moved it around and tested it ability to lock, and it didnt. so he kept working.

the tinkerer had a way with the useless bits, spare scrap was turned into small toys which sold well enough when he used to sell at Nuasis, makeing tools and weapons and parts that moved and sprang to life, popped and walked, was one of is favorate things to do, the power of invention was a powerfull force he had noticed in this world. finishing the bits of meat he nodded again, while she knelt down next to him. 

She brushed at the rocks and sand beneath her knees and listened to him. Marveling at the way he could take a piece of junk and turn it into something useful. When he finished speaking she rose and moved towards her pack, retrieving her small crossbow and her knives as well as her digging tools.

The sun had now set and the sky was filled with stars and a half moon getting fuller every night. The sand dunes in the distance were clearly visitable in the half moonlight. Positioning the knives in her boots and on her belt she secured the crossbow to her waist within easy reach. Picking up her gathering bag she walked to the edge of their camp where the firelight barely reached looking back she smiled.

“The moon is getting fat, a good time for me to find moon flowers on the cactus. I hope there will be a sufficient number tonight.” She didn't bother with her cloak but she did fasten her mask securely on her head covering her face hiding any emotions she might show. “I will be back in a couple of hours.”

Calling to Digger she made her way up the edge of their camp climbing over large boulders and slipping a bit on scree she stopped at the low summit looking back at the camp. Digger was at her side eager to be out and about in the moonlight.

nodding as she stood and explained her intentions he brought his forearms to rest on his knees from his drawn up legs. his heels were dug in and toes pointed up. "be carefull, our friends are aclimated to the dark, i do not know if they surface as the Demkii do" a thoughtfull look on his face and a slow blink as she finished getting the tools and weapons she needed out. "if fact, there are several important facts we dont know" 

when she told him when to expect her back he nodded and waved her off silently. when she had gone for several minute he stood and returned to the over hang of the superstructure of the building and stood silently for a moment, several moments, soon a halfhour moved past him as he stood unmoveing and stoic at the overhang. Xrysis stood at his back with ears moveing around trying to hear what it was cain did, if he did.

after forty-five minutes past him back he, without any indication, through a foot forward and step fast to look over the ledge of the superstructure and look into the darkness where two of the strange creatures from the darkness far below looked up in surprize, caught, they turned and fled into the darkness, a faint green light eminating from the darkness, from the hand of one of the creatures. Cains attention jerked to the shafts wall and the two missing explosive charges he had set. his trump card was removed.

"Xrysis!" Cain jerked his head to the hound who was already mid-flight down the shaft with Cains mask in his jaw. Cain lept off the ledge into the darkness to snatch his mask from the hounds mouth. pressed to his face with his wild hair flairing about the mask sealed itself to his flesh without his helmet or armor. 

into the dark the figures ran and just behind them was Cain and the hound, running through the laybrinth of epochs past. Cains bruised ribs hurt to run but Seri and her skillfull power over healing as well as her winnings from the day had helped in ways no one but Seri and her patients would understand. he rounded another corner whilst his eyes flexed and back bent to avoid an impact from a large blunt object that swung around and impacted the wall beside him. 

from a limbo  to figure tried to kick out his leg which lifted up and planted aganst the figures chest and pushed Cain free and clear of a downward struck from the blunt object now seen as a hammer of battle. Cains slid came short when his hands impacted the ground and he flipped up and back. throwing himself back again and aganst a wall when the hammer swung for his unprotected chest. Cain ducked as the hammer came into the wall where his head had been. he made impact from his ducked position with a hard forward punch that staggared the figure. 

the figure stood quickly to show the punch had done nothing to him. but, the figure realized that it was underable to hold his hammer quite as tight, its head hurt, vision was cloudy and its chest was tight. Cain didnt understand how they were, what they were, why and what they did. but cain DID know that this creature was confused. and the creature knew Cain was upset. Cains hand opened up from those fists and produced a small cylinder, the figure took a step back unsure what this stranger had up his sleeve.

Xrysis had been chaseing the second figure, through the darkness and through tunnels that led not to the orginal place they had been before, but into other buildings under ground, steadily becomeing unsure where the next tunnel would lead. untill Cain produced that cylinder from far off and he slid to a halt with ears back. the hound turned in his claw marks and ran back the way he had come with a swiftness seen in a creature seeking to escape death. the figure that had been persued by Xrysis slowed and turned to make sure it wasnt being followed and produced his prize the two bricks with blinking lights. how strange they were, unlike anything before it had seen.

Cains thumb lifted a safty cap, the index finger depressed a red trigger, and a button under the thumb turned red. *click* 

the second figure was lost in a fire ball that consumed him fast than a lighting strike, the explosive burst out the earth, stone and metal around him. the fire ball snaked through the tunnels in all directions and the earth quaked as tunnels fell and the paths changed for the permanant.

----outside---

all was still in the events below the surface. a singular Kimari moved slowly in the dark, watching for predators, the ears lifted and the nose wiggled as it looked around. then the earth began to shake. and his ears laid back as it began to run, the earth behind the small creature collapseing into the darkness  as the earth shook. the hole widened and deepend untill it reached the edge of the Rift and a massive chunk of the cliffside broke free from the landscape and slid down into the darkness, leaveing behind a freash gash in the landscape revealing tunnels and doorways far under ground and away from Cain and Seris' camp. the tunnels were abandoned, it was akin to kicking out an ant hill and revealing its inner workings. the plume of dust throwing itself into the sky against the moon, it towered over the night-scape and blanketed the area in gravel.

---underground----

the hound came to rest as the last of the rock behind him stopped falling away into the darkness. Cain stood over the corpse of his target, smoke riseing from its body from some unseen struggle, the beautifull designs that lighting creates were etched into the flesh off the dead and the walls of the ruins. Cain turned and made way back for camp. "Seris not going to be happy" Xrysis came up beside him and looked at him. "oh dont you start....i knew youd be alright" the hound huffed. "maybe" Xrysis wimpered a bit.

She and Digger slipped over the softly lit sands quietly, with dual purpose of mine, sort of. The human, mind intent on finding the night blooming flowers and the hound bend on mischief, both eager to be out hunting. Not very far from their makeshift camp she found a clump of the cactus she was seeking and was happily encouraged by the sight of the pale blooms upon the spiky clumps.

Getting out her digging knife she set about digging out the blooms from the sharp thorns that surrounded them and in theory kept them safe from marauders. She worked quickly and deftly removing the precious petals that would be made into restorative medicines. Digger pawed at the ground and did a fake charge at the tall spiky cactus but always stopped short of impaling himself on thorns. Quickly he grew bored and wandered a bit off where soon delighted snuffles and little yips alerted her to the fact he had found a nest of Jonjons. She would hurry in her gathering and join him soon hoping to catch a few, they made such lovely jewelery and the crushed shells made another ingredient for her pantry.

Digger was intent on running through the nest and watching the large bugs scatter then would chase and bowl them over with his nose before darting off after another to overthrow. Laughing she would bend down and pick up four putting them in a bag and attaching them to her waist. As a bonus she discovered the nest was next to a small, a very small, pool of water and she retrieved a water skin filling it up. This water was not necessarily good for drinking but she could use it to wash with and that filled her with delight at the thought of a cooling sponge bath.

Having retrieved the water she sat back on her haunches and pulled off one glove holding her hand up to the skyline and counted finger lengths to measure how long she had been gone. She figured she had been away from camp for about an hour when, there on her knees, she felt the earth tremble and her head snapped back to look in the direction of their camp. “Cain!” she muttered and jumped to her feet putting the glove back onto her hand. Digger, came running up, ears pricked forward and flicking a bit as he listened.

They both made their way back going at a rather fast jog, urgency in every step. She did not run because Digger assured her Cain was alright but he also let her know the earth and fallen and she did not quite understand what he meant by that. “the earth has fallen” Reaching camp she saw Cain by the fire with a loyal Xrysis by his side as he was pulling at his flesh and she growled, fierce enough that Digger growled with her and Xrysis gave her a ~I didn't do it~ look.

Reaching Cain's side she removed her mask dropping it to the ground near her and quickly scanned him for injuries. A quick unruly thought racing through her mind ~you should be spanked~. She couldn't seem to leave him a lone for the space of an hour without him setting off explosions, gods how he loved his toys. Her eyes left his body to scan the ground and now she understood how the earth had fallen and shook her head. “Redecorating?” she asked with a bit of resignation.

She moved to her pack and retrieved a folding bowl made from troxen leather and some cleansing sand, a sand so fine as to be like a paste almost. Returning to him she knelt by his side filling the bowl with her Jonjon water and wetting a small cloth adding the cleansing sand she in a very soft disapproving tone said “Let me clean you up.”

bursting through the doorframe that allowed the fires light to explode over him, caked in dirt and dust from the explosion shakeing loose the surrounding ages past, he coughed a little bit while Xrysis stood looking over the ledge with eyes trying to peer through the dark and the dust. Cain moved diligently to stow everything in his pack, no time to re-equip his armor he kept the paultry sum of armor that clung to his back as the only source of protection, that and his gauntlets.

When Seri did arrive and find him by the fire, she would find him almost completely packed up, his pack was sealed not only for travel but for hasty travel that may require running. the copper prize he had earned below was being latched to the back of his pack. the remains of food was either being crammed down by him or stuffed into the first avalable pocket.

his attention went to Seri and that look on her face. turning away he grabbed his leather armor and slung it through the strap on his pack. "redecorateing...yea" slding four of his hatchets into loops on his leg armor he left two free to arm himself with. Seri would find half her stuff hap hazardly thrown together, mixed in with his pack and piled for her to acsess with ease. "i just blew our ace-in-the-hole, two of those things are dead and i SERIOUSLY doubt we will be alone for more than another minute or two" he spoke clearly but with speed to better give appreciation to the situation.

Xrysis and his ears lifted up as he looked into the dark with nostrils flareing wide. Cains attention turn to the hound "time to go, grab what you cannot survive without and leave the rest if its not packed up" Cain wheeled about and pulled his pack on and pulled his two hatchets up from the fires edge. he put his back to Seri and faced the darkness to allow Seri to put her affairs in order as fast as she could manage.

Halting in midstep with bowl and sand in hand she changed her plans. It appeared to be more serious then she first thought and she gave a scowl to her hound. She would later have 'words' with him, he needed to be more alert. Digger had the grace to look sorry and lowered his ears as she scowled at him then turned his attention to the hole and his ears pricked up in a forward direction as he listened. She would make peace with him later and give him a good belly rub but now was not the time for that and she hurried to get her things.

Fortunately, Seri, was a very organized and neat person at all times and so most of her stuff was packed. She had learned during her year of banishment to be prepared to flee at all times, having spent most of her banishment in the desert alone save for her hound. Still she made a dash for her things picking up her mask as she moved and gathered up her belongings. Some things were haphazardly flung into pockets,etc and she doubted the Jonjons would survive much longer.

Seeing that Cain had stowed most of the smoked meat she put her cloak on and made sure her weapons were easily accessible. Once she had done that she shouldered her pack and motioned to Digger to join Cain, not sure of what would happen next. Smoke and dust clouded her vision of the huge hole in the earth but she had no doubt that the residents found within would take a negative view of Cain's actions. With a small sigh of regret, looking to what could have been a treasure trove, she moved to him ready to flee.

“Ready” she said, always economical with her words. The pale moonlight now almost directly overhead they seemed to standout next to the gap in the earth.