Wounded

Caste watched Noah leave the Inn, and then she watched Dark leave as well. Caste sat unnoticed on her bench, and she was glad. She heard someone talking, to theirself it sounded like. Caste then spotted Jak and couldn't contain her happiness. She heaved herself off the bench toward quickly and started to fall. She caught herself on her free hand, but the fall jolted her other arm. She winced, and then stood up dusting off her now scratched up hand.

Stepping over beside Jak, Caste crouched down beside him. She put her arm around his shoulder, and smiled at him. "What did you fail at?" She wispered, and grinned at him. She couldnt' believe he was actually there. She'd missed him so much, not sure when or if he'd be back.

*elrihth was now fully back ,and had absorbed his Shells, he walked up behind Jak and laid his hand on his shoulder. He also drew jaks sword from his back and handed it to him, it was fully repaired.*

"Sorry dude. i didnt know if he was you. For all i knew, he had faked his leaving to make me drop my guard..."

*Elrith then walked over and sat next to Caste. He was still in his 6th state, and his left hand had secretly been used to sommon the white sword and lay it next to him. He still wasnt sure...*

"Looks like you got some characters in here today," he said once he had passed her, looking over his shoulder to glance into her eyes. Then, turning his attention to the matter at hand, looked for the nearest place to sit.

"So, when are you expecting him to be back? My coach only gave me an hour for this," Xeph said as he turned back towards her, his interest renewed by the lack of people.

A part of him wished that he would have arrived earlier. Xephyr never felt at home with normal people, only the most eccentric and eclectic members of humanity could hold his interests for long. The group that had just exited the hospital seemed like just the kind of people that could hold his interest for long periods of time, or at least give him a good laugh at their expense.

He pushed her lightly away " stop it...im trying to die here..." he then stopped and sat up quickly." wait..caste.." he looked at her and blinked abit.he hugged her very tightly" Im so sorry caste!! " he pulled away and moved his face forward.he stopped right when his lips almost met hers.He then quickly moved back and scoot away." oh...sorry.." he blushed abit and looked away " I...uhh....how are you feeling.." He examined her arm.

He looked at Elrith seeing him hold his sword.he quickly grabbed it and shook his head " you dirtied my sword..." He sighed abit and stabbed his sword into the ground.3500 souls escaped at the same time when he did that." fuck....no one listens when i say no one can touch my weapon...now i gotta collect them all again " he mumbled under his breathe.He pushed his hair back and smiled looking at Elrith." hows it going hero man.."

He looked Elriths hand and laughed abit shaking his head " you dont need that..." he tapped his forehead " you see any horns...i sure dont feel any horns on my head.." He patted his sides abit and looked at Caste and Elrith. " did you guys happen to pick up my shotgun..."He hoping they did or else he'll have to buld another one.Most of the material he had are hard to find since the guy he learned how to build weapons is no where to be found nows.

Karasu sighed wearily after hearing her stomach growl loudly. The boy came in and appeared to make himself comfortable. It wasn't like that doctor to be gone this long, perhaps he got caught up in a case. She mutters to herself,

"Why did it have to be an eye?" Then more clearly. "Well, take the bandage off while I wash my hands and I will have a look."

She walks over to the skin and cleanses her hands thoroughly, washing with a scrub brush and taking a pristine sterile towel from the top of the stack.

"Just so you know, I am not the doctor. He should give you his last opinion, if that is what you wish, but he usually concurs with me."

Despite her knowledge and experience, it wasn't uncommon for men to not take her word for anything, especially since she was a female. Things were pretty traditional around here in this neck of the woods and the things she did were just frowned upon.

Moving in front of him, she places her fingertips underneath his chin, gently tilting his head back.

Caste was slightly hurt when Jak pushed her off, emotionally and physically. Her arm was hurting now, and when he hugged her it began to throb. She wimpered slightly, and then glanced up at his face when he leaned back. Then he was leaning toward her again, so very close to her. Then he blushed and looked away, and Caste perked an eyebrow curiously. She couldn't figure out what he was doing at all. First he was sad, then mad pushing her off, then hugging her, then leaning away and blushing?


Caste cringed slightly when he cussed, then started complaning about his weapons. She groaned, frustrated and glanced at Elrith for help. "Are you ok Jak?" Caste asked, looking over at him. "I'm very glad you are aren't gone, like someone told me you where." Caste grinned, then gave Elrith a dark look. "By the way, Did I taste good?" Caste asked with a laugh, thinking of how the demon had licked her.

Xephyr lifted his eye patch with a sigh, everytime he lifted it he was reminded that his eye was useless. He didn't even know what it looked like, he was too scared to look at it.

"I know you're not the doctor, you're much cuter than he is," Xeph said as she lifted his chin.

He noticed that, of all the things he liked better about her than the good doctor, the fact that she was more gentle than him was definately what he liked best.

"So, if you can finish this with enough time left, you want to go to that cafe, maybe grab something to eat?' he asked, finally bored enough to start the process over again. She hadn't responded to his first advances, but those were very subtle and she seemed tired.

*Elrith got up, and headed for the tavern, still holding the white blade, he set it to rest across his shoulders. Mainly to detur criminals from going to caste. Even with Jak there. Elrith was now looking for Noah.*

"This city is crime ridin, like all the cities, criminals have a way of finding the cracks to crawl in..."

*He then headed for the inn, they would stay there for the night. Elrith was exauhsted from fighting and then being KO'ed by a nin (ninja in training). He hadnt the magic left to creat another camp outside the city. but he had plenty of gold to pay for the rooms. Plushe was getting hungry, normally that didnt happen in this form.*

"Lets go sis, time to get a room..."

*He slowed a bit so the others could keep up. He was tired, and was not going to wait for jak, with his sword, he could keep himself protected. But he was not going to leave his lil'sis ot=ut on these streets with Jak, who had turned into a demon just recently.*

Caste stood up and looked at Elrith, following him over to the Inn. She glanced back at the building that served as a hospital. It was more of a house then anything else. Caste looked at Elrith and frowned. Noah had yet to retun from that buliding, which she'd watched him walk to ealier that day. "You go ahead and get a room, I'll be there in a bit. Don't woory about me, I'll be fine." Caste assured him, certain he would protest and probably try to drag her up to her room.

Caste stepped back from him, and then turned and strode back toward the hospital. She stood there at the door of the hospital, then slowly walked along the length of it til she found another door. There was a sign by this door, it was a tea house. Caste couldn't contain her excitement. She would search for Noah in a moment, she had to see this tea house!


[[ I finally posted, be pround of me guys. ^-^ Haha ]]

*Elrith walked on, but he sommuned one of his Shells and ordered it to follow and watch after Caste. He was far to tired. After ordering a room and then setting the others up with one for each of them. and sending a payment to the nin. After all of this, he headed upstairs and laid down, he fell asleep quickly. and his body returned to normal. However, when he would wake the next morning, he would be in his 6th form again. Finally he slept peacefully.*

*his Shell was next to Caste the entire time. and was at the ready, its hand on the hilt of its blade at al times.*

(( sorry for all the delays ))

He nods and smiles at Caste " i...im ok...i think.." He stood up and looked around." you guys go on...i have to go find my shotgun.." He then walked the opposite way of them.His sword dissolved away as he forgot to grab it.His wings appeared on his back and he took flight into the sky. As he flew, his memories of his passed away wife came back to him when he almost kissed Caste without knowing he would had done it. The day when he just came back, bad things started to happen. His wings failed on him again. " shit!! " He tried to summon his wings but they wouldnt come out. He started to decend head first.

He quickly twisted around and landed on his back.He let a growl from the impact onto the ground. He slowly sat up and held his back " stupid wings..." he tried to stand back up but his back was too much in pain.

Karasu was thankful for the relative quiet that ensued after everyone left. Now here she was with an eye before her and she knew she couldn't resist it. The eyes have always been one of the most intriguing parts of the human body to her, secondly only to things such as boils and cysts. Man, she loved those.

It wasn't that she was so intent on her examination that she didn't hear him. Oh, she heard him. She figured he heard her stomach growl and that would give him an "in" but it doesn't work that way. Karasu was a bit of a loner and things usually didn't end well. It wasn't that she was mean but she usually on spoke when she absolutely had to. The thoughts of past encounters with men made her sigh a little too heavily, causing the hair on Xeph's forehead rustle slightly. Her breath was warm and spicily sweet from the cardamom and honey she had in her tea earlier.

Her touch was gentle as she moved the hair out of his face with her fingertips. Gingerly, she lifted the eyelid so she may see more of the surface of the eye. Sadly, she didn't like what she saw. She had one question only.

"Can you see any light whatsoever?" Even if he answered yes (and it wasn't a lie to save his eye), she had almost no hope but if he answered no, there was nothing she, nor the doctor, could do.

She sighed and his smile wavered, then faded. Doubt filled his mind like black ink, blotting out everything. He could feel her gentle touch and a sweet scent was nipping at his nose, but he couldn't focus on them. His introversion would have burrowed even more deeply if she hadn't spoke.

Refocusing on the matter at hand he closed his right eye, and then opened it again. He looked straight into her eyes and with a small sigh said, "nothing, nothing at all."

But a distraction was all that he needed. All of his doubt washed away in an instant and he could think clearly again. His smile returned with a new sense of determination. "You didn't answer," he said, quiet but smooth, "I'll even let you lead me around by the collar, if you want."

She felt a twinge of ..something for him, for his useless eye and she placed the bandage back over it.

"If I were you, I would either get a prosthetic eye or at the least, have that one removed. The blood vessels are damaged, they seem seared in some way. I can't really explain how they were damaged. But without sufficient blood flow, eventually the tissue will begin to rot."

Once she finished with his bandage, she stepped back then walked to the sink.

"I do not make it a habit of having social interactions with my patients." And she continued in her mind "or anyone, for that matter."

"I can, however, direct you to a good place to eat. It is where I get my lunch most days."

Xeph stood and turned towards her. Yes, he was just rejected, but that wasn't going to keep him down, he was too determined. A thought crossed through his mind in that instant that inspired him. A smile slashed his face as he walked up beside her and leaned against the sink.

"But I'm not your patient," he said matter-of-factly, "so how about instead of directing me, we just go together." He didn't think that would be enough convincing, so he added, "I'll even buy you some more of that tea you had earlier."

Social interaction was probably Xephyr's favorite thing. It was challenging, involved, and often produced satisfying results. Gymnastics was challenging, but flipping through the air came as naturally to him as walking. Interacting with others was something that involved tact, and people like Karasu were his favorite because they forced you to pursue them actively.

Something he said gave her pause and slowly, she turned, her gimlet eyes falling upon his. Her chin lifts slightly in a not-so friendly manner and she asks,

"What is it that you are implying? That a reason I should go with you is that you will buy me something?"

Her voice begins to raise slightly, but only a little bit. Nowhere near loud as she wasn't speaking loudly before but there definitely was more metal to it.

"What type of person do you think I am?"

If she was trying to put him off with anger, or put him on the defensive, it wasn't going to work. He simply smiled and looked at her through his lashes, letting his hair fall in front of the eyepatch.

"The difficult kind," he said with a laugh. "I just want someone to eat with," he said with a sincere tone, attempting to distract from his previous comment. When his mouth shot off without his brain's consent, it often had disastrous effects.

Xephyr pushed off of the sink, turning on his feet, and stood up straight. They were face to face, his eye, level with hers, was focused and intense, his smile was replaced by a smirk. It was a very challenging position, if anyone else were in the room they could probably feel the electricity in the air.

Xeph could feel it. It was making his heart pump faster. The tension rising was getting him excited but he could contain his smile, barely. He dared not look away from her eye for fear of breaking the connection.

No one had come this close to her in a very long time. They either didn't dare or they just simple didn't want to. Karasu was pretty enough to draw attention but her demeanor usually sent people away. She was simply too much trouble. She didn't mean to be that way, it is just the way it was. Her gaze stayed within his but for a brief moment, her lashes fluttered. She took a deep, luxurious breath and leaned forward every so slightly, her cheek brushing lightly 'gains his soft, hairless one.

"Tell me..."

Her breath moved the soft hairs of his neck and ear lightly as she spoke. She took a moment and ran her tongue over her lips to wet them before continuing. She could smell him, smell his hair and she wondered if he could smell the jasmine in her hair. Not being able to resist smiling as she finished her words, they came out a little teasing.

"... old are you?"

He kept his relaxed position, refusing to let the tension in the air affect his stance, though chills ran down his spine as her breath touched his neck

His next words came smoothly, but he couldn't keep a hint of iron out of them, he didn't care about age and didn't see why anyone else should. "Would it matter if I told you."

His nostrils filled with jasmine. His eye scanned the soft flesh of her neck. The last time he had been this close to a girl was while he was still going to one of Nede's private schools. That particular experience had been one of many that he had orchestrated during his short time there. Ever since he was pulled out to be home schooled by his coach, he had little human interaction, but that didn't make him any less confident.

Karasu wasn't frigid as some thought, she was far from it. She merely had a lot of control over herself. She raised a hand and purposefully moved her hair off her neck and shoulder, letting it fall loosely down her back. Lowering her head, just a slight down-tilt of her face. She sighed, intentionally letting the breath run over the nape of his neck before she whispers, "..but the law does care, now doesn't it?"

Her fingertips pluck lightly at his shirt front as she takes a slight step back. An almost drawing motion, but her words are saying 'stay.'

"Why don't you just bring me a piece of cake when you turn 18, hm?"

This was a battle he was starting to enjoy. She was good at finding reasons to deny him, even though he hadn't hinted at anything other than a date, not yet at least. He wouldn't do anything like that until after at least the third date, though he didn't expect this to get anywhere near that far.

He was ready for it this time, he braced himself for her breath so he doubted that the chill would be visible, but the situation was getting interesting. At her tug he smiled a short smile and took a step forward, and then another, but he shifted directions. He was headed for the door. As he passed by her he said, "lunch isn't illegal," and then, "who knows, you might enjoy the company."

The time allotted in his schedule for this visit was running out. He would break the rules for lunch, using the excuse that the visit took longer than expected. But he wasn't willing to risk punishment if all he was going to get was rejected.

She begins to untie the apron she put on to protect her clothes and she tosses it towards the hamper. It doesn't quite make it but she didn't really care. She wondered if he realized she was completely willing to let him go but it would be nice to have to not sit alone. She wasn't saying she wasn't intrigued either, because she was. She just simply knew that every new day brought a new pretty thing to pass in front of her eyes. Not so many had so much gumption though.

"Well, if we happen to end up at the same place, there is no reason we can't sit together."

That was the most she was going to give him and if he left now, she surely wouldn't follow him. If he didn't happen to choose where she was planning on eating then it was just not going to happen.

He had precious little room to maneuver. It was agitating to say the least. There was nothing left for him to do here. She might was well have dismissed him entirely. The shadows of doubt reared it's ugly head in his mind. He could feel it begin to wash over him. But, like all good stories, out of the darkness came a searing light. A light that fought back his most hated and dangerous enemy and shone down upon an idea newly formed. And, like most of his good ideas, it instantly sprang to life, causing him to turn back towards her.

"Do you know of any good places to eat around here," he asked her casually. "I've been living here for a few years, but I don't get out much."

She hesitates for a moment, one arm suspended in the air. After thinking for a moment, she fixes her hair.

"There is this one place I like to eat. It is one of the few places I will eat because I get some privacy. I don't like to be bothered when I am eating. It is just down the alley and across the street. They have some of the best and freshest sashimi in all of Nede and reasonably priced."

Karasu was always dressed to a T and she never seemed to lack for money. No one knew where her money came from and no one dared ask her where it came from either.

When she thought about the sashimi, her stomach growled and she turned, walking out the door. Calling back.

"It's called Misuko's. Goodbye."

As the door closed Xeph couldn't help it. He had been holding it in for so long that it had almost burst his lungs. The smile on his face broadened into a wide, full toothed, grin and then he burst into laughter. It took him a full minute to regain his composure and stop laughing, and by that time, tears had started to run down his face from his good eye.

This was the most fun he'd had since his first real gymnastics tournament. Back then everything had been simple. He had taken first place in that one without the long hours of training his new coach had given him. Back when he enjoyed the competition and the practice. Before his coach had made him hate his talent.

Xeph was too carefree for a twenty-four hour schedule. Everything was planned, even when he was to go to the bathroom. That life was not for him, and he would escape it as soon as he had the chance. He knew this little side quest would not get him any farther towards that goal, but at least he was flexing his independence.

With a deep breath to clear his head, Xeph opened the door. Recalling the directions his new "friend" had given him, he headed for what he saw as either the beginning or end of a new adventure.