Disclaimer: Ah aha. I see. So that how it is! Oh no. I have just bee notified that the disclaimer has just died from a conniption. Until we can find another one Thorn will be taking over.

Thorn: eh eh eh. Conniption.

Nova

Chapter 29: Lanoth

Three Days later

Knives

It was three days later and we were finally stepping out of the tunnels. I was glad to be out of that depressing place, the only light I had seen was that of the lanterns that the human Shane had brought along. And even that wasn't much.

Not to mention that ever since we entered those damned tunnels Id been getting a constant feeling of being followed. And still was getting it as we got further away from the mouth of the tunnel exit. I had been keeping it to myself, not really sure of what I was feeling. No 'Saskanocs' and no other human travelers presented themselves.

I shook off the thoughts and the feeling and finally looked around at our current surroundings.

The mountains behind us stretched out on either side of the exit of the tunnel, the left side mountain range reached south falling into the horizon. The right side range went north then curved around into a crescent, its tip far of on the other side of a stark flatland that we were walking straight into.

This flatland, cradled by the crescent mountain range, flowed out into the open desert; waves of heat were steadily rising from the packed sand as the sun reached the apex of the sky, distorting the far off mountains and cliffs on the edges of the crescent.

"How much further is it?" I head Vash ask.

"Not far," Kestrel, who was walking almost right next to me, "Just across this flatland and then we have to cross a pass to get into Lanoth which is just on the other side of those cliffs over there."

"Great," Vash muttered, "If we don't toast first."

"Oh, don't be such a sissy," The priest said, playfully punching Vash's shoulder.

"I'm not being a sissy! I've crossed worse than this!" Slapping his chest with his palm.

"Sure you have." Nodding with a raised eye-brow.

"I have!"

"Oh stop it!" Meryl said angrily, "It's hot enough out here as it is without you two squabbling and making this walk even worse."

"Oh alright." Then, "I sure hope Lanoth has a bar." Vash whined, "I haven't had a good drink since... well forever."

"I'm with you there buddy!" Wolfwood said.

"Ooh, I hope they have pudding." Milly said.

I tuned them out, noticing Kestrel squinting out into the desert and occasionally up at the sun. A very relieved look on her face.

"It's a good thing it's only noon." I heard her say quietly.

"Why?" I asked.

"In a couple of hours the sandworms will start coming out, but we should make it to Lanoth before then."

"Ah."

It was less than two hours later that we reached the high cliffs.

From the vantage point of the tunnel exit, these cliffs seemed very small, but once we were right under them they towered over us like giant sentinels guarding something of great importance. But even they could not banish the harsh light of the glaring suns.

"This way," Kestrel said, leading us to a two-feel-wide gap in the cliffside, and a shaded trail mashed between two steep rocky walls going upwards on a moderate slope, and curving to the right.

Kestrel again took the lead and everyone including myself followed her single file through the gap.

The trail suddenly widened, ending at a low arch, spanning the rock walls.

Everyone but Kestrel gasped at the sight that met us.

Past the arch, and down a grassy hill was a lush forest.

Trees as tall as buildings surrounding a wide crystal clear lake that lay in the center of the valley, taking up a large area of the land in front of us. Reaching into lake were four rivers each flowing in from the four corners of the valley, sliding down the side of the valley and passing through vast grassy fields, that peppering the entire area.

To our immediate left was a small city with adobe and wood buildings clinging to the side of the cliffs, and stretching a little ways down the side of the valley. One of the rivers flowed straight through it and sported a few boats.

"Come," Kestrel said, motioning for us to follow her again.

We traipsed down the hill and entered the city, where it was bustling with life. Gold eyes and blue-haired people were everywhere, and mixed in were a few blondes. The blondes, I guessed, must have been the plants.

"Kestrel!" A woman's voice suddenly called out.

I turned my head towards the source of the voice and saw two blue-haired women approach.

"Aria! Legacy!" Kestrel cried out, and ran to meet the two Lanothian women halfway.

"Kestrel's family." Vash commented quietly.

Kestrel quickly led the two women over, "Guys, this is my sister, Aria," she said pointing to the taller women, and then pointed to the shorter woman, "And this is my cousin Legacy."

"Aria, Legacy, this is Vash. His brother Knives. Meryl Stryfe. Milly Thompson. Nicholas Wolfwood. And Shane. They've been travelling with me for a while now."

"Hello there!" Said Aria, with a smile.

Legacy on the other hand gave each of us a once over then narrowed her eyes suspiciously, then finally tilted her head in greeting.

"Don't mind her, she's just overly suspicious." Aria said with a grin.

Legacy coughed then gave her cousin dirty look, "I am not."

"Yeah, well anyway welcome to Lanoth." Aria said, smiling and hugging her cousin around her shoulders, "We're happy to meet you."

"How is Papa?" Kestrel asked.

"He got the cast off last week, and he's back to work already."

Kestrel shook her head, then laughed, "Jeez,"

"Say," Vash broke in, "Do you have a bar?"

"That way," Legacy pointed down the street.

"Sweet!"

"C'mon, we'll show you the way." Aria said with a grin, "then Kes' can tell us what's happened since she left."

OK, Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I'm REALLY SORRY, this is late. But I swear this chapter was a friggen bear. I wasn't satisfied with the first draft of it... nor the second, nor the third, nor the fourth, nor the fifth... OO Yeah, so finally I settled with the sixth. I was so frustrated with this chapter my writer's block came back momentarily.

Oi.

But finally it's here. And I'm positively POOPED. Even writing out those reviewer responses took the last of my energy.

I don't really know when my next chapter will come out. So give me some good reviews folks, that way I'll recover quicker!

Oh and I would have updated yesterday but I really hate Sundays for updating, it has got to be the slowest day of them all. Because after I update I check my e-mail constantly(much to the annoyance of my brother when he's using the net) and when I don't get anything at all I start pulling my hair out, and pacing about the house(again much to the annoyance of my bro).

Oh, and if you want an update of what's going on with the current chapter being written check my LiveJournal. If you dare. There's a lot of nonsense that I put down. So it might take a bit to sift through the garbage. :)

Oh yes, I'm going to start updating my profile a little piece at a time. Just to let you know... to anyone really reads it.

KeNsHiNs GuRL: Indeed. Many surprises will meet our most evil antagonist, and Knives wouldn't think twice. Nope. Oh, sorry this is late, please don't hurt me.

Rosebud: Oi, I wasn't happy with the description I gave of Lanoth I think that I could do better, but jeez, I spent like four hours over that one little thing trying to figure out just how to write it. hehe. I can't wait to write that chapter. That's going to be fun. Ah, as for Legato, A few of them might remember him, mostly just the family though and close friends. Legato left Lanoth with is mother, to visit someone in July and Knives met Legato just after the July incident , Legato attracted Knives' attention because he was calling out for his parents with telepathy. I think that was all in the chapters when they first met Kestrel, chapter 8 I think but I cant really remember myself.

Chibi Chibi: Yeah it was Knives, and he might be mad, at both Seldokas and Kestrel, heh. And sorry this was late. X(

Yma: Yeah it is. Well all I can say is I hope it'll be good.

Otaku Sarri: Yeah, I'm firm believer too. XD And I will keep my eye out for your story. I'm always looking for a good read. :)

Neptune Butterfly: Mmmm, nachos. Thank you I would love some! (Munch munch) You poor girl. An all girl dorm. Hmm, Well (Munch munch) I gueth ih woul be petty bah ih you hah (gulp) if you had bad smells, and garbage monsters. eww. (Munch munch) Ahn ta fuff dafithency ih petty bah too. (gulp) But don't worry these to will have a lot of time to get over it. Ahhh, good nachos.

Lord Hustino: He will get to it... slowly. hehe. Get them drunk? Say Diablo... have been talking to Thorn? Because she said the exact same thing. Yah, we need some K/K don't we? I've got some idea's for a few awkward moments between the two but I don't know If I'll get to use any of them. The story is getting close to it's end. 'Nova' is getting close anyway. The story of K and K will continue in a sequel.

And say, my Lord, did you just recently have a birthday? Because I was just sitting in front of my computer the other day and your Xanga was up on the internet browser and I noticed that your thing said that your birthday was 5/2/year(Can't remember what the year was.) The thing is I always get the month and the day positions confused. So you either had a birthday in Feb. or May. Well whatever the case... happy birthday. hehe.

Desmonia: Eh heh. I am sorry it was short, blame it on evil writer's block. I wanted this chapter to be longer but I think I ended it in a good place. This chapter was especially evil when trying to write it. Wait... I have a form of genius? .................... When did that happen?