Author's note: Heya folks…Sorry about the delay! It's been one hell of a summer. Between graduation, preparing for college, visiting with Adam, and going to Otakon, I haven't had much time to breathe lately. I finally managed to type though, and I've got two or three chapters for you people, my loyal fans!

On the up hand, at Otakon, I had 2nd row, center seats at TM Revolution's American debut, and Adam and I snagged ALL three guitar picks from the show! YAY!! (For those who don't know, TM is the most famous Japanese rock star in a while…He did the "Heart of Sword" ending for Rurounii Kenshin) Talk about a souvenir…and some girl offered me $500 in 50's on the spot for mine….@_@() Okay…So it's a valuable souvenir…

Hey….Gotta deal I've seen other authors use! Read and review, and if you have a story, I'll R&R yours!!!

Chapter Forty Five

Jea came up on deck and looked around. It had been close to three weeks since they'd left the island of the weres and everyone was getting restless. As she gazed at the horizon to which they were headed, a faint shimmer in the distance perked her interest. She tapped one of the sailors. The rugged werebear looked at her.

She pointed to the blur. "If I'm not mistaken, that's land."

He squinted through a spyglass. "I do believe yer right!" he said, grinning broadly. "Land! LAND!" he bellowed.

The cry caused a stirring in everyone on board, moving them into action. By the time the ship reached shore, Jea's party was ready and eager to go.

It took them about an hour to unload the few horses and to conclude the formal thank-yous to the weres. The rugged sailors made it clear that an invitation was always open for them on the island.

* * * * * *

Jea turned to her companions. "Well…shall we get moving? I'd like to make it to a decent camp by nightfall."

Ambermist raised her hand to speak. "Um…some of us," she indicated everyone except Jea and Laguna, "don't have horses…"

Jea nodded. "Well, I'll go get some."

Aruka meanwhile spoke to Phalyssa. "You and I don't need horses. I can keep up in my animal fowm—and you can wide on my back!" He seemed so proud of himself and his idea that Phalyssa couldn't help but agree—not to mention, it was a sound theory.

"Hey, Mom?" the silver haired teen interrupted. "Aruka and I don't need horses. He's offered to give me a ride."

Everyone turned in surprise towards the newest party member. His eyes were closed in intense concentration. Slowly the shift took hold and the youth transformed into a massive cave lion—with a half grown mane.

Aruka crouched down and Phalyssa swung up onto his broad back. She twined her fingers into his mane and glanced to her parents. "I'm ready."

Jea, shaking her head tolerantly, got a horse for Ambermist. The thief took the reins with thanks and heavily onto the sturdy beast's back.

The party traveled until sundown before making a camp. The first night was uneventful. The next day, they encountered a band of travelling folk (gypsies) that were headed towards them on the road. However, when the gypsies saw the party, they turned their wagons and horses and galloped back the way they'd come.

Jea raised one eyebrow tiredly. "What was that about?"

Ambermist shrugged. "Go figure. Maybe they've never seen a half orc before?" she suggested, pointing casually at Dumbugg. He glanced at them in puzzlement before picking at a bug on his shoulder.

The party shrugged off the incident for the time being. It was, they assumed, unimportant. That afternoon, though, they came upon a village.

Aruka pricked his ears up and he moved to the front of the group. A low, nervous rumble echoed up out of his throat. Phalyssa scratched his ears to calm him. "Hey, what is it?"

He swung his head this way and that, curling his lips and huffing in air through his nose. He growled again and jerked his head at the house ahead of them. The silver haired girl on his back frowned. "Hey, Mom, Dad?"

"Yes, Phalyssa?" the ranger asked distractedly. Jea's eyes were vague, indicated her focus was elsewhere.

"There's something weird about the village ahead…"

Jea blinked, coming back into focus with herself with a jerk. She took in the village as they entered it via the main road. Things lay on the ground as if dropped in the middle of activity. "It's as if they ran in the middle of everything…Hmmm…"

The half elf looked at her group, taking them in as a stranger might. They were certainly a very odd assortment, and scary enough to scare unprepared villagers. "I think we need to leave this town. The folk here are obviously scared of us—for whatever reason. Let's get going."

Flicking her wrists, Jea sent Lifeblood into a ground eating canter. Phalyssa gave a cry that was somewhere between a feral scream and a shriek of laughter as Aruka leapt forward into a ground eating run. The others weren't far behind. They were soon out of view of the small village, but the half elf didn't slow their pace until dusk had set upon their heels.

They discussed the happenings that night around the campfire, but it was little more than passing interest.

* * * * * *

Four days later, the party was beginning to wonder about the continent they were now on. All the villages and towns they'd passed through had been abandoned for increasingly longer periods of time.

As they left the latest village, Jea frowned. "This is odd…Huh?" She cocked her head, and Laguna swore that he saw her pointed ears twitch slightly. Aruka snarled under Phalyssa, and the girl reached for her wicked bone knife.

"Riders?" Laguna murmured, confused, as a small unit of about fifty mounted men wearing ornate armour approached them on the road with weapons drawn.

The ranger motioned for her companions to relax and stop as the riders approached. The leader of the men yelled something incomprehensible at them. Laguna looked at his wife. "Ma tay?" he asked curiously. "What does that mean?"

Jea shook her head and peered at the leader. "Um…we don't understand," she said, spreading her hands palm up in the age old symbol of harmlessness.

She was poked at by spears, hissing lightly in pain at a particularly nasty scratch. Laguna moved Arkadia in between his wife and the men, resting his hand on Quar threateningly. Jea started rummaging through her pack after resting a calming hand briefly on his shoulder.

"Gaijin! Matte!" The captain of the men spat another command at them, a long string of syllables in no language the group of adventurers had ever heard the likes of.

Jea put a thin band circlet on as the captain repeated himself.

"He says to dismount. For now, do what he says. I'll see if we can straighten this out." The ranger woman slid off of her horse with skilled ease.

Phalyssa vaulted effortlessly off of Aruka's broad back as the young man began to change back. The armored men began shouting and pointing. "ONI!!!" They moved as if to attacked him, and he stopped in Crinos, ready to fight. Phalyssa jumped in between them. "STOP!" she yelled. Putting both hands on Aruka's furry chest, she soothed his mood with a steady voice. "Calm down." The snarl on his face dropped as he slipped into his normal form and hid behind her.

The murmuring increased as Jea translated. "They think Aruka is some kind of demon or 'oni'….and that Phalyssa is a witch controlling him. They say we're 'gaijin,' foreigners…" She paused to look at her companions. "They're scared of us…"

Ambermist snickered. "Gee, I wonder why? Between the 'demon', the 'witch', Wonder Boy on the green horse, the fuzz-ball, and Dumbugg, do you honestly blame them?"

The captain ordered them tied up and brought before the emperor in the capital city. Four very nervous soldiers approached Aruka fearfully, looking anxiously at Phalyssa. She smiled and waited as one of them asked an incredibly hesitant query. Jea translated in amusement. "They need to put bindings on you two, and they are asking you not to hurt them—and to have Aruka behave…"

"Uh…Mom? Why are we letting them do this to us? We can take them out."

Jea shrugged. "Well, they know the lay of the land—and they're taking us to a city. If they get nasty, we'll off them. But for now, lets go along with their wishes and not destroy any positive impression they may hold of us. Act like you're telling Aruka what to do."

Phalyssa nodded casually. Touching Aruka's arm, she spoke in a loud, clear—yet still somewhat affectionate voice. "I guess you gotta let them put binders on you…"

Aruka quivered. "Phalyssa…" he whimpered. "Are they gonna lock us up? I don't wanna be locked up again…" He appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

Phalyssa grabbed his head and brought it down to her level. "Hey," she said as he buried his face in her chest. "It'll be okay…I promise. You'll be okay as long as I'm with you."

Her new best friend looked at her and nodded. The furry teen rose carefully and waited patiently while the soldiers cuffed him. He tested the bonds cautiously and realized he could shatter them at any time. The lion man did give a small snarl when the soldiers handcuffed Phalyssa, making them eye him in fear.

Laguna said nothing. His code would not allow him to harm soldiers who were only doing their job—as long as his family and friends weren't in danger. The blonde paladin waited patiently as the soldiers formed a vanguard around them.

The entire thing proceeded with only one small misstep. The soldiers, when they went to put a muzzle on Wolf, were rewarded with an incredibly hideous snarl. Jea shook her head adamantly at their desire to put a chain and leather mask on her oldest friend.

With that settled, the troops began to march.