Chapter 5
Kirya sneaked into Corathir's room seeing him asleep and jumped on his bed also jumping on him "Wakey wakey eggs 'n bakey!" He jumped and landed on the floor, glaring at her. "I was sleeping!" "I know! But you did the same to me!" she yelled. Corathir stormed out of his room and ran straight into Ariali. She fell on the ground, a piece of paper sliding across the floor ending up at someone's feet. Kirya stomped after him and heard a crash and soon at her feet was a map she picked it up and opened it. Ariali leaped up and grabbed it from her hands. Corathir sat on the ground blinking trying to process what just happened. "Hey that wasn't very nice! And that's a map of the sword to isn't it!" Kirya asked eyeing Ariali. She folded up the paper and shoved it back into her cloak then started walking away. "Answer me" Kirya said putting a hand on her shoulder. She spun around "Yes it is, alright?" Ariali answered walking away again. "But we need it...Corathir she has a map to the sword!" Kirya said excitedly to Corathir. "What! Someone stop her!" He yelled getting up. Kirya runs to stop her but trips over a upturned rug and falls "Ow..." Ariali sprints toward the exit once she heard Corathir yell. Kirya gets up and runs after her. Hiei jumps from window sill hearing the commotion and walks right in front of Ariali. She skids to halt holding the hilt of her sword. "Move." She said in a serious voice. "Why?" he asked. "Because I need to leave." He looks and sees Kirya and Corathir running this way and looks back at Ariali. She jumps over him and runs out the door toward the forest on the other side of the town. "Nooooo!" Kirya yells panting and stops running catching her breath. Corathir comes up beside her clutching side. "Cramps are bad." "We're pathetic," she pants. "We are so out of shape." "I know." Corathir said wheezing.
Ariali appears out of nowhere looking at Hiei. "Give me my sword back." "Not until I know what's going on." "I have the map to blade of endless flame." She said stepping forward again, "Now give me my sword back." "Why don't you let them have it?" "Because it's not wise to go looking for it." "But why not?" Kirya asked. "Because you are not the only ones who know about the sword." "So? Wouldn't it be better if we got it first instead of someone evil?" Kirya asked puzzled. "He doesn't realize that others know about it, so he'll take his time looking for the map. By the time he realizes I have it I'll either be dead or have hidden the map where no one can find it." Hiei and Kirya asked "Who's he?" "He is not important, just that you have no need for the map. Now may I please have my swords back?" Ariali said getting nervous. Corathir spoke up. "We must find that sword, it's part of our destiny along with a wanderer and warrior. Shouldn't we find the sword inconspicuously? That way this he you're referring to won't know and we'll save the world." "It's better if you not get involved with the whole thing." Ariali said sighing. "Aww please? We came all this way from Inilan please don't make us turn back around" Kirya pleaded. Ariali frowned and then pulled the map out of her cloak and handed it to her. "Here but I'm coming with you for safe measures." "Ok!" Kirya hands it to Corathir to put in the packs. Hiei handed Ariali her sword back and she took it from him and sheathed it looking up at the sky. "We better start going, we shouldn't stay in one place to long." Corathir put the map in his packs grinning, glad to have it. Kirya did a little happy dance because they where one step further on there quest. "Good luck," Hiei said and started to walk off. Corathir turned toward him and said "Won't you come with us? We need a warrior after all." Hiei turned around and looked at this group "ok" he said while thinking I'm gonna be the one to save there hides... Ariali smiled and started to walk passed him while whispering "I can save my own hide thank you."
She turned and walked back into the forest where she had spent the most of her life. Hiei raised an eyebrow wondering how she knew what she was thinking. Ariali pulled her hood back on her head covering her face tearing down a nearby poster and crumpling it into a ball. Corathir followed whistling looking at the landscape. Kirya followed happily humming while playing her harp lightly very bored. Hiei walked next to Ariali "What was that you tore down?" "A poster," she answered looking ahead and tossing the torn poster on the ground. Hiei shrugged it off and followed her but Kirya on the other hand stepped on it. "Hey what's this?" she asked while bending down and unfolded it. "Oh my god Corathir look!" Kirya whispered shoving the poster at him shocked. Corathir looked at it and his eyes widened and whispered to her "She's a pyro! No wonder she won't say anything about herself!" "What if she's planning on killing us with the sword! I mean she does have a map to it and doesn't want any one to get it" Kirya whispered back scared. Corathir nodded, "I think we should tell Hiei." "Oh most definitely, she'll probably take me out first I have no weapons" she squeaked. He nodded and tapped Hiei on the shoulder. "Can I talk with you for a second?" "Sure..."Hiei said oddly wondering what he had to say. Ariali eyed him but continued walking. Corathir showed Hiei the poster looking at Ariali wondering if she was going to attack. Hiei looked at the poster and said quietly "Well, that's interesting..." "What should we do?" Corathir asked fearing for his life. "Well you need to stop being a chicken your supposed to be the hero aren't you? And I guess well have to watch our backs." He blushed and looked down tucking the poster into his pocket. "You're not going to confront her about it?" "No we wouldn't want to create a big scene here would we? There are still a few people on the roads." Corathir nodded and continued walking "I think we should bring it up tonight when there's less people around and we've set up camp." Hiei nodded in agreement. Ariali looked up at the sky and paused at a clearing turning. "I think it's time to make camp."
"But so early?" Kirya asked looking around. "It gets darker faster around here." "H-How dark?" Kirya asked scared because well she didn't like the dark much and also for her life of Ariali attacking them in the night. "Pretty dark but a fire always helps." Ariali said picking up sticks to make a fire with. "Ya...fire...he he" Kirya laughed nervously as Hiei went to help Ariali collect debris. Ariali raised an eyebrow at Kirya then put the sticks in a pile and lighted them with a flint. Hiei brought more over and laid them down looking at Kirya. "I umm have a fear of fire," she thought of quickly. "I see," she answered not convinced as she sat leaning against a nearby tree. Corathir watched Ariali suspiciously keeping his pack close to him for a quick get away. Kirya inched closer to Corathir feeling safer "Well its true when I was little my dress caught on fire." She said crossing her arms. Hiei sat by the fire wondering when he should bring up the poster. Corathir cleared his throat, "so Ariali tell us more about yourself." "Oh what a good idea" Kirya smiled "let's get to know everyone." Ariali laughed as the wind blew "There's not much to tell to be honest." "Aww there has to be at least something," Kirya said sitting down forcing Corathir to sit with her. Corathir sat still unsure about how to act wondering what would happen next. She shrugged "My parents died when I was 6 in a fire. I've wandered around ever since." "I see...is there anything special you can do?" "I'm good with a sword I suppose. Why so many questions? You're not asking Hiei any." Corathir pulled out the poster and handed it to her. "Alright enough of the foreplay, we want to know about this wanted poster." She looked at it frowning, "It's a mistake is all I can tell you." "If thats all you can saw we cant believe you very well," Kirya said raising an eyebrow at her. "Believe me you don't want to know." She answered looking down and throwing the poster into the fire watching it burn. "Well then how can we trust you?" Hiei asked. "You'll just have to trust my word..." Ariali looked up at the night sky and asked. "When is the next full moon?" "Oh oh hold on" Kirya said counting on her fingers "In 4 days" Kirya said smiling. "Why do you need to know, and can we trust you not to burn us in our sleep?" Hiei asked. "I need to know because we need to reach the sword by that time or we have to wait until the next full moon. If you don't trust me I'll go to sleep now so you can keep an eye on me alright?" Ariali said sighing closing her eyes. "Can you only get the sword on full moons?" Kirya asked. Hiei eyed her suspiciously and leaned against another tree but couldn't help but feel that she wasn't bad at all. "Yes because otherwise you can't see the path to get to the sword." "I see..."Kirya said then felt something crawl on her leg and it was a beetle "BBBBUUUUUGGGGG!" Corathir brushed it off rolling his eyes "You're pathetic." "Hmp well at least I'm not a scaredy cat hero" she said crossing her arms. Ariali laughed for the first time in awhile. Hiei shook his head at them "You both are pathetic, how your suppose to wield this sword is beyond me." "I suggest you all go to bed, we need to start moving again in the morning." Ariali said. "Ok" Kirya said not so thrilled about sleeping out here with bugs. Ariali stood up and drew a line around the camp that glowed silver and then died down. Corathir was already sleeping soundly snoring lightly. "What's that for?" Kirya asked curious. "Protection barrier, don't worry you can leave it just not come back in when you leave." "Oh I see" Kirya smiled. Hiei climbed up the tree he was leaning against and laid down on a branch. Ariali leaned against a tree then fell asleep sleeping peacefully. Kirya opened the back and pulled out some of Corathir's clothes to use as a pillow and fell asleep.