Disclaimers Notice: Yes...n-n-no...maybe?

Authors Beginning Note: Okay, this chapter is being posted late (my many apologies to those of you who have been waiting so patiently for me to update), and so will my next one (which probably won't be posted until next Thursday (the 12th) or Friday (the 13th)), because I am going on a vacation trip. Again, my many apologies.

Eirig hide is a type of tough material, like leather.

Shout it outs!

Meyojojo- I'm flattered you like my story so well blush

Shitza- Here's your update!

Velf- Lol. Glad you support my story-bad spelling and all. I'm Delighted that you like the water halflings so much!

Aharah Musici- Yes, yah. I guess Kohaku has some competition. :P

Chapter 19

Quakes

-Previously

Ten feet...

Almost there, Triblades furled endlessly. Vai's hair on the one side was whipped off, and a thin line of red dripped down his pale blue cheek. Rin and Enuresis ran through

Five Feet...

Water slicked the floor like slippery ice. Vai nearly fell backwards, so I shoved him forward. Two strides and he was through.

Four feet....

The hem of my dress caught my foot...

Three feet...

I fell.

-Presently

While lying on my back I quickly raised my blade and deflected a triblade, only to have a fan graze my head by mere inches, and drive itself snuggly within the floor. I looked at it, feeling my eyes go wide with horror.

I am going to die...I am seriously...going to die...one fan to the head...or even a triblade...and I'll be finished for sure....

Just as I raised my chest a few inches, a foot struck my it and slammed me back onto the floor. Little spots of light danced around my eyes, until it finally cleared and I looked clearly at the one on top of me, wanting desperately to scream.

"Well now, Master Aikia should be pleased with our find, wouldn't you say Yukio?" The voice was harsh, like someone talking with a sore throat. I looked up into the six dark crimson eyes of the creature, whose body was nothing more than a thick red stick, with six long triple jointed arms and sharp claw like hands. It stood upon four stick legs (two of which on me) with long toes that had claws that could contract and release like a cats. Its mouth though, is very distracting, with mandibles that are long and sharp spiking out from the sides of his mouth and sharp yellow teeth, and a jaw that moved up and down like a humans. At his side was a pouch made of Eirig hide, and in four of each hand he held a triblade.

You know...if I knew that I wasn't about to be killed, I would really commend him on his throwing skills...especially if the target wasn't me...

 I looked besides him and there stood this weird looking creature. Extremely tall, lithe, and thin. Impossibly thin.

He must be at least twice my height...

It was thin and pale, and seemed to move as if through syrup, but its movements are faster than I can follow at times. The head was long and smooth, with one black wide accented eye in the middle of its forehead, the nose only two small slits below the eyes, and the mouth was extremely thin, almost as to not be there. It only has four fingers on each hand. The only thing to cover its bare body was a loincloth like thing, and a long thin cape.

"Should we kill it?" The pale thing...Yukio asked, his voice sounded like he was talking while gargling. I froze stiff. The red creature seemed to rub its chin.

"It would save on supplies, and he did say dead or alive..." He grinned, showing off his many teeth.

"Should I do the honors then?"

"No...let me." The red thing began to laugh as he drew a dagger from some hidden place.

This is it Chihiro...nice knowing ya...good bye, cruel world...wait, am I just going to let him kill me...a heck no...if I'm going to be snuffed out...it's going to be with a big bang...not by some...um...whatever they are...

He raised his dagger high, his long back arched, grinning like a crazed fool and laughing. I held my breath.

Then the earth began to shake.

"What's happening?" the red thing questioned the other; he obviously was trying for the anger approach, but ended up sounding scared.

"It's another quake. Just bring the girl, we'll kill her later." The guy nodded, and sheathed his dagger.

This had better work...

Seeing my chance, I thrust my blade in a side ways arc at the things mid section...only to have it vibrate through my arm and bounce back.

He didn't even notice...now what...

Screams and sounds of panic began to arise through out the streets as spirits of every time ran from the buildings that had begun to crumble. I looked in horror as some of the dome began to crack, leaving a silver spiders web into the hard material. The earth shook with even more violence and the thing fell off of me.

Gotta move...I'm not sticken around here...

I began to get up and stagger to the doorway, when I was pulled off of the ground and over the shoulder of Yukio.

"Put me down! Put me down right now! I'm warning you!" I screamed, but I was drowned out by the panic of everyone running and screaming. This floor already beginning to become packed with people traveling up here and hopefully out into the doorway.

We were practically thrown out, but Yukio never once lost his balance, nor was hindered by my incessant beating and kicking. The red thing was soon at our side, pushing people away.

"Hurry, hurry!" He said urging Yukio faster. I looked around at the flat landscape.

Come on...Rin and the others have to be here somewhere...but where are they...where could they be...

I was jolted and nearly threw up as I was thrown into a cart of sorts, a canvas covering the top. I was about to try and see if I couldn't crawl out, when, with another jolt, I was thrust back and began to move, quite awkwardly. With the ground shaking and the cart moving forward, I forced one part of the canvas free and looked over the side...and heaved. I looked at the speed we were going and looked back at the contents of the cart. Nothing but bags of weapons, food, water skins, and cooking supplies.

There's no way to escape...there isn't anything here that will help me...and we're going too fast...to try and jump off would mean instant death...it's...hopeless...

A wave of nausea swept me, but I suppressed it. I reattached the canvas.

At least it offers a meek slip of protection from being bounced out of the cart...

I looked around for something that was solidly attached and found a bar in the back that hadn't moved an inch during the whole ride. I shoved a few pans out of the way and latched on, curled in as tightly as possible. Things poked me, jabbed, me, cut me, hit me, and bruised me, as everything was tossed back and forth, up and down, side to side.

As weird as it is though, found myself drowsy, and began to nod off.

Authors Ending Note: Things of importance is stated in the beginning note