Kaz looked through his bag again making sure everything was packed tight. A smile crossing his face as he zipped it shut and picked up his scanner.
"Kaz? Are you up there?" a voice called, jolting him back into reality.
"Yeah Mom" He called back, shoving the backpack under his desk with a kick as he heard her coming.
His mother, a humble woman with bright red hair and freckles like an older Ginny Wesley came in, looking about the room, "You should really clean in here more."
"I'll do that after homework, I have to write a short story for English class."
His mother frowned at him, "On what? Not those chaotic stories again I hope."
Kaz felt his face growing red, "Not…exactly. Don't worry I remember our agreement. Keep my stories of Chaotic separate from my school work. Mrs. Scotts asked me not to write about that either. 'Expand my creativity elsewhere' she said."
His mother nodded, "So have you thought of anything to write about?"
Kaz sighed, looking down at his shoes, "No, not really. I thought I'd try studying for my history test next week, see if I can come up with anything through that."
His mother decided not to question his logic in that particular theory, "I …see; well I better leave you to get on that. Just be sure to come down for dinner in a half hour ok?"
"'K" As his mother left he turned towards his closet, grabbing his snow boots by the laces then moving to pick up his backpack, slinging them over his shoulder as he pressed the button on his scanner, sending his Chaotic self on an adventure and leaving his Earth self behind. His Scanner's screen went blank and shut itself off. Unable to work until his code returned.
"Now that 'I'm' off on a scan quest," he smiled as he tossed his boots back into the still open closet and un zipped his backpack, "Better put all this away and get on that homework before…"
"Kaz?"
He flinched, "Yeah Mom?"
"Have you seen my gloves?"
Kaz felt the color drain from his face as he looked at the pair of winter gloves he had just pulled out of his backpack, "Uh, the blue ones?"
"Yes, have you seen them? I'm going to check the mail."
Kaz silently wondered if that mailbox should've been closer to the house, "Um, I think I know where they are, let me go check."
Slowly he got up and counted to ten before hurrying down the stairs to hand the object in question back to his mother.
***8***
Chaotic Kaz rushed over to the port court, almost slipping in his sock feet as he headed for the nearest table. With a fools grin on his face he unpacked his coat and gloves on the table along with a brown paper bag.
after a quick check of the latter's content he sat down to pull his boots on, jumping as a voice sounded in his ear while clamping a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey Kaz!"
"Payton, don't do that." Kaz glared daggers at the husky boy standing behind him, noticing that Tom was here too, along with a familiar girl with long blond hair and clear blue eyes. Although instead of her usual red capris and layered black and white shirt she was wearing a purple short sleeved sun dress covered in a flower and butterfly pattern, "Um, Sarah…?"
The girl's hardened expression became dangerous, "I was at my cousin's wedding before I ported in, and that's all you need to know!"
Kaz nodded slowly, figuring she had already had this subject come up a little too close to one too many times today.
"So Kaz I was in Kiru this morning and I saw this awesomely cool new creature flying around like…"
"Let me guess," Kaz interjected in the middle of Payton's swooshing sound effects, "you decided you wanted a scan of it right?"
Payton nodded, "Yeah but after I followed him I ran into another one I'd never seen before, a black Mipedian. And so the two of them start duking it out, the white haired kid was all like, pshew, pshew, and then Blackie was all phlppppppp! And starts shooting out this purple smoke stuff and…"
Kaz wiped the spit off his face, glancing pleadingly at Sarah. The girl clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder successfully quieting him long enough to ask the important question.
"alright, so which one did you scan?"
Payton grinned childishly, holding up his scanner for them to see. the three of them looked the scan over with excited grins, mulling over every detail.
"Wow," Tom breathed, "So have you tried him out yet?"
Payton shook his head, "Not yet dude, I was thinking one of you three might like to take a crack at beating me before I master this awesome reptile."
Kaz felt a rush of excitement at the thought of taking on a new creature in the battle domes, one that possibly even the code masters hadn't ever seen before. but just as he stood up to challenge Payton first, one of his mother's gloves dropped to the floor. With a sinking feeling of disappointment he remembered he had made a promise today.
"Sorry Payton I've made plans to meet up with someone."
"A scan quest huh? but um,…what's with the spare winter coat?" tom asked, nodded towards the bag.
Kaz flinched, his mind racing, "Uh well…it's for a trade. I give her the coat and she helps me get a good scan."
Sarah dawned a sly grin, "She? As in a creature? or are you making a bribe to a player?"
"You know there's no point in trading that kind of stuff with Players. None of it comes back with us to Earth." Kaz huffed reaching to stuff his things back in the bag and slip his own heavy jacket on, "So obviously it's for a creature."
Sarah sighed, "Yeah I know, I'm just teasing is all."
"Guess it's just us in a two on one match." Tom beamed brightly, "What do you say Payton? Willing to take us both on?"
Payton waved a hand and shook his head, "Negatory T-bird, I'd like to take you guys on one after the other, This way one of you is on equal terms with me and the next one has a plan, giving me a challenge."
Kaz shouldered his bag, heading for the transport, "Let me know how it goes. I'm off."
***8***
Ren shivered, some detour, one minute she was heading for what she remembered to be the lush territory of the Mipedians and the next the flow had lead her a little further north, right along Glacier plains.
She pulled her paws in closer, the Stardust cloaks' powers working to keep out the worst of the icy air.
AN: Interruption by Ren: Hey, Flows aside why am I out in the cold like this?
Hova: T T why don't you ask Dax?
Ren(looking confused): Dax?
(Hova points to the Mipedian mount munching in the corner. Ren's expression goes blank): Dax 0_0…(forced smile) ^ ^ would it be too late to say 'I'm sorry' and put me back where its warmer?
Hova (turns to audience while grabbing Ren's ear): Sorry folks won't happen again. By the way hope you like the redo of Ren's fox form in the top left of your screen. And thanks to somebody we won't be having an interview this time around so…sorry about that.
"Never cared for the cold." She muttered, closing her eyes to see the flows more clearly. Faded blue, thick red and pale streaks of yellow. That didn't look good, an area like this that was so well resonated with the blue flow getting hit with that much of the fiery red energy could spell a problem in the areas stability.
A rumbling caught her attention, all of her instincts screaming at her to move it. She didn't need to be told twice as she hit the ground on all fours, flying across the frozen ground as a mound of snow came crashing down behind her.
AN: again Ren: *T T you did that on purpose didn't you!?
Hova (bristled up, teeth bared): INTURPUT THE STORY AGAIN SEE WHAT HAPPENS!
She slid to a halt looking behind her as the path was completely buried, frowning, "Correction, I hate the cold. Frosty couldn't make me feel any better about this place."
Her ears twitched at the sound of something else, a rhythmic beating, getting louder.
Now what? She closed her eyes and focused. Several yards away she saw an aura that resonated with red energy, an aura that felt a little like she had just jumped into a bonfire. An angry bonfire, with the cool collectiveness of a hawk on the hunt.
Her eyes snapped open, giving her cloak a shake as she dived head first into the nearest snow bank. The fabric hummed slightly as it paled greatly, overhead unknowing eyes flew past on bat-like wings.
Ren chanced a peek from her hiding place, trying not to sneeze. The flying creature was a female with orange, red stripped skin and horns on her head, her long clawed hands flexing at her side as her backwards feet hung behind her.
The female creature flapped, hovering on her dark wings a moment as she scanned the ground. Ren felt her teeth grind as she tried to gather a shadow, with all the white snow that proved to be a little more of a challenge than normal. But she wasn't intent on an attack all she needed was to get some movement going without shaking the surface. But hopefully…
The creature's eyes narrowed as she landed with a thump, the snow hissed with every step she took as though suddenly touched with hot metal.
Ren nearly found herself hissing through her teeth, So much for thinking she wouldn't get any closer. Now she really needed that shadow to work.
The creature stepped closer, her eyes constantly searching, cold screaming in protest against her hot skin. Ren's heart felt like it had leapt to her throat, that fiery aura was like suffocation at this distance. She forced herself to keep calm, concentrating.
Ten steps….the creature's gaze fell where she was.
Nine steps…was something in this direction Ren didn't feel anything
Eight steps…Seven…Oh crud, did that mean the creature had noticed her?
Six steps…Five…stay calm, whatever she did she had to stay calm.
Four steps…Three…. WHOOSH!
***8***
The creature stopped, expression hard as stone as she held up her hand, still smoking from her attack. She looked at the hole in the snow, seeing nothing there. Another step closer and she could see it went deeper than she first thought. Had her fire really gone that far down?
No matter, what did she care about things that weren't there? Or not there anymore?
A shiver of cold reached under her skin, cold that didn't feel like the air of the mountain. She turned feeling where it was coming from, ears strained for the faintest sound.
{…}
With a dark smile she turned towards the sound, opening her wings wide, "Finally found you!"
With a snap she took off to head further into the cold, that creature wasn't getting away from her. Not by a long shot.
****8****
Kaz gave a small smile as he watched a black winged creature dip and sway high in the air, a smile on her face as she held up a stringed instrument like a violin in her hands, her fingers plucking at the strings to match her every move in a performance that made Kaz wonder if he was dreaming.
The music wasn't like what you would hear in Perim, all of those songs were snatches of a tune that acted as a spell.
Compared to those, this was a masterpiece, a magic that fell over the listener in waves to where they just…stopped and listened. You could hear her every thought projected through her melody, her feelings shared through her every note. The very air seemed to stop just so it could listen.
The winged girl floated down as she slowed her song, landing silently in the ever white around them, Kaz felt hit face warm a little as he watched the snow flit around her, surrounding her win a mist of silver white. Settling to the lingering last not of her tune.
Kaz clapped aloud, the sound somewhat muffled in his snow gloves, "That was amazing Raven."
The girl smiled, sitting next to him as she put the instrument away in its case.
"Thank you but, It's not Raven. Tengu are crows."
Kaz nodded, Leaning back in his seat, "I know, but unless you're willing to tell me your real name, it's what I'm calling you. besides, people like ravens a bit better than crows."
"Thanks."
Kaz instantly regretted what he said as she got up and started walking away, "T-that is…Raven seems like a better name for a girl…with such pretty black wings."
Raven turned to him, shaking her head with a smile, "Now you're trying too hard. You coming?"
Kaz felt himself blushing as he hurried to follow after her.
"So, as nice as blue skies and open air is. Why did you want to come here?" Raven asked.
Kaz looked upwards, "Well, you see…I figured it was a good idea. Hear'ing told me you seemed a bit down lately. So I figured if you were homesick then maybe a somewhere with mountains might cheer you up."
Raven poked his arm, frowning, "You do realize that when someone is homesick the opposite of where they're thinking could be a better option right?"
"W-well I…T-that is..I, Er…"
The winged girl's expression changed slightly, "It was a nice gesture none the less. Open air always feels good under the wings."
"I know what you mean, in the battle domes I always get a rush when I fly off as a creature that can fly."
Raven looked at him puzzled, "I still don't understand how those games of yours work. I'm still trying to get used to that transporting device of yours."
Kaz took his scanner from his pocket, "Well, there's not a whole lot to get used to. Pick a location and go there. Doesn't work for anyone else."
"Accept for me of course."
Kaz sighed, putting the little red device away, "Yeah I don't want to think about the fact that when you hold on to me you can port when I do. It was a headache trying to figure out how it's even possible."
Raven giggled, "Yet your thinking about it again aren't you?"
Kaz sighed, a big grin on his face, "Guilty."
A blast of cold air hit them for a moment, causing them both to shiver.
"Whoa, that was unexpected." Kaz said through chattering teeth, "What do you say we go somewhere a bit warmer?"
Raven nodded, "Sounds gr….Mph!"
She was cut off as a green blanket hit her face, with startled panic she threw it off, wings standing straight up, "Where…what is that doing up here?"
Kaz didn't answer, his eyes narrowed in confusion as he started at the fabric laying there in the snow. He reached out and touched it, thinking it somehow looked…familiar. He thought for a moment, trying to remember when…
"You can try scanning this if you want." The white faced fox was saying, taking off her cloak and holding it up.
"WHITE FACE!"
Raven flinched at his sudden outburst, "W-who?"
"White face, a fox creature Tom and I ran into a few days ago. She said she was looking for you."
Raven seemed to go a little pale, digesting this information, "Fox…White face…Wait, that sounds a little like the girl who was with me that night, when I first landed in Perim."
Kaz's ears perked, I thought she might be hiding something. "You think she's the reason you're here?"
Raven shook her head, "No but I think she might know how to send me home."
At this her eyes brightened, turning to the direction the wind had come from, "Maybe we can convince her to help. The cloak came from this way, come on!"
She grabbed him up, snapping her wings as she took to the air. Kaz nearly dropped the cloak as his stomach dropped along with the ground beneath him. Part of him glad to see Raven this excited, another…mixed; about how she was so eager to get home, after he had tried to cheer her up himself.