Have you figured out the clue yet. You probably did, but I'm still not going to tell you anything!
Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.
Chapter 9: Fire and Water"Nononononono!" Kara cried helplessly as she looked at the small pile of wolf fur. Kaji's coat lost its golden shine and was dark brown. Emily looked close to tears again, and Adriane seemed unable to do much of anything else aide from staring at the still body.
"Stay here," Kaiyou rasped, his voice both somber and weak. His fur was not as sleek as it was before, but instead a dull gray color.
She's dead, Adriane thought. The only thing keeping him alive is that small flame.
Kaiyou slowly made his way down the slope, stumbling twice. He staggered toward his fallen sister, and nearly collapsed next to her. Using one claw, he drew a flame in the ground and next to it an upside-down teardrop. He carefully hollowed out the teardrop and filled it with water. Piling dried grass in the flame, he used Kaji's fire to light it. After completing this, Kaiyou returned the remaining fire power to his sister. He clambered to his paws and with one last glance at Kaji, trotted steadily up the hill.
He looks better now. His fur is turning silver again. Kaji's coat looks as though it is still the same, Adriane thought as she put an arm around Emily.
As Kaiyou reached the top, he glanced back at Kaji then turned to the girls. "Will she be okay?" Emily asked, even though her voice was shaking.
"I believe so…I hope so." Kaiyou paused. "But now, I must go back to the army. It is time to fight Akuma."
"I'll come," Kara spoke up suddenly. Her eyes burned with anger. The others looked at her in surprise.
"So will I," Emily added. Her voice had stopped wavering and she had straightened up. She too had a fierce look in her eyes.
"And I," Adriane joined in. "I don't know how the others feel, but anyone who hurts my friends will have to deal with me." The other two nodded in agreement.
Kaiyou considered this then gave a single sharp nod. "Fine. Follow me. I can feel my strength returning." Indeed, his coat had almost returned to its original shade of blue and silver. Looking back over his shoulder one last time, he picked up a steady lope, with the girls following close behind him.
"We are here," Kaiyou said. The team had arrived at the top of a hill and was looking down into the valley. In it a makeshift camp had been created, and was teaming with all sorts of creatures. Some the girls knew, like the Pegasi who were being fitted with a type of armor. Others were entirely new to them, such as a creature that had the head and tail of a lion, and the body of a horse. One of these beings greeted them as they came into the camp.
"Welcome back, Kaiyou," it said in a deep voice. "I see you've brought some help." It laughed loudly, but not unkindly, when it saw the girls step back a little. "Do not worry! I am Sobou, the Keiba." Turning to Kaiyou, Sobou added, "If they are that afraid of me, do you think it's wise to bring them into battle?"
Adriane felt insulted by the Keiba, and stepped forward in defiance. "I saw my friend killed today, and I would do anything to avenge that death," She said angrily. The other girls stepped up right behind her. This earned her another laugh from the creature.
"Such ferocity! Come with me then." With that, Sobou turned and walked away. Adriane and Emily followed quickly, but Kara hesitated. When Sobou looked over her shoulder at Kara, the girl jumped and scuttled after the others, still trying to maintain a tough-girl attitude. Sobou smiled to herself and walked into a forest-green tent. "Here is where we keep the weaponry. Take your pick, but make sure it is something you would feel comfortable using."
After looking around, Adriane chose a beautiful sword. It was steel with a black hilt and a small turquoise stone set into it. Just like Dreamer's collar, she thought with a pang at remembering her bonded animal and best friend. I hope he isn't too worried about me.
Kara came back with arrows and a bow. The feathers on the arrows are as beautiful as Lyra's wing feathers, she thought sadly. She missed the cat so much.
Emily, who did not like fighting, chose a spear. It was enough for her to use to protect herself, but she could also use its shaft to fight rather than kill with the sharp tip. For some unknown reason, her thoughts were brought back to Ozzie. Perhaps because he's two things in one: an elf and a ferret, she thought with a giggle. No, he's much more than that. A friend, a mentor, a wisecracker, a critter with a bottomless stomach...I miss him so much.
The girls emerged from the tent and walked over to Kaiyou and Sobou who were talking together. Adriane, Emily, and Kara looked at each other, nodded, and said in unison, "We're ready."