Animation Source Forums

ooc--If that be the case, I'mma have to call you Rue. XD

~~

Once he was over the heat of the moment, Sumi peered into the darkness. He saw and unusually shaped silhouette just slightly beyond, nearly out of sight.

"Oh?" said the voice, growing more raspy by the word. The silhouette got bigger...no, closer...to the point where two luminescent, bloodshot eyes could be seen. "And who are your parents?" Sumi realized that the silhouette belonged to the speaker.

Ooc:// Maybe I'll grow wings because of it....XDDD (I wish!)

--------------

Gale decided to answer; he had finally managed to turn around. The sight of two large, bloodshot eyes was not a comforting one, nor the hulking, ragged shadow that was it's body. "Rue and T-Tariq," he muttered. The sight seemed to have robbed him of the ability to speak loudly.

Sumi tried to gather his wits. "Erm...Kuilak...a-and...Setsuko," He managed.

The figure threw its head up. "Ha! Rue and Setsuko! I was wondering what was taking so long!" It stepped into visibility. Sumi gaped in horror as it was revealed. The creature was oddly avian, but with reptilian features as well, as far as the long neck and snakelike eyes were concerned. It was coated in dark, crumpled feathers, much messier than those of Maddy or Gale. Its eyes were wild and bloodshot, and in its face, he could see the fear of horrid disease. "Do you have siblings, child?" "Y...yes. Five of th-them," The creature swung its head towards the birdkids. "And you? Are you the only ones in your family?

"No. We have a lit-lttle sister. Tess," Maddy said, her words hasty and quivering. She noticed her hand was clenched around Gale's, but ignored the fact, squeezing tighter. The...thing was oddly bird-like, with an elongated, sinuous neck and reptilian eyes. It's feathers were unkempt....she knew Rue would never let their wings become that bad.

Gale couldn't help exhaling rather loudly as the creature came into full view. He only gaped further at the fact that it seemed to know there parents...then it struck him why; this must by the spirit!

The figure stood tall, its eyes burning insanely. "Then where are your parents and siblings?" Against his own will, Sumi shrank back. "I...er...well...they're not here...They asked us to look for a place to stay after the cabin broke down..." The creature's face paled. "The cabin? Oh, no!" He swayed, his long neck swinging in random directions. Sumi dodged it as it swiped past. "It's worsening!" he wailed. Sumi gulped. "Wh...wh...what's worsening?"

Gale had to duck as the neck almost hit him...the air ruffled his hair. He almost gagged as he smelled the spirit's feathers...they apparently needed to be washed as well. They reeked of disease and filth.

"Get out! Go!" Rasped the creature. "And tell your parents to come! Bring your siblings!" His voice weakened, and he suddenly fell to the floor, twitching and moaning with his drying voice. Sumi, eyes wide, heart pounding, backed out of the caverns.

Maddy didn't back out; she raced out. She ran like her life depended on it, dimly hearing Gale following her, right on her tail. She burst out of the cave and into the welcome sunlight, panting.

Upon exiting the cave, Sumi knelt down, trying to catch his breath. He wished he could forget the horror he'd just experienced in the cave, but unfortunately, it seemed to be glued to his mind.

"I am not going in there again," Gale gasped. For a moment, all he did was try to regain his breath. Then a certain memory struck him, and made him smirk. "So...Natsumi. That's a girl's name?" He gave a slight chuckle

Sumi shot him a death stare and blushed deeply. "Shut up, birdy boy." He snapped.

Gale's smirk turned into a scowl, and an angry retort jumped out of his mouth. "Airhead." He shot one of his own stares at Natsumi; if looks could kill, Sumi would definitely be close to death.

And then Sumi lost it. "Why you..." he began, tensing as if he were about to jump on the younger kid. But something else caught his attention: a deep crack in the earth right behind Gale. The anger dissolved into confusion and a but of curiosity as his eyes followed the length of the crack off the cliff and onto a scarred, hot, dry desert where the lake used to be. "Oh, no..."

Gale already had another comeback planned, but it faded along with his frustration as he followed Sumi's gaze. The lack was nothing but a basin of cracked, dry earth, covered in a thin layer of gritty sand. "We should go tell Mom and Dad..." he said, his voice dropping off. He swallowed against his suddenly dry mouth.

Sumi shivered inwardly and again surveyed his surroundings. The everything beyond the lake, rather than being a bit shaken up, looked the same. He could even see the river that ran through the forest. It was as strong as ever, it's just that none of the water ever made it in to the lake. It just stopped. "Yyyyeaaahhhh," He said slowly. "We should." He unfurled his gilder and took off.

~~

While Sumi, Gale, and Maddy had been in the cave...

Setsuko cried until there were no more tears left to cry, leaving her with dry heaves. She stood shakily, eyes and nose still red. She hadn't had a cry like that in years. "We should get back," she said. "Kuilak probably needs us. And...and I think Li's probably hungry." A slight smile illuminated her face as she thought of her husband and of her youngest son and his siblings. She tried to forget that Ayumu wanted them.
But suddenly, she frowned. "Something's wrong," she whispered, suddenly dead serious. Before Rue could respond, Setsuko dashed off in the direction of the lake, not even bothering to use her glider.


Kuilak continued to gaze in the direction Setsuko and Rue had left until Li broke him out of his trance. The infant started crying and squirming in Kya's arms. Kya handed him to her father. "It's ok," Kuilak whispered, trying to comfort himself as much as the infant. "It's ok." Kya put a hand on her father's back. Jaci walked over, Yuumi riding on his back. Misaki whispered nervously to Tess, "I wonder where they went..." Kanna simply sat down in the mud, not caring at this point whether or not her clothes became dirty. I wish I knew, she though it answer to Misaki's question.