Below the Earth

My ears perk up as I hear a familiar voice. Asking Sayliyn for guidance, I use the water vile in my hands to direct myself towards my clan. Upon finding them, I run, overjoyed, to Liv and catch her in a strong embrace before turning to Liam, pouncing on him and shoving him to the ground-raining various kicks and punches and pain upon my good for nothing idiot brother. Although my original plan was to attack Djheuty as well, I figure it's better to attack a dead guy than the one that controls the gryphon...

At Liv Calling out to Kaija My own features take on a mixture of pride and sorrow right before the little red haired streak tackles me and the strikes start. at first I put up some defense before laying back and letting her continue to strike, getting it out of her system knowing that to try and stop her will just ad fuel to an already dangerous fire

Djuety and I glance at each other, shocked and a little appalled by Kaija's actions. She's like a little wild beast. I shake my head. I warned Liam that she was angry, but this... I do the only thing I can think of. I close my eyes, and force the thought out as if it were something heavy I was throwing. *ENOUGH, you little heathen. Let him be.*

"YOU! Of all people, I am supposed to be able to trust you! But you left me, it really doesn't matter to you does it...no matter how much I try to protect you or help you, you still don't remember me, and in your eyes, I'm not your sister. I'm just like Liv, or Djheuty, just someone you met in this new place." I scream all of this at him while punching and kicking away and just as I feel the urge to pull out my knife, I collapse-crying-into his chest.

A little awkwardly getting to my feet and cradling Kaija "Kaija, until a few days ago i didn't remember my own life. only the moment of my death and waking up in a burning ship. Once my memory was restored i chose to leave you behind in an attempt to protect YOU." my tones stay soft for now " Do you think after literal centuries of being without family I would risk the only one of it who had returned to me?" my tone begins to raise a little at the end "I saw Our sisters son, he has the necklace you gave me. it was supposed to go back to you so that you would know it was alright but you were here" sighing "and what would I do if you ended up in a state similar to mine or worse?"

He remembers me. HE remembers me. He remembers ME. No matter how I thought it, it felt wonderful. Still shaking, I curl further into Liam's arms and send a silent apology to Liv.

I step forward cautiously, and pat the girl on the back, meeting Liam's eyes with a worried frown. He smiles, and nods slightly. Kiaja raises her head, her eyes red-rimmed with tears. I smile. "About time you two had that conversation. If you can call it that." I pat Kiaja on the shoulder. *It's like I said, little one. He loves you. He's just a man, and a little dense about showing it.* This makes the girl smile,even through her tears.

I smile and with a practiced motion I shift Kaija so she is piggybacking on me, hearing her squeak as i do "shall we continue on to dangers unknown?" I ask With a smirk the Familiar way we are now sitting bringing back memories from when she and i were little.

I giggle and smile at Liv. The happiness shining from my eyes like a beacon in this dark night. "Onward!" I exclaim with an outstretched fist.

I grin. "Then onward it is." I glance back at the Professor, who looks a little shocked. "Don't look so worried. It's a family thing." You'll get used to it." Then I turn, loping to keep up with my friend. A good start to the journey, this. Maybe we'll have luck down here after all.

Nicholas dusts off his jacket and examines the stalactite for a few more seconds before walking up to the group and turning to the new girl who just arrived. Giving her a quick look over he decides she's not going to stick him with a knife and nods to himself. "We gents can be rather... tricky at times." his eyes glaze over for a second and then he snaps back to his grin. "So, what is down here in this cave anyway? Looks like natural limestone caverns, but I can't discern any more from being here."

He places his cane down in front of him and leans both his arms on it. "I wonder what is going on down here, this is exciting."

turning enough to grin at the newcomer "A Treasure more valuable then anything you have ever scene or heard of before, or at least another clue to get closer too it" with a sly wink at Liv. the statement was not untrue simply vague. the man had not seemed to notice my own state of life or lack thereof yet and it can stay that way for now

"Mostly, we're just exploring." I say, glaring up at Liam. We don't need to tell this stranger anything. He may be nice, but we don't know him. "Trying to validate a little archeological hunch of ours. A little folklore excursion. Liam's just pulling your chain."

Nicholas twirls around and dances among the stalactites. "Oh ho ho, and that right there tells me everything! There are great interesting things going on down here, and to think I just wanted a place where I wouldn't destroy houses to practice. Lucky day! Lucky day!" he continues to dance among the stalactites and then finds himself face first in a pool of water. Picking himself up and sitting at the edge of the pool he coughs. "I meant to do that."

My friends and I share a long, skeptical glance. Kaija grins, meeting my eyes. *He's weird. But a funny weird. I like him.* I smile. "And I thought I was clumsy." I murmur.

Moving through the darkness, our little group is an oasis of chattering life in the darkness. Hours of walking pass among banter, jokes, stories and conversation. But in time, the conversation peters out, and we walk with only the occasional word or two between us. There will be nine days of this, I think reflectively. Nine days of darkness.
Someone asks how long it's been, and Djhuety pulls out a watch. Eight hours. Barely any time at all. We have a long way ahead of us yet.
The walk itself is easy; the road is straight and clear, and I easily fall into the gait of long travel that the road has taught me over the years. But I notice Djhuety and Edgeworth are having trouble keeping up. That could be a problem. I slow my steps. We need to keep together. No knowing what might be here, in this dark place.

Continues to Grin cocking my head to the side "spent too long in the mead hall?" i ask looking at the newcomer, "and Liv, why ruin the fun?" I ask calmly the man dances too much but that much energy can be used to get alot of work done. besides, I still have one ace up my sleeve if he turns out to be a threat in the long one "After all better a little bit of wordplay then anything else to learn a person"

i waited for them to set up camp and go to sleep before i snuck in on them and placed my last tracking bead on one of them, after that i went back and got my bag moving far more quickly on my own, when i came back a few hours later they were still sound asleep and i sat down in a dark corner and waited for them to move on, this treasure sounded interesting...

Three kings rode out on the road to hell,
Down through the Barrow Gate.
The night wind rang like an iron bell
And hissed with sleet and rain.

Three kings rode out where the night wind runs,
Riding for Nine Days:
The King of the Britons, the King of the Huns,
And the King of Norroway.....

I lay staring at the cavern wall, my eyes wide in the darkness. Around me, the others sleep. I can hear their breathing, and the soft sounds of their movement. If only I could sleep too. The words of the song march through my mind, round and round. So. We had passed the Barrow Gate. What came next? Nine days' ride in darkness. And that was on horseback, according to the song. It might be far longer by foot.
Turned west at the Tree of Stone
And passed across the gold roofed bridge
Which no man crosses again
a tree of stone? A carving? A stone deposit? Something else? Another riddle I have no answer for.
In his sleep, Djhuety whimpers, rolling over. I glance at him, worried. I'd seen this before. Something in his dreams, in his thoughts, frightens and hurts him. I sing sweet, quiet note, and am happy to see him lie a little quieter.
Something clinks out in the deep darkness, and I raise my head with a start, listening, my pulse pounding...then lay my head down. I'm letting myself get too edgy down here.
I need to sleep. We have a day's walking ahead, and there will be no time for the naps that I would normally take. I really need to sleep. I close my eyes with a will, shut my ears.

Three kings rode out on the road to hell.... The song follows me into sleep.

I shift periodically as I watch my companions, keeping my eyes open only under my lashes or half lidded alternately as careful and though I sometimes close them as if dozing. Waiting until the others are sleeping, the slow breathing filling my ears before pulling my spear across my lap I lean back wanting not wanting the others to know how being underground has affected me. Feels too much like I am aboard one of the ships returning home from a raid. I keep seeing a black mirror behind my eyes. What it means I can not guess, only that it flows like water and what i see reflected is not me. at least Not the me I know

Nicholas rolls in his sleep. His dreams seem to be of the not so pleasant variety. Tossing and turning in his sleep his face rolls with sweat, and his hair is a matted mess on his head. The man shoots up in his sleep breathing heavily but making no other sounds. He looks around at the others that are nearby. The others sleep soundly as far as he can tell. Nick gets up to take a walk and clear his head. Wandering off into the nearby cave he lights up a cigarette and sits down to think.

"Will I ever get over that war?" he asks, it's his only question and the one that seems to plague him constantly.

((Sorry for not being active, lots of things going on this weekend))

I began walking down the cavern. I was in my right mind set currently, or sort of. I stopped when I saw a few people, a few people that I recognized. They were all sleeping. I had my priest uniform on, but no daggers on me. Just me white gloves, and the black suit, along with my white long jacket. I pushed the glasses up on my nose, and readjusted them.
"What the fuck do we have here. A bunch of lazy asses on the ground, when no one is on guard duty. What a shame. That's a fuck up maggots. GET THE FUCK UP AND STAND AT ATTENTION RECRUITS! THERE WILL BE NO LOLLY GAGGING IN MY PLATOON! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD! AS OF NOW I AM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER! VICTOR ROMMEL! DON'T LIKE IT! THEN GO TO SOMEONE WHO GIVES A SHIT! NOW GET UP YOU GOD DAMN DIRT BAGS!" I roared in anger and disgust at my soldiers sleeping on the job and no one on guard. What kind of army was the Soviet Union running here!

Nick snaps to attention hearing the man start to shout. "Soviet union..." standing up he peeks around the corner he was hiding behind. His military training kicking in Nick keeps quiet and examines his options. "One lone ruskie against me." Nick has seconds to decide his movements, he hesitates. Popping out from behind the corner nick starts wiggling his fingers and the air starts to smell suspiciously like hydrogen. "You have about 10 seconds to explain yourself before you're a chunk of roasted flesh." Nick's eye twitches slightly, hoping the man doesn't catch his bluff.

I start into wakefulness, panting in shock. What in the name of bright and dark gods...then the sound of the voice reaches my sleepy brain. "Oh diabhal dó uisce domhain, agus an spéir. " I spit. Priest. That bloody maniac! I jump to my feet. "Croi na cacht! Edgeworth, don't piss him off. Rommel, we're civilians, you damn fool! Lay off."

I smirk at the two of them.
"Civilians, there ain't no such thing today!" My temper began to rise from their foolishness. Sparks of electricity began to go off around me, setting off the hydrogen in a rather nasty way. What happened next in the smoke filled room I have no clue, but I remained standing.
"Now listen up you shits! When you see an officer, you salute him, and every first and last thing that comes out of that shit filled thing you call a mouth will be SIR! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" I began to growl at first and then began screaming.