RPG Mists of Aurocon

[Dragon Warrior]

First off, this RPG is only for Little Serenity and me. WE will be posting in it. Feel free to read ^_^

[center]Story[/center]

Power forged in criptic cantry and destruction of mighty feats is only the beginning of an empire's rise. In the world of Auroron, ruled by elves and very prosperous at that, one particular man wishes to revolt. After using his demonic magic abilities, he cast darkness upon the world by forging a crystal in secret.

The crystal hides deep within the world and ones who go near it get trapped within it's might. No one ever returns from viewing it except the forger himself. But the crystal lets off an eerie mist, nevertheless. The mist climbs across the landscape of Aurocon and when near civilization, releases monsters in it's wake to destroy and capture, kill and rob. The worst part is, the monsters are deformed and controlled humans captured by the crystal.

The crystal, so far, has not caused too much damage. It's still unknown where this mist is coming from. Only the forger knows of the crystal. It will be soon before his downfall...

[center]... but not without losses of life.[/center]

PS: Have fun reading if you're reading this.

[Little Serenity]

The inn was dark. Pitch black almost, except for the candle lamps that cast an eerie glow across the faces of the patrons of the inn. They all spoke in quiet voices, sharing the latest gossip about bounty heads, The Mist, and women. It was the usual stupid lot.

"Her name's Irima, the Black Quessir. She carries a sword as big as you are."

"Is she an elf?"

"Of course she's an elf! She's a master of the Dark Arts. I wouldn't be suprised if she's behind the legendary Mists."

"But, she's only a woman, isn't she?"

"Never underestimate a woman my friend. It will lead to your downfall most assuredly."

"But, why all the fuss about Irima?"

"Well," The bartender leaned in closer, "For one, she wasn't exactly hit with an ugly stick. Most men are enraptured by her beauty and then," He moved his first finger across his neck, "She kills 'em. But because of that, she has a huge bounty on her head." He motioned to a flyer behind him.

Irima (the Black Quessir)
Reward: /\3,000,000,000,000
Dead or Alive, Preferably Alive
Responsible for numerous deaths, robberies, etc. along with the fabled Mists

"That's a lot of zeros."

"Indeed it is."

Back in the corner, a man lay in shadow. He shifted slightly, still listening to the conversation between the bartender and the unknown man.

[Dragon Warrior]

The man was known as Sariyah. Sariyah Jovan. He was a bounty hunter, a man who kills for money. He happened to stop at this bar for a quick drink after finishing his latest quarry. He didn't expect to get another so soon. He stood up, leaving his glass undrank from and ripped the poster down. He exited the bar with everyone watching.

"My next quarry will be..." He looked down at the paper. "Irima." He shoved the paper in his cloak and walked on down the streets. The town was small and would take a very short time to pass through, but it seemed like hours before he reached the outskirts with all the crowds and all.

"You'd think there'd be less people at night," he found himself mumbling out loud as he walked the dusty path.

He entered the woods near the town in search for Irima. He heard earlier from some other jerks in the bar that she was near. So near she may of already been in that town he just came from. He unsheathed his sword and prepared for anything.

The moon barely shown through the trees' canopy and the wind sent a chill down Sariyah like the hand of Death gripping his spine and crushing it. That's when he heard a scream. he started to run towards the sound, not thinking of what the coinsequences might be.

He came to a cliff where a woman was trapped by wolves. She seemed to be able to handle herself so Sariyah just watched. Then more came down on her and more and she couldn't swat them all away with her staff.

Sariyah was about to help when she spoke. "You better back away! My name is Irima and I know how to use this!" Sariyah immediately leapt in, taking out several wolves with kicks and punches. He came face to face with Irima and she smiled. "Thanks." He stuck his sword point before her face.

"And thanks for the bounty I'll recieve."

[Little Serenity]

Irima froze.

[i]At swordpoint. My best bet would be a physical retaliation but... let's see how far I can ride this guy.[/i]

Irima held her hands up. "Hey, I don't want any trouble. You've got the wrong girl."

"Right. You're Irima the Black Quessir, no?"

"But you've got it all wrong. I'm not Irima! It's just a tactic I use to scare off attackers!"

Sariyah raised his eyebrow, glaring at her. He couldn't really see her face. She was wearing a black veil over her face. "Remove your veil, and I'll be the judge of whether or not you're Irima."

She shrugged and pulled it down over her face. She threw herself at Sariyah and worked up some fake tears. "I know, I'm as beautiful as Irima, but I'm not her!"

"What are you talking about?!!" Sariyah pushed her off him, "You don't seem all that pretty to me!"

Irima paused, "What?"

"You're Irima all right. You've got all that black stuff on. The famed black mage and the bounty is mine."

[i]No. I can't hurt him. I just have to escape![/i] She turned on her heel and began to run. Sariyah tackled her, sending her flailing to the ground.

"Hey!! Let go! Stop it!!" She drew both her arms over her head and brought them swiftly into Sariyah's stomach. He fell off her and stood ready for another attack. Instead, Irima ran into the dark forest.

"Remember my name! It's Irima! The White Quessir!!"

"White Quessir?" Sariyah said to himself. "Now she's just being stupid."

[Dragon Warrior]

"I'm not about to let this bounty get away from me!" With not another moment, Sariyah leapt into action and started off after her. In no time, he was on her tail. She soon criss-crossed through the trees, confusing Sariyah and losing him at the same time.

He stopped short and looked around. The moon no longer showed through the trees. It was pitch black. He could barely see his quivering hand before him. he was excited. What a hunt!

Irima jolted through the forest at sprint, barely touching the trees that she dodged past. [i]I hope I've lost him.[/i] Hope was far for she bumped into a man of great stature. It wasn't Sariyah, luckily. But it wasn't friendly, neither.

"A barrwolf," she managed to mumble why scooted back. She bumped into a pair of boots. They were on feet. Particularily Sariyah's feet. She scooted the other way and saw more than just one barrwolf, now.

"Give us the girl," one growled. It seemed to be the leader. It's markings were visible in the night.

"No way," was Sariyah's reply. "I have a bounty on this black mage!"

"Go ahead and cut off her head then. We'll take the body and eat it, you can have her head to show that you did your job."

"I need the body to get full price."

"That's mad!" The leader stepped forward.

"It's what must be done." Sariyah did the same. Suddenly, Irima felt like the center of attention. "Now allow me to take her and no one will get hurt."

"Why don't you say that to my face," the leader snickered. Sariyah nodded and stepped forward. Irima felt the ground shake and suddenly, Sariyah and her collapsed through and down into a hole. "Oh, look boys," the leader laughed while peering down, "Supper."

[Little Serenity]

"Way to go man." Irima sighed. "But fortunately for you, I've been in worse scrapes than this." Irima looked up at the Barrwolf.

"Hey, you up there!" All the barrwolves stopped their descent on Sariyah and Irima. "Listen, maybe you don't know who I am exactly. But, once you find out, you won't want to eat me." Irima smiled slyly, "I am Irima, the Black Quessir."

There was a murmur of surprise. "What are you doing?! Didn't you say that you were the White Quessir a minute ago?" Sariyah hissed.

"Let it be." Irima glared at him.

"Well, we've taken this into consideration and," The barrwolf flashed a mouth full of fangs. "We don't care who you are. Go to it boys!!"

Irima sighed as Sariyah readied his sword. "Just get down." She began glowing white. Her blonde hair flowed effortlessly. The barrwolves stopped, looking stupidly at the light. Irima held her staff above her head.

"HOLY!!!"

It was difficult to describe what happened next. One minute, the barrwolves were attacking the next... they weren't anywhere in sight. "Hey..." Sariyah got up, "How did you-"

Irima hadn't been looking at her handy work. Instead, she had planned for the next moment. Sariyah turned his head and Irima whacked the back of it. He crumpled to the ground.

"Sorry. I know I shouldn't hurt people but, as a bounty hunter, you just wouldn't understand..." Irima climbed out of the hole and began walking the way that she had run.

[Dragon Warrior]

Sariyah didn't wake until morning. By that time, Irima was long gone. Stretching and rubbing the back of his head, he stood up in the hole and noticed where he was. Faint rememberance of the night before came to him. The embarrassment of being taken out by... a White Quessir. Or was it Black? He couldn't remember which. The lump on his head hurt like hell.

He climbed out of the hole and looked around at the weapons scattered. They seemed to be barrwolf weaponry. Then he saw a quivering barrwolf in a bush. He didn't bother with it and it shrieked when he passed it by.

He then recalled Irima and how he was tracking her. He started to make good pace and perked his elven ears to the sounds of the forest. The sun was shown through the canopy much more than the moon did.

Not thinking twice of what he was doing, he tripped, slid down a cliffside, and right into the camp of the same Barrwolves from last night. They jumped and the leader growled at the intrusion. Sariyah just smiled and leapt to his feet. With that, he started to run, hoping to lose them. Why was he running now and not last night? There's a lot more now than there were before. Plus, he oddly felt safer with Irima at his side. Maybe because of the whole "Black Quessir" dealy going on.

Leaping over bush and branch, Sariyah made his way to a waterfall. Looking down, he could see it was a long drop, but looking back, he saw them sniffing him out. He didn't know what to do.

The Barrwolves approached the waterfall's cliff. They began sniffing once more and found his scent. "Sir," one said, standing up on his two hind legs, "I believe we have lost the scent through the water."

"Drats," the leader scowled. "He was crafty to lose us through water," the leader said snickering over the waterfall, "But dumb to jump into that." He laughed and waved the others on. They left the scene where Sariyah supposedly jumped off.

[Little Serenity]

Irima woke up. After running for around twenty minutes, she had come to rest at a waterfall. She hoped that Sariyah was okay, but that he had given up on her. She needed to find somewhere that didn't know the legend of Irima the Black Quessir.

"Jeez, I need to wake up." Irima removed her leather armor and most of her clothes. She dived into the pool the waterfall was making. The water was cool and refreshing. She lay there, thinking about her situation.

"They all think I'm Irima the Black Quessir. What could have started that? I didn't do anything... irregular! Maybe Sariyah will clear my name. After all, he saw me use white magic! He MUST know that I'm Irima the White Quessir by now... hopefully..."

Irima's ears perked. Someone was watching her.

[Dragon Warrior]

She then felt something push against her back. She slowly turned and saw Sariyah's body limply floating at her. She squeeled. Sariyah suddenly awoke and coughed up water while regaining stature. Upon seeing Irima, he went wide eyed.

She noticed she was wearing hardly any clothes and screamed again, this time, punching Sariyah's head under water with a frantic attempt to regain her clothes on shore.

Sariyah jolted out of the water and crawled to the other side of the pool and choked on some water. "I think I swallowed a fish whole..." he sputtered. He turned his head toward Irima on the other shore and glared. He was quickly dressing herself. Their eyes met.

"Look, I don't know why you keep thinking I'm the Black Quessir," Irima said, breaking the uncanny silence.

"Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe because you announce you are the Black Quessir every waking moment!" sariyah finally stood up. He was a dripping mess and some kind of shellfish was latched to his knee. THere were exotic plants draped around his shoulders and arms. Something unknown was on his head.

"The only reason I say that is for people to leave me be. Like you! Just leave me be!"

Sariyah started around the pool's shore towards Irima's side. Irima responded by moving the other way. "You can't run forever. You're a good price." He reached for his sword, but it was gone. "Oh... just great! I must've lost it in the waterfall!"

Irima stopped and spotted the sword on the shore. Why Sariyah was looking away, she kicked it into the water. "I guess you can't kill me. Oh well. Bye!" She started to walk off into the forest, but Sariyah leapt in front of her.

"My dear Quessir, there is more than one way to skin a mage," Sariyah said, grinning deviously.

[Little Serenity]

Irima backed away from Sariyah. "Whaddya mean, there's more than one way...?"

"Do I need to spell it out for you? I'm a bounty hunter, I hunt bounties, like you. You've got a lot of zeros swirling around your head. I don't need a sword to get you."

"Look, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not the Black Quessir."

"But your name's Irima."

"Oh look, so it is. I've known that for around sixteen years, pal."

"Sixteen eh? Nice young age. But a bit too young to be a bounty, though."

"You're a hentai, aren't you?!! Staring at me like that in the water, and now you're stalking me when I'm only sixteen!"

"Stop changing the subject!!" Sariyah sighed, exasperated. "Look, in my book, you're Irima the Black Quessir, weilder of the mystic Mists, and all around femme fatale. I'm taking you in so I can be a very rich man, alright?"

"Not alright! I won't go with you!"

"Fine, then I'll just fight you!"

[Dragon Warrior]

Sariyah rolled up his sleeves and danced around like a boxer. He wiped a hand across his face and prepared. "I haven't fist fighted in a while, but I can do it. You'll see. I know I--" Irima slammed her staff down on his head and he fell unconscious again. He collapsed to the ground at Irima's feet and she gasped.

"What have I done? I did it again!" She poked at Sariyah, but he didn't move a muscle. "Oh... well, it saved me from a fight. But was that fair?" She lifted up his head and noticed the two bumps she inflicted. "The guy's gotta have a concussion by now." She let his head drop on a rock and she winced at the loud crack that was heard. "Oh no."

Taking a step back from Sariyah's body, Irima planned on what to do. She looked around at the waterfall, then to where she dropped his sword in the pool. She walked over to it and reached down.

She successfully sprung the sword from it's watery grave and wielded it in her hands. She walked back over and stared at Sariyah. He was still damp as heck and dripped endlessly all over the dirt he laid on.

"I have no choice." She lifted the sword over his head, then brought it down into his scabbard at his side. She felt a tear. That or it was water running down her face from her wet hair. She grabbed Sariyah by the collar and began to tug.

"I guess I'll take him home. Maybe if I'm lucky..." She pulled him more with great ease. "... he'll forget the whole thing." So on, she dragged Sariyah, through the warm morning sun, homeward bound.

[Little Serenity]

About an hour later, Irima stopped to rest. Sariyah didn't look it, but he was heavy. She took a drink of water and wiped her mouth. She looked down at Sariyah.

"He's not too bad, just... believes to heavily in rumors..." Irima poured some water down his throat. She wiped wet strands of hair away from his face. The bumps were beginning to bother her. She held his head in her hands and touched her forehead to his. A symbol of white light appeared on her forehead and the bumps receeded. His eyes fluttered open.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" He smacked her across the face. "Don't scare me like that!!"

"You..." Irima sniffed, "Meanie!!" She began to full out cry. "You- you h-hit m-m-me!! Maybe I shouldn't have healed you at all!"

Sariyah felt the back of his head. The bumps were gone. Irima didn't have any potions or anything, so how had she healed him. "Where are you taking me?!"

"To your home. Or someplace similar."

"Well, I'm not leaving without you."

"Gonna have to catch me first, hentai!!" Irima began to run, but then she stopped. A fog had surrounded her, blocking out the sun. She brandished her staff warily, as if daring something to come out at her. The mist passed.

"Hah!!" Sariyah tackled Irima. She fell in a very compromising position.

"You... SCUM!!" A few seconds later, Sariyah was left at the side of the road in considerable pain. "Find your own way home! Never mind me!"

"I'M scum?!! Who just hit below the belt?!!"

Irima gritted her teeth, then snapped her fingers. Sariyah wasn't in pain anymore. "What kind of a demon are you?!"

"A pure one." Irima continued to walk away.

[Dragon Warrior]

Though, the pain had subsided, Sariyah made his way towards her at a crawling pace, holding himself as he did. "Look, just come with me. Maybe they won't kill you. I know I won't. Not without my sword."

"You have your sword," Irima replied, not turning, but still walking.

Sariyah felt his hilt and looked up at her. He finally stood and turned her around by grabbing her shoulder. "Look, maybe we got off on the wrong start. Just come with me. If you're not the Black Quessir, they won't kill you."

"Oh, I'm so sure they will believe me, hentai!"

"It's Sariyah. My name is Sariyah!"

"I don't give a damn!" She brandished her staff and Sariyah jumped back. He was well familiar with the item already.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Really?" She glared at him. "Just a second ago, you wanted me dead."

"I was... kidding. Yeah! Kidding!" He made a toothy grin that wasn't very convincing.

"Yeah. Like I could believe that face."

"I'm not good at smiling. I don't really have the face to do it, ya know."

Irima stomped on the ground. "Well, never mind that. I'm gonna say it once more and that's it. I'm not the Black Quessir! I just say that so people will leave me be." Something in her eyes oddly made Sariyah believe her this time. He just stared. "Umm... are you just gonna stare at me?"

"Huh? Oh, erm... uh..." He stammered for words to speak. "Very well. If this is all a trick, I guess I have no business with you. Good day." He started walking away, leaving Irima wondering.

[Little Serenity]

[i]I... I can't just leave him! He's...[/i]

"Wait!" Sariyah stopped and looked at her, questioningly.

"What is it? I have to look for the REAL Black Quessir."

"You- You're standing right in front of her pal!" Sariyah stared at her. "That's right! Fooled ya didn't I?! Now I'll have to kill you!" She brandished the staff.

"No, no, don't hit, don't hit... it only increases my sense of danger."

"Okay, no staff." She tossed it aside.

"HA!!" Sariyah tackled her again and sat on her lower chest area, holding his sword at her throat. "Gotcha."

"Hey!! No fair! I wasn't ready!"

"I still have you."

"Lemme up or I'll- I'll..."

"Use your power?"

"That's right! I'll-"

[i]Great. I've just agreed to do something that I can't...[/i]

She paused, trying to breathe. She suddenly realized that Sariyah was cutting off all her air. "Sari-" She couldn't breathe. She passed out, her head hitting the ground.

"Huh?" He poked at her with his index finger. "Hey... hey wake up! Oh great... now what?!"

[i]I can't exactly leave her here... she'll be killed or enslaved by the next passer-by.[/i] He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. [i]Great, I'll just have to take her. Stupid woman!![/i] He hoisted Irima onto his shoulders and began to walk. Irima's eye cracked open, taking a sideways glance at the back of Sariyah's head.

[Dragon Warrior]

After a good, long time, Sariyah dropped her by a stream and washed his face off. There, he poured water on her and she jumped up. "I'm awake! I'm awake!"

Sariyah almost fell backwards. "What the... Gah... gaaahhh... mwe-mwehhh..."

Irima gave him a funny look. "You okay?"

"You were awake the whole time?!" Sariyah leapt to his feet and stared her in the eyes, face to face.

"No! How dare you accuse me of such craziness!" She then peered around. "Where are we anyways?"

"I dunno. I don't go in these woods often."

"So we're lost?"

"Seems that way."

"Oh, great."

"Hey!" Sariyah started. "It's your fault!" He poked her in the chest with his index finger as he accused. "You were the one who had to fake her own unconsciousness."

"That makes it my fault how?!"

"I--I don't know, but it just does." Irima squeeled and threw up her arms. The two of them turned their backs to each other and walked some distance away. Sariyah unsheathed his sword and cut at a tree. Irima picked up her staff that laid on the ground in a pile of leaves and fiddled with it.

"Now what?" She finally broke the silence.

"I don't know."

"Still wanna kill me?"

"What's the use of it if I can't find my way out of here?"

"True."

"Plus, I already helped you by carrying you here so I guess you are no longer of any use to me."

"Helped me by carrying me here? It didn't help that mu--"

"Oh stop star--"

"It didn't help at a--"

"You knew what this wa--"

"Yeah right! You helped me because you're a senseles jer--"

"You're just a spoiled brat." They just stared at one another, aware of the crazy argument they just had.

[Little Serenity]

Irima and Sariyah sat in silence for a few minutes, both steaming mad.

"I can't believe that I called you back."

"Well, it's not like it's my fault that you did, yasha."

"Y-you mean you don't like meeee?!!" Irima cried again.

"Well, please, it's not like I could like someone who's face I've never seen! You kept that veil over your face the entire time! Even when you took it off, I was either unconscious or you didn't let me get a good look."

"Helps prevent lineups, my friend." She adjusted it briefly.

For a couple hours, they just sat there, facing off. Then, night fell.

"Well, I guess we have to stay here. I don't want to travel at night." Irima shuddered.

"Then, see you around."

"NO!!! You can't just leave me!"

"Why should I stay?"

"I'll...." Irima searched for something, "I'll take off my veil in the morning."

"Please, like I want to see what's under it."

"Well, considering I'm supposed to be gorgeous, I'd think you'd want to see..." Irima winked at him. "But, whatever. Good night!" With that she fell asleep, seriously.

[Dragon Warrior]

Sariyah glared at her. The moon, once again, didn't shine through the canopy, but there was a clear patch where she slept, letting off an eerie illuminating light.


When morning struck, Irima rose from where she slept and stretched. She looked around and saw there was no sign of Sariyah. She frowned and sighed. [i]I suppose he really did leave me.[/i]

"So," she heard a voice from the trees. She turned to the direction the sound came from. "You were gonna remove the viel." It was Sariyah. He was sitting on a branch, back against the tree trunk munching some kind of unknown food. One leg dangled down and swung to and fro.

"Not yet," Irima said. Though he couldn't see, she grinned behind the viel.

"You are hopeless!" Sariyah threw up his arms. Big mistake. He fell from the tree and to the ground with a THUD! "Oh my God... what are the chances..." He lifted himself up and Irima came to aid him.

She sat him against a tree by the stream. He wasn't hurt badly, just startled. "C'mon now... calm down." She soothed.

"Yeah, yeah..." Sariyah said, laying back and relaxing.

"Now, I'll just go get some fire wood and we can start break--" Suddenly, her viel was torn away from her face by Sariyah who, out of nowhere, leapt up and was fine. She was revealed!

[Little Serenity]

"Gah!!" She covered her face with her hands. "You idiot!! What was that for?!"

"You said you'd remove it, so I did it for you."

Irima seethed with anger, still covering her face with one hand and outstretching the other. "Give the veil back! I can mend it."

"No way. I'm not giving this back until I see your face."

"I can't show it to you."

"Why not?"

"I JUST CAN'T!" There was silence for a minute or two.

"Something tells me this isn't just about the lineups."

Irima sniffled, "Bingo." Her voice was unsteady.

"Oh great..." Sariyah looked around nervously to see if anyone would come and beat him up for making her cry. "Hey, don't cry, I'm sure we can... work this out..."

Irima pulled her knees to her face. "When I was only ten, I was captured by a band of theives. They killed everyone in my village."

"Even your parents?"

"I don't remember having any parents. I think that I've been an orphan my entire life... anyway, the theives captured me along with other women and forced us into a life of servitude. Many..." Irima found it difficult to talk about the next part, "Many of the men found me... attractive... I guess. They forced themselves on me, even though I was young. I was beaten by the women because their men thought I was pretty. But then..." Irima thought for a second. "Then I was cast out of the caravan. The women told me that if they ever saw my face again, they'd kill me. But... on the other hand, the men said that if they ever saw my face again, I'd be welcome back. And you can imagine how much I wanted THAT."

Sariyah stood there stunned.

[i]You... HENTAI!! Scum![/i]

All that time, she hadn't said anything to him. She didn't scream out in terror or try to kill him. Irima was still sobbing softly and quivering. He looked at the torn veil in his hand.

"Why did you tell me all this?"

"I... I don't know... It just seemed like you'd understand..."

He sighed, "Stand up." She did, still covering her face.

"Will you give me back my veil now?"

"There's no one around, believe me." He advanced on her and gripped her wrists in one hand. Irima couldn't move, her strength couldn't match his. Before she knew it, her hands were away from her face. Sariyah looked at her, brushing away her tears as he studied her face. "It makes it easier to see you, the real you." He tossed her the veil. Irima hastily readjusted it over her face.

About a half an hour later, there was a fire going with breakfast cooking over it. Irima came back with more wood. Sariyah was stoking the fire.

"So..." Irima started, "What did you think?"

"About your face?" She nodded. "Feh, nothing special to me."

"Why you...!!!" Irima smacked him across the face, leaving a throbbing red handprint. She crossed her arms indignantly, "Hmph!"

[Dragon Warrior]

Sariyah glared back at her. "Hey! You're just a little kid!"

"Oh yeah? And how old are you?" she glared in response.

"Er... well.. 18. But that doesn't matter." He went back to working the fire, hoisting a fish on a stick over it. The fish came from the stream they camped next to. "We got off on a wrong start. Let's try to be nicer to one another and learn more."

Irima arched an eyebrow. "This doesn't sound like you."

"Yeah, well, you haven't known for that long, now have you?" Sariyah finished the fire and picked up pieces of the fish and flicked them into the grass.

Irima plopped down next to him and they ate peacefully. It wasn't long before they finished feasting upon the fish and other good food from Sariyah's pack. They ate almost everything. Of course, Sariyah himself hadn't eaten in almost a full day and who knows how long ago Irima did.

Sariyah stood up and brushed off pieces of fish from his cloaks. "Well, now, let's get moving. If we want out of this forest, we best be going while the sun is out." Irima nodded and stood up as well. Packing everything and leaving the firepit, the two travelled down what seemed to be a path.

Sariyah perked his ears up and heard a noise in the distance. He stopped. "Something's near."

Irima perked hers as well. "I don't hear anything." Sariyah silently pointed to the West and Irima listened in that direction. "Oh m--"

"Shhh!" Sariyah quieted her. The area went dead silent. Even the birds in the trees did not chirp for their lives may depend on it. After moments of uncomfortable peace, Sariyah spoke. "Blackelanterns."

"Pumpkins?"

"Not Jackolanterns. Blackelanterns. Large, black beasts that look like a barrwolf the size of a house. Destructive and luckily, very rare. I think it passed us." Sariyah started to walk slowly down the trail when suddenly, the blackelantern appeared. It drooled heavily over the new meals it found: Sariyah and Irima.

"Irima..." Sariyah said in more of a mumble, "Say hello to a Blackelantern."

[Little Serenity]

"What should I do...?" Irima clutched her staff.

"Use some kind of black magic on it! That'll kill it, right?"

"Uh... sure..." Irima stepped forward. "You better not mess with me! That's the last thing you want to do! My name's Irima, the Black Quessir, and if you want to wake up tomorrow morning I suggest you get lost!"

"You idiot!" Sariyah slapped his forehead, "You think THAT'S going to intimidate it?!"

"It worked with everyone else..." The Blackelantern gave a hidious roar and began running after Sariyah and Irima. "What the?!! What do I do now?!!"

"Use a spell! Kill it! You're the famed Black Quessir, you can do it!"

"I- I can't!"

"WHADDYA MEAN 'I CAN'T'?!!"

"I'm not the Black Quessir! I'm a WHITE MAGE!"

"Oh that's perfect!!" Irima turned around suddenly. "What are you doing?!! You'll be killed!"

"I only know one offensive spell, and it's a doozy! Grab onto something!!" Irima brandished her staff. "Sure hope this thing's pure evil. Well, here goes... HOLY!!!" Sariyah shut his eyes, hanging on to a tree branch. He could feel a warmish wind blowing through the trail, and he could hear the beast roaring with fury. The wind started to pick up until Sariyah was sure that he was a goner but then it stopped. He regained his footing and opened his eyes. The Blackelantern was nowhere to be seen and Irima was lying in the middle of the path unconscious.

[Dragon Warrior]

Sariyah jumped for joy and hurried over to Irima. "Oh, you sly girl, you! I didn't think you had it in you! I mean, BAM! BOOM! The beast is dead! Haha!" Irima didn't move. "Heh, come on! I'm not falling for that again." She still didn't move. "Heh, heh..." There was a silence. "Crap."


It was late afternoon and, once again, Sariyah set up camp as Irima slept. He cooked more fish, though he was sick to death of it. Irima started to figget, but Sariyah paid no mind to her. "Well, this is a familiar scene," he grunted.

"Greetings, sir!" Sariyah perked his ears. "I say, sir! Over here!" Sariyah turned his head to a man. The man started his way down the low hill and towards their camp. "My, my, that smells good, now doesn't it?"

"Um... do I know you?" Sariyah looked questionly at the stranger who just invaded their privacy.

"Oh, no. I'm just a traveller like yourself. Ooo... is that trout?"

"Who are you, sir? And what do you want?"

The man poked at the fish and smiled at Sariyah. "The name's Monte. I'm a rich business man from the far East. I have come to do business in this part of the world." He grinned another toothy smile.

"Business man, huh?" Sariyah looked him over. He did match the description. His suit was totally professional looking, unlike Sariyah's which was torn to bits. "You look like a successful person, Mr. Monte."

"Oh, I am." He beamed, then frowned just as quickly. "Which is less than I can say for you, my good sir." It was then Sariyah's turn to frown. "No need to get all sad. I didn't mean it in any rude way. I'm just saying, I could get you some better clothes, maybe a place to stay, a doctor for your friend over there." He nodded at Irima.

"She's fine," Sariyah glared.

"Oh, sure, sure. Whatever you say." Monte stood up. "I'll trust to your word on that, sir."

"I said, she's fine."

"You don't believe I trust you?" Sariyah shook his head. "Haha. My good sir--"

"Sariyah."

"Okay, Sariyah, then. My good Sariyah, I am a man of my word and I have my generous deeds to pass along with. Why don't you take up my offer?"

"What's in it for you?"

"You allow me to stay here with you as long as you camp and supply me with what I need and I'll join you and take you to a place beyond your wildest dreams."

Sariyah removed the fish from it's stick and munched on it's side. "Sounds like a lot of bull to me."

"Oh no. Not bull at all." The man known as Monte began to pace as he spoke. "This offer I don't give out willingly."

"Then answer me this..."

"Hm?"

"What exactly does your 'business' do?"

"Well, I can't tell you. It's top secret work. But rest assure, my people can talk to your people and we can all end up happy, hm?" Monte smiled and sat down. "Now how about catching me more fish." He laid back and Sariyah mumbled something as he stood and went towards the river. "You won't regret it, my friend." Monte began again. "You won't--" He began to yawn and doze off. "Regret... it... yeah..."

[Little Serenity]

Irima cracked her eye open. Sariyah was looking at the waterfall, seemingly unaware of her being awake.

[i]Well, at least he hasn't dumped me on the highway yet.[/i] Her staff was still clutched in her hand. [i]Must have used too much power, to end up in a wreck like this.[/i] Quietly, Irima snuck up on Sariyah. He was absorbed in examining his sword. She stopped. "Hey I-"

Quickly, Sariyah had his hand on Irima's back. He swung her over the river and poised his sword at her throat. "I knew you were trouble Mon- Oh, it's you."

"YOU IDIOT, my armor's leather! If you don't have a good grip-!" She jolted violently. "GAHH!! Save me!!" She grabbed Sariyah's head and pulled him to her chest.

"You're the idiot now!! We're gonna faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!!" They both fell into the river. Irima surfaced first, treading water, then Sariyah, thrashing about. "Way to go."

"Hey, you were the one who grabbed me first!"

"BLACK QUESSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR!!!" Irima looked up. Monte was standing there holding a small revolver. Her eyes went wide.

"Yo! Man put that down!!!" Irima sheilded herself with Sariyah.

"Quick Sariyah! Grab her! Do you have any idea how much money she's worth?!"

"Hey, back off! I caught her first!" Monte fired several times. Irima screamed and covered her head. Sariyah got a bit... angry. "YOU HAVE HAD ONE TOO MANY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT! Stop shooting at us!!"

Irima folded her hands intricately, "SLEEP BUSTER!" Monte fell onto the bank, snoring. His gun fell out of his hand and into the river. Irima gave Monte a look of dislike. "Let's get out of here," she muttered, wading onto the bank.

[Dragon Warrior]

"As much as I'd like to, Irima, we can't." Irima splashed onto shore and glanced back at Sariyah with distaste.

"And why not?"

"This man," Sariyah said, shooting a glance at the slumbering Monte, "He's going to help us."

"Him?"

"Yes."

"Sleeping Dummy over there?"

"Yes."

"The man who tried to [i]KILL[/i] us?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay." Irima pretended to calm down as Sariyah pulled himself onto shore. She gripped him by the collar. "Are you crazy, Sariyah?! This man had a gun at me! He wants me dead!"

Sariyah pushed away Irima's tensed hands and straightened his cloak. "Relax. I don't like him neither, but he's no threat while I'm around. He just had too much... well..." He nodded towards the many empty wine bottles.

"Still," Irima continued, pacing as she did. "He wants me dead because I'm supposedly the Black Quessir."

"And yet you don't know black magic."

"Yes."

"Very well, then. There ya go. A black mage cannot cast any form of white magic. Show him your... er... umm... holy stuff and I'm sure he'll melt like butter."

"I don't know..."

"Maybe give him flowers or something." Sariyah gave a toothy grin.

"Sariyah, we're trying to convince him, not get up the nerve to ask him on a date." She shunned at the unconscious being to her right. "Besides, he's... ugh..."

Sariyah dried himself with the blanket Irima slept on and spat out. White flakes poured down from the blanket. "Geez, Irima. Wash your hair! You've got dandruff all over. Ever heard of shampoo?"

"That's not dandruff!" Irima said, shocked. She rushed over.

"Uh huh. Making up excuses, now? I don't blame you if you're embarrassed, but all it takes is some good scrubbing and--"

"Look, Sariyah, and shut up!" Sariyah looked closer at a flake on the blanket. "It's not a flake. It's fairy dust!" The flake did glow. There was a sudden sound of someone whistling. Irima and Sariyah looked around as they perked their ears. It wasn't Monte since he was still in snoozeland.

"Where's that coming from?"

"I-I don't know." It continued, then faded. Though it was gone, the two of them listened for a few moments more. After not hearing anything else, they turned back to each other, then the blanket.

"The dust!"

"It's gone!" Irima looked dumbfounded at Sariyah as did he in return just as Monte awoke.

"Oh my," he said, scratching his back and rubbing his eyes. "What a nice nap, I do say. I wonder why I took another. I just had one a few moments ago."

Irima looked wonderingly at Sariyah. She then whispered to him in a hush voice. "That's odd. Sleep spells usually last for hours. Even days, at times."

Sariyah peered past Irima to get a good look at Monte who was now fiddling with the fire. "Maybe your spells last extra short on idiots." They laughed silently, but it was broken by Monte's loud, obnoxious voice.

"I say, you two, there's no kissing in my presence! Get over here!"

[Little Serenity]

"Kissing?!!! WHY YOU..." Irima stalked over to him.

"Easy, easy! Don't kill him!" Sariyah restrained Irima.

"Unfortunately I can't..." Irima grunted through her teeth. Monte hadn't taken one look at Irima since he woke up.

"Hey," Sariyah started, "I think you'd best change your appearance a bit. So you don't look like-"

"Okay." Irima stalked off into the forest with a blanket and a comb. When she returned, her legs were tied up in strips of blanket and her hair had been combed down.

"The veil too." Irima hesitated, then removed it. Sariyah stared at her face for a bit.

"What?! Stop looking at me!"

"Sorry."

Monte turned around. "Good Lord, who are you?!"

"Er..." Irima stammered, "I'm... I'm Amiri!" Sariyah fell over.

"You're cute. How about you come over here. You have a pretty face..." Irima gripped her staff closer to her.

"Just, just leave her alone Monte. Don't come near her. She's a dreadful claustrophobic."

"What was that....?!!" Irima growled under her breath.

"Nyah!!"

"Hmph! Shonen!" Irima turned away from him. [i]What was all that fairy dust about? And... Monte... waking up. Usually a Sleep Buster lasts at least three hours. Weird...[/i]

"Well, we should get going into town. Come on... Amiri..." Sariyah snorted as he packed his bag.

[Dragon Warrior]

The three of them set off down the trail through the forest. Monte's eyes were completely fixed on Iri--er... Amiri the whole way. Of course, he did tell everyone which way to go through the forest even if his mind was some place else.

"Say, Amiri, my dear," he began.

"What?" Irima grunted.

"Did you ever feel... suddenly loving?"

"Back off, Monte," Sariyah barked from up front of the group.

"Of course, of course! I didn't dream of putting the moves on Ms. Amiri." He shuffled for a bit, then started again. "Are you looking or are you taken?"

"I said, back off, Monte!" Sariyah's voice was louder now, with anger.

"Why are you so touchy?" Then, he gasped. "Ohhhh! I'm so terribly sorry! I didn't know you two--"

"We're not," Irima snapped.

"Oh, how positively delightful, then!"

"No!" Irima and Sariyah yelled at him simotaneously.

"Fine." Monte crossed his arms and trotted on. By late afternoon, they saw a clearing up ahead. Monte nodded as they closed in on it. "Yes, yes, that's where the trail starts to lead to Akubar."

"Akubar? The big gambling city?" Monte nodded. Suddenly, Irima and Sariyah felt uneasy. "Are you sure we should go there?" Sariyah questioned.

"Of course! What's the harm in that place? Just gamblers. It's not like it's full of crooks or cheaps." Monte made a nervous laugh and the three passed out of the forest.

Monte began drinking some wine he stole from Sariyah's back. "So," he began, taking a drink, "what exactly do you want to do in town, anyways?"

Sariyah looked back at Monte finally. "Isn't it obvious?" Monte shook his head. "We just needed to get out of the forest. We were lost. Once we get to town, I don't need you anymore. Or you." He shook a finger at Irima.

"What?"

"Your lies got me into this mess in the first place so, what good are you to me anyways?"

"Bwa?" Her sorry face turned to an angry one and she readied her staff for a good thromp on the head, but Monte stepped in between.

"Ahem," he spoke, "I believe we are only an hour's worth away from Akubar. Shall we?" Irima and Sariyah put aside their differences and the three of them travelled down the path silently once again.