[Freezair]

Desdemona~~~~~~~~~~~Jessica

Ancients! Could you PLEASE stop building your temples in out-of-the-way places like icy mountains and deep jungles! Is that SO much to ask?

...Oh, wait. You're dead. Maybe it is.

Beating their wings rapidly, the two Paragon fanned up a plume of snow. Here, up so high, the snow was thin and powdery. Even when it was warm, it didn't melt--it just evaporated, like any other puddle of water. Desdemona felt little snowflakes clinging to her thick skin. She was grateful for her inner fire driving off the cold--and that Jessica was affined with Ice anyway. She didn't care. And they were both Air-loving breeds, so the high altitude didn't even resemble a problem. So this was the perfect place to start looking, wasn't it?

Was it the cold or nerves that was making Desdemona shiver?

"J-J-Jessie?" She shook her head to toss snowflakes out of her crest. She didn't want it fouling with her sensitive feathers. "A-a-are you sure that this is--th-th-the right sort of place?"

Jessica's expression was as it always was: Nonchalant; barely expressive at all. "Well, there are plenty of Hunters and Mekkayena around, right? ...I mean, Mekkayenas were supposed to be made by God or somethin', right? If any of 'em knows anythin' about the Metal element, or... whatever... I mean, I think it'd be one of them."

Desdemona folded up her wings, hiding away their celestial sparkle. "...I dunno... I heard they were defective..."

"I think we'll be fine," Jessica said reassuringly. "C'mon. Let's go look for, like, a tour guide or somethin'."

[1]

[Feint]

A silent pair of white, glowing eyes watched the two paragon from a distance. They weren't eyes so much as circular hollows filled with a glowing something one would like to call mist, though it wasn't. It was more like condensing soul, but that was a crazy notion.
The owner of these two hollows sat motionlessly and half-hidden in a doorway behind the paragon, not even feeling the cold. Blue runes were deeply carved over every square inch of her stone body, pulsing softly from within. A pair of large, light horns were set on either side of her head, just above her large stone ears. She shifted her paws underneath her and tilted her head to one side. What to do? We have company, Golem, she thought to herself. The albie drew a pattern on the ground with the tip of a stone toe, making a soft rushing sound. Should we greet them, Golem? Should we take them somewhere? No, no, let's be nice, Golem. Let's show them around; do you think they would like that? Yes, yes, much. Let's. Nodding happily, the albie of questionable sanity rose into a slight crouch and stealthily trotted up to meet the paragon. Her stone feet clinked quietly against the icy floor.

1

[Freezair]

"'Tour guide?' Aren't they, y'know, monks? Or something like that?" Her head turned warily. The flickers of candles kept catching suspiciously in the edges of her eyes. "I--I dunno, Jessie. Maybe we're not supposed to be here at all. Monks like their solitude, after all..." She pulled her front paws together tightly, in case any passing shadows happened to nip at them.

"People come here all the time," Jessica yawned. "Looking for Hunters and Mekkas and stuff. I think we'll be just fine."

Desdemona's crest leapt up. "W-w-what was that?!"

"Probably just a monk going to work on copying her manuscripts or somethin'," Jessica replied. "You don't have to be so jumpy, Dezzie..."

"B-but what if it is a Mekka? And they're not happy to see... To see..."

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"...I... I guess." Gulping, Desdemona slowly turned around to reassure herself.

Something was slinking along the ground to meet them. It was not a Hunter. It was not a Mekkayena. It wasn't anything Desdemona could name.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

[2]

[Feint]

The albie froze and tilted her head, feeling the panic radiate off the paragon she just startled. She waited for the screaming to stop, then wriggled into a sitting position. Her stone tail flicked across the floor, making grinding noises as it swished. The blue grooves along her tail glowed more vividly as the stone "curved," exposing them. She watched the two paragon silently, white "eyes" intense and hypnotic in their motionless stare. Hello, stranger, she said, slowly and cordially in thought-speech, What brings you to this cold, desolate place?

2

[Freezair]

In a flash of brilliant, crepuscular glow, Desdemona was tucked behind Jessica. She folded up her wings to keep their gentle light from giving away her hiding place. Not like it was all that difficult to begin with: Bright purple didn't blend in so well with the scenery. But beyond that.

"J-J-Jessie? W-w-what is that thing?"

Jessica yawned. "Calm down. It's only a Temple creature. Looks like an Albie, from the looks of it. See the horns?" She nodded at them. "Say, Albie-guy? Can you hear us? I know you guys normally use thought-speech and all, but do your ears and stuff work, too? I'm not good at thinking words like that. You got a name or anything? I'm--"

"J-Jessie! Don't tell it!"

Jessica sighed. "Well, as you may've guessed already... I'm Jessica. She'll give you her name when she's ready... I'm sure."

[3]

[Feint]

The albie twisted her head to one side slightly to peer around the icy paragon at the voidwing cowering behind her with rising interest. She shifted back into position and stood briefly to bow in acknowledgment. How old-fashioned. As she settled back onto her rear, she shot a quick glance up at the ceiling as if sudden movement had caught her eye. There was, of course, nothing; nothing normally visible, anyway.
I can hear spoken words, she said in the same slow voice, And my name is Golem, though you can call me whatever. You needn't trouble yourself over giving me your name, I hold no such value on "name" labels like you people do. She said it passively, clearly not meaning harm with the rudeness of her words. She flicked her tail again, but had to stop when it caught on a hidden splinter in the floor and nearly fractured. A small piece no larger than a fingernail had broken off as it were. She turned momentarily to examine it, decided it was nothing, and turned back to the icy paragon. Did you need something? she asked, not in the least impatient. She had all the time in the world.

3

[Freezair]

Desdemona peeped out around her friend. Her crest was raised in curiosity.

Jessica sighed. "I don't think she's going to try to eat us. You can probably come out now."

With her claws scraping along the ground, Desdemona shuffled out into the open. When the Albie bowed, she bowed her head in kind. Her dad was a great and regal Paragon, she knew, and she was definitely going to try and preserve that. It was part of her goal, for certain. "Uhhh... Hi? How do you do, miss... um, Golem?"

"See? Now she doesn't even care about her name," Jessica said. "You want to explain us to her?"

Desdemona swallowed. "Uh... Do you live around here? We're looking for a Mekkayena. Or perhaps a Hunter. Either will do, really. You see, I want them to teach me the secrets of the Elements. ...Does that make sense?"

[4]

[Feint]

The albie nodded. I live here, yes, she stated without interest and continued to stare hypnotically at the voidwing. Her "eyes" seemed to bore into the soul of whatever they rested on. Suddenly, her head tilted sharply to one side and her back straitened. Hunters I've heard of, but not the other, she said slowly, her "voice" full of confusion. Mekka-who? she thought to herself, perplexed. I can't fathom why you'd seek a hunter--they are not one to come out of hiding. Nor are they one to seek company, but I suppose you'll do your best to try, she said, having settled back into a normal sitting position. She tilted her head down to think. Most of her thoughts were disjointed, meaningless--nothing worth repeating on paper. The only thing she did think of that was sane was, They seek something I've never heard of--where would I "search" that wouldn't appear suspiciously wrong? After those few moments of thought, she lifted her head and found Jessica's gaze. Would you like help finding these things? she asked invitingly, I've got all day.

4

[Freezair]

"Well, Hunters would probably know a thing or two about Ice," Jessica said. "And it's the only one of her father's elements she hasn't mastered. Same thing goes for Mekkayenas and Metal, but her dad never knew that, so... yeah."

Desdemona crept forward. "Oh, please! Please help us find a Hunter or a Mekkayena," she pleaded. "You have no idea how important this is to me! I have to have a tutor for Ice and Metal! I just gotta! Pppplease?"

In the ack of her mind, Desdemona thought: It's almost like I'm asking this Temple... thing to be my tutor instead...

"I don't need a tutor in ice," Jessica yawned. "It's already my element. But I'm along for the ride, you know? And besides, I'm the one who suggested it."

[5]

[Feint]

The albie tilted her head to one side and held it there while she pondered her situation. She thought of all the outcomes and possibilities and dangers she might face, and all of what she could do if these naive travelers followed her down the wrong path...

All right, she said, realigning her head and twitching an ear in secret pleasure. I'll help you find a hunter and a... Mekkayena. As best I can. This way, she said, rising to her feet suddenly without waiting for a response from the two paragon. She pushed past them and skimmed lightly over the tile floor down the hall, so fast and quiet it looked as if she were hovering instead of walking on two stone-solid feet. She nimbly leapt up to an icy ledge made by a frozen-over bookshelf and paused for a moment, seated, to allow the two paragon to catch up. Seated in the way she was, back bent, head forward, tail curled and feet parallel, made her look like a gargoyle and not a living thing at all. If it weren't for her glow one might actually believe she was.

5

[Freezair]

Equally nimble, but rather shaky, Desdemona picked up her feet and followed. She swallowed heavily as she followed in the Albie's footsteps.

"Cool," Jessica said placidly. "Thanks for helping out, you know? So, uh. Do you know, like, the main places where the Hunters and stuff congregate, or are we just kinda wanderin' around looking for random stuff? I mean, either way's cool. I don't mind if we get in some sight-seeing along the way."

"I hope we know where they are," Desdemona trembled. "It'd be kind of not-nice if one of them just... just snuck up behind us and surprised us..."

[6]

[Feint]

The albie waited until Desdemona was almost right on top of her before jumping down and resuming the lead. She trotted sharply around a corner and stopped suddenly, facing Jessica. I've never heard of a mekkayena, so I'm taking you to the hunters, she said calmly, and then shot off ahead. At least that's where you think you're going, she thought to herself with hidden glee. At the end of the long, strait hall, she perched up on what was left of a wall-mounted torch and waited there patiently as she had done before, staring back at her two tourists, unmoving.

1

[Freezair]

"Gyaah! Cut that out!" Desdemona quietly frothed at the Albie. "That's scary and creepy! And not very helpful. You're gonna give someone a heart attack--"

"Chill out, Dezz," Jessica said. Her voice was practically a yawn. "She's helpin' us, right?" Jessica followed along, her tail doing a lazy sway. "Hmmm. This place is kinda nice once you get inside. I like the walls... They're pretty..."

"Lovely," Desdemona said flatly. "Where, specifically, are we going?"

[7]

[Feint]

Golem leapt down gracefully and led the pair around a dark corner. To a place I know, she answered casually, purposely skirting the subject. She wasn't quite sure yet, but she'd heard faint noises from somewhere back there and was sort of hoping it was dangerous. For all she knew, it could've been another stupid ghost; with her Spirit Sense, she couldn't always tell. And ghosts looooooved people with Spirit Sense. They were quite the talkative bunch when they came across someone with that cursed "gift." Golem found them more than annoying on many levels, but if she could somehow talk them into assaulting her little parade for her, they might be worth having to listen to. I think I heard a hunter down this way, so I hope you don't mind us investigating, she called back to the paragon, not sounding like she cared at all.

2

((ooc: sorry I'm so flipping slow to respond, I'm running several RP's on several different sites, and they're all very active. ))

[Freezair]

Desdemona flickered. She thought she head something, and it didn't sound crystal. "C-c-could there be... G-g-ghosts?"

Desdemona's front arms started visibly shaking. She almost lost her footing and slipped on the slick ground.

"Don't worry," Jessica said. "She says it's a hunter."

"I--I-I don't think I wanna meet any ghosts," Desdemona trembled. "Even if they're nice, they sound so... creepy..."

"I don't hear anything," Jessica said, trying to follow the Albie's change in topics. "But you're a canine, so if you say so."

[8]

((S'alright.))