[Ander]

Christa walked beside the other Sahound silently, turning to look at him as he spoke. Was Mahkah saying that his trainer had selfish desires, or that Belenus did? She would never dare to speak out against Discord in such a way - well, all of her pets questioned her humanity, mostly because it was incredibly doubtful that she had any - but besides that, the trainer genuinely cared for each of them. No, he must have meant Belenus. She could imagine selfishness in that one. The Hollow Aries could make a Garagnir shiver for fear.

The Seraph opened her mouth again, tasting the air as she tilted up her nose for a better sniff. The scent continued, unwavering. Christa couldn't tell if they had come closer to the Mekkayena, or farther from it, or were anywhere close to one at all. She turned back to Mahkah. "Can you smell anything of the fresh air?" She asked him quietly. "I can't. But then again, this air agitates my senses." The darkness was weighing heavily on the angelic creature. Doubtlessly, it would continue to weigh on her to no good end.

((Christa's current Darkness stat: 12))

[Citanul]

Of course he was talking of Belenus. Mahkah would never say anything bad of Citanul... The man had saved him, was training him now to be better, a stronger hunter.

"I do not smell anything fresh... But there has to be someplace. These are supposed to be ruins, not a whole building." Licking his nose again to clear the dust he shifted and jumped slightly to the wall, using it to stand upright so he could scent higher in the air. The new smell of some dark creature was there, permeating this place... But it gave no indication of where it came from.

Moving a few steps along the wall he suddenly wagged his tail, moving his bulk back to the floor without making it shake with an earthquake. "I smelt something fresh." He said softly, moving to lead her towards it. "Maybe if we get out of here we can find another entrance and a fresh trail."

[Ander]

Christa looked over at Mahkah and blinked. She lifted her head, casting olive eyes on the walls around her and the corrisor they had left behind. The cathedral didn't look like a ruin to her. It looked eerie, unfriendly - and unbelievably whole. Maybe this was just a part of the Lya Pointa that had eluded time's wear-and-tear.

Whatever it was, the darkness in this place was palpable to Christa, and trembled in her every feather. The Seraph shuddered, moving aside to let Mahkah take a place in front of her. "Be my guest. This cathedral makes my feathers crawl." They might need a fresh breeze to find their quarry, she realized; now that she knew what it was, the smell of Mekkayena seemed to lie over everything.

[Citanul]

Being a bit taller, he could catch a whiff of a breeze higher in the air. That meant that somewhere there was an opening; even if only Christa could get to it.

"This place is eerie... I can see why Cita hasn't come here before." Continuing to lead the way it was quite a while before they finally found the opening, a crumbled exterior wall that led to the outside. The Whisper Forest was visible from were we were, stepping outside to breathe some fresh air and not the dusty ruins. Parts out here looked more crumbled than they were on the inside; maybe we had just avoided the destruction.

"So. What now?"

[Ander]

Christa breathed deep of the open air, lifting herself up onto her hind legs, wings fluttering slightly to help her keep her balance. Even the woody scents of the Whisper Forest were welcome after breathing the air of the cathedral for so long.

The Seraph turned back to look at Mahkah. As much as she was happy to be out of the cathedral, the fact remained... "Now we go back." She replied. Her voice was infintely calmer than she felt. "We haven't found a Mekkayena yet, and I don't want to go back to Discord empty-handed." She lifted her wings, enjoying the live air that carried her off the ground in one flap. "We should probably find a new way in." That, at least, would mean exploring outside of the cathedral for now, which was a welcome reprieve to Christa.

[Citanul]

Back to his rather puppy-ish nature (being the youngest in his pack before Cita had found him) Mahkah bounded over to some soft grass and happily began to roll around, cleaning his coat of all of the dust from the Cathedral.

Turning back to Christa, he tilted his head and nodded. "A new way in, maybe a new trail." Licking his nose a few times, Mahkah rested before he stood again and began to walk around the slightly-crumbled wall they had gone out from. A new way in... Surely they would find a Mekkyena. "Will Dis notice if your gone for a few days?"

[Ander]

Christa laughed at Mahkah's play, the high, glittering sound music for her after the creepy stillness of the cathedral. She lighted, bracing her paws on the wall beside them. She sniffed at Mahkah as he passed. "Dis kicked us all out of the cathedral at once, except for those who could help her rebuild." Like Serrado and Aria, the Garagnirs who were helping with construction. Or Dravesis, that scary Bleeder who was setting up his lab... She shook her head. "So, no, Discord won't mind if I go missing. Besides, if I come back with the Mekkayena, it'll be worth it." Discord was rebuilding the Terminal's library, too. So images of the wild pets around Evelon would be very valuable to her.

Christa's wings lifted. But then again, she didn't think Dis would mind an actual Mekkayena, if she could only find one!

[Citanul]

Mahkah couldn't help it sometimes. He smiled happily, tongue lolling as he watched Christa, ears perked up. "Mm. Matt is still working on getting up fences and such so we'll all be safe."  Christa was a funny Sahound... But he liked her. Maybe they could see eachother again after this, that would be nice.

"It will be worth it... Hey, if we take one down togather we can show Dis and Cita togather - I just want Citanul to know I'm strong enough."

[Ander]

The Seraph jumped gently from the wall, landing with a light thud on the ground. The sparse plant life around this wall of the cathedral was brittle and dry, and threw up dust underpaw. She shuddered. Or maybe it was just her, and there was nothing wrong with the ground at all. Christa shrugged off the feeling and looked up at Mahkah. He was large, yes, but a good hound at heart. Christa wouldn't mind seeing him again, either.

But they had to get though this, first. She perked at his mention of a Mekkayena, and jerked her head forward - it was time for them to keep searching. "I'm almost certain Citanul knows your strength." Christa quietly told Mahkah. "How could he not? You don't need to hunt down one of these creatures to prove that to him." She had to admire him, though. If the massive Sahound really did need to prove his strength, bringing a Mekkayena back to his owner was certainly the way to do so!

[Citanul]

Watching Christa move about and kick up some dust from the shrivelled plants, Mahkah sat down and surveyed this side of the building. He didn't see any more crumbling walls... But he could surely make some. What use were his powers if he didn't use them anyway?

"Of course he knows that I am strong... But he wants to at least see a Mekkyena. It would make him even more happy if I brought him one to train." Tail wagging slightly he got up and began to walk along the wall again, to see where it might be the easiest to get in without making the entire wall crumble.

[Ander]

Christa half ran, half flew along the nearest wall of the catedral. "Then let's find one," she called back. She was anxious about returning to the Terminal, yes... But her loyalty to Dis was worth more than her discontent. So, she would search as much as she had to. She would bring Dis home a Mekkayena! The female closed her eyes and smiled, feeling warmth flow through her from claw to wingtip. Darkness couldn't touch her. She would anticipate Discord's reaction to her return, and it would keep her safe.

Feeling strong stone under her pads, Christa stopped. "How about here!" She called again. The female pawed at a stone arch jutting out from the wall - apparently, it had fallen from somewhere higher up on the building. As Christa disturbed it, a few pebbles trickled from its unstable junction with the wall. "If you can knock this part away from the wall completely, I think we'll be able to get in through the opening." She pressed her nose to the spot, making sure of a scent - and yes, though it was faint, she could definitely smell the cathedral's stale air.

[.:Random Event 2:.]

And then another scent. What was it? Something like matted wet fur and rusting metal. An awful smell that whole hearted fit the place. Perhaps this led into a bathroom, or perhaps an old fountain? Why else would there be the smell of water?

snick, snick, snick, the sound of paws on stone which stopped abruptly. It wasn't any of the two companions paws. If only it were for then at least they'd know what exactly WAS on the other side of the crumbling wall. One would almost certainly assume another pet exploring? Or maybe this would raise their hopes as they took on a thought such as possibly finding a mekkayena. But what were the chances of finding such a creature? How many had been found already? Though that meant nothing, only meaning that it was about time another was found.

A low growl, a snort from within the building and the sound of claws on stone quickly faded off an away. Whatever it was did not want to be found.

(( EEK! Looks like your chance of finding a mekkayena is making a silent get away! QUICK! Before it's too late! O3O ))

[Ander]

Christa's ears perked up immediately, the scent from before once again filling her nose. It was mingled with water... how... odd. But if it were nothing, how had it arisen so suddenly? The Seraph wasted no time, scrabbling at the stone barrier with blunt, white claws. The fur of her hackles stood straight up, making snowy-white ridge race down her back. More pebbles rained down from the unstable stone as it ground fractionally downward.

She stared over a Mahkah, alarm clear in her widened eyes. "You must hear that!" She cried in little more than a whisper as the sound of claws receded. "Get this slab out of our way, Mahkah, quickly! I think there are Mekkayena in there!"

[Citanul]

Mahkah ran along the wall for a few paces before stopping where Christa did. "This is as good a place as any." With the wall crumbling already, it seemed as if it would be alright.

Huge ears swivelled as the sound of paws upon stone, alert with the growl and snort. There had to be something else there! It couldn't have been the Aries either, his hooves did not make sounds as such...

Immidiately he pushed Christa from the way (with as much gentle force as he could muster) and called upon his skills as he smashed his paws against the ground, crumbling the slab of wall away.

Though the scent of the wet, matted fur and rusted pipes was almost overwhelming the dust-colored Sahound scrambled inside and raced towards the scent and the sounds of the other creature. It had to be a Mekkyena! It just had to be... Even if it didn't want to be found, he was going to bring it back to Citanul!

[Ander]

For once, Christa had nothing to say as Mahkah pushed her away. Instead, she hovered on fluttering wings as the larger pet made the stone beneath them shake; he cleared their way with the great hiss of sliding pebbles and rumble of falling stone. She plunged into the hole beside Mahkah, wings flared with her excitement as they chased the mysterious trail. The smell was all around them! They were going to find a Mekkayena!

((The hunt is on! Unleash the hounds! Tally-ho! XD
Bad pun not intended.))