[Rin]

Teodata listened to the other kuhnas tid-bits of knowledge with interest. She hadn't heard too much of the war, since she had arrived just after.

"Um, I think we just walk around as we please," Teo said, slightly unsure. She could make out the silhouettes of other's strolling around the citadel wall unguided, so that must be allowed. "Shall we begin?" she asked.

[Polaris]

"We shall!" Iroqois drug up the nerve to take her arm in a playful guesture. Well they were susposed to be on a date weren't they? Starting off around the wall, he walked with small strides, so as to be able to take in the scenery around them. It was rather nice up here, away from the hustle and bustle of the streets below. Quieter too.

Iroqois wondered again at who had given him the note, then brushed the thought away. Some things you just had to ignore, and the answer would come soon enough. The sun had just begun its desecent towards the horizion line, making his shadow lengthen.

[Rin]

She could feel her cheeks turn a little pink when he grabbed her arm, pleasantly suprised at the contact. She walked along side Iroqois, enjoying the small breeze.  She could see a bronze statue of a man looking off in the distance with one foot on a wooden box, but she thought nothing of how out of place he was. As they grew closer to the figure Teo began to feel the slightly awkward silence. "So," she began. "Do you frequently go ou-" She cut off in a yelp as the "statue" grabbed her free hand and kissed it in a gentlemanly gesture, then ceased it's movement."What?" Teodata backed up against the citadel's inside wall, but she leaned back a bit too much. She felt her balance slip causing her to topple over to the ground below.

[Polaris]

Iroqois felt the beginnings of a frown crease his brow as the statue man kissed Teodata. He stayed with her as she stumbled back from him, but was took by surprise when her arm started to slip out of his. Iroqois turned quickly and bent over to try and grab her arm in time, his hand brushing hers as she fell, but he had leaned over to much: he had lost his balance.

Iroqois's frown was washed away by raw surprise as he too fell towards the city streets. For a blissful moment, it felt like he was flying... only to be replaced witht the stomach lurching pull of gravity. He looked up towards the sky, ready to ignore the pain soon to come...

When he made contact with many smooth, round objects. Crunch. The hydrokuhna had landed on a pile of green ovalish things. Dazed, the only thing he registered was that it smelled like watermelons...

[Rin]

Teodata shrieked, understandably, as she fell downward.  She had tried to grab Iroqois hand, but failed and only caused him to fall too. She decided that if she didn't die, she would feel guilty about it for the rest of her life.

With a sploosh and a crunch, the kuhna knew she had hit something. Looking around her she saw red liquid. Her heart stopped. Then she looked closer and saw seeds and pieces of green shell mixed in with it. Watermelon?, she mentally asked. Had she died and gone to a place filled with watermelon? No, now that she thought about it, she was sort of sure she was still breathing, but she was in pain.

"Iroqois? Are you okay?" she asked, desperately hoping that he was.

[Polaris]

Groggily rubbing his head, Iroqois took inventory. Broken bones? He didn't think so. Hurting? Yes. Bruises? Most likely. He managed to sit up with the help of a particularly large watermelon and look around. Smashed melons and pools of juice lay spattered around the area where he and Teodata had fallen... Teodata!

Iroqois quickly located her, she was lying a little ways off from him in a similar cart of melons. It seemed they'd gotten extremely lucky. As he heard her call his name, he gingerly slipped off the cart onto the dusty street floor. Leaning on the side of the cart, he edged his way over to her, "Yeah... pretty much dandy. You?"

He thought it looked like they were behind some sort of restaurant from the crates and carts of fruit, vegetables, and lots of potatoes. Bringing his attention back to the common kuhna splayed across the melons in front of him, Iroqois worried that she might not be able to move.

[Rin]

She sighed in relief. Iroqois was okay. She paused before she answered him, gingerly sitting up. "I think I'll be alright," she figured. She edged herself to side of the cart and gently hopped off.

Teodata was pretty sure that she was more or less intact, though the bruises she'd sustained would be sore for quite awhile.  She looked down at her white dress, which was now varying shades of red, from a bright crimson to a light pink. "What now?" she asked, rubbing a particularly painful spot on her left arm.

[Polaris]

Iroqois looked at her in concern, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder, "Let's get out of here, it's kinda creepy..." He kept seeing shadows move between the crates, and didn't like the prickling sensation that was creeping up his spine. The alley they'd landed in stretched out on either side of them, both ways leading to unknown places. "C'mon, lets go this way..." Iroqois started walking towards the left.

The sound of smashing glass echoed in the ally, and Iroqois grabbed Teodata's hand. "Who's there?" he called, wariness written in broad strokes across his face. A low, mirthless laugh followed the shattering sound, and a man dressed in a black leather jacket, army boots, and dark skinny jeans emerged from the shadows. A shock of spiky sky blue hair adorned his head, and storm blue eyes evaluated the couple from under arched brows.

"Just me..." the man said, quickly closing the gab between himself and his prey. "Well how do ya do?" A large but thin fingered hand closed over Teodata's shoulder. In the other he carried the neck of a broken wine bottle, probably the remnant of the shattering sound.

Iroqois bristled, stepping in front of Teodata, "Just fine, thank you," attempting to be polite, he went on, "Which way leads to the market place?"

The man sneered, "Don't get all heroic lover-boy," he pointed down the right ally, the one where he'd come from, "That goes to the central square." Then, he prodded Iroqois with the sharp end of the wine bottle neck, "Now run along little boy-" Iroqois tugged on Teodata's arm, a truly panicked expression flashing in his eyes as the man wouldn't let her go.  "Oh ho ho, no no no... your pretty little girl has someone to meet doesn't she? No, you can go... I'll just take this one for a walk real quick."

Iroqois, the use of his mouth having deserted him, scowled ferociously and kept hold of Teo's hand, "I'm coming with her."

[Rin]

Teodata squeezed Iroqois hand as she looked around the alley. She'd seen a couple in her time here, but neer any this dark and creepy. Then, as if to make everything even worse, there was breaking glass and that terrible laugh.

Teo was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. Nothing good was going to come out of this, that she could tell.  And when the ferrikoon stepped out of the darkness, that notion was confirmed.

She shivered as the man touched her shoulder. She attempted to pull away, but it was to no avail. She shifted closer to Iroqois, undoubtedly scared of what this man's intentions were.

[Polaris]

The man shurgged, "Suit yerself. 'S not like ya gonna be any trouble." He kept a hold on the common kuhna's shoulder and steered her towards the right alley.

Iroqois thought this was peculier: where was this man leading them? Surely not to the market place square... He felt like smacking his head against the wall. Duh! The man had lied. Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask why they were being led away... oh just face it. The guy had some sort of intrest in Teodata for, and here he shuddered, one reason or another.

The blue-haired man shot a glance at the boy and girl. She did look like the one in the picture... but he wasn't 100% sure. More like 95%.

A second figured detached itself from the gloom covering the corners of the alley. This man had dark skin with glowing tattoos all over it. His hair was done in small braids that hung just below his ears. His red t-shirt and baggy black cargo pants contrasted with the blue-haired man's attire. "'Sthis the one?" he called, ambling towards the trio.

"Yeah," the blue-haired man answered, "The kid won't leave though." The red t-shirt guy shook his head in mock understanding, "Too bad," then he chuckled, "'Course we always love guests."

Iroqois had been rigid as a stick the whole time. He hated these kind of people, and just wanted to leave. It seemed that they recognized Teodata... for whatever reason. He cast a glance at her, trying to mentally ask the question that was bouncing arough between his ears.

{20:2:1}

[Rin]

The common kuhna followed without question. She felt a bit better because Iroqois was there, but it's really hard to think everything is going to be alright when a weird ferrikoon is leading you down a creepy alley.

At least there's only one, she thought as they walked. But, as if on cue, another ferrikoon was there when they arrived at their destination.

She saw Iroqois look at her, his eyes asking who they were. Honestly, she really hadn't a clue, but Teo decided she was going to find out. She mustered all of her courage and asked, "Who are you?"

[Polaris]

The blue haired man turned his head and gave her a wink and a toothy grin, " 'm Calli, that's... Er, what's yer name?" Calli looked at the other ferrikoon with an eyebrow cocked, waiting for the answer. These new guys came and went so fast he never kept track of who was who. He just called everyone 'boy' or 'kid'. "Niico," the other ferrikoon answered, "But that's probably not what you wanted to know..." Niico crouched down on the ground and pulled on a sewer hatch. Slippery, grim encrusted rungs lead into foul-smelling darkness. "Now get goin'," Niico commanded. Calli waved his hands, "Wait wait.. lemme go first. You bring up the rear." He let go of Teodata and slipped beneath the street.

Iroqois squeezed Teodata's hand. Should they make a break for it? Or did this Riico have a gun? He whispered his question in her ear, hoping that Riico wouldn't notice. The dark-haired man seemed preoccupied, as he kept looking up at the roof tops.

{21:3:2}

[Rin]

Teodata looked between the two men. At least she had names. She then turned her attention to the putrid smelling sewer hole. Normally she would have been too disgusted to even consider going down, but based the circumstances, she might be willing to make an exception.

She looked back at Niico, Riico or whomever he was to make sure he wasn't looking. He wasn't, so she answered, "I think we should probably go with them. They did say that we aren't going to be in any trouble. Should I go in first?" she added, asking Iroqois.

[Polaris]

"Oh..kay..." Iroqois was worried that she believed the promises these men made. Didn't she ever go to the doctor's office? They always told you it wouldn't hurt, but it did anyway. People were liars. Why would these two be any different? "If you want too... I'll be right behind you." He nodded, and breifly closed his eyes. That damn statue-man.

Calli's head poked out of the hole, "Are you coming or not?" Then vanished again. Niico poked Teodata in the back. "You first. Get a move on."

{22:4:3}

[Rin]

Teodata nodded and lowered herself onto the ground. Putting her feet carefully on the slippery rungs and lowered herself down.

It was really dark, save for the dim light coming from the hole. She could feel cold water around her feet, which were immediately just as frigid due to her sandles.

"Where are you taking us?" Teo asked Calli, moving away from the ladder so Iroqois could come down too.