Kikuyu_Black_Paws

The fire crisps all flesh it touches, Winds steal moisture from the ground, And yet the air is heavy this day, While drops of liquid heat abound. Insects flutter through the sun beams, Die in carnivorous decay, As the tubed plants of the garden, Arch in every sunlit ray. Heat that steals the mind's lucidity, Burns that put the body down, No relief from scorching deserts, With air in which you continually drown. How you long for inspiration, A cool breeze or darkness of night, Escape away from dusty haze, Find a way to stop the light. Then clouds roil up and suck the moisture, From the heavy laden air, Lightning flickers through the ozone, Crackling through the breezes fair. Rain comes down in booming torrents, Soaking parched plants and land, Rising up in flooding waves, Soaking all in a cool-fingered hand. As quick as it comes, it's gone again, But the air is sweet and fresh replaced, Strengthened against the scorching sunlight, But begging the storms to come in haste.

~Relations~ Kikuyu's twin sister is Degorram the shape shifter and her only family in the Pen Keep.

~Items~ 1 katana with a black leather wrapped hilt. Curves and widens slightly at the tip, with black lettering in an unknown language on the upper part of the blade. Worn slung across back. 6 favored throwing daggers worn in a harness under said grey tunic. Obsidian hilts and black iron blades. 1 bone-carved whistle on string to make a wailing noise when whirled in circles. Pitch is so high it knocks even the most sturdy unconscious. 1 pouch of ear-plugging clay for said whistle. Also serves as explosives. 2 masks fox-shaped with curling expressions: one red paint on a white base, the other blue paint on a black base. Sometimes Kikuyu uses boomerang blades, but she mainly sticks to her katana and knives.

~Personality~ Kikuyu likes company, but she is an introvert at heart. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and training in combat at the Keep, as there are no assignments to fulfill. Her mood depends greatly on those around her, especially her twin. Due to their twin-ly link, she feels what her sister feels, and vice versa. Kikuyu thinks fast and has a smart mouth. She's a razorwire to her enemies and firm in her friendships. She holds a grudge like a brass ring, but it takes quite a bit to make her angry. At heart she's a dreamer and a romantic, and enjoys scribbling her ideas into pictures on paper.

~Abilities~ Kikuyu can read wind signs. She was the best tracker in the bounty hunting/ assassination business that she was a part of before coming to the Pen, and she never misses a target with her throwing knives. Her favorite weapon is a katana, and she trains ruthlessly to become an expert swordsman. She can dissolve into her surroundings, trees, rocks, walls, etc. It is more than camouflage and has served her well in the past. In a pinch she can summon the wind to do her bidding, and she has great speed and strength. Kikuyu has not only trained in knife, sword, and hand fighting, but she has also learned to fight only with her feet- a strange custom from up north as well. Her tattoos serve as conduits for woadish magic of the forest, and when pressed with her fingertips in correlation with specific words can turn her completely fey. Kikuyu can also dual fight with her twin sister, and with her physical presence take the shape of a fox, and has some experience in medicine due to her sister's strange condition.

Kikuyu cut at the air with a firm hand. "Enough idle chit-chat," she said, looking around at the small party that had volunteered to be sprite-catchers. "Dego's coming with me. Yue and Miho, you two go together and cover the other end. I suspect the ferret has a very keen nose: you can smell where it's going to try and come out. Everyone ok with this?" The pale-faced Ninja Minion and the sage ferret nodded, their eyes glittering with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Kikuyu glanced at Dego as she gulped down the crystal bottle's contents, a little color returning to her skin and her hair flushing wildly as power burst into her veins. "Alright then," the ninja said, grinning wryly. Her eyes lit up as tiny tendrils of darkness flowed from her skin again and the tattoos around her eyes turned from flesh-color to dark blue. With a small shout of exertion, Kikuyu lunged into the air vent, her feet and hands finding the sprite trail easily. Behind her, Dego's eyes glowed in the dark, and she kept a hand close behind Kikuyu's feet. The twins worked as an unseperable, undefeatable pair. In silence, they moved through the vents, leaving the Pen group far behind. Yue and Miho glanced at each other, both slightly apprehensive of working with a ferret or a ninja minion. Somewhere, however, they reached an unspoken understanding, and in a flash of silver-black fur and dark ninja-stockings, the two went quickly down the wall, Yue's unbridled sense of smell leading the way.

"RSS feeds us, nourishes us! Why would you spit in their faces!" I glared at the ceiling, not listening, And thought about all the empty spaces. My sister was apoplectic, She was throwing quite a fit, "If you get us sanitized I swear I'll kill you, lousy git!" "Stupid," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "You won't be killing anyone, If we get sanitized, I say, You'll be dead and gone!" "Then keep your mouth shut," she screamed at me, "This isn't America, you know! It's not the land of the free and the brave, It's the land of 'do as they say so'!" "They'll cut our rations, and that'll be it," I said defensively, "The government can't kill us all, Or they'll have no one to fee." "They can kill you," she argued back. "We're colonists if you remember, On this floating rock, we have no rights, Not even those of the Tenders." "Don't remind me," I muttered cold, "I can't go to school you know, All because I'm a little blind kid, Even if it doesn't make me slow." "What am I supposed to do, If you get killed right off? I can't just live a one time room; You know that they'll get rough!" "Just be careful and obey the rules," my sister sighed at last, "Even if you do things you don't like, I care about your future, not your past." -------------------------------------- That was weird, but I didn't know what else to do with it. New line: Xethel and the Desert Cat were ruining

What dawn thunder whispers, While the Wild evening Moon and Owl cry? A late winter birch will freeze, And black morning Wanders. Early then will fight lulling sleep away. What calls are deciphered among the snow, What do footprints tell? What sights do you see deep at night, Where trees and footfalls fell? Morning skies are rosy doves’ feathers, Fluffed up to keep the cold away. Far across the trees a lonely loon weeps, Chilling the marrow of even the ghosts, A caribou moans, a tree cracks, Silence. What stories can the wind tell? What secrets carry fire? What wind can stories talk about? What blaze is a mystery dire? The Fey are asleep, their hair iced like tree fingers, Their eyes are closed, they do not move, From their perches in the tree forks. Quietly, perchance you will see one move, blink, Perchance you will not. Wait for spring and the awakening Of the world.

The Psychotic’s Song A wandering warrior, dusty and tired, With holes in her cloak and her shoes, That's what I'll become, standing here all alone, It's a path that I'd rather not choose. The tower is silent, it's empty and sad, My twin has gone out on her own, So I stand here so quiet, so devoid of all cheer, As still and unmoving as stone. I will travel the land and fight as before, The Psychotic will remain my name, I may have no home, but no home will have me, Until one is worthy again.

I really liked this, Appy. It's sad and mysterious and defiant all at once.

Kikuyu saw Dego before her twin saw Kikuyu. "Oh no!" she breathed, fighting her way towards the misshapen shape-shifter. "Dego!" she cried out. Her twin's head snapped toward her, the blank orbs that had become her eyes widening slightly. "Keep fighting!" Kikuyu said. She gripped her twin's bicep as she reached her side. "You did it once, you can do it again!" "It's....strong...." Degorram muttered, her limbs shaking as energy coursed through her body. "The....bells..." Kikuyu nodded. "I know, it's my fault! I had to! I'm sorry!" She turned and reached into her back pouch and pulled out a tiny bubble of violet and red light. A piece of Dego's untainted power, just for this occasion. It had taken them two years of study and worry to figure the correct configuration out, so that in the event of Dego's erruption, they could contain the demonic energy before it exploded and took over her mind as well as her body. Without asking her twin's permision, she pushed the bubble into her chest. Dego screamed and stumbled back, red and violet shock-waves rippling across her body. Slowly, though, the darkness ebbed, leaving only a hint of shadow at the edges of her vest. Kikuyu trembled from worry, keeping her eyes fixed on Dego's eyes. "D-Dego?" she whispered. "Are you alright?" Her sister heaved a heavy sigh. "That hurt," she said. Kikuyu gave a short laugh and turned to look at the other Pennites. They stood, stunned, watching them. "Er," Kikuyu said. "So.....I'll be the flusher...erm...yeah, flush it out...and now we need the one to catch the nasty thing." Dego's skin grew hot under Kikuyu's hand and she turned back to her twin. "I'm coming with you," she said, smoke trailing from the corner of her mouth. Kikuyu grinned. "I never thought otherwise," she said.

Kikuyu grit her teet and the tattoos around her eyes flushed from purple to maroon when Orlan asked if she was one of the Pen's ninjas. Do I look like I'm wearing spandex, she thought darkly to herself. The air duct was an issue, to be sure. Kikuyu examined its dimensions carefully, the mutter of Wyvern and Orlan's voices just an annoying buzz in the background. The scent of sprite dust was giving her a headache, doing nothing to help her already fouling mood. The scent of chocolate tinted the air, but the scent of sprite could not be diminished: it led straight into the air duct. Kikuyu covered her nose as she caught a very strong whiff of not only sprite dust but something akin to rotten eggs. "Sheesh," she growled. "What died in here?" Kikuyu turned back to the group behind her. Orlan had just raised the big question. Who was to go into the air system and find the little bug. She heaved a sigh. "I'll volunteer," she said. "But we'll need more than one person. If I go through the air system, then it'll find another way out of the air system. I'll be the so-called 'flusher'. Who will be the catcher?" Kikuyu looked around and frowned briefly at Orlan. "Where's Dego?" Orlan blinked blankly at her. "Who?" Kikuyu shook her head. "Never mind. She'll show up...eventually." Kikuyu looked around at the crowd, rubbing her fingers along the hilts to her katanas. "So I'll head in after the little sprite. I can't volunteer any of you, though I can tell who would probably be the best for this." Her eyes slid over Mynx, Sora, Cerulean, Run, and other pen members whose fighting prowess was reknowned. Then she started, feeling a touch of numbness run over her left side as a certain carbon-copy approached at maximum speeds. Dego, she thought. What ticked you off?

Kikuyu whirled as a huge explosion rattled the Assembly Hall, nearly knocking her off her feet. The bell clanged wildly by itself, giving her a ringing in her ears that she knew wouldn't quit for weeks. "Why does everything happen without me?" she snarled, her rage turning black. As it always did when she was angry, dark lines appeared around her eyes, painting the shadows and contours of her rage. Her frustration slashed around her lids in dark purple shades. The dark shadowed her brow and melted like smoke off of her shoulders as she leapt from the building, charging down the side of the huge tower. "Gotta get faster!" she hissed, drawing her two slender katanas. "Faster!" The entrance to the Assembly room was coming up. She wasn't hitting the right amount of speed. With a scream that shattered the sound barrier, she propelled herself forward with an extra boost. She made contact. Leaves were blasted from the Keep all the way to the outer neighborhoods and grass ripped from the soil. A tree bent precariously as Kikuyu's feet touched the ground. Then she was speeding into the Assembly Hall, her katanas whirling as she cut through a massive horde of ninja sprites. Her scream had dissipated and now she attacked with cold fury, ice spreading on every surface the tips of her katanas touched. Movement to her left made Kikuyu jerk, her reflexes saving her life not for the first time. Leaping out of the way, Kikuyu watched dumbfounded as a huge globe (which in fact had several spandex suits sticking to the Asia continent from a previous squishing) went hurtling below her. Kikuyu turned her gaze to see a dozen sprites staring guiltily at her. Kikuyu grinned, changing direction in mid-air to hurl among them. Her path of anti-spandex destruction and doom led her through the Assembly Hall to the central hall on which the official Assembly room was located. She paused, her hair drooping about her face, drenched in sweat and sprite-dust, which did not smell at all nice; in fact, it almost smelled like moldy, unwashed spandex. Her katanas shook gently in her hands and she could feel the darkness slowly leaving her glare. Surprised pennite gazes turned her way, and Kikuyu grinned when she saw a very eager Sora holding a truly gigantic mallet over Wyvern's head. Sheathing one of her katanas, Kikuyu brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and grinned, her eyes glittering. "Anyone need a ninja around here?" she asked, leaning her weight on one leg and licking her lips.

(So happy this is back up!!! Sorry if this post is utterly random in and of itself, I can't really explain myself right now. Enjoying summer a little too much I guess!) Kikuyu sat calmly in the middle of the hall. Or, at least, she hoped it was calmly. Normally she was reknowned for keeping her temper. It was something she and her unwilling twin sister had worked on diligently before they had separated. But, hey, the entire Keep was going to pot, so why shouldn't her anger. Small licks of smoke began to rise from her hand where she had been digging her fingernails into the carpet for the last hour. If she lost her temper now, though, Dego would never let her forget it, anymore than she let her forget those few times in the past she had lost her temper and caused some sort of explosion or crash or random escape of high-security zoo-animals. It didn't matter that she justified her causes ("They're meant to be free I tell you!!!"); Dego brought it up every chance she got. No, exploding would not be the thing to do right now. Hmmmmmm....Kikuyu looked up at her twin, who was still standing awkwardly in front of the doorway. She couldn't see what was going on inside, but she had heard some sort of ruckus including a cheery elfish voice calling "Mr. Tumnus" and random haiku readings. She really didn't want to know. Kikuyu stood up suddenly. "I'm going to go find Wyvern again," she said icily. She fingered one of her blades with dark humor, a small smile curling her mouth. "We have to talk." Suddenly, she blinked. "Wait a minute, this is stupid!" She turned to Dego, her eyes flashing. "Everyone is rushing all over the keep trying to find each other or Wyvern. Mainly Wyvern." The ninja paused to muse. "Why is everyone searching for Wyvern anyway?" she muttered. Batting the air in front of her face to dislodge her bantering thoughts, she turned back to the matter at hand. "Does this Keep have a meeting hall, or a really big bell, or something???" She didn't wait for Dego to answer. Turning, she leapt out of a conveniently placed window at the end of the hall and, moving her feet as quickly as she could, ran down the side of the building and leapt to a more level roof. She uncerimoniously landed on top of a spandex-clad ninja who promptly deflated. The ninja was holding a permanent red marker and was writing something on the ceiling. "Sorry," Kikuyu said, shifting the spandex suit with her foot. She peered at the lettering. "What's with overalls? Denim is just itchy Working nine-to-five." For a testy moment Kikuyu stared at the letters. "And yet," she said. "I appear to have retained my wits through that meaningless piece of irrelevant dialogue with only half of a fart-brained thought to it. No, not even half." She scuffed her foot across it, trying to muff up the letters so that no other unsuspecting Pen member or guest might be tricked into casting their eyes upon it, but it was in permanent marker and resolutely stood against her efforts. "Whatever," she muttered. Slowly, she turned a full circle, looking for a bell-tower. There it was! Right near the Assembly room. In fact...it was on top of the Assembly room. Perhaps thats why it's calledthe Assembly room. Again Kikuyu blinked and contemplated the deeper meanings of life before deciding that her brain was far too confused to make any sense of life, the universe, and everything. So she simply leapt out towards the tower. "What's with today?" she muttered as she ran. "These stinking Stealth Sprites are not only vandalizing our stuff, they're also addling our brains. Or at least my brain." She paused again. "WHY AM I TALKING TO MYSELF?" she wailed. As she approached, she threw all of her frustration and random thoughts into a kick that sent the huge bronze bell swinging. But nothing happened. Kikuyu threw herself under the bell with a cry. About sixty sprites were crammed into the bell (obviously practicing really-big-bell-stuffing) so of course the clapper couldn't ring. She stared open mouthed at them for a moment before she slammed one of her many knives into one. It deflated with a small explosion, which caused it to bump into the ninjas next to it, causing them to explode and deflate. Soon a massive chain reaction had ensued and spandex suits were falling all around Kikuyu. Draped in them, but with the bell finally freed, Kikuyu heaved on the ropes. The huge clamor of the bell pealed across the Keep complex. "Please please please," she begged. "Somebody hear!"

Thank you very much for your helpful suggestions. I will definetly look into them! Sorry I took so long to reply, I have lost my mind recently ever since May during recital and exams. *shudder* now they are over, and great wailings and gnashings of teeth shall be replaced with idle rejoicing and much writing again! yay!

I guess it's about time I finished this thing, isn't it? Sheesh I'm slow. Under Cover of Night Osmodius sat in a tree branch, his tail lashing back and forth. Behind him, three dark figures with large hunched wings watched as well, their eyes glittering in the lightning. Wind pushed through the leaves, howling against the obstructions and making Shannon’s long hair fly. Huge dark clouds roiled overhead, thunder boomed in the darkness, and before them a large dark fortress sat with its back against the Range. Guards were posted every 100 feet on the perimeter of the building. Their huge dark wings melted in with the shadows. Osmodius turned back to the two Night and the Dawn. “We can’t get past that security easily,” he said. “One of you two will have to go in and make an opening for the rest of us. Who will do it?” Shannon cut off her brother. “Toran’s too well known. All the males ignore the women in the fort.” She cast her brother a glance. “You know it’s true. And I can hide my flute and wear Toran’s guns.” Toran’s mouth was shut tightly, and after a few moments he nodded. Osmodius clapped her on the shoulder. “We’ll be watching. Try to find a way to signal us.” Shannon took the gun halter that Toran handed her and strapped it on. When her brother handed her the long sweeping jacket that had used to be their father’s, she bit her lip hard and shrugged it on, nodding to him. Toran had never taken it off since their parents’ death. Shannon snapped open her wings and soared easily down to the guards. Immediately they were on alert, their weapons held at the ready, but when Shannon landed in the pool of light that was cast by the lanterns, they relaxed, her dark wings revealing her alliance. One of the guards held out his hand. “Code number?” Shannon rattled off a series of numbers that had been Conrad’s. She knew how sloppy the guards were late at night. If it sounded official, they would buy it. As she suspected, they waved her in. She tensed and prepared to run as one called back to her. “Any news from the outside?” Shannon sighed with relief. “Not much. Same Dawn scum report.” The guards chuckled and turned back to watching the night. Shannon hurried inside and found a staircase. She moved upwards until she came to a trap door. Pushing it open, she felt the beginnings of rain spattering on her cheeks. Pulling out a small flashlight, she waved it in the air. She did not have to wait long before a large dark shadow carrying a tawny one soared over. Jeremy came along behind, his wings unsteady and his face drawn with pain. Shannon clipped her flashlight away and looked worriedly at Jeremy’s face. The Dawn shook his head at her, one of his arms stretched back to rub at his sore wings. He patted her shoulder comfortingly and followed Toran into the stairway. Toran led them down the trap door steps, his eyes glittering brightly in the darkness. Osmodius’ eyes flashed as they caught the littlest glitter of light. Jeremy kept a finger hooked in Toran’s belt-loop, following his three nocturnal companions blindly. A footstep pushed them fiercely against the wall and they held their breaths. Voices preceded the shadows that were beginning to flicker in the hall light. “No sign of Raven yet?” an imperious tone queried. Toran hissed softly. Turning to Jeremy, he pressed his lips against the Dawn’s ear. “Gale, the Night who ordered Raven to find us,” he breathed. Shannon’s fists were tight as she watched the Night commander appear in the hallway, accompanied by a dark-blue feathered man. “Spy master,” she breathed. The golden eyes of the spy-master flickered their way and they tensed, but whatever he saw he kept to himself, if indeed he saw anything at all. But he did not look directly at them; instead he turned back to Gale. “None,” he said. “However, one of my scouts discovered a body half-picked by wild animals. He told me that the number of carrion nearby, particularly ravens, was...unusual.” They stopped. Gale cursed, his silvery wings shuffling irately. “He was our best assassin, Vida.” Vida shrugged, looking bored. “He was unpredictable and vile. His tracks, faint and near impossible to find, led us to a small hut. There was blood and signs of a struggle. Er, you said there was four of them?” Gale watched Vida curiously. “Including the Dawn, yes. Why?” Vida stared ahead, looking older and more tired than Shannon had remembered. “We found a fresh grave nearby. One of them was killed, and we know that Raven has been disposed of. So where are the other three?” His eyes again moved to the shadows and Shannon wondered if his legendary senses had picked up their breath. Gale continued along the hall. “We’ll have to get a search going,” he growled. “Find out what happened to them...” his voice faded and the two disappeared around a corner. For a moment they stood silent. Then Shannon thumped her head against the wall. “I’m touched,” she spat. “He’s actually concerned.” Osmodius examined his nails critically. “We should move on.” Toran cast him a withering glare and stole into the hall. A quick glance and he pointed up. “The vents,” he murmured. “This’ll get us to our old quarters and we can stock up. I have a favor to call in from a friend.” * * * * A young man sat silently in a bunk, his long ebony hair in a tight braid coiling down to his waist. His eyes stared colorlessly at the wall as the vent opened. “It’s you,” he whispered. Toran dropped through to stand before him. “You knew I was coming?” The young man tapped his brow. “Heard you,” he said. Light flared from the hallway as someone with a flashlight passed, revealing that half of the young man’s face was covered by a draping cloth that was bound by a thin cord around his brow. Only one dark eye was visible, fixed unblinkingly on Toran. “So they killed your friend,” he said, standing up. His height was normal- it was his long braid and mottled wings that set him apart. “I heard he sent Raven after you.” Toran nodded. “Yeah. I came for that favor you owe me.” The young man nodded, glancing up at the vent. “Hello Shannon,” he called softly. A quick burst of a flashlight in the air duct made him smile and he looked back at Toran. “It’s in here,” he gestured at a tightly locked chest. Toran bent before it. With a flick of his fingers, the braided Night undid the lock. The lid cracked open slowly. Toran reached in and grinned, pulling out a tasseled, jade-plated gun with three gold barrels. There was a slow whistle from the vent and Osmodius’ golden eyes glittered in the dark. “What is that?” he whispered in muted awe. Toran opened the barrel with a flick of his wrist, a lazy, contented grin on his face. “This is Eli’s specially designed hand-held gun with engraved markings and tassel unique to him. It’s never missed, and neither has Eli.” As Toran loaded the legendary gun, the mottle-winged Night, called Eli, pulled away the cloth hanging over his face. Quite suddenly Osmodius flipped out of the vent and faced Eli, almost touching him. Despite his brief acquaintance, Toran had never seen the cat-man quite so disturbed, even when he’d been fighting Raven. Eli watched him calmly. The cause of the disruption was his face. The skin was pale and drawn, puckered around five long, deep scars that traced along his cheekbone and over his eye. The eye itself was white-blind. Osmodius’ claws brushed the scars, his face stiff. “Where did you receive these?” he hissed softly. Eli shrugged. “It was when I was a child. A mother catr found me with her cub. We were just play-mates.” Osmodius glanced at the gun again. “I’d heard of the best shot in all of Aro, and I suspected. Now...” Eli smiled faintly. “You recognize me now, my old friend? I knew it was you when you entered the vents. Very distinctive smell.” Osmodius stepped back, his face stricken. “I thought you were dead,” he hissed. “Why did you not send word?” Eli shrugged again. Toran glanced between them. “You mean you know each other?” he asked, amazed. Osmodius nodded. “For a long time.” The cat-man turned to Eli, again carrying dread in his eyes. “Your weapon is well know. They will come for you.” Eli nodded. “I will wait. No more will they use me as their pet. Death will be no worse than my current existence.” While Osmodius bit his lip and considered, Shannon whistled low under her breath. “The Fates are playing with us tonight then,” she said, glancing about her. A sound in the hallway cut her off and all of them held their breath. A shadow passed by the light of the door-window, and then moved off. All of them, excepting Eli, gave a small sigh of relief. “Go now,” the strange Night murmured to them. “We will see what becomes of us all.” Toran nodded and dove back up into the ventilation, Shannon quick on his heels. Jeremy gave Osmodius a hiss from inside the vent that drew the catr away. The cat-man gave Eli’s hand one last squeeze before disappearing into the darkness. All was silence for about five minutes after they left. Eli sat in the darkness, staring at nothing. Then his eyes roved over to the small lock on his door. He got up and twisted it. Then he moved to the far corner of his small room, and bent in front of another chest of drawers. Slowly he unbound his hair, letting it fall long and loose about his face. From within the folds of his hair he drew a key and fit it into the smallest drawer. With a click he unlocked it and drew it open. Inside was a tiny keypad, which he easily hooked to the wall. He punched in a few digits and a green light popped on, blinking slowly. “You have twenty minutes, my friends,” Eli whispered. “Use them well.” * * * * The three winged Aronians and the catr crept through the halls, a couple of unconscious guards and a slightly battered roof tile the only evidence that they had been there. Mere shadows on the walls, they infiltrated the building to its depths before any guards were seen. “Lazy night,” Shannon muttered. “This is a little lax,” Toran agreed. “I intend to write a very strong letter of complaint to the board of Night affairs.” Osmodius cast him a wry smile, but Jeremy said nothing. Gale sat by himself in a dark office, staring at the wall. The door creaked as someone opened it and he stirred irately. “I gave you no leave to enter,” he snapped. “I gave you no choice about my entering,” a cold, familiar voice snapped back. Gale squinted through the shadows and started. “Toran?” he gasped. “How did you...” “Survive?” Toran snarled. “Yes, that is a question to ask, isn’t it. How do you think we survived, Shannon?” Gale jumped again, his hands clutching white around his seat arms as Shannon appeared. “Hmmm,” she mused darkly. “Maybe you can answer that question for us, Gale. How did we survive, when you sent your best assassin after us? How did we survive indeed?” Another appeared behind them, a catr of elegant dress. “How will you survive now that they’ve come to take what you owe them?” And then another shadow appeared, a gaunt, hollow-faced Dawn with large circles under his eyes. He looked like he had been through a lot of pain in a short amount of time. “Your little pet tortured me,” he said softly. “I only assume that you would have tortured me as well, to gain information. That is not something I forgive easily. He ripped out my pinions, so one of Toran’s bullets ripped out his life. An eye for an eye, don’t you think? And you were the one who held his leash. An accomplice, and I believe that all accomplices receive punishments too.” Gale lurched forward and slammed his hand on a red button on his desk. Lights started flashing in the hallways and a siren wailed throughout the complex. Immediately the sounds of boots hitting the floor caught their ears. Toran glanced at Shannon. “Osmodius and I will hold them at the door,” he said. “Be quick.” They exited and shut the door behind them, leaving Gale at the mercy of Shannon and Jeremy. * * * * Eli stared blankly at the little box on the wall. It blinked its clock at him. 10:03...10:02....10:01...10:00...10:00...10:00... A little warning blip echoed and the countdown continued. Eli closed his eyes briefly. “Ten minutes left, Toran,” he whispered. “Hurry.” * * * * Toran and Osmodius were hard pressed. Night forces were all around them. Both were bleeding from several wounds, many of them fatal, but still they fought on. Their eyes glittered in the semi-darkness and their weapons, especially the borrowed gun from Eli, were causing great damage. Soon they were surrounded on all sides, fighting tooth and nail to survive. Shannon and Jeremy played with Gale, driving him around the office, nicking him with their claws, diving in with their weapons, laughing and punishing. The terrified general had no pride left in his body. He wept and pleaded, until finally, tired of him, Shannon put a bolt of magic through his head, and he fell dead at their feet. Pounding on Eli’s door caused the Night neither worry nor fear. He sat unmoving, watching the numbers on the screen before him. 00:10...00:09...00:08... Shannon and Jeremy turned as Night soldiers burst in through the window, drawing their weapons once again to take on the new enemy. Toran and Osmodius finally collapsed, their wounds overriding them, small smiles on their faces. Eli saw nothing but the numbers. 00:04...00:03....00:02...00:01... He blinked. * * * * The entire compound exploded that night, destroying the majority of the Night forces, the two Night rebels, and the single Dawn that was there, along with the catr whom no one knew. On the next morning the two bloody, tired forces called a truce, sending ambassadors to either side to ensure the truce would hold. A lonely Aronian in the woods lit four small fires, feeding them with herbs and pine boughs. “Well done, my friends,” he whispered. “Well done.”

~Brief Description~ Kikuyu is of medium build and height, with long-ish dark brown hair, the top of which is highlighted red naturally. Her skin is very pale. She never tans: she burns in the sun and gets paler. Her eyes are bright blue, but they change color in the light, from green, to grey, to hazel. A small, white, vertical scar holds its place above her right brow. Kikuyu most often wears a black shirt that cuts off around mid-forearm. Netting travels down rest of arm to connect with fingerless black gloves. Over this shirt is a tunic of dark grey that hangs down to her knees, cut on both sides up to the hip to allow easy movement. The ensemble is tightened around her waist with a dark blue sash. She wears black leggings that cut off at the knee with tiny dark blue embroidery around the edge. You will never catch the ninja in shoes unless it is small black slippers for amplified stealth reasons. She wears an ankle bracelet of bells to taunt victims with sound when they cannot see. A headscarf of dark blue with tiny silver strands pulled through it sometimes covers her hair, sometimes is wound around her throat, and sometimes is looped about her shoulders. She wears small silver loop earrings in her very slightly pointed ears. She also usually wears a travel stained black cloak over the whole ensemble with a hood. Sometimes she is seen wearing different kinds of hats: cavalier with plume, japanese-style cone shaped hat, I <3 Wyvern Club baseball cap. Silvery grey tattoos forming small teardrops are etched under eyes. Around her lids are tiny line-tattoos that change color with her mood, much like her twin sister's hair.

The Codebox Spoiler Acronym, ...What does that exactly mean? Is it a brand new cashmier cloak, Or a sword with sparkles and gleams? Is it a spider, covered in lint and fuzz, A 'dragonic'-jester with bells, Or even a jumping excited fan, That blurbs the end of tales. Is it a library without books? A cookbook on top of a fish, Is it a computer with no screen, A partially eating salmon dish? What's with fish in this poem? They've popped up at least twice. So to give you a break, for goodness sake, I'll finally be nice. Goodbye fair readers, my poem ends, So that you don't all go mad, Despite the fact that most of you are Already, it would be sad. New line: What's New at the Very Merry Seamstress' Shop? ha ha ha ha ha....*low cackle*

"As you were," the Thief Lord said to his men, They all relaxed and took breath again, And the tallest among them swept down his eyes, Looking about at this great host of spies. "Gents, you all know me as one of the best, As your ruler and Thief Lord, the King of the Jest, And though you may wonder from time to time, I will allow no faults, not even mine." His glare called shivers from every scalp, As he looked at each veteran, junior, and whelp, But one man stood up, a challenge he growled, Ignoring the fact that the Thief Lord now scowled. "I tried to be fair," he said with a sneer, "But it seems the stupid don't think much of fear." "Prepare yourself, Thief Lord," the challenger cried, And mere seconds later that challenger died. It happened so quickly that none looked around, Until his body was lying there on the ground, And then with a shout there arose such a din, That not even the sharpest could dare take it in. The Thief Lord stood up, took his knife with a sigh, "Now you know that to challenge me is to verily die, I allow no mistakes, not even my own, And that is why I have kept my throne." New Line: One sad face among those cheery

"A reference for the rest of us?" I quoted, "Aye," my companion replied, "But...what exactly is it supposed to do?" "Just read it before you die." So I took this 'reference' back home with me, Along with his cryptic message, Sheesh, you'd think for one moment he, Could not wish for darker visage. I threw it up onto a dusty shelf, Ignored it for a while, And then, on my death-bed, surrounded by wealth, I reached forward without a smile. "Bring me the book on the top dresser there!" I wheezed with a premonition dire. And when it was laid in my hands with a care, I made a silent prayer. I opened the book to the first title page, You've waited till near death, haven't you? Well, my deepest pity on all your race, There was so much for you to do. The time you needed was before you died, Not near and not after, you fool, So here is what you should have tried, Not fleeting my golden rule. Beneath your feet lies the greatest bomb, Equivalent to one-hundred atomics, Had you been young it would now be gone, But you've ruined it all, you lummox! Ah well, at least I'm dead. You never knew that, by and by. So say farewell to the world and all your dear friends, I'll see you where spirits lie. This was odd, but hey, just got over being on sleep medicine for the last 24 hours. I'm a little fruit-loops! New line: The Tree of the Dead rustles

There's no new line here!!! What to do what to do!!!!

Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Rum, Dance 'round crazily beneath the blue sun, We're all a bit tipsy out here on the deck, So we'll prattle and sing and drink like heck. Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Whisky, Beneath in the waves the dolphins jump briskly, And those who're still standing hiccup as they laugh, Not thinking at all about the dear Captain's wrath. Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Pain, The Captain's not happy and there's much to be gained, Lash with the 'nine-tails, ye scurvy scum, And ne're think again about a bottle of Rum. ---------------------- YES! That was amazingly fun! Ok, here's the new line. I slammed the piano bench down in the dust

The blackness begs my soul to dance, As the gathering dusk replies To setting sun's lost, fading voice, With a thousand whimsical sighs. I join my hands with that of Night, And swirl a tight minuet, As death's gallant players twine and twirl, A ghostly lord's duet. Stars circle 'round me as the heavens decend, A planet swirls on its way, Magnificent space storms of sapphire and jade Shroud even the brightest of day. Night gives a bow and kisses my hand, Our dance together has ended, And he escorts me down to the place of the living, Where none before have landed. A secret place, he bids me audieu, Where night finds a voice and a heart, Then in a chariot drawn by fire steeds, Back to my body I'm brought. <Wail to the desert a Dirge of Droughts>

Johnathan sat despondantly in his tiny little cubicle. Every day, all day, 24/7, round the clock...it was almost more than he could take. His boss, smirking at him over a stash of paper work that he thumped down on his desk...and it wasn't like he was making a fortune either!! He sighed, flipping through a fiew pieces of paper. Here were the company's bills, insurance, and money accounting tabs. He supposed he could make a run for it and chuck them in the shredder, or maybe he could take a bright red marker and write "I QUIT!" on them in flamboyant letters. This job had really pushed him to the brink. Oh well, what was he going to do about it? His little minimum wage, 10-hour job was what kept the rent payed and his cat fed. A slight sound at his door made him twitch. "Yes I'm working," he snapped irately. "Can't you see, the papers here, on my desk?" A strange clicking noise, like popping bones made him turn, a sharp reprimand on his tongue. It fell from his mouth and slid to the floor, snuggling there like pudding. Before him, robed in dark, moth-eaten robes, its flesh rotting and grey, tiny strands of silvery hair floating from the bald scalp, stood a creature of the dead. It curled and uncurled its bony fingers, hence the popping sound. Large, empty eye-sockets surveyed him curiously, the mouth pulled into a perpetual wild grimace that revealed teeth through a hole in the cheek. In one of its hands was a long scythe. How typical. Johnathan rubbed a hand along his face. "What is it, Halloween?" he muttered. "Nice costume kid, but I have work to do, so just get out and get some candy from the people down stairs." The Lich moved forward, stepping into the cubicle and filling it from wall to wall with its abnormal height and bredth. Johnathan leapt to his feet, squished against his desk. "Come on! What's the idea, I said-" And just like that Johnathan quit his minimum wage, 10-hour job that kept the rent payed and his cat fed. He left with a bang. They even put his name in the paper, right next to the missing people's chart and under the name of Mrs. Robinson, his landlady, who had just passed away. ------------- Next words: Dreamcatcher Ninja Poignant Loofah

Dandelion butterflies kiss the breeze, As that grinning cat lazes in the sun, And there I sat a pondering of old times done and by, As the caterpillar crept up just for fun. The rabbit was off chasing his ever worried thoughts, And I daresay that the Jester is at tea, But I can not go back through that tiny little door, I'm out of that dear bubbly that said "Drink Me". So I'm stuck here just a little in a tiny little fix, I can't go back nor forward now I'm here, For you see, I'm just so sleepy, I think I'll take a nap, And then I'll consider getting into gear. So I'm going to take a nap now, can't you get a hint and scat? There is much for me to finally dream about, So I'm lying back into the grass so soft and warmed up now, It's my head you're in, time's up I say, get out. --------------------- Various verbal vandalisms of an organic origin