Crystal's eyes opened slowly. Where was she? All she could see was sand and dunes for miles and miles. She blinked at the sudden realization that she was moving, and upside down, at that! A quick look up - or down, really - told her that she was being carried by Kenjii.
"Put me down!" she ordered abruptly. He gave a small start, he obviously didn't know she'd woken up.
"Nothin' doin', hotty," Kenjii said. "You're probably too tired to walk after that spell, and I'm taking no damn chances. If you collapse, I'll not only have to use up the rest of my water, BUT, I'll have to carry you even longer!"
Crystal scowled at being called 'hotty'. "Let me down, you brainless brute, I can walk by myself!" When Kenjii refused to comply - or even respond - she started beating at his back with her fists, and kicking randomly. She couldn't see her legs.
But apparently one good kick got through. Kenjii abruptly let out a pained gasp and said, "Alright, alright! You don't gotta kick my balls off, geez!"
Crystal blushed for a moment, realizing she had kicked him in the groin, but it was replaced with a look of satisfaction when he placed her down. Well, more like he threw her down. As long as she was on her own two feet. "Perhaps next time," she said coolly, "you'll listen to me when I tell you to do something."
Kenjii sighed angrily. "Well, excuse me. I shoulda left you back there snoozing. God forbid I actually carry you - freaking CARRY you, damnit! - all this way."
Crystal blinked again. She suddenly realized that they were the only two people here. Of course, the spell must have sent everybody in different places. She and Kenjii appeared in the same spot most probably because of their link. "You... carried me?" It sounded stupid, they both knew that she was aware of that fact, but it somehow seemed less... lecherous knowing that he took it upon himself to carry her, helpless, when it was obvious the trip through a desert would be hard enough alone.
Kenjii snorted and turned away. "I'm not sure exactly where we're going," he said slowly. "I was kinda hoping I wasn't going in the wrong direction, but figured you could... I dunno, use your magic or something once you woke up, and take us home? Or at least tell us where to go."
Crystal shook her head, hurrying her pace just enough to catch up with him, then scowling at herself for doing so. HE should be with HER pace! "I can't do that, and even if I could, I am pretty drained. Too much to use magic, at least." Kenjii merely grunted and shoved a water bottle into her hands. She took a swallow and gave it back to him. "I guess we just... go, really. Which way?"
Kenjii frowned, obviously as surprised as Crystal that he was being given charge. Well, the man seemed to know what he was about. Might as well use it to their advantage.
"I... guess we just go the way I was going before," he said slowly. He pointed to his left. "That way. But it just looks like endless desert to me."
A faint smile touched Crystal's lips, the first time she's smiled since meeting Kenjii. "Lead the way," she said.
Krinn blinked as the enormous light faded, then looked around. Where was he? The terrain seemed familiar, but he was still a little groggy from the warp spell.
Then he realized - he was at the base! He ran over to Thom's shop, going in through a back door, one meant to be pushed open. It was mildly difficult, his his broad snout did the job as well as any man's foot.
The first person he met was a winged, bald headed man with a face seemingly carved from stone. He recognized Skyler, the Esper was pretty well known.
Suddenly, Krinn realized that there was no way to communicate with him. He could only speak to Crystal, because of their link, and those with telepathic abilities. Like Kenjii.
"What the-? Oh. You're Crystal's pet. The iguion." Skyler paid no more attention to Krinn, much to the iguion's anger.
:Crystal! Hello?: Krinn mindsent. Nothing. There was too great a distance between them, and Crystal was too tired to respond. Or maybe still unconsious. Suddenly, a thought occured to Krinn - what if she appeared, asleep, where a SWORD, or a scavenger might find her?
Krinn growled softly, and Skyler gave him a wary look. He ignored him. Krinn felt so... helpless. So, with one more mental cry out to Crystal, the iguion settled himself down on the floor and just waited. If he payed attention, he could sense her being able to mindsend.
Given that she was still alive to do so.
Ryushi leapt back, barely avoiding another strike from the SWORD. Damn, this thing was fast. And strong. Never before had Ryushi, as Ryushi, had ever fought such a foe, SWORD or human.
Ryushi leapt forward with a silent howl, slashing forward with his claws. The Ultima blocked it with it's tri-clawed hand, then pushed him back and readied it's gun. Ryushi had hardly enough time to throw himself to the side as a pinkish beam shot out from the gun, carving into the rock behind Ryushi as if it were butter.
The SWORD pointed it's clawed hand at him, and for the first time, Ryushi noticed a small hole between the clawed fingers. He didn't have long to wonder what it was for; a think beam sword, the same pinkish color as the gun's beam, shot out. It was as long as Ryushi was tall, and crackling with energy.
Only lightning quick reflexes and extraordinarily strong metal claws kept the next slash from killing Ryushi. The claws from both of his hands crossed - and the SWORD's beam saber blocked at their intersection - Ryushi took a step back at the strain.
This SWORD was STRONG!
Abruptly, Ryushi leapt to the side. The SWORD fell forth, barely catchung itself, as the man called Slayer's support left. But Ryushi was no easy meat himself, he darted to the side and plunged his claws into where most SWORDs kept their main generators. The SWORD's side.
Surprisingly, the SWORD acted as if nothing happened, and made another slash with the beam saber. Ryushi leapt forward, over the saber and onto the SWORD's head, thrusting his claws into it's shoulder for something to grip on to. He held his other hand out; and from each of his fingernails sprung forth a thin, half foot blade. Ryushi couldn't help but grin. Claws on his knuckles, claws on his fingers, he truly was a monster.
Holding his fingers stiffly forward, he plunged all nine blades - including the four on his knuckles - into the SWORDs head. Again, there seemed to be no generater here. Damnit!
The SWORDs saber dissapeared, and the three claws grabbed Ryushi by the leg, hurling him to the side. Ryushi twisted and managed to land on his feet nimbly as a cat, but stood still not a moment, leaping foward again, flipping in the air to dodge another pink blast, and slashing down, hard, on the SWORD's left arm. The gun arm.
The entire arm came off with a small explosion, knocking both SWORD and human back. Sharp wires jutted out from the torn shoulder, and sparks hissed. But the SWORD felt no pain; it attacked just as it would have without the arm.
The saber once more appearing, Ryushi had to throw himself to the ground to avoid another slash. And was glad he did so, when he discovered a small panel on the SWORD's leg, no doubt for repairs and commands. He had no more time to contemplate this before he flipped forward, on his hands, avoiding another saber thrust, and kicked the SWORD with both legs.
The Ultima stumbled back, and before it could recover, Ryushi leapt forward. Once more, the bits in his fingernails extended their thin blades, but only on his left hand. With his right, Ryushi tore open the panel.
Ryushi knew well about the SWORDs' technology, and despite it's apparent superiority, the Ultima was still a SWORD. The thin blades cut wire, batteries, nd the like, and once the appropriate damage was done, Ryushi jabbed one of his finger-claws, appropriately the middle one, into a small hole in the panel. A slight shock told him the job was complete, and Ryushi leapt back, running from the SWORD as fast as he could. The entire thing had been done in a second, but it was enough to defeat even Ultima.
Despite the distance he put between himself and the SWORD, the explosion still knocked him to the ground. After a moment, he groggily got back to his feet, and looked over to where the SWORD was.
Or, where it used to be. The self destruct system damaged it much more than any external blast could have done. Not even scavengers would want what was left behind.
Ryushi sighed and looked forward, the claws in his fingernails retracting. Skan was alive. He was alive, and his enemy. It was a cruel joke that gods were playing on him, as if this hell-bent life of his wasn't horrid enough.
Skan... Ryushi thought, as if Skan could hear him. If you are alive, inside that monsters head, rest well, my friend. For I will be the one to kill you. Not Nisemeisho. I, Ryushi Kaijonari. Slayer.
The heat was getting unbearable. Kenjii had long since tied his black trenchcoat to his waist, and wrapped his shirt around his head to protect his eyes from the sun. Crystal had seemed a bit surprised at all the scars that adorned his body. Perhpas now she knew why he really didn't care about the scar he had most recently received; the one she couldn't fully heal. Looking down at his muscular torso, Kenjii couldn't even find that individual mark among all the other criss-crossing scars.
It was hot, and it was dry. Kenjii's sweat evaporated as soon as it touched his body. And Crystal made them both take a swallow of their water once every fifteen minutes. Her reasoning was, if you do not drink as you should, you'll convince your body that you don't need as much water. People have died with water in their bags, before, trying to save it. Kenjii snorted. All he knew was that their water was NOT going to last them the entire way at this pace. If they were even going the right way.
"Time to take a drink," Crystal broke into his thoughts. Kenjii frowned. Was the woman reading his mind or something? Damn!
"Yeah, yeah," Kenjii muttered. He lifted the bottle to drink, then realized that there wasn't enough for both of them. He sighed and handed the bottle to her. "Ladies first," he said.
She scowled at him so hard he almost took a step back. What did he do?! Actually HELPING this woman pissed her off! Damnit, she was a tough one. But she appeared as thirsty as him, and just as ready to drink.
"Wait a minute..." she began. "There's only a swallow here!"
"Then swallow," Kenjii growled. "We have to keep going."
Crystal shook her head. "Don't go thinking you can walk around 'saving' me, Kenjii Ikaku," she snarled. Kenjii blinked in surprise. What the HELL!?
"Look," he said, suddenly angry. You actually make a sacrifice, and a damned hard one at that, and she spits in your face! "You drink that damned water. Unless you want us both to sit here and die? And there isn't enough to save half of it, either. Just drink it!" This was crazy. He shouldn't have to argue with her at all!
With a final scowl, Crystal took the final swig. It was all she could do, if she tried to save it, the rest of the water would just dribble down her chin. She offered the bottle back to Kenjii, but he just told her her to drop it. She complied.
After a few more minutes of silence, Kenjii caught Crystal glancing at him and trying to hide it. Before Kenjii could say anything... it came into view.
He didn't know how in the world he could miss such a huge airship. Most probably due to the fact that Kenjii stared at the ground as he walked - he'd learned from experience that many biting lizards and snakes blended in very well with their desert surroundings - but a ship that... HUGE could not be missed! By Crystal's inhaled gasp, she just noticed it, too.
It was massive, as big as four or five airships put together. The airship was very warped and twisted looking, though it was as straight as any normal airship. The end, most definately a hangar, looked like a huge gaping mouth. No machine could actually think, or feel, but if Kenjii had to describe this airship... the only word for it would be evil. And he instantly knew what it was.
"What... what is that?" Crystal asked, her voice an unmasked mix of fear, awe, and curiosity.
"It's the Soul Eater," Kenjii said grimly. "Seth's ship."