[[ Up Fo' Loki ]]

Zane muttered a soft "It actually does," under his breath and shrugged. "Good idea," he said, walking over to a patch of ground that looked useful and began preparing his knife. He carefully smeared the full of the blade with mud the wrapped it up in moss. After a moment's thought, he added another la
yer of mud and moss just to be safe. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally cut his girlfriend's arm or something.

--

Allen held his hands together nervously and bit down on his lower lip as Maksis tried out the arrow. He was hoping it worked like it should and he was so tense he nearly jumped out of his skin when Maks fired it, actually jumping into the air and trusting his fist up excitedly as he let out a woop of joy when it hit it's mark. He'd actually done it! 

The young brunette grinned at the older male when he was questioned. "I do a lot of woodwork and it was my favorite class in school. I know how to make all sorts of things," he answered. "Although I made a bow for Zane before when he accidentally snapped his. Guess I'm lucky I knew exactly how to make it." He added a few moments later. He crossed his arms over his chest thoughtfully. Now he was the only one who needed a weapon.

--

Vic and *censored* both nodded at the plans, although *censored* seemed a bit more reluctant about agreeing. Allen would be the type to try to go full force into battle like it was a videogame, not realizing the true danger. Allen was smart... but he was a bit too energetic, and even if Crux was the lowest of the Mutants, he was just as cruel and ruthless as Lunar.

*censored* stood up, his tail lashing in a nervous way, but his face was straight and determined. "Should we go let our bonds know, now?" he asked. It suddenly seemed very scary to not be with Allen. Even if the others were with him, Allen was his bond and *censored* needed to protect him. 

Taylor sighed when Zane muttered that soft comment under his breath. She rubbed her index finger against her thumb and frowned when a small drop of blood wound its way down her hand. She blinked and glanced up at Zane, but he was busying himself with covering his sword and wouldn't notice. She thrust her finger into the pocket of her jeans, hoping to staunch the blood flow. Apparently, the blade had cut deeper than she thought.

She walked up to him and squatted down by the mud. The smell of the decaying leaves made her nose sting and she crinkled her nose, her gray eyes narrowing slightly. She pulled the blade from its hilt, rubbing the end of the sleek black dagger before dipping it into the mud. She let it rest in the mud, using her left hand to cover the blade while she kept her right in her pocket. When the coating of mud began to dry a bit, she put some leaves over it and added yet another la
yer of mud.

"Ew," she said when she finished and she raised the weapon into the air. She pulled her finger out of her pocket, smirking when she saw the blood clotting again. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all; she would just need to keep it clean. She touched the edge of the blade to her finger again, yet she did not cut herself. The mud left a print on her finger, but stayed on the blade.

"Works," she said and shrugged, but she definitely wanted to test it on something before she took a few whacks at Zane. She eyed the log where they had sat before and advanced on it. She flipped the dagger over in her hands so the blade curved toward her and she slid it in one fluid movement across the bark.

She grinned when she leaned down to inspect the fallen tree and found that the blade had not marred it in any way. Now she didn't have to worry about cutting Zane to death; that would be bad.

~~~

Maksis slid his fingers around the bow and let it rest in his hand. It seemed to be almost weightless yet the power could be felt emnating from it. He pulled another bow from the rock next to him and slung it on the bowstring. He raised his arm and closed his left eye, letting out a slow breath as he took aim at a swinging leaf on the same tree he had shot at before.

He released the arrow, but did not move from his position until the arrow flew well past him. The tip of the arrow-head pierced the leaf and landed on the tree behind the first, the leaf now pinned to the bark. Maksis raised his brows at Allen.

"It's amazing for just a wood shop clas.s. You have talent," he said as he grinned. The prospect of Allen having a weapon in his hands saddened the elder boy and he sighed. He knew that Allen had to be harmed, but he also made a silent pact to himself to protect the boy at all costs.

"Well, is there any weapon you could easily make besides that of a bow? Of course, if you want to make yourself another bow, I'm not stopping you," he said.

~~~

Shadow raised his sleek black head and pushed himself to his paws. His voice came out a deep rumble as he spoke. "Tell them of who they shall be fighting against. Teach them how to work with us for we are bonds for a reason," he said as he flicked his ears and padded out of the cave to stand at the edge of the rocky alcove.

8u

Zane watched curiously as Taylor attacked the log, not even leaving a scratch. He glanced at his blade for a moment before following her over, staring at the log with dark eyes for a moment. Then, he took a fighter's stance and, holding the blade firmly in his hand, he brought it down on the log in a downward slash. There was a loud thunk as the blade hit the bark, but when he pulled his arm back, there was no mark on the log either. He knelt down to inspect it further. There was a bit of a mark, he noticed, but it looked like it'd just been caused by the force of the impact. Narrowing his eyes a bit, he repeated his motion with less force. This time, there was no mark.

He grinned also. He obviously had the strength to fight well with a blunt knife, but since he wouldn't be going all out against Taylor, he didn't have to worry about hurting her.

“Okay, you ready to spar?” he asked, turning to Taylor and taking another fighting stance.

~~~

Allen grinned happily, placing his hands on his hips with a satisfied look on his face. He was glad Maksis liked his work.

“I do a lot of extra credit,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck when the compliment made him blush slightly.

When he was asked about a weapon for himself, he lowered his hand and looked around. The closest thing to a weapon he'd ever used was a broom. Maybe something like that?

“Oh, I know!” he exclaimed, looking around at the trees for a moment before he spotted what he wanted: a long but narrow and straight branch that would fit in his hands like a staff would.

He raced over to it and climbed into the tree and onto the branch above the one he wanted. He then dropped down and caught himself on the branch. Immediately, it bent under his weight, but didn't snap. He just hung there with an annoyed ex
pression on his face. He kicked his legs, trying to bounce in hopes that the branch would break. Nothing he did made much difference, though.

“Maks! Help me break this branch!” he called, kicking his legs again, even though he was hopeless to break the branch himself. He was too light on his own.

~~~

Yuri and Vic nodded again. Yuri stood up first and padded out of the cave as well, dipping his head respectfully to Shadow before racing over to where he saw Allen and Maksis. He paused beside Makisis, watching the rather ridiculous-looking Allen hang from a branch. “What is he doing?”

Vic slid out of the cave to find Zane. He found him with Taylor, looking like they were going to fight with their oddly covered blades. His slitted eyes blinked before he slid over in front of Zane. He towered over his human bond, looking down at him, as if he was studying him in a new lightly. He flicked his tongue out.

“You and I will be fighting Dagger, along with Sasori. Maksis, Yuri, and Allen will be fighting Crux,” he informed him. There was something about the snake that seemed different. The absence of the usually annoying serpent that Zane usually wanted to punch left the human a little nervous.

Zane simply shrugged, keeping his nervousness locked up deep inside him. “Sasori should fight with Maksis, we can handle Dagger on our own.” It was only partially true. He was confident that he and Vic could think of some way to fight Lunar without the extra hands... well, paws, but Zane was more worried about another Spirit fighting to protect Allen. Vic seemed to sense this, but kept quiet about it. Zane could discuss it with Shadow later.

Taylor grinned at Zane as she pushed a few stray hairs from her face. Though the locks tended to get in her way sometimes, she never fought with her hair up. She had just grown too used to it. She hefted the dagger in one hand, its weight and balance already familiar in her hands. The covering of mud and leaves had her hold placed slightly higher than where it was before. This being so the blade didn't dip down too far under the weight and it was more comfortable.

She paused when Vic slithered out of the cave and approached them, the snake's dark eyes watching them before he spoke. “You and I will be fighting Dagger, along with Sasori. Maksis, Yuri, and Allen will be fighting Crux,” he said and Taylor's gaze flickered back to the cave. So I'm fighting Lunar with Shadow. she thought to herself and glanced down at her left arm.

The jagged and puckered scar that went from her shoulder to the palm of her hand had her suppressing a shudder. A new fire burned in her eyes for a moment as she gazed at the remnants of the nasty wound. She'll die by my hand, she continued and Shadow's voice entered hers. He had been listening to her thoughts, assessing her anger.

She shall die by our paws, he finished for her and Taylor felt her lips turn up into a feral smile. But do not let rage blind you, Taylor. She is a formidable opponent and you must not underestimate her, he continued, the wise wolf's voice echoing into her mind. Taylor kept the bond between them open, but locked her own thoughts inside herself. She was worried about Maksis.

With a sigh, she turned back to Zane and tapped her head lightly with the edge of the blade. "Sorry," she said, indicating she had been talking with Shadow. "Your move," she said as she settled into her stance, feet splayed apart and dagger held slightly above waist height. She kept her other arm held out slightly, wanting to give her a better sense of balance.

____

Maksis couldn't help but laugh as Allen dropped down from the tree and swung on the branch. His green eyes were light as he watched the young boy squirm and kick in an attempt to break the branch from its hold. Yuri padded up to him and spoke which only caused Maksis to laugh harder, doubling over in the process.

"He's trying to break the branch," he said as he wiped tears away from his eyes. He shook his head slightly and ran up to the boy when he called. Unlike Allen, Maks had a rather hard time finding his way up the tree. He obtained a few scrapes in the process, but he paid no mind. "Ready?" he called from his perch slightly above Allen.

Without waiting for a response, Maksis let go from the branch he had been holding on to. He dropped down past Allen, but his strong hands gripped the branch. With their combined weight and the force of his fall, the branch creaked and dipped down lower. A loud splintering sound hit his ears and Maksis casted Allen a wide grin as he anticipated the fall.

She was vaguely aware of Shadow watching her from above, her gaze flickering there for a mere moment to look at his dark form that was sillhouted against the rocks of their encampment. When she looked down, she watched Zane's face as he pinpointed where he was going to strike. She could sense his indecision and could even spot the obvious reluctancy with the halfhearted blow he aimed at her chest.

She knocked aside the blade easily, just the swift flick of her elbow, and the blade veered off course. She grinned at him, still keeping her blade attached to his, and twirled in her step. She ended up with the blade against his hip and her back against his arm. Her face was only a breath from his as she closed the space between them, but she merely winked.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want," she said as she draped her arms around his neck, her dagger sliding harmlessly against his back. Although they should practice, Taylor found herself ready to confront the danger of Lunar. In reality, she just wanted to spend as much time as she could with Zane. Of course, her brother was still on the list, but...he was her brother.

----

Maksis landed with an 'oof' as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. He lifted his head meakly to see Allen sprawled over him with the tree branch laying on top of the boy. "Whew! Can we do that again?!" Allen asked in his face as he scrambled into a crouching position over Maksis.

The green-eyed boy chuckled as he shook his head in bewilderment. He pushed himself up, lightly pressing against Allen's chest to get the boy to move. He took in a few gulps of air as his lungs decided to work for him again. "I think...I'll pass," he said with a grin. "But no doubt, we'll do it again," he promised as he pushed himself off of the ground.

Maksis glanced back in time to see Taylor deflect a rather pitiful strike from Zane. He averted his gaze when she wrapped her arms around his neck, shaking his head again as he let out a deflated sigh. He ruffled Allen's hair and glanced back at Sasori, who was sitting beside Yuri and watching the humans with a watchful eye.

"Can we get out of camp, Sasori?" Maksis asked and the black panther shrugged in a 'yes.' Maks glanced back down at Allen and broadened his smile. "Want to go explore?" he asked as he peered through the jungle.

Taylor only chuckled with Zane's reaction, her lips pursed as she fought a smile. Although there was a twinge of regret that he couldn't comfortably be near her, she pushed the thought away when he lightly rested his arms around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, her nose brushing the skin of his neck, just under his chin.

"I want to fight, Zane. I want to kill her so badly, the mere thought of her sends anger running through me, and I'm afraid," she breathed, closing her eyes as her left arm trembled in remembrance. "I just don't want to lose myself." She knew Zane would know she was talking about Lunar; just the very thought of those stark white claws slashing through her sent shudders along her frame.

Pushing back the memories with great effort, she slackened her hold on Zane's neck, fearing she was making him uncomfortable and realizing how tightly she had been holding him before. "Sorry," she murmured as she began to draw away.

----

Maksis staggered after Allen as the younger boy practically bounced his way into the forest. But not for long did he allow himself to be towed. He pulled his arm from Allen's grasp and tapped him playfully on the back of his head, working his legs faster to run past the younger male.

He turned back to grin playfully at Allen. "I'll race you back to the spring," he hollered as he set his feet down one of the animal-made trails in the jungle. Unlike when he first entered the forest, he let his arm brush against the ferns, letting his body run naturally. He found his senses consumed by the forest and he realized with a jolt that this was unnatural; it was part of Sasori within him that allowed him to do this.

Zane tilted his head up slightly when he felt the touch to his neck, making him look a bit like a lion with his dark eyes narrowed and his strong ex
pression. Taylor's warm breath ghosted over his skin and sent a very slight shiver through his body, although he refused to acknowledge it or move away from her. He could sense that she needed him, and that was enough for him to push his own discomfort aside.

He wished he could do something to reassure her, but he had no words to say. Most people would offer an "Everything will be okay" but Zane wasn't one to lie about that. He had no way of knowing things would be okay. They just had to push forward and hope things would work out well.

When Taylor tried to pull away, he relaxed, only then realizing how tightly she had been holding on to him. Apparently he was slowly growing used to it, although the thought still made him nervous.

"Don't be sorry," Zane said, taking her arm to hold her still then dropping his knife to carefully hold her chin. He stared into her eyes, black searching grey for a moment before he took a step towards her, closing the distance between their bodies. Zane then leaned down to shyly brush his lips against her's before giving her a gentle kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allen ducked slightly when he felt the tap on the back of his head, then grinned excitedly at the challenge, racing after Maksis. Maks was actually pretty fast, but Allen was able to keep up with him. In the back of his mind, he noticed how easy it was to race through the jungle. His feet didn't catch on roots or get tangled in leaves, and everything just felt more natural than racing through the forest had been at home.

However, Allen was more caught up in chasing after Maksis to notice any of these things. He couldn't seem to pass Maksis, but he stayed right behind him, and when the finally reached the spring, he full-on tackled the older male with as much strength as he could muster, causing them both to topple over into the water with a large splash.

((Kinda power-played. o-o Is this still alright?))

She was about to take a step back when he grabbed her arm. She paused and looked down as his knife landed with a dull thud onto the ground. Taylor looked up into Zane's careful black eyes as he stepped even closer to her, their hips barely brushing against each other. She tilted her head slightly and parted her lips to meet him in the soft kiss.

"Thank-you," she murmured against his lips. His touch was gentle and unsure, but she wanted so badly to push him a little further, probe at his limits. Instead, she pulled back and gave him a gratifying nod. She only hoped the feelings she had felt just a moment ago were gone from her eyes, or that he couldn't read them.

---

Maksis could hear Allen's footfalls behind him, the sharp crunch of the leaves like a song to his ears. He broke out into the clearing with the lake and barely managed to stagger at the edge before he toppled over into the water. He turned around and his eyes widened to see Allen's still speeding form approaching. The look on the kid's face made him realize what Allen's intentions were just a moment too soon.

He let out an 'oof' as Allen tackled into him, the two falling through the air. Cold water surged around Maksis' head and he kicked himself to the surface, gulping in air when he finally broke through. "Allen!" he yelled in mock anger, his green eyes dancing with silent laughter.