Jake slumbered silently in the mountain cave, his black wings wrapped around him to keep him warm. His breathing was deep and slow with the undertone of a slight snore. He tended to be a night person, sleeping in the day so he can practice his flying at night when no one but the wild life around him could watch. The mountain that he took refuge in was surrounded by forest on one side and beyond that was the city. He never went there, except when he would catch a cold and he would go steal medicine. Back at the orphanage, the people gave you the medicine but he left all that behind. Living in the wild strengthens the immune system to the point where his visits to the city stopped entirely. His eyelids twitched with dreams, they were usually all the same. Something about the world burning around him, he knew it was more than just a dream but he denied that. If he were to be abnormal, he would refuse to let it invade his dreams.

Jake's eyes snapped open, his ears straining to hear the sound of tumbling pebbles but it didn't come so he relaxed. Then it was back, the sound of someone climbing his mountain. He brought his wings back to him, retracting them and keeping them as their tattoo. He cautiously peered out but saw no one. He could feel them though, they were on his mountain. He swung his whole body out so that he was climbing to the top, thinking that he could see all sides of the mountain that way. The climbing was difficult for him since he purposely chose a cave that lay within the tougher part of the mountain. He sat in that one place for a moment, trying to catch his breath.

((That'll be Star.... Is that ok?))

((Certaintly, Emerald.  I'm very happy when people interact with my Charras~))

"Woah...."  Star gazed in awe downwards when she noticed a girl- one who could easily pas.s as older than herself- Sitting inside an aura of energy that looked to be providing a barrier around her. What she didn't notice, though, was that another was climbing the same mountain as her, heading towards the peak. It was not unlike her to be oblivious of such details as this.

Realizing that this was only one view of her surroundings, she hobbled over to the opposite side of the mountain, stumbling on a stray rock along her way.  She squinted, leaning into her line of sight so she could better see what was ahead of her.

Again, she'd missed out on one small detail, and that was that the recent rain had softened the soil on the mountain.  The dirt and pebbles on the very edge shifted, beggining their tumble down the side of the mountain.  And so did Star.

Her wings already being out, she attempted to use them to slow her fall, at least to the point where she could create a wall of ice beneath her so she would be caught by it.  Her attempts were all futile, and she continued to plummet, frozen tears scattering around her as she descended, closer and closer to the ground.  She began to glance around for a root or branch to grasp, or even an overhang, just something that could save her.

Jake felt the mountain's rocks shift slightly so he kicked off the wall and spread his wings out. Cautiously he flew around to see what all the commotion was about. I could have sworn I saw a shadow up there... Did they fall?! He twisted his wings to match that of the wind pattern and zipped around to the side where a girl was falling at an increasing rate. "What do I do, what do I do. Oh dangit, what good are these abilities if you can't use them to help others?" He closed his eyes and concentrated, slowing his breathing. As he did so, it was as if time began to slow to give him the time needed.

He held his arm out, pointing in the direction of the falling girl, feeling out her shadow. There it is! He sensed it with a smile. "Prepudi." Jake whispered into the wind. It wasn't nescessary to say the word but he felt better when he did. The shadow, as expected came to life. He closed his eyes and when they opened, it was the view of the shadow's. It moved up the rocks, ensnaring the girl in a hug and began pulling her out of the way. The shadow's wings pushed off of the air around it, giving lift to both. Slowly it brought the two up and back on the top of the mountain.

Jake released his spell and zipped down to the mountain, forgetting his wings. "Are you alright?"

As Dalerian walked into the forest, he stopped suddenly as he ran into... nothing. His brows furrowed in slight confusion, but that was about it. Taking a few steps back, he looked at the space where the nothing was. His eyes narrowed as he realized it was an invisible force field. So that was why he couldn't see it.

Durr.

Running his ringless fingers through his reddish hair, he felt his tattoo itch as it started to glow. Releasing his wings, he let the fiery plumage unfurl at his back. But he didn't take off into the air. He just stared at the empty spot. His eyes cold, and his wings on fire.

Literally.

Rayleigh screamed and fell backwards. That was the first noise that she had made in over a year. A scream. Her tattoo glowed, and her brown, black, and red wings sprouted from her back. A golden pattern was on her wings. She stared at this mysterious boy, with his flaming wings. He was like her. She immediately put a force field between them. Except this one was transparent. She could see Dalerian, and he could see her as well.

Ray clenched her fists and said, "What do you want?" She stretched her wings and turned her amazed stare into a fierce glare.

Star was showing a steady shudder, though the tears had dried- Or at least frozen.  When she noticed this, however, she forced her body to cease it's trembling.  "I think I'm okay..."  She trailed, glaring in a circle for several moments, as if looking for something.  "Where'd the shadow creature go?"  She paused, her eyes settling on the boy.  "I was going to thank it."

It was after several seconds that Star noticed that the two of them had one obvious thing in common.  She placed a hand over her mouth in a shocked and astonished gesture.  "Wings..."  She muttered, then coming to realization.  Perhaps he was like herself, and had powers too.  "Was that shadow creature yours?"  She removed her hand  from her mouth so her words could be better understood.  "Oh, then that means you saved me?  Oh, I'm so confused."  She pouted.  "Thanks, I think."  Star smiled, grateful.  She hoped she wasn't being annoying.

She took a brief pause.  "Oh, where are my manners?  You may call me Star.  I know, its a strange name.  But I don't remember my real name."  She shook her head for emphasis.  "And what is your name?"  She asked with a tilit of the head, her curious sky blue eyes staring into his pupils.

Jake chuckled slightly. "If you wish to thank the shadow deamon, look down." He responded, pointing to the girl's own shadow. "My name's a little funny so I just go by Jake, and your lucky that you woke me up on your way up here. If you hadn't, well let's not get too much into that." He shrugged. His facial ex
pression was blank but his eyes gleamed with delight. Finally there was another just like him with wings, he was not alone. "I guess that you're wondering what I just did there huh? My specialty is shadow manipulation. I took control of you're own shadow and, well in essence, made it alive. It beats rushing and possible breaking a wing, you know? I gotta say those are some beautiful wings you have there." He trailed off, staring at Star's wings. "You have wings too, so what is your power?" He asked, still awestruck by the wings.

His focus was momentarily pulled away at the sound of a scream. He immediately crouched some, facing in the direction of the sound. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. The shadows felt calm around the mountain itself, which meant the sound had to have been farther out towards the city. He relaxed some, folding his black wings.

Star glanced at her shadow with confusion.  It was when he explained things that she understood.

"Oh, thanks."  She happily responded to his compliment.  She herself found her wings to be rather odd, sharing the appearance of ice.  Not to mention the fact that they were nearly useless, or at least compared to the way wings should be.  "My power-"  She froze at the distant sound of a scream.  She pivoted to face the source of the noise, her pupils tracing the horizon.  Perhaps it was that girl she'd seen earlier?  But it was a ways away, whatever it was, as the volume of the noise suggested.

"Anyway, my power is the umm....  Ice?  No, wait...  Hmm...  I'm not sure how to word it, but I can create ice and freeze water.  I can't do this when I become overheated though, which is one reason I prefer the winter months."  She smiled at the fact.  She wondered just what season it was, for she surely hadn't kept track.

Star was quite glad that she wasn't alone.  But now that she's found another similar to herself, what did she do now?  Surely they had these powers for a reason.

Dalerian cocked his head to the right, though the movement was miniscule. His gray-green eyes reguarded the person behind the transparent sheild with such a cold, guarded ex
pression. Then, his eyes roamed to the wings behind her. Wings of brown, black, and red plumage that also held traces of gold as the metallic colour traced a pattern across the feathers.

She was similar to him.

Similar. Key word. She was nothing like him though. He smirked slightly as he though of her girlish scream. But yet, half the population would probably run in the other direction if they saw his fiery wings.

Remembering her question, he replied coldly; "To go where I please."

OoC://

-tilts head-

Bump?

((Sorry, helping my dad not fall into depression. So many funerals in such a short time. I feel bad for the dude, so many funerals and he is only 40!))

Jake nodded with understanding. "A gift like ours is hard to understand. I have to ask you a personal question though. Have you ever felt like we were meant for something, other than to be hunted by mindless humans?" He remembered seeing a movie once, where the character was hunted because he had something special. He couldnt remember the name, but it was because of that movie that he had flown all the way to this mountain from far away with a vow to stay away from humans. He felt jittery around them but this girl wasnt one of them. She had wings and powers just like him, so were there others? His eyes darted to where the scream had once originated. "I don't know about you but something is telling me we should go check that out. What if there are others like us? Maybe one of them is down there and in trouble. What if one of the regulars are hunting them?" He had never wanted to do something so much. In fact he hated social interaction. He was surprised that he had made it this far talking to Star.

Rayleigh's eyes turned to slits. "This is my territory. My home. Leave. Now." The forcefield flickered around her, and she felt weak.

With the world spinning, Rayleigh fell to the ground, trying to find something to hold onto. She had used too much of her energy. She felt sick at her stomach, but refused to let anything other than the word, "Leave," come out of her mouth.

That brought a cold smile to Dalerian's lips. His gray-green eyes narrowed slightly as he replied; "I don't see your name on this plot of land. Do you have the deed? 'Cause if ya did, I might be inclined to leave." His wings quivered slightly as they furled against his back slightly before beating once.

A sudden movement caused the teenager's eyes to move. A bird. The avian had managed to fly through where the forcefield would have been. Though, he could tell it was back once the disappeared from his sight amoung the green leaves.

He turned his attention to the girl in front of him. She had fallen to her knees. Not that he cared. He just didn't like it when people tried to limit what he did.

((Lolz at Ninja School.  Well played indeed ;D))

Star considered the boy's words.  "We must have some purpose.  We wouldn't have powers if we didn't need them, after all."

She paused then, also glancing toward the area in which the scream had sounded from.  "You're right, we have to see if someone is in trouble.  Those humans can be so cruel, just because we are different.  I wont let them hurt one of our kind."  And with that, she charged toward the side of the mountain, wings outspread and eyes determined.  Her feather-less wings caught on a strong gust, which was very helpful.  She couldn't fly as well as she could glide, so she liked to let the wind carry her.

Star began to descend slowly and steadily, pulling upward and flapping her wings in place for a moment to make sure the boy was following.

Dalerian furled his wings against his back, but did not retract them into the tattoo the marred his back. Then, he tilted his head to one side as the girl asked for his name. His name...? He went so long without having to say it that he sort-of forgot it. Oops. Wait... There was something there, in the back of his mind. Something that sounded familiar.

"Dalerian Katagaria, is what I am called," the crimson-haired boy said at last.

"I guess it's only fair that I tell you my name, too." Ray got to her feet and brushed herself off. "Rayleigh Marilene. Call me Ray. It's not as girly." She cringed at the word, girly. She hated being girly. All her life, Rayleigh had to learn to be tough. The orphanage that she was raised in mainly consisted of boys, so she had to learn to fight like a boy."So you're a Prophetic One, too, eh?"

Dalerian smirked and replied with a smart-allec remark; "Your asking me that, even though you can see my wings?" His smirk then changed to a cold smile as he let out a low chuckle while shaking his head. The fiery plumage of his wings quivered as they unfurled slightly.

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