Searching (Yumi)

Astareal looked around. She had heard about the place, the place where the people that are pure of heart get healed. She didn't believe it. So she wanted to see it for herself. She had found a circular ring of trees already, not wanting to go in them quite yet. There was no opening, not a single path. She she just walked in and kept moving forward. Once reaching the center, there was a very small little pool of water, not much bigger than a large puddle. It looked shallow. She didn't touch it, instead she just looked around. No one. A little creepy, but it should be okay.

She pulled out a small flask and submerged it under the water. Once it was filled, she fastend it to her belt and walked back out of the woods. Astareal looked around, wondering what might happen next. Nothing interesting seemed to be going on today.

(( wow this is odd. I was expecting having to read almost five paragraphs. yay small post.))

Xander was laying up in one of the many trees in the area in the form of a small squirrel. He had no idea where he was, just that it seemed dark and safe. Just the place he needed to help him relax and maybe think over some things. It had been almost a week since the incident that lead to him and bob being separated. Even so the images were still fresh. The advice he had gotten from the dragon helped but left him kind of confused. What he had to do seemed simple enough at first but the more he thought about it, the boy quickly found that realistically it would be hard. Hard because he wasn't so sure he would be strong enough to help anyone kill the queens. Also he didn't know who should be the one to be in charge later, originally he had decided to help Lucien......but he didn't really like him so could he really go through with helping someone he hated? And of course there was the dying part. The idea of death was kind of scary but at the sometime pleasant. It also kind of helped that he had gone into death before with a necromancer. But that couldn't really count since nobody there had actually passed on yet, it was more like a transition stage, a stage between life and death. His mind was like an explosion with different thoughts going in a hundred directions at a speed he could barley keep up with.

The hybrid didn't even notice Astreal until she had came to a pool of water next to the tree he was in. Changing back into a human he jumped down. She had access to lots of dead people and all their hidden knowledge. He had seen her make someone dead communicate as if they were still alive. He figured that she would be able to help. Perhaps there was a dead person who knew about the queens weaknesses......or how to know what kind of person would be best suited for being royalty.

((Lol I knew that would happen. It's too hot so I've been being a little lazy.))

Astareal jumped back when the kid popped out of nowhere. One would think that adfter seeing nearly everything that had gone on that was important over these few years that she wouldn't be freaked out at a little boy jumoing out of nowhere. And yet, she was. She didn't mind, though, and actually thought that it was rather pleasant. Her senses were awakened and she felt a little renewed. It had been a while since she was last scared. She shook her head. "A little warning wouldn't have hurt." Her eyes studied the boy for a moment, before looking around. He must've been hiding in the trees. Hmmpf. What a crafty little child. he might come in handy every now and again.

Astareal thought long and hard for a moment. What was the significance of his being here? Was there even a reason? Maybe he needed a help. Astareal thought about the last time she had been around him. He was chained up and she had taken him with her as a guest into death. Not everyone had that priveledge. "D you need something?" She figured that she may as well ask; if he did he would probably be all shy abvout it if he was the one who asked himself. No matter, for the question was out there. Sghe would be willing to help this boy, Xander, mainly because he was a decent kid who had been used for the majority of his life. And no one deserved that.

(( ^_^ nothing wrong with that. Quality over quantity.))

The hybrid wondered what brought the necromancer to this place. It didn't really seem like a place someone like her would go to. Xander smiled lightly at her reaction ,it was kind of strange and funny that he would scare someone so easily. "Sorry." He said. When she asked if he needed help he was surprised. How did she know that? Maybe he just wasn't that good at hiding things like that, seeing how everyone he talked to seem to be able to read his mind. He wasn't so sure if he wanted to say any thing now. He had done nothing to deserve anyones help and yet he was always asking. This made him feel kind of like he was being selfish. But ignoring the direct question would make her angry and that would be worse. A lot of people were all ready angry at him, he didn't want anyone else to be.

"Actually i was just curious if you knew of any dead people that might have information on the queens." He answered hoping she wouldn't ask anymore questions. Having to answer a lot of hard questions would not be a very good experience. Not to mention he didn't really know Astreal that well. But then again he didn't know the dragon etheir.....though Finn probably would have eating him if he hadn't told her. Hopefully necromancers didn't eat people...no that didn't seem likely since they were kind of human. But then again she could and probably would turn him into a zombie if she got mad. There just didn't seem to be anyway to get out of it.

Astareal thought for a moment. He needed the help of a dead person? Huh. She couldn't think of anyone who would be close enough to the queens to know much, unless a recent servant knew. Or if they wanted to kill someone and them get the info. Astareal studied the boy for a moment. "Do you know anyone who might have an idea? If their death was too long ago then that probably won't work well, anyways." Astareal studied the area for a moment. If needed, she would go into deep death. But if it could be prevented, she wouldn't.

Amazed at what she was thinking, she needed a reason why. It was probably because she liked the kid and he had never done anything to hurt her. If anything, he had helped her. Might as well treat him like he had treated her, right? It was the least she could do. That and she hadn't been into death for a few days. She had no reason to be, and Yrael had been hanging around her more often. She would probably be barred from entering right here, considering the spring's aura. Therefore they would have to leave for a few minutes in order to eenter death.

Xander shook his head in response to the question. He didn't know anyone who would have that sort of information. The only people that might know would be the queens relatives. But he had no idea who they were or if they were dead. It seemed they were at a dead end....unless Bob knew. But he hadn't seen him since they separated. The bully was probably going around beating up random people or burning towns.

"Maybe one of the queens relatives would know....if they have any." He suggested. Hopefully Astreal would know if they were dead and if they would be of any help. She was the one who dealt with dead people, so he assumed she knew the answers to all that. The boy wished he could be more help but it wasn't like the fire queen sat down and showed him her family tree. And if she had it probably would have been a trick.

Astareal thought for a moment. Where was that stupid cat when you needed him? Placing her fingers in her mouth, she blew as hard as she could. The resulting action was a loud, high pitched whistle. Withyin seconds, a little white cat was bounding toward her. The cat plopped down on it's haunches and looked at the woman. "Do you know anyone who would have information on the rulers of the hybrids?" The cat thought for a moment, before nodding it's head.

"Probably nephew or the girl that comitted suicide a few days ago." Yrael began licking his paws. A violent death. If they had gotten past the third precinct, maybe they could be in the fourth. Looking at Xander, Astareal shrugged. "Well, at least we have a lead. Want to go into Death with me?" She tigtened her braid and plopped down on the grass. Looking at the boy, she drew her sword and Saraneth. "Maybe you should enter in by the pond. I'll be alright, but it's hard to say what that idiot will do to you." She motioned to Yrael, who grinned.

(( this is oddly familiar......are you by any chance referring to the demonic kids in the cave from the unexpected thread? I'm assuming it is. Because my 'admin has evil idea' senses are tingling. ))

The people the cat mentioned sounded vaguely familiar. But he just couldn't figure out why. Xander nodded at Astreals offer, the boy wanted to hear this information with his own ears. Astreal was nice and had helped him out before but he still wasn't so sure if he should trust her. Also the hybrid knew what he was looking for, the lady might not and accidentally leave out something important.

Glaring at the cat who the boy definitely didn't like he walked over into the trees toward the area that had the pond. Here he would be safe from any dark intentions since the good aura of this place repelled evil. It was a little worrying though, the last time he was right beside Astreal and had her guidance. If he was near the pond and she was beyond the trees, then would they also be separate in death? He wasn't so sure he would be ready if that was the case.

((Lol now you're devoloping senses? Niiice. XD And yes, I am.))

Astareal nodded to Yrael, who curlled up into a ball and stared at her. As the woman entered death, she looked around. No matter where you entered from, you always ended up in the same spot. She took a few steps forward, hoping that Xander wouldn't land on top of her or something. Then they would both be swept away by the river and into the ninth precinct, and Astareal would be gone forever. Hard telling about Xander, though. He would probably survive. Situating herself, she felt the presence of one who was dead. A new, freshly killed spirit. Wiggling her ears, she took a step back onto the banks of the river. Her sword glowed eerily, and she was ready for almost anything.

(( ^_^ lol ))

Xander quickly found Astreal in the world of the dead. He was glade that they weren't separated. He wasn't so sure how he would fair against undead spirits. The boy walked closer and tried to figure out what she was looking at. It seemed they were not alone and the necromancer had already found a dead spirit. He wondered who this spirit would be and how they died.

"This one is too young. Ringing Saraneth will only lure it closer. We have to go now, quickly." Astareal said the magic words and went into the second prcinct, going all the way to the fourth without stopping. The Fourth Precinct was her favorite by far. Ringing Saraneth, all the spirits that had any royal connections came forward. Only three appeared. "What one do we go with first?" The woman drew Belgaer and Dyrim, handing Saraneth to Xander. He could ring it if needed. Ringing the two bells, she looked at the three.

"You. Tell me about your past life." The first spirit was pointed to, and it proceeded to speak. A hybrid slave was all, nothing important. She wanted someone who had more tightly bound connections. Pointing to the second, it proceeded to speak. "I'm the Wind Nymphs nephew." Astareal nodded and clapped her hands. That would work rather well, wouldn't it? Replacing the two bells she had, she took Saraneth back and put her hands on her hips. She felt accomplished. "You can interrogate it."

Xander followed Astreal silently to the fourth level. He looked at the spirit who was the wind nymphs nephew. The wind boy looked frammileir....of course this was the guy who tried to kill him and the others back at the cave. " What are the queens planing? How do we stop it? And what are their weaknesses?" The boy asked, he had a lot of questions but he forced himself to limit it to those. Finding out information on the queens was more important then the other things he wanted to ask.

Asatareal raised a brow. How many people were after those stupid women? Snorting, she looked around, waiting for the spirit to answer. She twiddled her thumbs, flopped on the ground, and dang near died of boredom whilst waiting. "They are planning to kill people and have them submit themselves into their power. The only way to defeat them is to find stray elementals and have those who dare go up against them or else turn them against each other. You have to fight them with thair opposite element. The only way to stop is to destroy their reign of terror." The spirit spoke slowly, steadily, as if he was forced to do so. That was exactly how it was. Saraneth's power forced the boy to do so. Astareal grinned. She loved to make things do stuff against their will.

Xander nodded.....it made sense. Fighting them with their opposites. The only problem was that he wasn't sure who would want to help. He sort of knew some elementals but he wasn't sure who they were aligned with. One thing he didn't get was how would killing everybody make them surrender to the queens. If someone was dead they couldn't really be followers of anybody. Unless necromancers like Astreal forced them. Maybe it was a riddle, or maybe the queens would only kill a few people to set an example. It was hard to tell exactly what the wind boy meant. Ether way the hybrid would have to find some elementals. "How many elementals would i need. What if there are some that have more then one elemental ability?" Ambrosia and Armageddon had more then one ability. Ambrosia had control over all, a very rare and powerful ability. Perhaps he would only need those two.

"Two tetra-elementals and perhaps another of each, or two that have control over two elements. But I will warn you, they are strong. They give elementals their power. So if they figure out that there are a group of rebels, they will take away their abilities. So try to keep it secret. Your lucky that witch has control over me." Astareal's hair fell over her face, creating a dark shadow under her eyes. "You had better be done with him." Sheathing the bell, she swung her sword and chopped the spirit in half. She ground her teeth, the other spirits left. She hated being called a witch, or any other thing besides what she was. That stupid boy needed to learn to watch his tongue. Looking at Xander, her brown eyes were aflame with emotion. "I'll help you find those elementals. I don't know where you will find another tetra-elemental. Not unless one has been recently been born. Tetra-elementals are rare, many wouldn't risk their power." The woman looked toward the gate. Time to go. She walked forward, looking around. It would be nice to do this, that was for sure.

Xander flinched slightly when the sword came down. The wind nymphs nephew was mean...but killing him again was kind of harsh. But then..... could you really kill people twice? If so, where did they go? Yet more confusing questions. He followed Astreal wondering about her reaction. The hybrid had never seen this emotion on her before. " What happens when you kill people after their already dead?" He couldn't help it, he was curious. However at the same time he dreaded hearing the answer.

So he needed to find four elementals at least. Two Tetra's and two Bi elementals. He only knew three elementals....Armageddon who controlled two: air & water, Ambrosia who controlled all of them and Jade who as far as he knew only controlled water. But he ruled out the blond elf because she was kind of mean and he couldn't imagine her helping. Hopefully Astreal knew of more elementals.