Seventh Spark // Backdated to the 4th

[memoriesinsmoke]

[Liz has spoken with the people interested in joining her little expedition on the newly revealed path. She's told them to be prepared in case there's trouble. Kevas has already arrived, now she just needs to wait for everyone else.

Of course, the sooner they leave, the better.

She quickly leaves one more message over AN.To everyone I spoke to

Comments

May I cut in? }:>

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel knew that she was one of the last to respond to the call to explore the newly opened path so she was hurrying. She didn't want to be the one responsible for holding up the group any longer than she already had; and if Liz's call over the AN was any sign, she needed to hustle her feathers to get there.

She reaches Ardel and sights on the group a short distance ahead, already taking to the path that was once obscured by the fog. She recognized all of them save for the woman, so she was relatively certain she was the one that had summoned the group. Zack and Kevas had been involved in the first fog clusterfuck and she'd met Vash recently when hunting.

Her wing beats quicken, but she thinks to announce herself over the communicators before landing and startling anyone into doing her bodily harm.]

Heyla .. coming in from above .. Prefer to keep my wings in one piece.

[Her voice clips over the communicators before her shadow casts over them as she cuts in a quick circle and cuts in under the foliage. She lands solidly and

Of course! ^___^

[thepuppyhero]

[Zack looks up, lifting a hand to shade his eyes, and watches as Zhaneel swoops past. When she lands he waves in greeting.]

Hey! Zhaneel right?

[pimp_hat]

[Kevas smirks at Zhaneel's arrival. He's glad that she's here. Not only is she his most trusted ally in this place but she can provide some much needed air support on their journey.]

Knew joo'd catch up soonah or latah.

[memoriesinsmoke]

[While it's good to see that someone else knew where to go, they can't afford to sit back and chat. She's just going to keep walking until she hears a good reason to stop.

Besides that, she's more than a bit disappointed that Zhaneel didn't arrive on time, but at least she showed up without actually holding them up. Still, having a gryphon around gives them a definite advantage.]

Good to see you decided to show up. You see anything while you were up there? [Because as far as Liz can see, all that's up ahead is the same stretch of dirt road that they've been walking along the whole time.]

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel nodded to Zack as he verified her name, offering him the gryphon equivalent of a smile.]

Yes, Zhaneel .. [With that her golden gaze flits to Vash and Kevas, her tone rather a bit dry.] Yes, well, i couldn't miss out on all the fun. And Stars forbid I let you venture off into the wood alone.

[Her gaze falls on Kevas at the last and her tone is teasing, not mean. There is nothing sneaky she is trying to say with that .. just what it is. She'd much rather not lose one of her closer friends to whatever it was that might be lurking in the fog banks.

As Liz speaks, she can't help but pick up on the tone and grimaces slightly, ear pinning against her skull briefly.]

I am sorry.. I came as quickly as I could, barring the circumstances. I thought it best to have a few things on wing before flying off into the unknown. [It sounds like a good defense, but congratulations Liz, you have scored a pretty nice hit on her slowly stabilizing self-assurance. Nothing would bother her more than being the reason behind something happening to

[thepuppyhero]

Looks like we still got a long way to go then.

[On one hand exploring new areas is exciting, on the other it takes them farther and farther away from the safety of the villages and deeper into unknown danger. Nevertheless, he's having fun.]

[pimp_hat]

[Kevas grins at Zhaneel.]

Joo sure dat be it? I t'ink joo just can't resist my stunnin' good looks and roguish charm.

[It's nice to have someone he joke with. The conversation might make this long trip just a bit shorter. Everyone else he doesn't know well enough to care much about.]

Da fastah we get movin' da quickah we gonna know what be up. Let's move.

[memoriesinsmoke]

[If Kevas and Zhaneel want to banter, they can go right ahead. So long as they keep moving and aren't holding anyone up, that's what matters.

As for Liz, she hasn't stopped moving since they started going down this path. From the looks of it, they still have a while to go.]

Everybody stay focused and keep moving. We can't afford to be distracted right now. [Knowing the luck of this place, the second someone is distracted is the second something will go wrong.]

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel nods as she falls into step alongside the others, ears flicking this way and that as she listens for any sign of anything that might be around them. She speaks sidelong to Vash, answering him as she walks.]

I have learned that this place is no stranger to the 'weird' or unexpected.

[A snort and her gaze flits to Kevas, beak parting in a grin.] Oh, well clearly that is the case, Kevas! It is utterly astounding I have gotten this far without wrapping my talons around you!

[Amused gryphon is amused. However, Liz's sharp reminder clears the amusement from her face and she gives one nod to her, eyes and ears alert to their surroundings.]

[thepuppyhero]

[The playful banter between the two is fine by him. It makes this whole trip into the dangerous unknown that much more cheerful. In his experience, a happy squad is a efficient squad. The better mood they're in, the better they work together. Zack's happy to hear it.

Not to mention it's free entertainment.

Stifling a grin and failing, he turns his attention back to their surroundings.]

[pimp_hat]

Do try to show some restraint ladymon. Can't be makin' all da uddah mons here jealous now.

[The smile never leaves his lips. Despite the jesting Kevas stays completely aware of his surroundings. Everything is going smoothly so far but he can't expect it to stay that way forever. Sticking to the roads might keep them from getting lost but it'll make them easier to ambush. Of course traipsing through the woods isn't much better. No telling what kind of creatures are lurking in there.]

sorry for taking so long! OTL

[memoriesinsmoke]

[For now, Liz is just going to stay quiet and keep walking. She's already said all that needs to be said, and she doesn't feel the need to talk for the sake of talking.

If anything happens, she'll probably pipe up, but for now she's content to continue walking down this dirt road and look out for anything out of the ordinary.]

xoxoxo

[bondedgryphon]

[Zhaneel has never been quite so attuned to her surroundings. Having contended with the fog once before, if not the creatures within it, she is not keen on having any in their party fall victim to it.

Her ears are constantly flicking this way and that, her gaze moving toward small sounds that catch her attention. Most seem to be small woodland creatures, disturbed by their appearance. She pauses, forefoot hovering in air at a small sound, but as a squirrel appears and runs across the road she proceeds once more.]