Hellloooooooo FadeyMcFadeFace

So, you definitely don't have any concrete plans for this anymore?

I'll still be commenting as FadingGory though. XD

Well, I still plan on them going to the character who will help Adder's sister, but other than that I'm willing to ditch all other plans.

Oh also, will we be continuing with DS comments or are you fine with either?

Alright, I'm fine with that. X)

I'll probably switch between DS and browser comments depending on what device I'm using at the time, so I guess we may as well both do that.

By the way, you just mispelled your name as FadingGory. XD

Pfft XD

Alright then! I'm ready to roleplay when you are. Shall I start us off?

Yep, you can start! I'm guessing we're continuing right from the morning after everyone went to sleep at the end of last RP.

(Correct!) Hunter rose when the morning light struck the endless sheet of sickly clouds above. //Looks like rain,// he noted as he exited the fort to observe the canopy.

"We'd better get moving fast," a voice warned from above. Hunter turned to spot Hawk sitting on top of the fort, his hazel eyes on the distance.

"Where's our 'guest'?" Hunter murmured. He scanned the town square for a sign of the foreign assassin.

Adder had trained himself to awaken early in the morning for a multitude of reasons, and today proved to be no different. He didn't know whether it was a fear of something bad happening to his sister while he was sleeping, or simply the stress of living in a post-apocalyptic city swarming with criminals. But it was a useful ability to have, whatever the reason.

Letting out a yawn, he stretched and climbed off his makeshift bed. After leaving the brothers alone last night, he'd broken into an abandoned house at the edge of the square in hopes of finding a clean bed to sleep in. He hadn't succeeded, but ended up bedding down on the floor using his cloak as a blanket, and it worked well enough.

He threw said cloak back on and walked outside into the square, looking around for Hawk and Hunter.

Presently the twins caught sight of Adder returning to the clearing. Hawk waved before leaping off the fort, while Hunter looked on disinterestedly.

"Good to see you up," greeted the smaller twin, as he approached with a bag in his hand. "Here are provisions and first aid for our trip. I can only guess how far this city is from the next, so we'll need to go through them sparingly," he explained.

"Let's get moving," Hunter called impatiently from the other side of the lot, his own supply bag slung over his shoulder.

Hawk turned to Adder. "After we find Zekra, we'll head over to your sister then get out of here." He added sincerely, "I hope we can save her."

'That's my wish too.' Adder slipped his hands in his pockets and cast the bag of provisions a brief glance. 'So, you've never actually travelled to this other city before?'

As he spoke, he noticed Hunter on the roof overhead, but didn't look at him. He wasn't sure if he was more amused or annoyed by the boy's constant impatience with him being around.

(Whoops, for some reason I thought Hunter was on the roof. Ignore that bit in the middle.)

(Lol no problem)

Hawk picked up a bag for himself, then quieted at Adder's question. "Actually, we've never been out of the city before," he admitted.
His brother waved from across the clearing as if to remind them of their mission, so Hawk slowly started in that direction.

(Ah I guess I should've clarified that each person gets his own bag)

Adder nodded thoughtfully, keeping close behind Hawk. 'Strange, that. I always thought you two would've travelled around a lot, for some reason.' He stuffed his own supply of provisions into one of his larger coat pockets, and rested a hand on the pommel of a sheathed knife, his red eyes scanning their surroundings for any hint of movement.

Hunter kept an eye out up ahead, his bow in hand, but the twins both knew that few scavengers cared to hang around in the direction they were headed.

Hawk gave a bitter smile. "Heh, we would've left this place ages ago - that is, if we had been able to." The boy rubbed the back of his neck where the faint discoloration of a microchip could be seen implanted in his skin. "The government kept their 'tools' on tight leashes."
He sighed lightly, then allowed a grin to appear on his face. "Fortunately, now that they're gone and we have the key to freedom, Hunter and I will be able to break our bonds and leave this junkyard for good."

The assassin nodded again, lips twitching into a momentary half-smile. 'You must be desperate to get out of here by now - I know I am already.' His gaze wandered along the rows of derelict buildings on either side of them, broken windows staring back like dark, dead eyes. 'This isn't exactly the most attractive place to live.'

"Yeah..." Hawk followed the scavenger's gaze to the lifeless structures around them. "I'd like to say it's no wonder your sister's unwell."

Suddenly regretful of his comment, the elemental quickened his pace. "We're almost there," he informed, waving a hand to where they could see the line of buildings coming to an end.
Hunter had already reached the edge and was scanning a grassy expanse beyond, surprisingly in good condition except for the deep cracks in the earth.

(Sorry for browser comment.)

Adder was too preoccupied by the mention of his sister to notice the way Hawk suddenly changed the subject. Against his will, he found himself thinking about how long it had been since he'd last visited her. What if her condition had worsened without warning? There was no way he'd be able to get back to their hideout in time to do anything...

As they neared the place where the ruined buildings stopped, he came back to reality and looked around in a curious manner. 'Looks better here than the rest of the city put together,' he commented dryly.

(Np, I gotta do the same rn)

Hawk snorted in agreement. "There are hardly any inhabitants either, because there's no cover," he mentioned. His lips curved into a scowl as he scuffed the dusty earth with a boot. "Too bad the soil here isn't any less polluted than the city's."

Hunter stalked back to the two with an arrow nocked in his bow. "Zekra should be in that area," he stated, gesturing to a flat beyond a measly excuse of a fence.

//At least he's not ignoring Adder right now. His mind's on other things.// "Let's go," Hawk encouraged.

Noticing Hunter's readied bow, Adder slid a small dagger out of one of his hidden sheaths and let it drop into his hand. He eyed the flat up ahead calmly, but with the slightest hint of mistrust. 'Alright. Lead the way,' he replied.

With a nod, Hawk started out into the open, although Hunter took the lead, as he was currently armed.

It appeared, though, that their caution was not necessary. Their target made no attempt to hide herself; the twins could see the centaur clearly as she galloped across the open heath, no weapon in hand. As she came nearer, however, it was evident she was no ordinary centaur, with dark skin and the lower body of a zebra.

"Heeeey!" the creature called out. Without slowing, she hurdled the fence and skidded to a halt a few feet away from the trio, sending up a cloud of dust. "Long time no see, Hawk, Hunter! Who's the new guy?" she exclaimed.

Adder nearly leapt backwards at the sight of the centaur bounding straight towards them. 'What the...' he started to mutter, then cut himself off just in time. The last thing he wanted to do in the presence of someone like this was to say something offensive by accident.

'The name's Adder,' he said calmly. 'Just Adder. I'm guessing you're Zekra?'

"Yessir! Zekra Mali, at your service!" announced the newcomer. "I take it the twins told you about me?" She leaned towards Hawk's ear and whispered, "What did you tell him?"

The boy chuckled awkwardly as he shuffled backwards to regain his personal space. "Zekra, our friend Adder needs your help. His sister is ill and needs to be carried from this city to the nearest populated one. Do you think you could help us out?"

The dark-skinned girl frowned. "I would love to, but I can't leave the city. I'm stuck, just like you." Her eyes widened. "Unless... You have the 'key' out?"

When Hawk gave a little nod, the centaur practically bounced off her feet. "Yoohoo!! We're getting out of here at last!" After prancing childishly in a circle, she returned to Adder. "So your sister needs carrying, right? Where is she?"

Adder raised one eyebrow, somewhat doubtful about letting this overenthusiastic centaur help them with /anything,/ but his voice stayed courteous when he replied: 'She's staying in our hideout - it's a little shack on the outskirts of the city. Not far from where you two are living,' he added, throwing a short glance at Hawk and Hunter.

//I'll have to keep an eye on her,// he thought. //She seems alright, but even so...//

"Alright, let's go then!" she exclaimed. "Wait-- I gotta go pack! Be right back!" Without a further word, the zebra centaur darted off.

"She doesn't change, does she?" Hunter mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. //Screw everything if she gets in the way of our escape...//

Hawk had been eying Adder since Zekra had run off, and he finally spoke up. "Are... you alright with this?" he checked.

(Oops, the name Zekra is one letter away from "zebra." That is actually unintentional. X'D)

(Oh, I thought that WAS intentional. XD)

'What?' The assassin glanced up at Hawk's question, having been momentarily lost in his own head. 'Sure. I guess you guys must trust her. And I DO need her help.' He scratched his chin thoughtfully and looked in the direction Zekra had just galloped off. 'But I will be keeping an eye on her until I know she can be relied on.'

Just then, a question came into his mind. 'I might've already asked this before, but how long have you known her?'

"That's understandable," said Hawk with a nod. He paused to consider Adder's query. "Oh geez, as long as we can remember. She was our friend from the time we were kids playing on the street."

Hunter had found a part of the fence that was sturdy enough to endure his weight, so he leaned against it with his arms tucked to his chest. "Until, of course, the underground war breached and destroyed everything," he mentioned with a hint of sarcasm.

His brother gave a slow nod. He kept his gaze on the ground as he spoke, occupying himself by moving a pebble with his toe. "But even when the war seperated us, we kept running into her. After the Desolation, we found out she had survived and was camping out here. She's helped us out a ton in the past... I feel bad that we don't visit her often enough."

The boy blinked up at Adder. "Oh, sorry about that. You probably weren't anticipating a long story." He rubbed his neck meekly.

'That's alright. I prefer to know the stories behind the people I'm going to be working with.' Adder continued watching the spot where he'd last seen Zekra, playing with one of his knives in its sheath, running one finger along the cool metal hilt. He fell silent, thoughts wandering. //What was she - a zebra centaur? Can't say I've ever seen one of those before...//

He contemplated asking the brothers about Zekra's species, but decided after a moment that it might make him sound rude, or at least uneducated.

//She's had a harder past than Hunter and I both, yet she is always smiling...// "She's a good person," Hawk ascertained quietly.

In a moment, the drumming of hooves on the heath approached. Rather efficiantly, Zekra had returned with a saddlebag strapped onto her zebra body's torso, all her provisions and likely pointless trinkets stored within. "You all can hitch up your bags to me, too - I'm strong enough to carry it all," she bragged, curling a foreleg in what might have been the equivalent of flexing an arm.

"I think we'll be fine for now, but thanks, Zekra," Hawk replied politely. "You should spare as much energy as you can."

"Nah, I'm good. Let's get moving!" the creature declared, marching off in a random direction. It took her a moment to turn and stroll back to the trio. "Umm, I guess you should lead," she murmured to Adder.

Hunter snorted un amusement and pushed off the fence. //This will be interesting.//

Adder observed the centaur nearly hurtling off in the wrong direction with a slight smirk on his face, then nodded and started walking back into the main part of the ruined city. 'Like I said, it's not far. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes or so to walk there, if we keep up the pace.'

As he stepped in front of everyone else to lead the way, he took a moment to wonder how all of this had come together so quickly. Less than a day ago, he'd been roaming the city alone, searching desperately for anything that might help his sister, fighting - and killing - when the situation called for it. Now, it suddenly looked like he might have a reason to hope again...

(Boy were you wrong, Adder. You're in one of FadingGlory's roleplays.)

The twins and centaur followed after Adder, occasionally speaking to each other but otherwise reserving their attention for the path ahead, which was littered with plant life and the rubble of the deceased structures around them.

(Shall we give it a mini timeskip?)

(Hey, let him have his moment. XD And OK.)

They hadn't been walking for long when a bedraggled, half-demolished building came into view directly in front of them. It sat at the dead end of a street, and it made the other houses around it look in good condition. Most of the right side of the shack was gone, crushed to ruins by some horrific force. The side that was still standing had been hastily and inexpertly repaired using pieces of the surrounding rubble.

Adder slowed down as they approached the house, inspecting it from a distance. 'It looks OK,' he muttered. 'I don't think anyone's broken in.'

Unable to resist, Hunter let out an exaggerated snort when Adder called the miserable excuse of home "OK."

Hawk and Zekra, on the other hand, had the nerves to not make any comments on its condition. "I hope your sister is alright after being alone so long," Hawk mentioned.

Adder threw a raised-eyebrow glance at Hunter, guessing what had prompted his reaction. At Hawk's words, he started to walk towards the house, pushing open the rusted iron gate that separated the front garden from the pavement. The shrubbery and grass were overgrown, but a thin path had been cleared enough to allow the group to approach the front door.

'Wait outside for a second,' he told the others. 'I'm just going to go in and make sure everything's OK first.'

The three clustered behind Adder as he led them up to the door, then stopped at his command. Hawk nodded. "Call us whenever you're ready."

(Be prepared for a novel, sorry. XD)

The assassin raised his hand in a tense 'thanks' gesture before opening the door a crack and slipping inside. The interior of the house was somewhat more inviting than the outside; soft carpets covered the wooden floorboards and somebody had set up candles in the front hallway to provide sparse light.

'Layla?' he called out, pitching his voice softly so not to startle her out of her wits. 'Are you here?'

Moments later, a weakened but clear female voice answered from another room. 'Where else would I be?'

Forcing back a grin, Adder let himself through the door from which the voice was emanating. Orange flames crackled pleasantly in the hearth, chasing away the forbidding shadows. A threadbare couch covered thickly in blankets was positioned close to the fire, and a young woman roughly the same age as him sat there, looking up with a faint smile as he entered the living-room.

'Hi,' she greeted him, and Adder moved forwards to embrace her with a quick, one-armed hug. 'Where have you been?'

'I ran into some people,' he said wearily. 'Listen, I'll explain everything later, but we're leaving.'

'Leaving?'

'We're getting out of this hellhole. I've got some... friends who are going to help us travel to the next town.' Straightening up and raising his voice, he called out so the group outside would hear. 'Hey! You can all come in if you want to. It's safe.'

(I don't think I'll ever need to write a comment that long again, so don't worry. XD)

(Don't worry, I love novels. XD)

There was a small scuffle over whether who would enter first before Hunter, Hawk, and Zekra filed into the run-down building.

The twins immediately made their way into the room where Adder's voice had sounded, while Zekra became distracted gawking at the weathered walls and furniture in the hallway.

Hunter's gaze flickered over Layla's room before his nose wrinkled. //What's that smell?//

Hawk immediately focused on the woman and he approached quietly. "You're Adder's sister?"

Adder glanced up briefly as the two brothers entered the living-room, while his sister eyed up Hawk warily before nodding. 'Yes, I am. I guess he hasn't ever told you my name. I'm Layla.'

She looked similar enough to be Adder's identical twin, even though they were nearly two years apart in age; she had the same wavy black hair, scarlet eyes and, had she been standing up, she would have been tall like her brother.

(I'm kinda using this RP to help me develop Layla, because I've never written her in anything. XD I haven't written Adder all that much before now, either.)

(That's what's so great about roleplaying! It really helps to develop your characters.)

(Yep, it's one of the main reasons I like RPing.
That, and being able to escape into the characters' worlds which are far more exciting than my own. XD)

"It's nice to meet you, Layla. I am Hawk, and this is my brother, Hunter." //Although it's awkward to think, as she's much older than myself, she is beautiful,// Hawk admitted inwardly, feeling his skin flush a little bit. He distracted himself by calling their third member over. "Zekra!"

After a heartbeat, the centaur came clipping into the room, curious eyes searching for the other female. She smiled when she spotted Layla.

"Zekra, this is Layla. Layla, Zekra," Hask introduced, gesturing to each person. "Zekra has offered to carry you outside of the city," he told her.

"A pleasure to meet you!" said the zebra centaur, giving a little bow. "You have a fascinating little camp, this house."

Layla's gaze flickered from Hawk to Hunter as they were introduced, and she started to say something before the sound of the centaur's hooves drew her attention to the doorway. Her crimson eyes widened slightly upon realising what Zekra was, and the reply died in her throat.

Adder watched the proceedings with a faint smirk, not sure if he should be more amused or worried by her reaction.

'Hello, Zekra,' Layla said at last, regaining her sense of courtesy. 'And thank you, I think? There are far nicer houses around here, but we had to pick a place where most people wouldn't expect us to be living. Sorry you guys had to come in here.'

"I think it's perfectly fine!" Zekra commented, giving a reassuring smile.

"It's not a problem, but," Hawk's gaze flickered away awkwardly, "I hope we are not intruding on your privacy? I mean, a lot of us came in at once..."

"I can wait outside if you'd rather," Hunter volunteered.

'Oh no, I don't care,' she said quickly. 'It's quite nice to see friendly people for once. Adder and I haven't had contact with anyone in weeks.'

'Except criminals who wanted to kill me,' Adder interjected.

'Although,' Layla continued with a brief glance towards Hunter, 'if you'd prefer to wait outside while we talk, I obviously won't stop you.'

Hawk and Zekra both nodded in understanding.

"If that's alright with you, I'd prefer the fresh air," Hunter stated, giving a little dip of his head before turning and heading the way they had come. //I wonder what goods they're hiding in this house,// the teen mused, turning into a different room.

Hawk listened to his brother's footsteps a moment before shouting in annoyance, "That's not the way out, Hunter!"
After another second, the footsteps retreated to the front door and he heard it creak open then close. With a sigh, he returned his attention to the siblings. "When do you think you two will be ready? I'm not sure how long it'll be before it rains, so either we try and race the downpour, or wait it out."

Adder glanced towards the front hallway to make sure Hunter had left. Then he spoke up, his voice taking on a serious tone. 'I don't want to wait any longer than necessary. I think we should get going now.'

Layla opened her mouth to speak, then launched into a violent coughing fit and held a handkerchief to her mouth to stifle the noise. When she pulled it away, specks of blood could be seen on the white fabric. She stuffed it into her pocket with a look of bland distaste.

'I think the same,' she said a little hoarsely. 'I just want to get outside in the fresh air again.'

Hawk stared with wide eyes when Layla broke into her coughing fit. //That can't be good at all... She really shouldn't be in this filthy city.//

"Are you alright?" Zekra asked in concern. "I can carry you outside."

Layla shot the centaur a quick, grateful look. 'That'd be great,' she said. 'Thanks.'

'I'm going to go through the house and gather all our important belongings,' Adder said edgily. 'We need to get out of here.' He hadn't made a move towards Layla, but only because he knew she hated being constantly fussed over.

"Here." While Adder spoke, Zekra retrieved a blanket from her bag which she spread over her zebra back like a saddle. She then stepped up to Layla's sofa and knelt down to allow her to mount with more ease. "I hope you can stay comfortable like this."

Hawk nodded to Adder before stepping toward the two girls, ready to offer his help wherever it would be needed.

'It looks fine.' Layla reached up and grasped Zekra's shoulder, using it like a crutch to help pull herself onto the centaur's back. Once she was up, she had to stop a moment and regain her breath before speaking. 'Are you sure you can carry me /and/ all of that?' she asked doubtfully, catching sight of the saddlebag tied to Zekra's body.

Adder lingered in the living-room just long enough to make sure Layla got onto the centaur's back safely, then quietly slipped out the door. The sound of his heavy boots could be heard thumping up the staircase as he went to find their belongings.

(How are you supposed to control three characters at once without making your comments look choppy or awkward? I'm hesitant to take it all from one perspective)

Hawk watched Layla and Zekra and gave an inward sigh of relief when the woman managed to climb on without trouble.

"This is nothing!" Zekra reassured confidently. "I'm stronger than I look - in fact, I pulled my pa's cargo wagons whenever he was hurt or unwell, so you don't have to worry a bit!" She gave Layla a bright smile and a wink before clopping back down the hallway, doing her best to provide the woman a smooth ride.

Hunter, outside, busied himself by exploring the perimeters of the house, although there seemed to be nothing of interest. He kept an ear out for anybody exiting through the front.

(Uhh, I don't have any tips for that. I just try not to have every character speaking or doing something at the same time. Your writing is fine though, it's easy to read and it doesn't sound awkward.)

Layla smirked faintly and attempted to cling onto the centaur's shoulders as she walked through the house, not wanting to embarrass herself by falling off in the first ten seconds.

Just then, Adder returned from the upper floor, hurrying down the dusty stairs with a large cloth sack. It seemed to be quite heavy, as he dragged it behind him rather than trying to pick it up. 'I hope you can carry this as well, Zekra.'

(I guess that'd work. And thank you!)

"If you'd like, I can tie a sash loosely around us so you don't fall off as easily," Zekra suggested, throwing a look back at Layla. She blinked at Adder's bag curiously. "Of course! What is it?"

'That sounds like a good idea, but I'm fine for now,' Layla replied, not wanting anyone to think she couldn't even sit on a horse's back without falling off. 'Thank you, though.'

Adder heaved the bag up the front hallway and set it down beside the door with a grunt. 'Weapons, medical supplies in case somebody's injured, extra food provisions, and a few... personal things I wouldn't want to leave behind for some thief to dig up.'

(I gotta go for a while, see you later!)

"...Wow," Zekra commented. She eyed the bag rather nervously. //On second thought... If this sir has a difficult time hauling it around, it's probably almost the weight of a light person. Pulling a cart is a lot different than carrying two people...//

Sensing his friend's hesitation, Hawk spoke up. "Are you sure you need all that? You already have your knives, and my brother and I can easily make you more if you run low," he mentioned.

(Okay Radiant!)

Noticing the way everyone was reacting, Adder hesitated, then said, 'I can take some of the supplies out, if you're sure we won't need them. That should halve the weight, at least.' He glanced up at Zekra. 'Would that be alright?'

(I just came back to drop one last reply, now I'm really leaving. XD
See you!)

(Lol see you! Thanks for roleplaying with me!)

Zekra laughed slightly and rubbed her forearm. "That'd be great, if you would."

"If it would help further," Hawk recommended, "Hunter and I can put some of your supplies in our own bags. We can definitely handle some extra weight."

'Alright. Give me a minute.' Adder opened the cloth sack and started pulling out various items, mostly knives and daggers with a few odd, unrecognisable objects, and finally a small bag of coins. 'I'll take the money and a couple of the knives. All that other stuff -' he waved a hand at the other objects on the floor '- can be left behind. Zekra, if you can, you can take whatever's still in that sack. And Hawk, if you and Hunter want to carry a few things yourself, then feel free.'

Layla smirked slightly as she watched the proceedings from Zekra's back, but when she spoke up, her tone was serious. 'Sorry we've got so much. But we've learned not to go anywhere unprepared.'

Zekra watched the bag with round eyes, curiosity pulling her nearer to it until she was sifting through its contents.

That's understandable," Hawk commented. However, he hesitated to take any of Adder's belongings, so in the end he waited until Zekra was finished. She had collected a little bit more food for herself, which she stashed in her saddlebag before straightening. "Shall we go now?"

Adder eyed the zebra centaur as she inspected the inside of the bag, but didn't try to stop her. Once everyone had collected the supplies they would be carrying, he turned to Hawk and gave a nod. 'Yes, let's go.' He stepped past Zekra and slipped out through the front door, throwing a glance up at the ominously overcast sky. 'Before it decides to rain on us.'

Hawk and Zekra followed Adder outside just as Hunter came slipping around the corner, his hands casually resting in his pockets.

Hawk raised a suspicious brow to his brother before facing Adder. "I think I'll be leading the way this time," he guessed. The teen looked over their group of travelers, memorizing the number of members just in case. "Alright. Once we leave his development, we'll be in open territory, vulnerable to all sorts of trouble. Keep an eye out for each other and our surroundings." With that, Hawk turned and led the way past the gate and back onto the street.

'I'll keep an eye out,' offered Layla. 'I can see quite far from up here.' Though her voice was still weak, she looked a little better from being outside in the fresh air, and was surveying the city alertly from her high vantage point.

Adder kept a foot or so behind Hawk as they moved out, one hand resting on the hilt of one of his knives. 'Are there other groups like the Skull Alley pack you think we might run into?' he asked quietly.

"Good idea, err what's your name again?" Zekra attempted to whisper.

Hawk's eyes scanned their surroundings as they walked, although he was generally relaxed in demeanor. "No names of significance, and they tend to keep out of the way of passerbys. (Grammar?) However, the place we'll need to pass through, the city's Capitol area, is the base of the Rebellion - that is, the Magis. We... aren't on the greatest terms with them," he confessed, scratching the back of his head. "That's why I asked you to come along with us, because sometimes it helps to have an extra pair of eyes."

Hunter, a few paces ahead of the rest, shot Adder a suspicious look. "That's only if he doesn't get in the way or chicken out."

'It's Layla,' the young woman whispered back. 'But don't worry too much about remembering it. I'm not good with names either.'

Adder returned Hunter's mistrustful look with a somewhat amused one. 'If anyone's going to be chickening out here, it's going to be you.' Then he turned his attention back to Hawk. 'Sounds good to me. And I can help out if we're attacked, of course.'

Zekra gave an embarrassed giggle as she scratched an ear. "Thanks."

Hunter scoffed at Adder's remark, but with the assassin's attention already elsewhere, he couldn't make a reply. //Pathetic, boar-headed...//

Hawk dipped his head. "I thank you for that."

(Shall we jump ahead again?)

(Sure, go ahead.)

As the group traveled deeper and deeper into the city, the skeletal buildings grew taller and the members' conversations died down. Although subtle, a vibe hung in the air that signaled their entry into dangerous terrain. Both brothers moved their weapons to their hands.

A few minutes in, Hawk held out a hand for everyone to stop. "This is as far as we can go," he muttered, turning to them. "There are patrolmen everywhere beyond this point. Adder, this is where we'll need your support. You are perceptive and especially good with sneaking in and out undetected for a kill. While Zekra and your sister wait here, we'll sneak into the metropolis, taking out whatever watchmen that detect us on the way. Zekra, Layla, will you be okay by yourselves?"

Zekra saluted before looking back at Layla with a confident grin. "You can count on me," she encouraged.

(Sorry for not replying in ages, I was RP dead for a while. XD)

Layla shot a concerned look at her younger brother. 'You'd better be careful if you're really doing this,' she said, her tone quietly warning. Adder met her gaze and something unspoken seemed to pass between them. He didn't answer, but gave a tiny nod before turning to address Hawk.

'Alright,' he said. 'I can do that. Do you have an estimate of how many watchmen there might be out there? And will we be splitting up to hunt them down?'

(I get that. XD No obligation to roleplay here when you don't feel it. And do tell me if I'm making anything boring or difficult!)

Hawk watched the silent exchange between the brother and sister before continuing. "Because we'll be heading in a straight path, we shouldn't encounter many. Three, at the most. However, once we pass them, we'll be in the heart of the base, and that's where things can get messy."

The teen paused and slowly met Adder's gaze. Guilt flickered in his eyes. "Now's your time to back out of this, Adder. Once Hunter and I perform a necessary ritual for our escape, everyone will be in an uproar. That will allow Zekra and Layla to get past, but any of us could die." He ended with a grave tone.

(Just so you know, I'm making this all up on the spot. You are totally free to mess aaaaanything up. eue)

(In fact, you're welcome to control any guards and enemies if you want. They can be pretty much any mythical creature within reason - shifters, mages, hybrids, you name it.)

(None of it's boring or difficult, I like what you're doing. X) Hmm, I don't have any plans yet, but I might try to come up with something later. And I might control some of the enemies, but be warned, I tend to make enemy characters do stupid things for some reason. XD)

Adder drew one of his longer daggers. 'Like I said before, I know what we're getting into. Besides...' He lowered his voice, although Layla could probably still hear him given that she was only a few feet away, 'you know I'm doing this for my sister. What matters to me is that she escapes.'

Then he turned to observe the road that lay before them, eyes grim and calculating. 'Let's get going.'

(I love stupid! XD)

With a solemn nod, Hawk nocked a bolt into his crossbow, but he hung back to let Hunter take the lead and Adder follow him. Silently, the trio crept down the road until they came to an intersection, upon which Hunter signaled the train to stop. He peeked down both sides of the street before slowly, cautiously creeping out onto the pavement.

"I hope those boys will be okay," Zekra worried as she watched them go. "Those twins especially have a habit of getting into trouble."

(If you'd like I can start us off with our obstacles)

Adder said nothing as he followed Hunter, keeping his main dagger slightly raised while his free hand rested lightly on a smaller throwing knife sheathed in his belt. The street seemed empty, but after living in this city long enough, he knew better than to trust his vision alone.

'Anyone nearby?' he asked under his breath, just loud enough for the twins to hear.

----

'I don't want to think about things like that,' Layla replied, gripping Zekra's shoulder to steady herself as she coughed over the centaur's side. 'Hopefully Adder will be able to keep them out of trouble, although he isn't much better.'

(Alright, go ahead!)

As if on cue, Hunter caught sight of a humanoid figure moving their way. "Yeah, one on the right," he replied quickly as his gaze searched for a place to hide. They were near the middle of the street, so the buildings on either side could not be reached in time. Instead, he hurried forwards to a break in the road where a slab of the asphalt protruded upwards, providing a shadowy refuge for all three of them.

---

"Well, isn't that comforting?" Zekra teased before tiptoeing over to a building, as quietly as her hooves would allow. "We should probably stay out of sight until a signal or something is given," she explained as she stepped through the doorless frame into a humble, run-down shop of sorts.

Adder followed, ducking quickly behind the slab. He felt his grip on the dagger hilt tighten as he contemplated what they'd have to do next. 'Are we going to attack head-on?' he whispered. 'Seems like there's only one person. Of course, it might be safer to sneak up on them.'

----

Layla ducked low over Zekra's neck as they crossed the threshold of the doorway.. 'Is there anyone around here? It looks abandoned.' The interior of the shop was somewhat dark and dusty.

Hunter leaned around their cover just enough to eye their opponent before pulling back. "Better to wait until he reaches us, then take him out silently."

"After all," Hawk added, "you never know if there's anybody close behind him that'd hear a commotion." He checked to make sure his crossbow was armed. "Any dibs on who takes the first shot?"

---

Zekra wandered about the shop out of curiosity, looking at the various wreckage on the ground and counters. "I don't think so. It wouldn't make much sense that these Magi'd put up so much border protection only to hang outside their turf." She glanced back at Layla. "So are you two twins or something? You look an awful lot alike."

Adder smirked. 'You're the one with the crossbow,' he said, listening for the watchman's footsteps. 'I say you get the shot.'

----

'We're not twins,' Layla replied, smiling faintly at the centaur. 'I'm twenty-eight, he's twenty-six. It's just a funny coincidence that we happen to look so similar. People confuse us for twins a lot.' She glanced around the shop, realising she'd mostly been answering questions about herself today, and casting about for something to ask Zekra instead.

Hawk gave a short nod and waited, holding his breath. His heart pounded as he listened to the heavy foot steps come closer, closer...
Finally, movement appeared on their right and a surprised faun turned his head their way. "He--"
His remark was swiftly cut off when Hawk's bolt shot into his neck. However, the faun managed a gurgled scream before he collapsed on the ground, which echoed faintly down the barren street.

"Damn it, the others will hear that!" Hunter growled, leaping up and making a dash for the cover of the next line of buildings. Hawk scrambled to follow his brother, but he paused by the motionless body to touch his hand to his bolt. Momentarily, the iron rod rippled and melted to the ground, hiding the exact method of his assassination. A shudder ran down his back as he glanced at the murdered creature one last time.

Zekra laughed lightly. "Ahh, I gotcha. My sisters and I all looked nearly identical when we were younger, but then I got my hair cut while they kept their braids." She ran a hand over her hair, which was all stubble except for the black and white mohawk streaking down the middle. It was long enough to flop over and cover part of her left eye. "I gotta say, I like it this way more. There's a lot less hair to deal with, that's for sure!" she joked, giggling.

(Is two interactions a bit too much? XD I feel like this will get jumbled fast.)

(I think it's fine! But, if you can, try not to make your posts TOO long if we're doing multiple conversations at once. Just because I get distracted easily reading through lots of text. XD)

Adder dived out from behind the slab at almost the same time Hunter did, following him. //That went well,// he thought grimly. //First assassination and we've already made our presence known.//

As they ran for the buildings, he sheathed his large dagger and instead pulled out a smaller, lighter throwing knife. //Maybe I should take the next one...// He was so lost in thought that he hardly even noticed the way the crossbow bolt melted at Hawk's touch; he'd seen the brothers using their abilities before, anyway.

----

'I like it,' said Layla, with a weak chuckle. 'Can I ask about your family? Where are they now?'

(Alrighty. XD)

Hunter ducked into the alleyway between two buildings and paused to wait for the other two. Once they had made it, he peeked at the street momentarily before pulling back. "We'll have to apply extra caution form now on," he warned his partners. "I don't think anybody will come running, but once they find out what happened to him, the security will be in a panic. Let's move fast." The teen led the way again, slinking through the backstreet as quietly as he could.

"Sorry," murmured Hawk apologetically, even though it was inevitable that the faun had managed to scream. //I hit the mark too...//

---

Zekra crept near to a window and carefully lowered herself onto her knees to rest her legs. She frowned in thought. "Err, family? We all kinda scattered during the war. Some of my sisters were lucky enough to get outside the city, but I got stuck slaving away for the government. My parents passed well before."

(Attempt at a shorter comment failed)

(It's OK. XD)

'You couldn't have avoided it,' Adder muttered in response, staying at the back of the group this time. 'But like he said, we have to be more careful. I can take the next one, if you want - I know a method that might be quieter.'

----

'Ah. I'm... sorry to hear that,' said Layla. While Zekra was kneeling, she took the opportunity to slide off the centaur's back and lower herself into a nearby chair instead, not wanting to exhaust her more than necessary. 'Adder and I were... Well, I guess lucky is the wrong word. We managed to avoid working for the government, but we've been living in hiding since the Desolation. We're not even sure what happened to our own parents.'

Hawk nodded in submission, both relieved to be freed from the task and curious to learn Adder's more professional tactic. //Why didn't I just knock him unconscious?// he realized suddenly, dread washing through him.

Hunter slowed to a stop as they reached the end of the alley, then scanned the road ahead. "There's a lot of wreckage and shadows that way," he informed, pointing farther down the road. "We can probably use them as cover." After a hand signal for Hawk and Adder to follow, the scavenger crept onto the sidewalk, keeping to the shadows of the walls.

---

"Well that's good, that you at least had some freedom," Zekra commented, enthusiastic despite sharing her own tragic story. "Too bad you've had it rough since then, being sick and all. So you got any cool powers or talents?" The centaur turned her bright, silvery eyes to Layla.

Adder continued to follow the brothers, unaware of what was going through Hawk's mind. He nodded in response to Hunter's suggestion and swiftly moved into the shadows, staying close enough that his shoulder brushed the wall beside them.

'Wait a minute,' he whispered, halting in his tracks and momentarily grasping Hawk's shoulder to signal him to stop as well. 'I see someone. Humanoid. Look over there.'

The figure in question was around Hunter's height, and was patrolling up and down the road a short way ahead of them. They were wearing a dark-grey, hooded cloak that allowed them to somewhat blend in against the drab city background.

----

'Powers?' Layla repeated. 'Well... It's hard to explain, but me and Adder kind of have... abilities, yes. We're human, though, and our parents were human. Our powers were passed down from an older ancestor. I don't know the exact details, but... do you want to know more about what we can do?'

Hawk nearly bumped into Adder from all of caution, but stopped just in time.
"Perfect," Hunter whispered as he watched the figure, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "We get to see what your special method is. Hawk and I'll be over here," he said as he took Hawk by the wrist and led him to the hidden side of a run-down automobile.

---

Zekra'a eyes grew round with curiosity. "Of course I do!" she exclaimed before correcting herself and lowering her voice. "That is, if you're willing to share."

*lack of caution

(I need to think about how I'm going to write the next bit, so I'll reply a little later.)

(No problem! Take your time.)

Adder didn't look back at the brothers as they hurried off to hide. //Looks like Hunter's worried I'm going to give us all away,// he thought, slightly amused. //As if Hawk hasn't already done that...//

He kept his eyes on the mage guard and started edging further along the wall, keeping into the shadows as much as he could. At fifteen feet away from his target, he halted, reached into his coat and withdrew a tiny blade, even smaller than his usual throwing knife. Unknown to either the brothers or the mage he was stalking, it was coated in a fast-acting poison capable of killing a victim before they even had time to react.

He glanced back briefly to make sure nobody else was nearby, then turned and threw the knife in one swift motion. For a moment it seemed like it was going to fly straight past his target and miss altogether, but then a sudden gust of wind blew across the street, catching the blade in mid-air and embedding it in the mage's side.

With no more than a slight involuntary gasp, the figure collapsed limply in the road.

'I don't mind telling you', said Layla. 'It was never a big secret anyway.' She stared blankly into space. 'To put it simply, we can control the wind. But that's exaggerating it. We can manipulate nearby air currents - change the air speed, direction, or even make it cooler or warmer. Not a very interesting power, but...' she let out a quiet chuckle, 'it's useful for some things. Like blowing flames a certain way, or making it easier to hit a target with a thrown weapon.'

(Ooh snap)

The twins watched the assassin in silence, anxious to see what would happen. When Adder's knife met his target without flaw, Hunter's brows raised, impressed. Hawk, on the other hand, looked on with a somewhat pale complexion, sickened by the sight. //It just doesn't seem right...//

Momentarily, the brothers emerged from their cover and joined Adder. "It was alright," Hunter said with faked disinterest. "We should keep moving now."

---

Zekra's glistening eyes grew wide. "That is sooo cool! Man, I wish I had that power! Do you--" She paused abruptly and swallowed her excitement, remembering her manners, "Do you think you could give a little demonstration... maybe?"

Adder retrieved his blade and cleaned it off using a corner of the mage's cloak. 'Thanks,' he said, despite the lack of interest in Hunter's tone of voice. 'And yes, let's go.'

He sheathed the knife again, but continued gazing down at the body for a moment, like Hawk had done after he'd shot the faun. Then, swallowing visibly, he turned to follow the brothers.

----

Layla stopped staring into the distance and looked up at Zekra in surprise. 'Well... I think I could,' she said uncertainly. //I don't know if I'll have as much power as usual, though,// she thought. //Thanks to this illness...//

She glanced around the shop and, spotting a pile of papers sitting on a table, pointed them out to Zekra. 'Watch those,' she said. As she gazed at the pile, a slight cool breeze blew in through the shop doorway and sent the top two papers fluttering to the floor.

(Random question: where did Zekra come from? Is she a character you made up on the spot for this RP, or did she exist before? I couldn't find any art of her, so I'm guessing she's new.)

After scanning either side of the street for watch guards, the twins moved briskly forward, using the wreckage on the road as cover. Hawk squinted ahead before looking back at his partners. "We're almost past the borders. Just a few--" A gigantic shadow sweeping over the trio cut the teen off, followed by a tremendous roar. His heart stopped beating.

Hunter had seen what it was. "Run!" he screamed, plunging for the cover of the next building. //Why the hell did they send a freaking -dragon-??// his mind roared.

For a moment, Hawk remained frozen on the spot, eyes glued on the sky. The fierce flapping of wings on the other side of a building told him that the dragon was wheeling about to attack. //We're doomed...//

With a little gasp, Zekra watched the papers scatter. "Wow, that's amazing," she whispered, thrilled. Curiously, she stood and picked up the two papers, examining them before returning them to their original spot. "Although it's a little different from your ability, Hawk and Hunter can bend metal by touch. They can turn it into anything they want," she explained proudly.

//What the hell?//

Knowing the dragon would be circling around to make a lunge or blast them with flames, Adder pulled out his largest dagger and gave Hawk a hard shove in the back to make him run after his brother. 'Go!' he snapped. 'Go after him - I'll be right behind you.'

Without looking to see if the boy obeyed, he turned his gaze up to the overcast sky, shielding his eyes with one hand as he searched for the monster. //What kind of dragon is it?//

'Really?' Layla thought back, trying to remember if the two brothers had ever mentioned having any special abilities before. 'That sounds like a much more useful ability than what I have.' //I wonder if Adder knows? I'm sure they'd tell him if it was important...//

Hawk stumbled forwards from Adder's shove and, released from his daze, staggered after his brother.

"What were you doing?" Hunter hissed angrily once Hawk made it to his side. He nocked his how with an arrow. "Snap out of it or this mission will be a failure for sure!"

"Sorry," Hawk mumbled, preparing his crossbow slower.

From above the building swooped a dark dragon with umber splotches, which tipped its wing and spiraled toward Adder, icy blue eyes locked on his. Instead of exhaling fire, it snapped open its jagged jaws to rip into him.

---

"Oh, who knows," the zebra centaur replied dismissively. "They can only bend metal if they're in contact with it, but your wind powers can actually move stuff far away. Either way," she occluded with a shrug and grin, "You all have some pretty sick powers."

*concluded

The assassin waited until the beast was almost upon him before throwing himself sideways, diving beneath the edge of a roof and flattening himself against the wall of the building. At almost the same time, he began to imagine the air currents around the dragon shifting, growing strength... A cool breeze washed over the area, catching the beast's wings as it flew close by. //I'm not sure I can make it strong enough to knock something that big out of the sky...// he thought grimly.

----

'Thanks, I guess,' replied Layla. She smiled faintly and leaned back in her chair, suddenly feeling tired. It had been a long time since she'd been able to last more than a few hours without sleep. 'I really hope they're all going to be OK...'

The dragon's jaws snapped shut over thin air, but it had little intention of giving up so soon. Its reddish wings fanned out to slow down, but an unexpected current coincidentally whipped under them in that moment. The beast's wings wobbled suddenly, sending it off course just in time for one wing to smash into the wall of Adder's building. With a roar of fury, the dragon smashed into the ground, rubble and dust flying.

After breathing a curse, Hunter waved Adder over violently. "Come on, let's GO!" Hawk was already rushing down the backstreet in search of the safest way to their destination. Roars and other commotions could now be heard from multiple directions, to the smaller teen's dread.

---

Zekra's lips turned up faintly as she returned to the window. "Yeah." //I wonder what the signal is, anyway.//

Adder ducked out of the way as some part of the building crashed down precariously near his head, and then hearing Hunter's yell, he leapt over the dragon's wingtip and sprinted over to him. 'Which way?' he shouted as he approached, not seeing where Hawk had gone.

//Sounds like they're closing in on us... How many even are there?//

----

Layla gazed through the same window Zekra was looking out of, wondering the same thing. How were Adder, Hawk and Hunter supposed to give them a signal from so far away? How would they even know what they were meant to be looking for? Explosions in the sky, maybe? A very loud noise? 'See anything unusual?' she asked quietly.

(Pssst, I asked you a question a few posts back that I think you missed. XD)

(Oh, sorry about that! X'D She is a character I've made before, but I haven't shared any art of her. I guess I probably should soon, along with the twins.)

(Ah, alright. I'd love to see art of them! I was actually gonna ask you if you could draw them someday. XD)

"This way!" Hawk called from the far end of alleyway. He led them down one backstreet and out another alleyway, landing them on the edge of another, smaller road. On either side, beings were racing in their direction.

"We're almost there. We'll have to make a run for it," Hawk said between shaking breaths.

Hunter went first, pelting across the road like fire, and Hawk stayed close by his heels. An arrow whizzed too close by Hunter's shoulder, followed by the shriek of an enraged harpy which winged its way over them.

---

Zekra stayed silent a moment as she peered through the window, then shrugged. "Knowing them, there'll probably be a big explosion or quake. Oh, wait--" The centaur squinted at a faint cloud of dust drifting above the building tops. "I see a plume of smoke or dust or something; you think that's our signal?"
(Let's see if things can get even worse. XD)

(I'll be going to the zoo in a short bit, but afterwards I can throw out a few sketches! I haven't settled on outfit designs for them yet.)

Adder chased after the brothers, keeping behind them both and throwing occasional glances over his shoulder to see if any creatures were catching up. When the arrow passed by Hunter with inches to spare, he ducked on instinct, then took aim with his small throwing knife and hurled it at the harpy.

He didn't stick around to see if the projectile met its target, but kept on running, even though he was just as breathless as the others.

Up ahead, a small dragon suddenly ascended from behind a row of houses and shot a blistering fireball in Hunter's direction.

----

Layla tried to peer through the window at what Zekra was indicating, but she was too far away to get a good view. 'I don't know... does it look like a signal?' she asked doubtfully. 'It must be something very noticeable, to get our attention.'

(Alright! I can't wait to see them.)

A resounding shriek and torrent of flapping wings behind Adder indicated that his weapon had found the harpy, sending it off course.

Hunter glanced back for just a split second, and if it had been for any longer, the dragon's fireball would've caught him. But just on time, the teen lunged to the side and rolled, heart leaping into his throat.

Hawk, however, couldn't react in time. The explosion of the nearbyfireball sent him flying to the side and tumbling to a halt on the road.

"Hawk!" his brother screamed, scrambling to his feet.

In the same moment, a shadow swept over Adder as the harpy dropped toward him, talon-like feet outstretched.

---

"But what if it is?" Zekra considered, leaning as close to the glass as possible. "They'd be waiting for us, except when we don't come, they'd get picked off like sitting ducks."

(It's taking me longer than I thought it would to draw these characters... 'XD Hopefully I'll have them finished tomorrow.)

At the sound of Hunter's scream, Adder - who had been watching the small dragon winging its way above them - whirled back just in time to see Hawk being thrown off his feet by the explosion. He faltered momentarily, then began to run towards the boy, hoping to reach him before anything else did.

He didn't notice the harpy at first, hearing its wingbeats at the last second and leaping to one side to evade it. The creature's talons sliced into his right shoulder as he dodged, sending streams of blood down his arm; he shook off the injury with a grimace and continued running.

Manipulating the airflow around the harpy to throw it off-balance, the assassin stumbled to a halt at Hawk's side and leaned over him, trying to see if he was still conscious.

Layla considered for a moment. 'Then... I don't know. Maybe we SHOULD go out and investigate, but...' She trailed off, a worried note to her voice. //What if it's not a signal and we're going to mess up their plans by rushing over there?//

'If you think it's a good idea, then I'm with you,' she finally said.

(Take your time. X))

Hunter made a move to run to Hawk, but a flicker of movement ahead brought his attention to the dragon, whose cracked maw was smoking in preparation for a second blast. The teen shot another glance toward his brother, indecisive. However, when he caught Adder running over to him, he confidently focused on his own fight, arming his bow. The dragon's head was rearing back to release another projectile, so Hunter pulled back the string and fired toward its mouth.

With a groan, Hawk rolled over and squinted up at Adder who was nearly silhouetted by the flames in the background. "Adder?" The boy had only received a few minor marks and burns, but when he forced himself into a sitting position, a sharp pain rippled down his spine. "Ow, ow, ow," he hissed, rubbing his back.

---

Zekra gave a small pout. "Aww, don't put the pressure on me! But," she looked out the window once more before stepping toward Layla, "Maybe we could sneak in there, and if we see any enemies, we'll know they aren't in yet."

'Careful,' the assassin said, just loudly enough to be heard over the chaos that surrounded them. He shot a quick glance over at the dragon, seeing with some relief that Hunter had it distracted. 'Can you stand?' He glanced around again, preparing to drag or carry Hawk away if he was too injured to move.

The dragon let out an ear-splitting shriek as Hunter's arrow pierced the roof of its mouth, the sharp point coming out through the top of its muzzle. It fell, crashing through a nearby roof with a noise sure to be heard kilometres around.

----

Layla nodded, pushing away the remnants of doubt in her mind that something was wrong. //What's the worst that can happen? I'm sure Zekra can get us out quickly if we're attacked.// She half-stood up in preparation to climb onto the centaur's back, holding the chair for support.

"I'm fine," Hawk grunted, pushing himself to his feet, although he didn't straighten up entirely. "Are -you- gonna be alright? That's a lot of blood."

The moment the dragon fell, Hunter rushed over to his partners. "Hawk, are you okay?" he checked, forgetting about Adder.

His brother gave simple, reassuring nod in reply. //I have to snap out of my daze... It's almost too late to even get out of here.//

---

The zebra centaur knelt on the floor and helped Layla climb on, then rose. From her saddlebag, she retrieved what looked like a small, hollow bamboo shoot and a dart tipped with a red feather. After slipping the dart inside her weapon, Zekra gave a confident nod. "Let's go."

'I'm not thinking about it right now,' Adder said grimly, putting a hand up for a moment to feel the deep cut in his shoulder. //Damn, that was my right arm as well.// He switched his dagger to his left hand and added, 'If you can walk, we should get going.'

----

Layla held on as best as she could. 'OK,' she acknowledged, trying to project the same amount of confidence into her voice. 'If something does go wrong...' she hesitated, then finished with difficulty, 'I'll try to use my ability to protect us. But it won't help that much.'

With a grim nod, Hawk started toward their destination again. Hunter hesitated, watching his brother carefully, then followed.

With the commotion the invaders had created, it seemed as though every being in the place was after them - creatures charged toward them from every side, running, flying, and moving by whatever means they could. By then, the twins were no longer stopping to fight their attackers - they streaked past without looking back, lungs screaming for air.

At last, the three broke from the shadows to find themselves in front of a huge clearing, flanked on all sides by towering buildings and shadowed by the gray clouds above. And covering the clearing were dozens of creatures of every kind imaginable, all of which had flaming eyes on the intruders. Several archers aimed their weapons their way as their pursuers caught up, blocking their only escape route.

Hunter held up his own bow, but his expression was edged with defeat. //We'll be dead in a heartbeat...//

A man who looked more like a minotaur stepped forward. "Drop your weapons," he snarled.

---

"Thanks, Layla." Zekra stepped out onto the street and worked her way toward the Magi base, exercising as much caution as possible. "It's pretty quiet... Have they finished their mission already?"

(Hmm, on second thought, I feel like Zekra should have a staff instead. I'm lacking in close-range fighters here)

Adder raised his knife automatically, then halted. He glanced across at Hunter, seeing the almost defeated look on his face, then eyed the hordes of enraged creatures all around them. Then he understood. //There's no chance we'd make it out of a fight like this. Better to take our chances.//

He opened his hand and let the knife fall; it thudded despondently into the ground, point-first. Then he waited for the twins to do the same.

----

Layla shielded her eyes to look around, although the day was far from sunny. '...I don't know...' she replied, hiding her unease. 'Keep a look out, won't you?' She held herself ready to use her air manipulation abilities at a moment's notice, though doubted they'd be strong enough to help any.

(Maybe she could pick up one somewhere? There must be a few weapons lying around from the people that've been killed.)

(Hmm, that can work...)

Following Adder, the twins slowly set their weapons on the ground and backed away by a few steps. Thunder rumbled overhead as some creatures mumbled or huffed in response.

Hawk scanned the crowd, suspicion in his frown. //Where... is their leader? And where is the majority of their people? I swear there were hundreds of them...//

The man spoke up again, his harsh voice ringing over the clearing. "You dare show your faces here, and bring a stranger along with you?" he challenged. His gaze switched to Adder. "Who are you?"

---

Zekra nodded determinedly and swept her gaze repeatedly around their surroundings, but after a while of walking in the silence, she scratched her head. "It sure is empty..."

Slightly puzzled by the minotaur's wording, Adder shot a sideways glance at the twins as if hoping their expressions might tell him what was going on. When nobody spoke, he answered politely but allowed his suspicion to creep into his voice. 'Adder. Who are /you/?'

----

'Yes, it is....' Layla peered over her shoulder, then up at the swirling grey clouds that blanketed the city. 'Wait a moment... is that a body over there, in the road?' It was the faun Hawk had shot, not that she knew it, of course.

The beast snorted in shock at Adder's question, then threw his head back in a diabolical laugh. "You don't know who we are?" He spread his arms wide. "We are the defiant forces of the Magi, the Resistance, the igniters of this war of desolation! We are the All-Powerful!" he declared. Various creatures roared in agreement and stamped their feet.

The minotaur raised a double-blades axe toward the trio. "And you - pathetic rejects - have trespassed in our territory! None of you deserve to be spared."

"Wait a second," Hawk broke in desperately. "We've brought the pendants. Both of them."

"The pendants?" The creature's eyes widened, then narrowed dubiously. "You're lying. The Time Pendant has been heavily guarded by the Skull gang. You three alone can't have retrieved it unscathed." Despite his suspicious retorts, there was a look of worry in his beastly face as something deeper ran through his mind.

"Psst, Adder," Hunter hissed almost inaudibly. "You see that big mural in the center of the clearing? Looks like a compass?"

---

"Oh, /ew/," Zekra said, wrinkling her nose as she neared the partially-marred body Layla had spotted. "That was probably our team's doing. So they've definitely made it through here," she decided, looking at the path ahead where Adder and the twins had gone. "I guess we keep moving."

(That was longer than I hoped it would be)

(Mine is going to look really short now. XD)

Adder barely heard what Hunter said, but his gaze immediately flickered towards the mural in question. 'Yes,' he said out the corner of his mouth. //Is this some kind of escape plan or is he just admiring the scenery?//

----

Layla didn't show any outward disgust at the sign of the corpse, but curiously ran her eyes over it as they passed, wondering how it had died. //There's a large wound in its neck. It doesn't look like it's from a knife... So, probably those two boys' doing.//

She tore her gaze away from the faun's body and looked straight ahead as they continued walking.

Hunter shifted nearer to Adder as casually as possible. "Hawk and I need to get over there. When I count to three, we're going to charge in and slay everybody in the way," he explained.

"We have our ways," Hawk replied carefully. "Now let us through."

The minotaur shifted his axe to his shoulder as he thought. A murderous grin spread across his hairy face. "Mm, no."

"I made a deal with your leader!" Hawk reminded the minotaur, his voice raising restlessly. "When I bring bring both pendants to the him, Hunter and I will be free to leave the city. You can't deny us that freedom."

---

One street later and the two girls could see even more evidence of their brothers' passing. Another body lay lifeless on the street, and up ahead was a very recent collapse of the wall of a building. Something large had smashed into it, but whatever it had been was no longer to be seen. Stepping carefully over the debris, Zekra continued onwards with caution.

*When I bring both pendants to him

Adder nodded, just the slightest tilt of his head, and watched Hawk attempting to reason with the minotaur. //If that guy's not their leader, then who is?// he wondered. //And what are those 'pendants'?// He couldn't remember whether the twins had ever talked about them before, but right now was not the time to start asking questions. He just had to wait for Hunter's signal.

----

'This looks bad,' said Layla quietly, examining the rubble that lay scattered everywhere around them. It looked to her like some massive creature had walked straight into the building, or maybe fallen into it. 'Does this place normally look like this? Or has there been a fight recently?'

"First, you need to show us proof that you -have- the pendants," the minotaur ordered.

"If we show you them, you'll kill us and take them," Hawk retorted suspiciously.

"Or, we can just kill you anyway..."

Hunter's gaze flickered to the ground where his bow lay. When he looked back up, a bat-like humanoid was glaring at him down the bridge of its pudgy nose. He met its gaze with annoyance. //There's no way I can get Hawk's attention right now... I'll just have to grab him when we run.//

---

"It was probably...Woah, that's a lot of smoke." Zekra paused when she came to the next opening, as the ground ahead of them had been scorched in flames and reduced to embers. "Yup, this was definitely recent. I don't see our boys' bodies anywhere, so this is probably the scene of their victory."

She lifted her gaze to the towering buildings ahead. "Do you hear that? There's talking this way." Curiosity overwhelming her suspicion, the centaur crept toward the worst place they could possibly go.

Adder fidgeted impatiently as he waited for something to happen, half his attention on Hunter, the other half on Hawk's conversation with the minotaur.

----

'I can't hear anything,' said Layla softly. She held on to the centaur's shoulder as she moved forwards. 'What if they're still fighting somewhere? We don't want to walk into the middle of it...'

(Sorry for my short posts, there's not a whole lot I can do at this moment.)

(I understand, sorry I'm making things difficult right now. 'xD)

Hawk stepped forward desperately. "Wait, we'll show them to you! Just let us out of here alive!"

Hunter sank into a ready stance and spoke in a low voice. "Okay, on three. One... Two... Th--"

A loud voice suddenly cut him off. "Oh, I doubt that," Zekra said as she stepped into the clearing, just a little ways from where the boys were. "If anything, they'll be...." The centaur trailed off as every eye in the metropolis turned to her and Layla.

"Oh god," Hawk moaned.

Hunter lunged forward. "Three!!"

(It's alright, sometimes moments like this happen. X))

Adder whirled back at the sound of a familiar voice, realising in a split second what had just happened.

//No. No way. They can't have just...// His thoughts trailed off as he began to move instinctively towards Zekra and Layla, before Hunter's loud signal broke him out of his reverie.

'Keep back!' he shouted to the pair. 'Get out of here, now!' Then he dived forwards, chasing Hunter towards the compass mural and grabbing Hawk's arm to force him to follow as well.

Layla leaned forwards on Zekra's back, eyes wide with shock. 'What the heII's going on?' she cried.

"What in-- More intruders?" snarled the minotaur. "After them!" The beast turned to give a second order, but he broke off into a roar when an arrow drove itself into his arm. Hunter shot past without looking back, eyes fixed ahead as he nocked his how a second time.

//What are they doing??// Hawk yelped in pain and stumbled forwards when Adder yanked him along, barely managing to find his feet and pick up his crossbow. "Let me go now!" he pleaded to Adder.

Taken aback by the sudden eruption of sounds and action, Zekra barely refrained from rearing up, which surely would've sent Layla toppling backwards. "I don't know, but we should probably get out of here! Hang on!" Hooves slamming on the pavement, the centaur whirled about and charged back down the alley, several creatures now in pursuit.

(Forgot to say, thanks Radiant!)

Adder released his grip on Hawk's arm and instead grabbed his knife off the ground, along with drawing another one out of his coat. As they all ran across the square, he aimed a slash at a harpy flying just past his face, cutting open its wing and sending it careening to the ground.

Layla held on to the centaur's shoulders as they galloped wildly back the way they'd come, trying to look back at her brother without falling off. Eventually though, she had to turn away, hoping against hope that nothing happened to the people they'd left behind.

'Some of them are chasing us!' she shouted, aware of the group of creatures on their heels. A hostile centaur with the body of a dappled grey stallion, armed with a small bow, was quickly gaining on them and raising his weapon to fire.

With the sudden change in situation, the clearing was in chaos, providing the trio more ease in passing through the herds. When a snarling humanoid blocked Hunter's path, the teen reached into his pocket for a hunk of metal. As he pulled it out, it formed into a glinting dagger, which he drove into his opponent's chest. For a finish, he gave it a kick that sent it flying backwards.

Hawk had passed his brother in that moment and had thrown himself to his knees at the middle of the gigantic mural. Now that they were closer, the painting looked more like a hybrid between a clock and a compass, with tick-like marks along the rim but a sleek arrow in the center. The boy reached shaking hands into his shirt and retrieved a bronze compass on a string, which he immediately began to run over the surface of the mural in search of an indent that would fit it. Already, in the very center, a shard of some crystalline jewel had been wedged into a specialized gap.
"Hunter, get over here! Adder, can you watch our backs?" he gasped.

---

Zekra stole a glance behind them and squeaked when she spotted the larger stallion pounding after them. "Ahh, don't shoot! Let's work something out!" she pleaded, but to no avail.

When the zebra centaur directed her attention to hurdling over a pile of rubble, she glimpsed a wooden rod abandoned on the rod. Stooping down, Zekra snatched it up. "Duck!" she called. Just as her opponent flew over the obstacle, she swung the staff through the air, nailing the centaur in the chest. While he dropped his weapon and stumbled, Zekra darted in another direction.

"Hey, I like this thing!" she realized, examining her new weapon briefly.

*road

While the twins had been battling their way to the centre of the mural, Adder had been fending off a couple more flying creatures attempting to intercept them from above. At Hawk's shout, he turned and leapt over to him, ducking as some sort of missile whizzed over the top of his head. 'I've got you covered,' he said tersely. 'But be quick, whatever you're doing.'

----

Unable to do much besides hang onto Zekra's back, Layla threw another glance behind them and spotted two more centaurs - one a sleek palomino mare, the other a black stallion with the heavy build of a draft horse, both wielding heavy spears. They were gaining on the pair, but not very quickly; their weapons seemed to be slowing them down.

'Where are we heading?' she asked, just loud enough to be heard over the wind whistling in their ears.

Hawk gave Adder a stiff nod as Hunter joined him on the pavement, reaching into his pocket to pull out his own pendant, the bronze watch he had stolen from Skull Alley. "I found its spot!" he announced momentarily.

Hawk continually peeked at their surroundings, heart pounding as creatures caught notice and raced nearer. Finally, his hand ran over an unusual dip in the painted brick. Without a pause, he shoved the compass into the indent and it snapped into place.

With all three keys in their locks, the twins stood and backed away. There was a pause, then magic began to pulse. Although it was invisible to the naked eye, anybody with magical inclination would sense the tingling vibe thickening in the air. Unnerved by the feeling, the creatures in pursuit of the boys slowed their approach.
All of a sudden, a blue beam shot up from the center of the compass. Energy coursed through the column of light, then erupted into blue waves which rippled over the rooftops. Anybody with a view outside of Phoenixa would have seen the waves tracing the form of a huge bubble over the city.

"It's shutting down the barrier," Hawk breathed, gaping at the phenomenon.

---

"I don't know! Away from -them-!" yelped Zekra. With her smaller, lighter body, she zipped around a corner as tightly as possible, hoping to lose their pursuers. "I might need your help in a little bit!"

The centaur gasped and skidded to a halt when a wave of blue light rippled overhead, followed by several more. "Ohhhh. That was probably the signal," Zekra said thoughtfully.

(Eh, that wasn't tooo bad, right? 'XD)

Like everyone else, Adder was enthralled by the sight of the blue waves rippling across the sky, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted for long. 'What now?' he said in a low voice, wondering if the twins would even hear. He kept one eye on the creatures surrounding them, even though they didn't appear to be moving forth in pursuit at that moment.

----

Layla tilted her head back to watch the strange lights travelling above them. 'What do you need my help for?' she asked, partly to keep Zekra's mind on their current situation.

Some way behind them, the two pursuing centaurs sprinted around the corner. The black one in the lead let out a surprised yelp as he smacked into the wall opposite, having not realised how sharp the turn was. The palomino slowed down to help him, throwing a quick glare across at Zekra and Layla.

(That was alright. XD)

Hawk blinked at Adder rather dazedly as the blue light gradually dissipated. "Uhh..."

"We get the hell outta here!" Hunter snapped, grabbing his brother's wrist and taking off at random. At once, everybody's minds seemed to jolt back to the present situation. Their enemies began to pour after them once more, chaos resuming.

"Don't let them escape!" a command rang from somewhere in the clearing.

---

When she met the centaur's dark gaze, Zekra promptly resumed her retreat, hooves rushing over the earth. "Well, on the chance that one of them throws a spear this way, maybe you can try to redirect it with your wind powers?" she posited as she slid around another corner. "It might help to mention that, since you're on my back, the spear's gonna go through you first."

Adder took off after the brothers, gripping both his daggers as if his life depended on it (which, at that moment, it sort of did). //Where are we going to go? Edge of the city, I guess...//

As they all ran, he attempted to manipulate the air behind the three of them to keep any harpies and other aerial creatures off their backs. He was only partially successful, however; it wasn't easy to concentrate on controlling the wind and running at the same time.

----

Layla nodded, then remembered Zekra couldn't see her and said, 'I think so. At the very least, I should be able to stop them from hitting us directly, but they'll still come close.'

Almost before she'd finished speaking, the two enemy centaurs took off in pursuit of them again, their hoofbeats sounding like rocks clattering down a mountainside. This time both of them managed to make it around the corner without crashing, and continued after Zekra with renewed determination.

The trio was nearing the edge of the clearing, but before they could make it, a high-pitched screech sounded ahead. In a flash of light, a phoenix that had somehow passed Adder's defense swept across their path, leaving a wall of orange flames on the ground. The twins halted in front of the blaze. "Go around!" Hunter commanded.

However, they turned around only to face off against two cat-like humanoids, who, because of their long and lithe legs, had managed to outrun the rest of the Magi. The first one released a battle cry and lunged toward Adder, its glinting halberd directed his way.

Hunter readied his dagger and raced up to confront the second warrior whose scythe was poised to strike. Their metal instruments clashed roughly, then scraped against each other as their wielders engaged in a show of strength.

"I'll get him!" Hawk called to his brother as he fumbled to set a bolt into his crossbow.

---

Zekra threw back another anxious glance as their pursuers thundered after them. "Ahhh, alright..." She raced down a tight alleyway, then abruptly emerged into the clearing before. "Oh hey, we're---Nope!" She just as quickly wheeled about when she registered the dozens of enemies still present, only to find herself facing the two centaurs again. "Ahhhh, this way it is!" she yelped, scrambling to run to her right.

Adder struck out at the creature in an effort to land a killing blow and end the fight quickly, but was forced to pull back when the massive halberd flashed towards his face. He retreated several steps and smiled grimly, making a beckoning gesture with one hand, trying to taunt the creature into pursuing him.

//The reach of its weapon gives it an advantage,// he mused. //But it must be heavy. Maybe /I/ can take advantage of that...//

Still grasping both his daggers, he leaned into a combat-ready position and waited to see what the cat-like humanoid would do.

----

'Do you even know where you're going?!' Layla cried as Zekra rapidly changed direction. Suddenly a short spear flew over her head, burying itself in the ground a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat, and she fumbled to use her ability fast enough to deflect a second spear that came buzzing towards them.

The wind whistled mournfully and the weapon jerked off-course, missing Zekra's hind leg with inches to spare.

Piqued by Adder's beckoning, the cat warrior lashed its tail and pounced again, this time swinging the blade of its halberd toward the assassin.

Hawk raised his crossbow and began to back away, waiting until he could clearly aim at the creature. "Hunter!" he shouted, then pulled the trigger.

Hunter smirked, confident the bolt would hit its mark, until the warrior grinned wickedly. In a quick motion, it twisted its scythe around, forcing Hunter directly into Hawk's line of fire. His eyes widened. "Wait!!"
There was no time to dodge. Sterling himself, the teen focused his attention on the projectile. Just as it touched his back, he commanded it to melt into a shapeless liquid, which splashed off of him and ran onto the ground like water.

---

"I have no clue!! EEP!!" The zebra centaur gave a little bounce into the air when something big whooshed right by her leg, sending shivers up her spine. The deadly encounter gave her a boost of energy, which she used to weave around a group of distracted fauns. However, her direction was wavering, and both her lungs were burning (because centaurs have two pairs of lungs). "I can't hold this off much longer," she breathed. A ridiculous plan forming in her head, Zekra darted into another alleyway and stopped. With her staff in hand, she faced the entrance and waited for the centaurs.

Moving as fast as he could, Adder dived in the opposite direction to where his opponent was aiming and managed to get in close, where the cat warrior would be unable to strike with the end of its halberd. His dagger swiftly found its mark, slicing across his opponent's throat and killing it in one clean blow.

Before the warrior had even hit the ground, Adder turned away from it and tossed a small throwing knife in the direction of the creature Hunter had been fighting.

'Be careful!' he shouted at the brothers, having noticed out the corner of his eye how Hawk's crossbow bolt had nearly hit Hunter.

----

'What are you up to?' Layla asked. 'You can't fight both of them at once...'

While she was talking, the two enemy centaurs caught up and slowed their pace, trotting confidently towards the pair. The black one still looked a little dazed from running headlong into the wall earlier, but the palomino was grinning nastily as she brandished her spear, certain she'd got them cornered.

(I wrote a short story taking place in Adder's backstory (canon Adder, not the version in this world), but I think it's too long to post on Colors. XD)

(Ooh cool! You should post in on DA then!)

(I also realize that I haven't drawn Zekra yet)

Adder's throwing knife managed to strike the creature's side, pulling a pained yowl from its feline mouth.
"Stay in your own fight!" Hunter snapped. He threw Adder an annoyed glance, but the moment he turned back, he discovered his opponent had been tough enough to yank the knife from its own side and was swinging it his way. Unable to pull back in time, Hunter raised his hand in defense, and it cut deeply into his wrist. He screamed and staggered backwards, allowing his dagger to drop. //Thanks a lot, Adder!//

---

//Unless I can take one of them out...// To tempt her opponents into lowering their guards, Zekra let her staff drop to the ground and she backed away. But the moment her tail brushed the dead end, she whipped out her hidden hollow bamboo shoot and raised it to her mouth. She blew into it, sending a poisonous dart whizzing the first centaur's way.

//Stay in my own fight?// Adder thought, slightly amused despite the fact that he'd just watched Hunter get slashed by the creature. 'Alright then, have fun!' he called out, turning away to fend off a bear-like humanoid monster armed with a small battleaxe.

//Maybe I should help him... Nah, it's not my problem if he can't look after himself. And he's got Hawk with him.//

----

The enemy centaur let out a surprised yell and tried to skitter backwards, but Zekra's sudden attack had taken him off-guard, and the dart sunk into his neck. He collapsed with a thud, twitched briefly, then was motionless.

Screaming in fury, the palomino leapt forwards, spear outstretched to run Zekra through.

(I might upload it there, depends if I'm happy enough with how it came out. XD)

Irked that Adder had actually obeyed him, and in such a spiteful manner, Hunter shot another glare. When he refocused on his fight, the cat creature was raising its scythe to strike again. He dropped drop in time to avoid the blade, then lunged at the humanoid with a wild cry, sending both of them tumbling onto the ground in a bare-handed wrestling match.

"That idiot... I don't even want to help him," Hawk mumbled. He took the time to observe their surroundings and found that the fire barricade hadn't subsided, and the growing barricade of opponents was growing nearly beyond their capabilities of fending off. Swallowing hard, the boy raised his crossbow and began firing at the nearest pursuers.

---

The victorious feeling short-lived, Zekra once again attempted to back away, but there was no more room to move. //Drats! It's now or never!// She reached down, snatched up her staff, and swung it forward in desperate hopes of intercepting the spear's path.

After managing to fend off the creature he'd been fighting, Adder threw a glance towards the spot where Hunter was grappling with the cat-like humanoid. Rolling his eyes, he left the boy to it and hastened over to Hawk instead.

'Hey!' he said by way of greeting, taking up a combat position on Hawk's right side and raising his twin knives. 'We need to get out of here before these guys overwhelm us. Can we bypass the fire somehow?'

----

As the two centaurs rushed each other like opponents in a jousting match, Layla closed her eyes for a split second, then reopened them and focused on moving the air currents around the palomino's spear. As they closed in, a tiny breath of wind upset the weapon that had been poised to stab through Zekra's heart, twisting it suddenly in its owner's grip.

The spear went off-course and only succeeded in dealing a glancing blow across Zekra's shoulder, and the palomino faltered in surprise, momentarily leaving herself open to attack.

Hawk blinked in greeting before throwing a glance back at the flames penning them in. "Well, I was hoping the rain would start falling, but somebody here is probably holding it off." He scanned the clearing for any significant-looking characters, but nothing popped out to him. Then he raised his gaze and spotted it. "Oh, there it is."

On the roof of a building stood a great white lion whose ivory horns curved forward majestically. Between the tips of its horns floated a whirring blue ball of energy, pulsing and sparking with electricity. The lion held its silvery gaze on the clouds above. Hawk guessed that it was concentrating on keeping the rain at bay with its powers.

"I'm not sure I can aim at something so far off," he worried.

Hunter finally joined the other two. He had won in his wrestling match with the humanoid, but he had come out with a bloody nose and claw marks adorning his cheek. "What next?" he asked nonchalantly.

(The lion's actually a character/species of mine but I don't care what happens to him here)

---

//Ah-ha!// With a victorious grin, Zekra rushed in and whacked the palomino's skull with her staff. Then, for a finishing blow, she reared up on her hind legs and gave a sturdy kick to her opponent's chest. She hadn't even noticed that her shoulder had been glanced by the spear.

Adder looked up at the lion, shielding his eyes with one hand. 'Well, if you can't aim a crossbow that far, then I definitely can't throw a knife that far,' he said humorously. Then he turned to inspect the wall of flames, trying to think... 'And blowing air onto them will just make them flare up more, so I'm useless here. Wind and fire don't mix well.'

There was a pause as he continued to mull over the situation, despite the numerous creatures still swarming around them.

'Unless,' he added, 'Hawk, if you fire a bolt up there and I'll try to aim it for you. We'll have a better chance of hitting the guy that way.'

----

Under Zekra's staff blow, the centaur staggered then crumpled to the ground - unconscious or dead, it was hard to be sure.

'Do you think the others are OK?' Layla asked, concern in her voice. Clearly, her mind had been on something else entirely for the last few seconds. 'I can hear an awful lot of fighting going on over there.'

Hawk held the crosshairs of his weapon up to his eye, trying to gauge the distance between him and the lion. He blinked at Adder. "Aim it for me? How will you do that?"

//Although, maybe I'm wrong, but he does seem to have some sort of special ability... Like with the way that he moved his dagger mid-flight to take that mage out flawlessly...//

"Are you ignoring me now?" Hunter mumbled, eyes lidded in unamusement. Turning away, he focused on the next opponent - which, just to make their situation all the better, was a fire elemental of all beings, the blazing sparks on her glowing face narrowed on him. "Oh, hey... Are you looking for a couple of intruders, by any chance? Because I think I just saw them go that wa--" The archer broke off into a panicked yelp as he barely evaded the flaming whip that arced his way. "Hurry up you two!!"

---

"Haha, nobody can beat us!" Zekra pumped her fists in the air, relishing in their victory, until she registered Layla's comments. She tilted her head. "Huh, I guess we should check things out. This way..." The zebra centaur stepped back out into the city's center and studied the scattered figures. "Let's see, nope...nope... Oh. Is that them over there, in the fire?" She pointed rather casually at the trio across the clearing.

Adder threw a quick glance over when Hunter spoke, swallowing nervously when he caught sight of the fire elemental. 'You'll just have to trust me,' he said to Hawk, his tone grim. 'Just fire the crossbow as accurately as you can and leave the rest up to me.'

----

'In the fire?!' Layla yelped. She stretched up as high as she could on Zekra's back in an effort to see over the barrier of crackling flames just ahead of them. //Oh, they're just standing in the middle of a ring of fire. Not actually IN it.//

Relaxing fractionally, she said, 'Maybe we should wait here for a second and see what they do. Adder and Hawk look like they're planning something. We don't want to rush in blindly like we did last time.'

"O-Okay," Hawk replied hesitantly. Taking a deep breath, the boy aimed the tip of his crossbow a few paces above the lion, which he would normally do with a mid-distance target, except his conscious was screaming that this one was simply too far. He swallowed. "Three, two, one-- firing!" The crossbow clinked and a bolt went flying across the clearing. //Please let this work...//

Meanwhile, Hunter was giving his best attempt to distract the fire elemental, who was advancing toward Hawk and Adder. "Hey--Hey you! Hot stuff!" Hunter shouted obnoxiously. The elemental turned with a very unamused glare.

"That was actually pretty funny," the teen snorted before continuing his act. "What happened to your hair? You're like a hot mess or something."

The glowing being scowled and stalked toward him, two fiery whips conjuring in her hands.

"What, you didn't think that was funny? Actually, it was a compliment. I mean, you could probably get the 'hot' part of it, 'cause you're a fire elemental, but then you're also... Ahh!" Hunter ducked when the whip shot out, then darted in and slashed his dagger through the elemental. However, her torso combusted into flames just as he did, and his weapon cut through mere air. He cursed and pulled back as the being blazed toward him.

---

"That was a total accident in the first place," Zekra mumbled under her breath, by she nodded in acceptance of Layla's advice. "Uh, we probably shouldn't sit still though. I think we've got some eyes on us." The centaur's gaze had wandered to another part of the clearing, where several mages were pointing and stalking their way. Briskly, she scurried down a vacant backstreet.

(I sincerely apologize for my novel-length comments... I get carried away when I pit two characters against each other in a battle. x'D)

(It's fine, I'd rather read very long comments than incredibly short ones. XD)

Ignoring whatever Hunter was up to in the background, Adder focused every scrap of concentration he possessed upon Hawk's bolt as it tore through the air. Almost immediately after it was fired, he realised that unless he did something the missile was going to fall several metres short of its target as well as moving too far to the left.

Crimson eyes narrowing, he focused on the bolt, imagining in his mind the wind around it shifting, changing direction to carry it along. For a heart-lurching moment he thought nothing was happening, then abruptly the bolt swung sideways as a sharp gust of wind struck it in mid-air. It travelled just far enough to embed itself in the right side of the lion's chest.

Adder cursed softly. //I don't know if that's a fatal wound, but with any luck it'll distract him enough to make him release whatever magic he's using.//

----

'Good idea,' Layla mumbled. Now that the centaurs were no longer pursuing them, and she knew Adder was safe at least for the moment, she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion overtake her. Using her abilities several times and hanging onto Zekra's back during the chase seemed to have drained what little energy she had left.

'Don't mind me if I pass out in a minute,' she added, somewhat casually.

(Okay X'D)

Hawk's eyes grew wide as he witnessed his bolt change directions in frog of his very eyes and strike a target that otherwise would've been impossible for him. "How..."

When the projectile impaled its chest, the white lion staggered and let out a tremendous roar, but it was quickly drowned out in the earth-shaking boom of thunder. Not a second later, a wall of rain descended upon the city and poured onto the landscape without mercy.

"It worked!" Hawk breathed, squinting behind him in time to see the wall of flames quickly diminish under the torrent of rain.

The timing worked flawlessly in Hunter's case, as well. In his retreat from the fire elemental, he had tripped and fallen backwards, and just as his opponent had brandished her flaming whips to scorch him, the sky came pelting down. The elemental screamed as she diminished into a cloud of steam and smoke, which whirled away in search of cover. The teen stayed on the ground for a moment, gasping in relief as the water soaked him.

---

"Okay, sure.... Wait what!?" Zekra twisted around and inspected her friend's weary complexion. "I guess using your powers while you're sick will bite back eventually... Aaaand now it's raining. I'll get you somewhere dry."
The centaur picked up her pace to a gallop until she discovered a lonely shop, which she entered with a thankful sigh. She searched around until she found several blankets, which she laid out on the ground near the entrance for Layla to rest on. "You still awake?" she murmured.

("In frog of his very eyes"? XD)

Adder glanced up at the sky, then held out a hand and watched the huge raindrops splatter against it, breathing out a sigh of relief. //I actually wasn't sure if that was going to work...//

However, he knew they couldn't stay still for long. Not with so many hostile creatures still bearing down on them. 'C'mon, let's go!' he called, turning and running off through the place where the flames had been just a few seconds before, which was now just cinders and smoke.

----

Layla had begun to let herself drift off to sleep, but opened her eyes halfway when Zekra spoke. 'Only just,' she mumbled in response. 'I'll be fine... I just...'

She then chose that exact moment to black out completely and fall off the centaur's back.

*in front, sorry. XD

Hawk started after Adder, but he paused when Hunter came along slower. He waited until his brother had gotten to his feet before racing over the pavement, now slick with rain. "This works great," he said as he caught up with the assassin. "Not only does the rain disguise us, it also erases our tracks. I was worried before about whether they'd follow us out of the city, but they can't when they don't know where we've gone. Wait-- Where are Zekra and Layla??"

---

"Woah there!" Zekra managed to catch Layla's hand as she fell, which at least redirected her unconscious body onto the mat she had set up. She sighed as she knelt down beside the woman. "I'm glad we made it out of that.... Who knows what'll happen next?"

Slowing down slightly to allow Hawk to keep pace beside him, Adder said, 'I think I saw them taking off that way.' He gestured vaguely in the direction of the street Zekra had fled down when the enemy centaurs began chasing her. 'They might've had to go quite far to escape those guys... we need to find them again.'

"Yeah... Let's follow that road and see if we'll run into them," Hawk suggested.

Even though it seemed their pursuers had lost them in the downpour, the elemental worried when he looked back and saw his brother lagging behind. Hunter was occupied creating a splint of sorts for his injured hand - he had aligned a rod of metal on the back of his wrist and was currently fastening it down with a strip of bandage material.

---

Zekra had been staring out the window with glazed eyes until she spotted three figures in the rain. "Hey, is that them? Hey!" she shouted, racing over to the doorway and waving. But when the figures started her way, she quickly realized that they were by no means human. One had a jackal-like head, another loped like a faun, and the third carried a nasty-looking blade.

"...Oops."

'We're bound to run into them sooner or later, you can hear Zekra's hooves a mile away,' said Adder. He kept his knives drawn and eyed their surroundings as they ran. He was somewhat relieved to see Hunter following, albeit slowly, though he didn't think he'd have minded much if the boy got left behind.

'Hurry up, kid!' he called back. Then he suddenly cocked his head, looking up a side street to their right. 'Hey, I heard a voice over there.'

Hunter grunted in reply to Adder's call, finishing up his splint before striding to catch up with the other two. He remained quiet and rather detached, instead keeping his eyes on their surroundings.

Hawk wiped his bangs from his face as he peered through the rain for the source of the voice. "Are you sure it could be them? I would imagine they'd be trying to keep quiet."

---

"Ahhhh, stay away stay away stay away!!" Zekra hurriedly slammed the shop door shut, then dragged a bookshelf in its way, then shoved a small sofa up against it. Not stopping to check if her defense would hold, the centaur rushed over to Layla and shook her shoulder. "Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

A banging on the door and muffled voice caused her gaze to jerk up. Panicked, she wrapped Layla up in the blankets and hoisted her onto her back. "Let's hope you stay there," she murmured as she carefully slipped toward the back of the shop in search of a back door.

(Ahh, sorry for taking so long to reply, I'm having a weird writing block. XD
I'll try to do it later today.)

(It's not a problem! If you'd like, we can even stop here and pick up at another time.)

(Hmm, I don't know. We can take a short break if you don't mind, but I'll see if I'll be able to reply later.)

(Alright then! Take your time!)

(AArgh I might need to take a small break from this, sorry. I just can't seem to make my brain work right now. DX)