Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ever since she and her guardian arrived on the 'new' planet called Gaia, Rebus, as well as her guardian, had been making new adjustments to everything; the climate was several degrees lower and the ground was hard. Prickly dead grass, even. Nothing like the silts and sands of Maneasa's soft deserts. Even the rocks of the planet would crumble beneath enough weight. There wern't any complaints from Rebus, no... Her body accepted the temperature change swiftly, even felt reliefe because of it. Her body actually gave off a figid air, like opening the door to the ol' ice box( which likely had given poor Iarla a hard time since they met up). Her guardian, Colt, not so much. The poor desert-dweller.

On the other hand, there were things that were not so pleasant. While she had been traveling to their destination, Airi, the strange creature of whom spoke of these ' Fa'e ', had been whisked away, right before the young chuchunaa incarnate's eyes! Where she had gone, Rebus really hadn't thought on it. Instead, her eyes were settled on the large, pink... D'jyaru? No, but it certainly looked like one! Only with a longer nose and bulky teeth protruding from its face. Rebus couldn't help but make a comparrison to her own teeth, curving up an inch or two from her bottom jaw.

Still new to this world, Rebus hadn't quite comprehended that the possessed toy was not a creature native to these lands. The only indication to how dangerous it was happened to have cost Airi... her life? Really, who knew if Airi was okay or not?

The chuchunaa flinched as Colt tugged upon one of her goat-like ears. "Get -back-!" He demanded. He knew her curiosity would distract her. Whatever that thing was, the group wanted no part in it. Rebus allowed him to urge her back for a moment. But she stopped, ignoring the irritation he presented for a moment. What about their travel companions?

As she parted her lips to call for them, her tongue froze, forgetting how to pronounce their names. English was easier to read then speak, but their names were neither English nor Ayréc, her first language. It didn't matter, they seemed a lot more focused then she was...

Despite efforts to be alert, Rebus did a whole lot of gawking at the scene! Brilliant child.

Iarla stared at Istaxire's twisting body in abject horror, catching sight of him out of the corner of his eye. Had the elephant created some kind of curse on him?! The thought was like a bucket of ice water in Iarla's face. Dear gods. The elephant-Thing had the very serious intention of killing them.

And it was killing Istaxire. Right now.

Just as Rebus -- he remembered her name, it made him think of rubies like at home -- started shouting at him, Iarla shoved himself shakily off the ground and began conjuring small spheres of water between his hands. It's working, he realized. I can still use my magic here.

"Iarla! What the hell! You can't hurt it with that!" Kuraino was still yelling at him from behind, distracting him.

"Just run!" He began shooting the water at the elephant's huge, soulless eyes, hoping to blind it somehow. His globes of water exploded on the elephant's charging head, soaking its fabric and running off its face. It'll never hold it off, he thought despairingly. And Istaxire behind him somewhere dying on top of everything else; where the hell was Airi?

"Someone try and heal Istaxire!" he shouted pleadingly, conjuring more water and throwing the orbs at the elephant's face. It was reacting violently, curling its trunk and swinging its head from side to side, but it was still charging. Right at him.

Cold dust kicked up into the air as Rebus skid to a stop, standing beside Iarla. The other boy... he'd turned into some kinda of bird. She could only imagine he knew what it was he was doing. But no matter, he was clear from the creature's path, no longer in direct danger. But even as she thought through this, the water-soaked monster was still headed for them! Iarla had done something she'd never seen anyone do. Both of them were amazing, gifted creatures in their own right. For that, they had her respect.

As the pink beast came ever closer, the chuchunaa could only tense, moving to stand with her back to the beast and her icy, clumsy hands encircled Iarla. She was attempting to embrace the other fa'e, a protective and motherly gesture. Her body could take a wild beating; she was a tank. But this boy didn't seem as though he could, and it had her worried.

Overhead, a brown creature dashed by, faintly buzzing the figures. As the other two guardians were seeking shelter and Rebus had set to guard the fellow fa'e, this new form of Istaxire was charging the enemy. His talons digging into the fabric and stuffing of its anatomy and pulling its attention away from herself and the swan. Her under-bitten jaw gaped at the sudden save and a brief grin stretched her lips. Istaxire hadn't been fleeing after all. He was seemingly more experienced at this combat thing then either of the other two lost children. But no time for idle thoughts!

The elephant distracted, Rebus tried once more to remove Iarla from the scene, as the cry of pain and anger the beast bellowed seemed to do a number on his sensitive ears. “Ko-Mon!” she beckoned, looking into the distance for some kind of cover. Some kind of weapon to use, perhaps... Then, her eyes lifted to Istaxire in the sky. “Where we go?! Ken you see, up there, where we go?! Need to 'ide!! Plece to 'ide!” Again, her accent and grammar took a small ax to the English language. The massive under-bite and small tusks she possessed didn't help the speech, either.

Hopefully Istaxire could hear and understand her. He could be their eyes... but if they were forced to fight, what could she do? Colt had to stay back. If he was hurt, she's never forgive herself; it had been her plea to go with Airi. If he was killed... she wouldn't be far behind. Oh, Papa, please trust me, please stay out of the monster's path...Please trust me. Trust us.

Kuraino snorted, glancing at Rex. "Just because they have a plan doesn't mean it's a good one," she said, her eyes darting back to Iarla as he began to inch forward towards the elephant. This was so far from a good idea that Kuraino had to resist the urge to start shouting at him from afar again to get the hell out of there.

The dog-girl -- Kuraino wasn't really sure what she was -- looked like she might stand a hit or two. And the other kid was already a hawk, which was impressive considering this wasn't Nemesis and it was probably unlikely every other person had the power to shape-shift.

Doesn't matter. Iarla is going to get swatted...if he's not careful...and what if he does? What if he loses it and transforms again? ********]

She bit her lip, starting to wring her gloved hands out of frustration. This was so stupid. She could kill it right now and save them all the trouble. Or could she? There's no reason my magic wouldn't work here. And yet, it didn't feel like her fight. It felt like their fight. Iarla's fight. Was this some kind of cracked-out test to see if they were strong enough?

Shoving her silver hair back from her face, she screwed up her eyes to keep Iarla in sight properly. Gods if he wasn't careful...

Even though he couldn't hear her thoughts, he was thinking the exact same words. This was Not Good. He shoved another boot forward, trying to will himself to be invisible. As he got closer, the sheer hight of the mutated toy was even worse. It wasn't just huge, it was enormous. And it looked very, very angry.

Iarla froze, a hot, prickling sensation starting in the back of his neck. It felt like very tiny needles pressing into his skin without quite going in. Oh crap...no. Quickly he grabbed he started to try and undo the high collar of his jacket, his face starting to break out into a sweat. His shaking fingers fumbled with the tiny clasped hook. Crap. Crap.

The elephant could see him now, was even starting towards him slowly, he could see the blurred image of its feet out of the corner of his eye. But he couldn't move. He had to -- breathe. Calm down. Crap how am I supposed to calm down when it's coming at me right now. He started to yank on the collar, finally ripping it open, hoping it would somehow take the edge off of the building heat. The large feet -- coming. Thumping slowly toward him, even as they stopped to focus on the bird trying to rip open its bulbous head.

Iarla clenched his hand around his dagger, trying to keep a hold of it even as his hands became sweaty. He stared up at the Thing. It was pretty close -- and then, a tawny blur came out of nowhere and started to try and gnaw it to death. Rebus.

"The seams!" Iarla yelled, seeing her ignore them at first. The adrenaline started pumping, and he broke into a run at the closest trunk-like leg. He couldn't even see the top of it without looking up. Gods.

He flung himself at it, holding the dagger out, sinking it straight into the elephant's -- fabric? It didn't have much of a hide. He started hacking at it without thinking twice. Rip out the stuffing! Kill this thing and get out of here!

It stumbled. Iarla kept at it, even as Rebus scaled the thing's head and seemed to go for whatever brain was in there -- with the hawk appearing to do the same. And then, Iarla turned his head. It was just in time to see the elephant's trunk come rushing at him, a huge wall of pink, and there was a WHUMP, and the world going upside-down and spinning for a bit -- until he crashed in the grass somewhere, face-down in the dirt. His eyes fluttered open. Oh hell, it hit me, he thought groggily. The wind was knocked out of him. It was a little like getting hit by a mattress going a hundred miles an hour. Fortunately there were none of those back home. Too bad there were here.

His head was pounding. He began to think that Airi was, in fact, orchestrating all of this. And maybe the others too. Not Kuraino, but the rest of them. Gods. Who even cared. He dug his fingers into his eyes, rubbing them hard. Crap.

The sounds that creature made rolled over her cold body like thunder. At times, it would be deafening, numbing to those floppy ears of hers. For moments at a time, she would become disoriented; only for this reason did she not realize Iarla's received blow. The chuchunaa had really gotten into the pleasure of the tearing and gnashing of her teeth and tusks. The fabric was fraying and the stitching was receding back. The smaller bits of thread, anyone's guess where it was all going, though it was a safe bet Rebus had been swallowing it...

In fact, she seemed to have possibly gone into a trance, her actions so focused on the task at hand: Destroy. But the rough movements of the elephant had continued to keep her mind in the present each time it dared to sink into a feral state of rage.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!

One strong jerk of her head, she took a long strip of monsterized fabric from the shoulder and partly down the forearm. Stuffing exploded from the gap, catching Rebus off-guard. THAT was stuffing? THIS is what the creature contained?! She visibly jerked her head back, finally releasing the material from her powerful jaws. What manner of creature existed without meat and bones and blood...?? This was some kind of... what WAS this?! A little unsettled, she turned her head to Iarla to get some sort of clue.

This was when she noticed her companion had been thrown. The fur around her neck and shoulders-- layered along her body liker a feather boa-- stood on end. She was angry and growing more-so by the moment. Once she spotted him on the ground some distance away, she tried to examine his condition. The distance made this nearly impossible. No worries, the elephant was traveling closer to the boy's body, thus, bringing her closer as well. Her heart was racing ever faster and the icy blood in her veins coursed roughly in her heat of climbing fury. “YEAR-LAH!” Oh, the elegant mangling of his name... That, or she had forgotten his name. Both were possible.

Again, she called out to him, hoping for a conscience answer. “YEAR-LAH!!” The longer she stared, the heavier her chest heaved. Rebus' fists clenched onto the already tight grip on the body of the pink brute. Her toes spread and her muscles tensed all over her body. She kicked up both legs and planted them into the flank of the elephant and hoisted her body farther up onto the back. This gave her a better hold and a better footing. She dangled less from the side of it.

Her guardian had been watching in shock. Rebus had never acted anything but docile and wanting affection from those around here. But here he saw another side. Every lapdog had a set of teeth. Every lapdog knew how to use the teeth. But most never did until cornered. He never believed she would bear her teeth. Or, he had hoped she never would.

Colt didn't want to take his eyes off of her for good reason. Iarla was just thrown like a rag doll. His hyena-like upper body slinked out from behind the boulder, little by little. He was edging towards the fallen fa'e in cautious concern. He may have needed serious attention! Colt was no doctor, especially to a foreign species, nor was he a warrior. However, he was a swift learner. Anything he could do for Iarla could tip the scales of the fight. “Hey, kid...” His English was a great deal better than Rebus'. He slowly reached out to the body, counting on Rebus, now, to keep the monster from nearing Colt and the injured.

She was doing her best, but there was only so much she could do. She'd torn a hole into the body as directed and stuffing was falling out, littering the ground, but it wouldn't be enough to hinder the creature enough, permanently. To the sky, Rebus again turned for help from Istaxire. She didn't see him, though, and didn't understand his morphing ability or if he had been hiding his true form from them since the beginning, but she felt she could trust him. She was just like that; trusting. Always looking for the good in others. “EE-STeCKS'IRE!” Another unfortunate victim of her speech, she continued, “Pulling insides to outsides, ah?!” Still, she didn't see him. “Where go?!” She searched the scene for him from atop her post high up the elephant's flank. An elephant trying hard to get rid of her. Throw her. Her grip was loosening, but she wasn't sure she'd be any safer letting go and falling to the ground. Airi had been a prime example of this.

The beast had grown tired of her presence and tearing at its side; it slowed the charge to Iarla and reared, throwing the chuchunaa off balance and swung at the air with a mighty trunk. It wanted Rebus off, now! But what did her in was the angle it turned its body, swinging the trunk around and knocking her lose with it. But it didn't end there. She merely grunted a protest as the trunk coiled her body and ripped her from its side. Really, it was only a matter of time before it figured out the reach of its own appendage.

Once coiled within its grasp, she was thrust into the hard ground onto her back, then pressed down, held there by the 'muscle' behind the trunk. A few select words in her native tongue escaped that awkward set of jaws of hers. Though she didn't seem to be hurt, there was most definitely pain shooting to her brain. If Colt took care of Iarla, then maybe Istaxire was still free to lend her a hand. This was certainly uncomfortable...