Welcome to Gaia! ::

Anima looked up towards Ryoto, soon hiding her face back into Ein's fur. Ein looked at Anima, giving a soft whimer, gently nuzzling her with his muzzle. He soon looked around, wondering what was going on. He moved his head, looking at the creatures, giving out warning-like barks.

((I'd gotten the feeling that they were meant to be a pretty big, possibly on-going threat that we didn't yet know how to beat. Thus with the running off for now to face them again when ready ))

The darkness somewhat hesitated with their approach of Aku as the growling dragon rose before them. Then, in their hissing whisper of a tongue, the wraith-like creatures split continued towards the fallen humanoid.
Maku unleashed yet another roar, his eyes flashing with feral rage. "Back from her demons!!!" he growled, conjuring up a great orb of dark fire within his huge jaws. Then, Maku charged towards the darkness, the purple flame licking his muzzle. The great dragon soon unleashed his breath of searing flame on the darkness that surrounded Aku, instantly disintigrating two that were foolish enough to take the attack full on.
The darkness retreated as yet another of their comrades fell to the dragon's flame, hissing incomprehensible curses at both him and the girl he protected. Within moments, both they and the fire the had created, dissolved into the surrounding air, leaving behind only smoke, as well as a heavy coldness in the air.

(( Must go... sweatdrop I'll post with Maku tomorrow morning. ))

Kent turned his head when he heard the sound thus missing the bridge by a good three feet. To him, it seemed an eternity as Kent flapped his arms frantically as if trying to fly with the birds. Then he fell into the ravine. "oof" The sudden outrush of air was due to a large column of earth about fifteen feet down suddenly shooting out from the wall bridging the chasm. He raised the upper half of his body slowly and spit out a mouthfull of dirt. Then, he painfully got up and got about halfway across the bridge before it started shaking. Quickly, he ran and jumped, crashing against the wall as the bridge collapsed scrambling for a hold. He caught one and hauled himself up the edge, grinning sheepishly. He looked back at the opposite wall seeing the hole where the bridge had come from.

((I'm trying to establish him as clumsy biggrin ))

((This post will take place in between Kent's last post and Aku and Maku's...))

Ryoto turned from the scenario that occured across the bridge to Jenya, completely torn. However, he knew what he had to do. Nodding, the knight stummbled towards the bridge, unsheathing his sword. Kent was still making his way across the bridge, which of course, would have to make him wait on cutting it. As he waited, his eyes fell upon what was occuring across the other side of the bridge. To his knowledge, full fledged dragons were all under the power of the darkness. Because of their unnatural strength and flying ability, the darkness had quickly taken them under their control. However, there was Maku, racing towards the creatures. With sword still in hand, Ryoto watched as Maku successfully destroyed two of the creatures that surrounded Aku, forcing the other one to retreat into the forest. "Unbelievable..." With much effort, Ryoto turned to face Jenya who most likely had been watching the small skirmish between Maku and the darkness. However, seeing that they now had a dragon on their side, they would most likely send their own to hunt them down and take Maku under their costudy. But that was hopefully a few days from now. Smiling, Ryoto watched as Maku landed with Aku with them on the other side of the bridge. Within moments, the large dragon suddenly transformed back into his origional state. However, within moments, the dragon fainted on the ground next to Aku's figure. Grunting, he turned to face Jenya once again, sweat dripping down his face from just standing. "Since we're all safe and accounted for, let's continue our journey. The darkness will most likely be back soon and in greater numbers. We cannot risk it. Let's move on."

((Another clumsy post... but I have to do as much as I can... lol))

Aku's steed, Bushi, had run off in the conflict, being as the wolf anthro had taught him to do so to protect his own life should the battle turn ugly.
Moments passed and Aku finally began to stir from her unconcious state, the cold touch of the darkness slowly beginning to wear off. She whimpered softly as she raised herself into a sitting position and rubbed her forehead with one hand. "Strange..." she breathed in an almost sarcastic way. "I'm not dead..." Aku soon felt the small dragon slide off from her breast and gasped as she saw the stae he was in. "Maku!?" she yelped, taking the limp dragon into her arms and hugging him tightly. "What have you done Maku? Tell me you didn't... You promised you wouldn't..."
Maku's eyes fluttered open at the sound of his master's voice, the golden color still replaced by an ugly gray. "I... had to... master Aku..." he gasped, ears lowered in exhaustion. "I..."
"Shhh..." Aku interrupted, slowly getting to her feet. "Rest, my firend..." she breathed with a soft smile. "There'll be time to explain later..."
In response to his master's comfort, Maku gave a weak nod and did as Aku commanded him. In a matter of seconds, the small dragon was asleep and breathing in shallow breaths.
Aku nodded when she saw that Maku was fast asleep in her arms and gently bent down to retrieve her abnormally large weapon, strapping it back into place on her back with one hand. "We better hurry before those wraith things are on to us again..." she breathed in a deathly serious tone, ignorant of her own injury and weariness. Aku stumbled past Ryoto, careful to avoid his eyes. If there was something that her race was infamously legendary for, it was their hard-headed determination to avoid rest after a hard battle. To do such a thing was seen as weakness and a disgrace to the goddess her people revered.

(( I'm listening to my new Spirited Away CD... 4laugh ))

Aku quietly followed the centaur towards the caves, cradeling the sleeping Maku in her arms. Then, most unexpectedly, she turned to face Kent and began speaking to him in elvish. "Amin naa ilquel yassen amin quenedhel..." she breathed in something of a nervous tone, having lost her knack for pronounciation in the past years. "Amin caelwanwa saicoiasira..."

(( I could do translation if you want. sweatdrop I haven't done this in a very long time. "I am not good with my elvish..." "I have lost much time..." ))