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((I think it best if people viewing carna-I mean...sidestory, should post in OOC...))

From deep within the cave cam an un-worldly howl. Ashly sprang up from his sleep. "What is that?" He brought his sword out as to prepare for an attack. The howl came again. He stood, and placed awy his sleeping bag. "I can't sleep with something like that here." Ashly left his stuff, and ventured into the cave.
As he mad his way further into the cave strange markings were found on the walls, as if markings from a completely different cuture. "This is amasing! What are they?" The howl was heard again. This time is sounded like a moan. Ashly knew there was something, but he also knew that this something would not be of the living world. The markings each seemd different as if showing different words and meanings.
Ashly was drwan to one sign in particular. It showed poulter guists and minions of the undead marching into a village. This one was not of the language, but rather a picture. "Maybe this is what I'm hearing." The next picture showed man holding a blade in triumph over the undead. As Ashly looked closer, the man had a similar pendant to the one that he had. "No way." The man in the picture also had a red claw in place of his left hand. "Is that me? I've never been here."
The final picture showed the man defeating the un-worldly beasts. Ashly stared in disbelief until the moan came back. This time it was much louder. "Whether the picture is me or not, heh! I guess I'm stuck with the extermination job." He looked up to the sky. "Gods if this is your way of challenging me...I accept."

Ashly walked through the silent village covered in mist. The poor air quality made it hard to breath. "I won't last long in a fight. I have to avoid contact with them." Ashly coughed a bit as he entered one of the houses in hope of finding a clue as to what he was there for.
The walls in the house were covered in dried blood. It seemed as if their might have been a masacre of some sort. Ashly clutched his hand over his nose. Even though it was long past decaying, the death still smelled fresh. "Ugh!" He exited the house in a hurry. He went into several other houses. Most of them had the same findings inside.
Ashly looked inside of the last house. It was obviously the elder chief's house. This house was the only one that had no blood or death on the walls. It was almost like a snctuary of some sort. The place was lined in gold, and the pictures Ashly saw on the cave walls were also painted here. "Is this their shrine?" Ashly went up to what looked like an alter. One the table a lit flame. Ashly touched the flame, but instead of being burned it lit the whole room.
This place was a temple. "This must be why the dead are still here. They must all rest." Ashly picked up a cross on the alter. "What is this?" It began to glow in a holy light, and Ashly dissappeared from the room.
Ashly was a huge plain. There was a woman in a white dress. She held a cross, and was wearing a crown of violets. "Are you..." Ashly stared blankly at the silently walking woman. "Y-you're Sephi. No this can't be. You died. I watched you." Ashly fell to his knees in tears. "Gods, please don't show me this." The woman drew closer, and closer. "I'm not ready to die." Ashly stood up, and drew his sword. "I said I'm not ready to DIE!" The woman changed into a horrendus beast. She was the piper of the dead, and the reason why these people must feed on the sould of others. "I'll slaughter you, and make sure that you suffer under Hell's wrath for eternity." Ashly held out his left hand, and it began to charge in flame. This flame was stronger than any flame Ashly has ever felt. It was a holy light of anger, a beacon of hope from the gods that challenged him.

The beast lost some of its coordination and speed, but it was not dead yet. "Asura!" Ashly used the technicues several times to make sure that every leg of the beast was no longer working. Flames went through each individual leg, slicing it clearly in half. The beast took to the sky with its bloody wings, and let out a horrible shreik.
"Ahh!" Ashly clenched his eyes, but did not drop his sword. The poulter guist creature came out of nowhere as if they were trying to defend the piper. The surrounded and guarded the beast. "I getting nowwhere like this." Ashly started to back away. "This isn't good." He then tripped over something. He looked on the ground. There he found a nine milimeter silver nickle-plated pistol with several clips beside it. He gathered the gun and ammo, not having a clue as to where it came from.
Ashly loaded the gun, and began to take out the poulter geists that were following him. Many of them were hit, but there were still thousands. "This is no use." Ashly's hand began throbbing again. Before he realised it he was on a stone pillar in the center on the village. "It's just like the picture." He had his sword in the air along with his left hand. "They're still following me." Ashly arm again began to hurt like the time when his claws appeared. His left wrist turned completely black, and blood busted onto him, staining his clothes, and the rocks below. A red cloud formed over the village, and began to rain a poisonous flame onto the village. Everything caught on flame. "I can't do this anymore." Ashly passes out from the lack of breathable air, and the pain he endured.

((It's cool. From now on, we'll just post back and fourth))

Episode Three: The Meeting of Unexpected Companions
Ashly woke from his sleep. He noticed that he was back in the cave with his sleeping bag. Behind the stream was now a large stone wall blocking the passage to the village. Ashly yawned and stretched. When he looked beside him, he saw Kioko Lying on blankets that had been set out for her.
"Was it all a dream?" he whispered to himself. Ashly brought his left arm up to eye level. His wrist looked as if the skin was completely burned off. He still felt the pulsating soreness from before. He looked over to his bag where a silver pistol, and thre clips were set. "It wasn't a dream." He stood up, and stepped over to the stream, and washed his face.

Riddle appeared in front of the cave. But he was currently a half-dragon, and looked similar, but not the same. He looked around for Ashly Orion, searching to help him, as he knew a little about what was going on from their previous battle.

((No, he's just my friend, so I help him.))
Riddle entered the cave, and using his own fire, created a light to keep him warm. He eventually found Orion and Kioko. "Well well well...big surprise to find you here. Hey Orion," Riddle said.