GESB: Sanctuary Dimension

[SamiChee]

Sami still felt like an idiot for notbeing so level-headed like her companions, so she didn't respond to Noah with words. Instead, she looked to Grun on her shoulder, gently put him on a branch a few feet away so he could fly, then changed switly into a large black bird. There was a strange green tint to her feathers, which rattled almost like metal. Her long black beak curved downward just a touch, and her green eyes glittered. She cawed and took off straight from the ground, gliding upwards until she was over Jocun's head by a few feet, soaring after him and through the gates.

[Twilight_Pixie]

Noah couldn't help but smile at the giant bird Sami had become fairly impressed. From there she took off with great speed, passing Jocun's steady jog laughing as she did it daring him to catch up to them. She wasn't as fast as Sami in her bird form, but she was quite close to the same speed, she just had to dodge trees and rocks. Within no time, she passed through the gates and waved good bye to the people knowing they would just see an auburn blur as her hair was swept away in the breeze.

[Chad32]

Jocun made no comment about the obvious difference between their speeds. He'd either have to hitch a ride, or just catch up when he could. He had no speedy morphs. For now, he just kept jogging. If nothing came to mess with Sami in the air, perhaps he would ask for a ride.

[SamiChee]

Sami looked down to see Noah streaking past Jocun. She noted that Jocun wasn't as fast as either of them, and apparently didn't have any morphs that would keep up with them, or else he may have used one. She cirled downwards to fly about a foot above Jocun's head, close enough for him to hear her talk with a slight caw to her voice. "Need a ride, Jocun?"

[Chad32]

"Seems like it, doesn't it?" He said, stopping near her. "I don't have anything built for speed. I'm not sure how Noah moves that quickly, personally."

[Twilight_Pixie]

Noah stops near some trees panting and collapses as she watches them converse, but doesn't bother to listen. Leopard's were meant for sprinting, not long distances, now she needed to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest trying to burst from it's cage as she tried to take slow breathes. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself, for she knew she could do better than that small distance, it was only about 200 feet maybe more, that she had gone. She exercised frequently, so she knew if she tried she could do better. Maybe I should ask for a ride too so I don't wear myself out...mmm, stubborn or no stubborn, such hard choices. She though as her heart finally began to slow.

[General Squall Leonhart]

Grun had fallen asleep during the exchange between all of the humans. However when Sami had put him in a tree the sudden movement roused him. He looked up to see the man jogging away as well as Noah sprinting at a very quick pace. He did not see Sami, but noticed a bird that flew very near Jocun. Giving no more thoughts to it Grun spread his wings, caught an up draft and flew towards the group.

Within a few moments he had caught up to them and since Sami was nowhere to be seen he landed right near Noah. He ****ed his head curiously at her and recognized her as the female that had spoken to Larry and Sami by the lake. He hopped a little closer and began nuzzling her neck with his head.

[Twilight_Pixie]

Noah saw the bird that was a constant companion of Sami's land near her. She couldn't help but laugh as it nuzzled her neck because it tickled. She waved her hand at the bird to get it to stop, not wanting to smack it away because she knew they wouldn't be happy if she injured Larry's bird. Noah readjusted herself against the tree so she was sitting up and pet the bird's head giving it the attention she thought it wanted.

"What was your name again? Grun I think she called you. Hello Grun." She smiled, feeling kind of foolish for talking to a bird, only hoping it would understand her.

[General Squall Leonhart]

When Noah asked him if his name was Grun, the raven looked right at her and bobbed his head up and down in what could be perceived as a nod. Although Grun did not have the ability to speak, like parrots and ****atoos, he did understand language. Grun had been Larry's friend since Larry was born. It was custom for Druid's to have an animal companion presented to them at birth. According to the custom of the Druids, the parents would choose an animal they felt was right for their child. Larry's parents had decided that a Raven would be the wisest choice. Grun began once again nuzzling Noah's neck.

[Twilight_Pixie]

Noah swatted at the bird again, purposefully missing. She stood up and glared at the bird, no longer finding it funny, but thinking it disturbing that a bird had such advanced thoughts. She itched at her neck and had a spasm run through her body at the odd thought. She pulled her hair out of its bindings and let the damp deep red brown hair fall around her, now protecting her neck from the flirting bird. She turned back to Sami and Jocun.

"Would you two hurry up, we don't have all day!!" She yelled back to the pair getting a little anxious being near an intelligent bird. And I thought I had actually seen the strangest things there were already. Who knew a smart bird could top it? She thought to herself refusing to look at the bird by choice. Noah had nothing against the bird, she just had never been exposed to truly intelligent animals that weren't lycanthropes.

[General Squall Leonhart]

Grun looked at Noah with a sad look in his eyes and let loose a cry that was filled with that sadness and fear. He didn't mean to hurt the woman, but he was just so lonely without his friend and master. If Grun could he would have rode on Sami's shoulder, however he had not seen her and suspected that the bird flying near the man who had introduced himself as Jocun to Sami was indeed Sami herself. Grun hung his head and began making cooing sounds that sounded almost like crying as the loss of his friend weighed heavily upon him.

[Chad32]

"Poor animal looks depressed." Jocun said as he situated himself on Sami's back when she let him ride her. "I guess it misses its master."

[General Squall Leonhart]

The mountain rises before them and the Gates close behind them with a mighty crash. Their way back has been closed and their only path is forward. Across the open expanses of land there are strewn many corpses of all manner of creature. There are fallen Barbarians, Demonic Imps, War Elephants, and other strange and unidentifiable creatures. All of these corpses are begining to get torn apart by the vultures as well as other scavengers.

Even though Qual-Kehk said that Larry came through and killed the Demons on his way up, there are still a few Demonic Imps scattered about. These Imps pose very little threat and are not that dangerous when fighting them individually. Further up the mountain there is a small collection of huts gathered around a central point. These huts are where the Mountain Barbarians live and it is a days journey from the village as well as a days journey to the Ice Caves. The Mountain Barbarians know that comrades of Larry are coming to help him and await their arrival with beds for them to rest and supplies that will last them through the Ice Caves.

((Thanks to Chad30 for the proofread))

[SamiChee]

Sami noddeto Jocun. The easiest thing she could think of was just increasing her size. So she did. She let her form grow in size until she was big enough for Noah to join too, seeing how she had collapsed on the ground. Sami eyes her with one of her large green eyes and let out a loud caw, ruffling her wings.

"I am hurrying! Shifting takes time, especially to something of big enough size to carry both of you." She finished her size change and nodded to Jocun, letting him climb on. She made sure her feathers were smoothed out along her back so as to not hurt her friends, but the rest f her feathers were steel sharp in case of an attack. She hopped once or twice to cover the distance between her and Noah, dipping her head so Noah could climb on too.

Sami turned a large green eye to Grun, letting her vocal chords change to human ones for a moment so that he could tell it was her. "Do not worry, Grun. We will rescue Larry. He will not be lost to us." She let her vocal chords shift back as she turned to face the summit.

[Twilight_Pixie]

Noah looks back at the bird with wide eyes, though still hidden behind the sunglasses. And now he is crying? Could this get any stranger? She sighs and watches Sami grow even larger when she thought she was at her max size. When Sami reaches speaking distance, Noah raises her eye brow at her.

"I am impressed. Extremely impressed." She smiled at the large bird and climbed on behind Jocun. She adjusted until she was comfortable and moved her feet out of the way of Sami's wings. She hesitated with her hands and then questioned Jocun.

"Do you mind if I wrap my arms around you so I don't fall off? I have nowhere else to put them." She made her voice sound flat, just stating facts so he wouldn't read into it.