Brink of Delusion; Crystal's Shine ((Full))

[Draconia Crystalis]

Gio didn't really listen to his brother when he was told to stay back, instead, he moved to the edge of the ledge, just far enough back to keep his balance, but near enough to see what was happening. He really wished he had been born a Nero Angeal, so that he could help both of them, but that wasn't the case. He was helpless, and if anything happened to Rigo or her, then he would probably be blaming himself for the rest of his life.

It was already too late to do anything to help the woman from where he stood, because she had already let go and was falling to Rigo. This was his deal now. He almost laughed at the idea that it was like they were taking turns risking their lives to save her, but the seriousness of the situation prevented such a reaction.

There was still the matter of that crash, though, and he didn't know if Rigo was going to take her to the other side of the ledge in order reach the crash site. If he didn't, then no one would be able to help anyone that might have been victim to that crash, whatever it was. He needed to get over there, either to take over the rescue himself, or to help out if that was the way the two of them went.

"I'm very sorry," Gio said, turning to speak to the ranger for a moment, "I know the storm is getting worse, but I guess trouble is just following us today. We can't just let the storm batter whoever might be victim to the crash. I have to go across."

He then pressed himself against the ledge carefully. For a long moment he stayed that way, a wave of fear crashing over him and paralyzing him. But there was at least one person where that crash was, maybe more, and if he was the only one that could help them and he didn't go, then the guilt of that would have eaten him just like the guilt of the incident. His life was inconsequential to him, the lives of others were far more important, and worth risking everything for. This was the new source of his bravery, he guessed. Before he had just been young and immature, and he probably still was, but the assassination showed him what real fear was, and his false bravura was shattered. He had lived such a shattered life in his mind and heart because he had never been put in a situation where another person was in danger rather than him, and he never felt this urge to protect. This was the reason for his shattered existence.

With a renewed bravery, he began to sidle forward along the same path the woman had taken, but taking his time to test his footing before moving more. He took his attention away from his brother's rescue attempt, trusting he had it handled.  

[Jest_A_Clown]

Suri quickly decided that getting moving was probably the best choice for now, and prepared to make headway from the crash to the outpost. But as he stepped out with his right foot, it gave way beneath him with a slicing pain that drew a strained grunt from the large man. Sitting down again, he ripped apart what was left of his tattered pants leg to assess the damage. A sizeable shard of metal had taken up residence in his ankle it seemed. Suri briefly wondered how he didn't feel that when he stood up the first time, but chalked it up to shock. Now realising that his chances of getting to the outpost before the storm hit were practically nothing, he proceeded to the next logical choice; Make a lean-to from the wreck and sit it out.
But first, the wound...

He savagely yanked out the metal and examined it stonily before throwing it across the ground. The bleeding was slowing, but not stopping. He heaved a sigh of exasperation then growled "I KNEW I should have gotten both of these fleshy things removed and replaced with some good ol' metal steppers." he said as he judged the cut not deeply damaging and, since he was not one to wait and hope for someone to rescue him and dress his wounds, pressed one finger deep into the wound. Doing so elicited a gasp of wrenching pain, but made him more determined to finish it up. Concentrating energy into just that one little fingertip and heating it, he cauterized the wound and sealed it up from the inside out. When he was done, he just fell back onto the ground, exhausted from pain and drenched in sweat.

It was at this point he realized the crash had stripped him of most of the clothing he had brought, and the crash had probably incinerated his pack, wherever it was. Except for the untorn leg of his black and dusty pants, he was wearing tatters of his shirt and cloak. His short, dirty-blonde hair was in a tousled mess, and his metallic torso was fully exposed; a mass of metal, perfectly manufactured to give the impression of a well-toned athletic body through a shirt. It was a little scratched but mostly un-marred by the crash, though one of the doors was jarred out of alignment and the right side of his chest hung just slightly askew, revealing the dim orange radiance of his Crystal from within. His arms were also completely cybertronic, joining perfectly into his shoulders and complete with a simliar buffed appearance across the biceps. His forearms, however, were not meant for appearances and had been converted to large bracers that hid a complex catacomb of machinery within that allowed movement of his hands. Flexing his fingers on the other hand, Suri noted that his little finger would not bend correctly and made a note to repair it later.

Knowing standing on a freshly-sealed wound would do him no good, he dragged himself over to another part of the wreckage, presumably the right wing, and lay beneath it, waiting for the ensuing storm to pass. But not before grabbing a hold of the wing and modifying it to his satisfaction; a now semi-circular hunk of metal lay above the cyborg, twisted to provide the most coverage from the scathing winds. His primitive shelter complete, Suri closed his ruddy-golden eyes, attempted to block out the worst of the pain coming from his still-human parts, and waited.  

[Scythe de Zaran]

Luckily, Jolyre hadn't waited too long to make her decision. Any longer, and Rigo would have been blown off course and unable to fix his position fast enough to catch the Angeal. The Nero Angeal caught the woman in his arms. He let off a soft "Ugh" as the wind mercilessly forced him toward one of the jagged walls. After that much risk, Rigo couldn't let himself or her die yet. He forcefully beat his wings and propelled himself and her up before they crashed into the jagged wall.

While Rigo wanted to reunite with Gio, the furious wind made it impossible for him to return to that side of the ledge. He would have to land on the other side, closer to the crash site. For a moment, Rigo noticed Gio mvoe out of the corner of his eye. The elder brother felt a pang of worry hit him. Gio hadn't listened and was moving despite being so injured. I have to help him, Rigo thought desperately, but he and Jolyre had other problems. The wind.

With effort, Rigo managed to avoid a crash landing and landed in view of the debris in the area Suri was in. It wasn't a light landing though, and Rigo tried his best to keep them unscathed. The dark haired brother had managed to skid to a halt on two feet in a kneeling position while keeping Jolyre's body away from the groudn. "A crash..." the Nero Angeal muttered at the chaotic sight and the steaming smoke. He immediately unsummoned his wings, as they were more of an hindrance right now than help. "Gio."  

[Black Claided Cat]

(( Sorry I hadn't replied sooner, I had to finish up some school projects. >.< ))

Enter- Alane Shoudu

Alane and the rangers heard a loud noise as it echoed through the sound of wind. It wasn't exactly a gust of the sandstorm, because a few seconds after it passed a crash was heard not too far from the outpost.

“Anyone going to get that?” One of the women, bored and picking her nails, asked.

Alane sighed and volunteered. She was worried what may of happened to Har and was planning on checking to see where he was on the way to the area of the sound. She peeled open the door and slid out, avoiding the door when it slammed back in because of the wind. Alane pulled up her shawl to protect her face and made her way to the sound.

It took only a minute before a large crash sight was is view. When she saw it she immediately picked up her pace and jogged over to were the broken airship was.

“Hello?!” She called, but her voice carried in the wind, “Is everyone alright?”

Who flies in the middle of a sandstorm in Tylem?!

She stuck her head in the cockpit, but it was crushed, blood was split; so someone had to be here. Alane looked around the area until she spotted a bent out of shape wing with a dark figure underneath. She made her way towards it, peeking under, “Hello..?”

Exit- Alane Shoudu  

[Draconia Crystalis]

(Editted, there was a bit of an issue between mine and Claided's posts. We'll have it completely resolved when he edits the post)

Gio didn't look down, and clutched desperately to the cliff-face as winds buffeted him from all angles, trying to fling him to his death. What made it even harder to hang on was the fact that his left arm was totally limp, so he was minus one grip, and the katana was still clenched in that hand, making it get in the way slightly, and making his progress awkward. There was no way he could let himself die. He had to help whoever was in that crash, and he didn't know if Rigo or the woman would land on that side of the cliff or not. He had to consider that they weren't landing on the other side, lest his resolution be flung away from the cliff along with his life. he felt a hand on his shoulder about halfway through, and turned his head carefully to see that the ranger had come right behind him in order to help. He was grateful, otherwise, he might not have made it across by himself. They nodded in wordless agreement and continued.

Their progress was fast, but tentative, and he never moved an arm or leg without testing his weight on the hold first. He passed the point where the Angeal woman had fallen, and made sure to avoid her mistake. All the while, his wound in his shoulder pulsed with irritation and pain as it scraped lightly against the rocky surface. Wait.... was it even smaller now?

For what felt like an eternity, but was really more like five minutes of steady movement to the side, he reached the other ledge. For a moment, as he moved away from the canyon wall, his foot slipped, and he felt his balance tip towards the abyss, but luck was on his side, as he managed to right it and fall in the opposite direction, onto safe, firm ground.

He dusted himself off as he stood off, then turned to check where the wreckage was. The crash wasn't in his view yet, but he did see Rigo and the woman, both of them safe on this side of the chasm. He let out a breath of relief. He gave wordless thanks to the ranger, but his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't about to stay still. Instead, he ran over to his brother, crouching down next to the two of them giving them a huge smile, "I'm so glad you're both okay." His eyes showed genuine sincerity. He hadn't wanted anything to happen to either of them, and he hoped this woman that hated him so much could see that. "I'm sorry, but since you're both okay, I have to go."

Changing tact immediately, he didn't even give them a chance to respond and ran to where the crash was, taking in the whole of the wreckage as he ran, ignoring his shoulder wound and his dangling arm. "Hello!? Is anyone in there?!" he shouted, even before reaching the downed ship, unable to see the new woman that had run in, as she was on the other side of the ship. He would take time to be impressed by the fact that he was looking at a real airship later. They were the latest technology, and one of this size was unheard of so far as he knew. Then again, every nation had its secrets, and Metrino had plenty of secrets to hide.  

[Black Claided Cat]

(( Edit. Sorry about the different posts. sweatdrop ))

Enter- Harrier A'Cal

s**t, Harrier thought. He hadn't expected the woman to almost fall, but it was a good thing Rigo was there to catch her; although dangerous to fly.

“I'm very sorry. I know the storm is getting worse, but I guess trouble is just following us today. We can't just let the storm batter whoever might be victim to the crash. I have to go across." Gio said, slipping out of Harrier's fingers and making his way up the steps

“Hold on boy,” he said coming after him and taking a hold of his shoulder, stopping him on the steps. “The crash wasn't too far from the outpost, someone is probably seeing what happened right now. The way up is steep and dangerous in a storm, you just saw that. Take it nice and easy.”

With a nod from Gio they slowly made their way up, before they reached the top Harrier pulled off a green sash that was tied around his waist and gave it to Gio.
“To protect your face from the sand,” he explained briefly, showing how to tie it and then put on his own rust-from-use colored one.

Glad I carry extras, he thought bitterly as the two went up the last step and in the direction of the crash.
Exit- Harrier A'Cal  

[Jest_A_Clown]

((Sorry for the delay guys, I'm going to post right after I get back from the Doc...I think I have Strepp crying Will post soon brb!))  

[MadameDPomp]

Falling.
Jolyre breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when it was the Nero's arms she hit. She'd take a murderer's embrace over a wall of jagged rocks anyday.
The relief was short lived. The wind took Rigo's wings and flew them like a kite. Towards a wall of jagged rocks.
Should've just fallen she thought bitterly.
Jolyre squeezed her eyes shut and held on for her life.
Somehow. Somehow Rigo steered them away from imminent death.
They landed, roughly, on the other side of the ledge.
She stepped away from him and looked towards the rising smoke.
"A crash..."
She looked over at the Nero Angeal. He was more worried about his useless brother. Jolyre decided she could respect that. Although, none of it would matter when it came to matter of her father. They way Jolyre saw it, they had the chance to rid themselves of a completely lethal nuisance. She didn't understand why he had saved her.
Pride maimed, but only slightly, she turned to Rigo.
"thanks...." she said stiffly.
Gio came running up to them expressing his...joy?...that they were alive. Both of them?
Jolyre shook her head. How strange these Nero's are.
Before either Angeal or Nero Angeal could summon a reply, the injured boy was off towards the airship crash.
Jolyre looked back at the ranger and gestured that they were going to the crash site. Not sparing anymore dignity destroying words to Rigo, Jolyre ran towards the crash site.  

[Jest_A_Clown]

"Hello?"

The words jarred Suri from his daze. Sleep came hard to guilty men, and he was definately feeling guilty. The deaths of the two men crossing to his ship was unintentional, they didn't have to die. But he'd think more on it later, now it appeared that someone was on the scene, and so quickly too. His eyes opened slowly as he identified the silhouette peeking under the wing at him. "You people respond rather quickly....Guess you don't have many airships crash around these parts do you?" he said with humor and a smile before crawling out from beneath the wing and attempting to stand. He ended up leaning on the wreckage because his ankle gave him a smarting reminder that it was still in pain. Looking upon her, he could tell her as a native of Tylem, "Not hard on the eyes either" he thought before it dawned on him that his metallic exterior was fully exposed. He somewhat averted his eyes from the woman before him. He'd heard several stories about how some people looked down on and hated cyborgs for what they did to their bodies. Suri desperately hoped this particular Tylemite didn't have a nasty disposition towards his kind.

He was on the verge of saying something when he heard another voice, this one sounding like a boy. Apparently there were more people approaching. For the first time, Suri actually took a good look around. He had absolutely wrecked the ship...all over the land. Scraps of metal were everywhere, most of them unidentifiable. The main cockpit area was still there, mostly, but much of the outer covering was stripped and it was indeed no longer air-worthy. A thick column of smoke emanated from a sizeable chunk of debris that probably contained part of the engine, smaller bits of debris around it were aflame with smouldering fires. Suri couldn't see the rest of the damage from the other side of the ship, but he assumed it looked none the better. The other side was also where that shouting was originating from. "Friends of yours, Miss?  

[Black Claided Cat]

Enter- Alane Shoudu

“Ah, it's good that you are well,” Alane said as she let the stranger get his bearings. She was surprised when she saw metal plating; she had never saw a cyborg before, and honestly never expected one to crash an airship. Weren't they suppose to be good at that stuff?

"You people respond rather quickly... Guess you don't have many airships crash around these parts do you?

She smiled at his humor and own smile, “Not just that, we never expected someone to fly in the middle of a sandstorm. Didn't you know that they were brutal here? It looks like you've tarnished your ship, though.”

A shame, I would liked to have explored it. I've never seen one up close.

“I have water,” Alane said, getting a leather flask and offering it to him. She heard voices travel though the wind and turned, hand covering her forehead to get a better look.

"Friends of yours, Miss?"

“Could be, probably. I left the ranger outpost to check the scene out. Hey! Over here!!” She first addressed the man, and knowing that she would need help she called to the people, waving her arms about.

Exit- Alane Shoudu  

[Black Claided Cat]

Enter- Harrier A'Cal

Harrier nodded at Jolyre, making haste and following to the crash. The storm was pulling in and the faster they got to the people the fast they all could get to safety. The first thing he noticed other than the airship was a small figure waving their arms like mad at the group. He ran closer to see that the travelers had already engaged in conversation with two crash victims. He took a look at the female, it was actually Alane.

“Alane, what are you doing here?” Harrier greeted with surprise.

Exit- Harrier A'Cal  

[Scythe de Zaran]

Rigo had taken a moment to catch his breath. He had not pumped his wings that forcefully for a really long time, but his thoughts had been on Gio, and that was why he uttered his brother's name despite his condition.

To his surprise, Jolyre managed to utter thanks to him despite her angry deposition. Before he could nod or respond, Gio energetically ran up to them, blabbered some words and ran off. Rigo raised an eyebrow. How was Gio running like that? He was severely hurt, but ... Rigo thought he was imagining things. The wounds on Gio's body didn't look as bad as before.

He could hear his brother's voice echoing about, carried by the winds int he area yelling for survivors. Rigo sighed as Jolyre fled toward the crash without him. He followed soon after her and the ranger, and came upon the small gathering. Rigo didn't have a clear view of Suri, but the survivor didn't seem to be completely flesh. "Are there any others?" he asked. It didn't make sense for there to be only one.  

[Jest_A_Clown]

Sure gave a slight grin at her non-violent evaluation of him. Good to know he wouldn't be fleeing from one rough spot to another. He kindly declined her offer of water with a wave of his hand. "No thanks Miss, I don't exactly require food or water to live, though I kinda miss that part of bein human." He replied while scratching the back of his head. "I guess these folks havn't seen a good share of cyborgs, are we really that centralized in our own nation? New Update! This trip is gonna be fun!" he thought with glee.

Another man appeared on the scene, apparently recognizing the woman and calling her 'Alane'. This guy was definately a ranger type, he looked rugged enough to feel right at home in this harsh terrain, yet still had some looks going for him. He could still hear someone else on the other side of the wreckage, and he wouldn't be surprised if he had a whole group of people approaching the site. Suri got the oddest feeling as this man apporached however, like an almost 'pulling' sensation in his chest. He'd never felt the likes of it before. Noticing the crystal in his chest was emitting a brighter glow than before, he hurriedly mashed shut his askew chest door and tried to successfully disguise the action as covering a cough. "Er, sorry. The dust around here just gets into everything don't it? Heh heh." he said a tad akwardly. So far, at least it looked like they didn't shun his kind, but even among fellow Metrinos the thing in his chest was an anomaly. Humans, no matter their land or race, usually have an odd time with being different.

Indeed, more people followed this pair. A boy who didn't exactly look in top condition came barreling around the wreckage and spotted them. Moments later, and from a similar direction, came two Angeals. One Nero and one Light. Suri sighed and leaned heavier on the wreckage, "Just how is this going to turn out I wonder." he thought but then decided the good old introduction line seemed appropriate for this situation. Turning to both Alane and Harrier he said, "My name is Suri Nee'tal, a cyborg from Metrino." but he said it loud enough that the newcomers could hear as well. "No sir, I don't believe there are other survivors, I piloted that rig myself, and encountered a little 'trouble' from some old friends of mine back in Metrino." he said lightly, not quite phrasing it so that he'd sound like a fugitive, he knew LOTS of people didn't take kindly to harboring one of those.

"Anywho, I'd love to discuss the details with all of ya, but this storms about to pile into us and though I don't know just how bad these things are, I don't wanna find out." He said with finality, giving a broad wave to the two Angeals and the boy before setting off on a broad step that nearly sent him tumbling to the ground. Face reddening to a bright shade of red, Suri off-handedly suggested: "Er...could onna you big-strong men help me out a wee bit? I kinda messed up my ankle on impact and, though I'm perfectly capable of doing so, I don't intend to drag myself to the outpost using my arms.

To top it all off, Suri was now feeling that sensation even stronger since the arrival of the two Angeals. "Just what the heck does this thing do that I don't know about?!" he fumed silently, hating not being able to understand things with logic.

((Yay! I don't have Strepp Throat!...but it's still a nasty infection. At least i get the weekend off from work though XD))  

[Draconia Crystalis]

((Glad to hear you're okay.))

Gio rounded to the other side of the ship behind the ranger, with Rigo and the woman not far behind. He found on the other side there was another woman, this one human, and next to her was something else he hadn't seen, much the same as the airship. It was a cyborg, a man of flesh and metal, though from the looks of it he was either half or more than half metal. The woman next to him didn't really seem to be with him though, as she was dressed in much the same feel as the ranger they were with. She also didn't look to be in any sort of bad shape, while the cyborg man was in tatters, and looked more than a little battered by the events he experienced. His suspicion was confirmed when the ranger called her by name, Alane. He privately thought that it was a very nice name.

But that was besides the point, and he pushed his personal thoughts aside as the cyborg brought up the fact that the storm would hit them at any moment. Alane had to have gotten here from the outpost, so that meant there was a quick route to shelter nearby. He had a feeling that they would only just make it in time to avoid the brunt of the sandstorm.

"Er...could one'ah you big-strong men help me out a wee bit? I kinda messed up my ankle on impact and, though I'm perfectly capable of doing so, I don't intend to drag myself to the outpost using my arms. " The mechanical man asked of them.

Without thinking, Gio quickly strapped his katana back to his side and ran over to the Cybrog's side, offering his good....... shoulder...... Before the man could take his offer of support, Gio immediately backed away, his eyes wide. He had moved his left arm... He could feel it through the pain again. He touched at his wound, finding that it was now only about one and a half inches in diameter, absolutely puny compared to the enormous size of the blade that had pierced him, just under half the size it was before.

Gio's face turned pale and he backed even farther away, leaning against the hulking wreckage of the ship and staring at his wound and his newly operable hand as if they weren't his.

What was this? What was happening to him? He knew that he usually healed a little bit faster than most others, but this kind of wound was unprecedented! Just what the hell was going on?!

He lost his sense of his surroundings as he stood there, staring. He was lost in thoughts, fears, and confusion, not to mention the constant tugging feeling that seemed to come at his heart from all directions. He felt like the thumping thing was about to leap out of his chest!

What happened when he had lost consciousness? What had that presence done to him?

No! he had to focus on what was going on right now... He could worry about his body once the others were all safe. Their safety was the most important thing right now. So, trying his best to forget what was happening to him, he offered his uninjured side to the cyborg for a support. "I'm sorry...." he searched for the words to explain his odd behavior, but none came.  

[Black Claided Cat]

Enter- Alane Shoudu

“Really? Isn't that odd, I couldn't imagine not eating. Are all cyborgs like this?” Alane asked Suri. When she heard her name being called by the people there she turned to look. Alane noticed a few people coming in. It was Harrier! He was following a few people; one was a boy who looked pained and the other two were strange winged people. She stood in awe at the way they looked with their feathers and stance. Actually looking like proud birds despite the obvious tension and worry that the air carried.

“Harrier!” she called, glad to see that he was all right. “I was at the outpost when I heard the crash and I came to check it out, I'm happy to see you're all right.”

From next to her she hear the man cough slightly, she knew that he wasn't well. And most certainly wasn't use to the dust that the wind carried. The faster that they got him back the better; even though that he would seem to be able to tough it out on his own if it were not for the storm and wreckage.

Harrier nodded that he was well, and turned to look at the scene.

"My name is Suri Nee'tal, a cyborg from Metrino. Anywho, I'd love to discuss the details with all of ya, but this storms about to pile into us and though I don't know just how bad these things are, I don't wanna find out," the man, Suri, greeted good-naturly.

“Of course,” Harrier said, getting behind Suri and helping him up, “I am Harrier, and this is Alane; natives of Tylem. But I am afraid we don't have too much time to talk before the storm kicks in at its fullest.”

Alane saw the younger boy rush over to help Suri, but backed away and looked at his shoulder in quite surpise, and maybe terror. He backed away to lean against the ship.

“Hey, hey! Are you alright?” She said as she rushed over to him. His mouth opened, trying to form words but all she heard was silence. Alane put her hand on the shoulder that he wasn't gawking at and made him face her.

He just shook his head and returned to help Suri. Alane stood there, mystified at the people that Harrier had brought with him.

Exit- Alane Shoudu