* Guardians of The Sacred Orb

[NakhtiChaos]

Skadi looked down upon the travelers.

"Well now its about time for me to pay my visit."

Skadi watched as Nakhti fell forward slowly and fade to sleep. Giving a small smile she made her move. She dropped down to the ground completely invisible to the travelers. Walking with her feet never touching the ground she walked up beside Tiger. Still ivisible to everyone she laid her left hand upon Nakhti. She then shifted her form and slowly but surely her body turned into a fine unmelting frost that covered Nakhti's entier body. As soon as she was done changeing into the frost she tapped into Nakhti's mind and entered his dream.  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger flinces at the sudden extra coldness on her back, but is soothed by the thoughts of water and the rocking movement of her walk. The looks around to the others, not realising that her bottom lip was loose, making her look kinda goofy. "I suppose we are just lucky. They must like us."  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti's body involentarily tensed when Skadi tapped into his mind the only evidence that could be seen besides the frost that covered him.

(Mean while in his mind.)

Nakhti sat upon a snowy mountain top looking out into the distance. Ears twitching in the strong winds that passed him. Time seemed endless as he watched the snowflakes fly past. Suddenly a strange scent caught his nose. Catching snow flakes in his hand as he spun around his hand stopping in time to press a fresh knife of ice against a woman's throught.

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman chuckled and ran a hand through her wite and frosty blue hair.

"My, my, my, you don't know?"

She smiled at Nakhti as she laid one finger upon the ice knife he held. In seconds it broke back into snowflakes. She seeminly followed suit as she too seemed to break into a billion flakes. Nakhti looked around him side to side and behind him her scent was now every where. Nakhti's right hand transformed his fingernails turning more claw like. Moving fast Nakhti struck at where the woman stood a second ago. If its an illousion this should break it. Instead of feeling an impact like he suspected his hand went through thin air. Nakhti turned his nails back to normal as he looked for the woman still. Nakhti then jumped in suprise as he felt two feminine hands on his shoulder making him jump forward and spin around assuming a low defenceive stance. Standing before him was the woman dressed in all white hunting gear. She smiled still as she spoke.

"A fiesty one how cute."

Nakhti emited a low growl at the woman.

"Who the hell are you."

With a loud sigh the woman threw up her arms.

"You use my element all the time and here you are demanding my name! Did you forget everything taught to you or are you just that thick skulled?"

Nakhti gave a pause.

"S-skadi?"

Skadi walked up to Nakhti and patted him on his head like a small child.

"Good job! Now i would kindly request you quit attacking me and we have a nice conversation. If you refuse i'll just imprison your body in a block of ice and leave your head free so we can talk.... ok?"

Nakhti's eyes widened slightly at her threat and stood very still.

"Oh relax Nakhti! If i was going to be that mean you'd be frozen by now! (talking aloud to herself) Can't take a joke."

Nakhti looked at Skadi. If thats a joke i don't want to piss her off.

"So you want to talk about something?"

With a wave of her hand Skadi made two chairs of ice one was a lavish throne while the other was more plain. Sitting on the throne she looked at Nakhti.

"Yes I want to talk but first sit down and get comfortable. This is important."

Nakhti walked to the more plain chair and sat down not knowing what was to come from this conversation.  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger gently shakes her head, not wanting to wake him if he was sleeping, and not wanting to disturb him if something else was happening. "Mortals or not, it appears you are better than some in one way or another. You probably have more potential, power and control than most. Not to mention true and honest... Though I am not sure about what actually is required." She says, turning her head towards the others. I supose we don't have to fill all of the requirements. Ty thinks privately  

[zepherion]

Mia nodded as they kept walking. Mia was looking around at the valley walls. They were very rough and were very hot if you touched them with you're bare hands....at least they looked that way. Mia noticed something. There was a faint frost around Nakhti.

"Hey, uh, Ty? Are you doing that to cool him down or is he just doing that in his sleep?" Mia pointed casually at Nakhti.  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti's body shifted restlessly for one minute then went back to being still.

(Meanwhile in Nakhti's mind.)

Skadi was silent for a long time as she looked upon the landscape. Nakhti wanted to speak out but it was obvious whatever was going to be talked upon required much thought.

"You are probably filled with thoughts of revenge..... aren't you?"

Nakhti was partialy suprised at her bluntness.

"What about it?"

Skadi looked over at him with gentl eyes.

"Don't chase it. If it is meant to happen it will happen in due time."

Nakhti looked upon Skadi with far more harsh eyes.

"And let thier deaths go unawnsered? Last I heared such offenses were to be avenged swiftly and harshly!"

Skadi's tone started out sharp before going back to soft and smoth.

"Nakhti Chaos! Think for a second with your brain instead of your testosterone! You are a gaurdian! With that simple implication you are removed from the catagory of normal rules of vengence. You are to gaurd the orb as well as your life and the lives of your fellow gaurdians above all else."

Nakhti grumbled under his breath.

"Yeah i've done such a fine job gaurding the orb of ice."

Skadi sighed.

"Nakhti if the orb of ice was in any danger of being taken I would not have let you wander without memory for so long."

Nakhti flinched.

"You knew about that?"

Skadi nodded.

"Yes as a matter of fact it was I whom took you to the safety of the village in the first place. You did pass out several miles out of the nearest town."

Nakhti sat in silence.

"I see....."

Skadi reached out and placed one pale hand upon his shoulder.

"I need you to swear not to go after vengence unless fate gives you your chance."

Nakhti looked up.

"And if I don't?"

Skadi tilted her head thoughtfuly.

"Then this conversation ends here."

Nakhti breathed deep.

"Your keeping a secret aren't you? And you won't tell me if i go for vengence?"

Skadi smirked.

"Ooooo your a smart one too."

Nakhti spoke seriously.

"How do you know I will keep my word?"

Skadi leaned forward so her mouth was by Nakhti's ear.

"Blood oath."

Nakhti then looked her straight in the eye.

"Tell me how you know the ice orb is safe then I will awnser you.

Skadi closed her eyes as she spoke.

"I went to the village after all activity was finished. I went to check on my five frost giants that were summoned throughout the village and to check the orb. After confirming the five summoned giants were dead I went to the orb. The complex maze and traps held and your secret passage and locks were not discovered within the maze itself. The ice orb remains untouched. I have also placed some nasty suprises around the village incase anyone else feels like trying thier luck in finding the orb."

Skadi opened her eyes and looked into Nakhti's ice blue orbs meeting sky blue.

"So what do you say Nakhti?"

Nakhti sat there a minute before responding. Forming an ice knife he sliced his left palm and closed it into a fist letting the blood flow from his fist.

"I say this. From now and untill I die I shall not seek vengance against the ones that destroyed my village. Instead I shall wait untill fate provides me with an opportunity to take vengence. Untill then I will do nothing to presue my ambition for vengence. I swear this oath upon my life."

Skadi gave a gentle smile.

"Good awnser."

(Meanwhile in the real world.)

Nakhti's left palm split open as if sliced by a knife and his hand closed into a tight fist that was dripping blood down upon the ground. Then for a total of five seconds the frost upon Nakhti's skin went blood red before fadeing back to it's original color. Meanwhile Nakhti's left hand was still bleeding as he slept on.  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger nods to Mia in aknowledgement, not wanting to say even the slightest lie. Feeling that she can't tell what she is feeling and feigning ignorance. Suddenly, though what cold she was holding she feels a change in temperature. Her eyes roll white as she feels three specks of blood fall onto her white shoulder. She tries to push the fallen blood into the ground and freeze Nakhti's hand as well as stop the bleeding.  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti twitched slightly on Tiger's back as the dream went on.

(In the mind of Nakhti where weird things happen. xD)

"Now that i know you won't go blundering for vengence you can hear the rest."

Skadi stood up and disentigrated her throne which flew apart into billions of snowflakes.

"I can and will restore your magical ability to you as well as make you stronger in your ability since your memory loss was my doing and its my fault you fell into weakness."

Nakhti looked at Skadi slightly skeptical.

"Thats it? Thats the big secret? I expected more- OW!"

Nakhti rubbed his head looking over to see a ball of ice hit him.

"What was that for?"

Skadi waved her finger at Nakhti.

"It was for additude and not letting me say all I wanted to say. Now will you be silent and let me finish?"

Nakhti mumbled.

"Yes mam."

Skadi then looked away from Nakhti as she spoke more loudly.

"You have come to the age that you will should be able to summon my frost giants. I give this privlage to only the gaurdians of the orb or those that have proven themselves worthy of my power. You are part of both. Understand this though. It takes me a month to make one giant. I have been around for ages that you cannot even begin to imagine. Therefore I have more giants then you can possibly imagine. However eventhough i have many giants they are not to be called out for every little thing. They are only to be summoned in emergencies because it will take a massive ammount of magic to bring them forth. Understand that this means when you soummon too many it could kill you or put you into a coma. As you train and become stronger you will be able to summon more giants. But for now just summon one when there is an emergency. I will inform you when you have the power to summon more. Finally remember only you will be able to command the giant so don't die or the giant will be likely to go on a rampage untill i stop him."

Skadi turned to Nakhti and looked at him.

"Understand?"

Nakhti nodded looking at Skadi.

"How do we do this then?"

Skadi smiled as she slowly walked up to Nakhti.

"Well giving you your power plus the promised boost to make up for lost trainning is as easy as this."

Skadi bent down and pressed a light kiss to Nakhti's fore head.

"Done. See i told you that was the easy part."

(Outside of dreamland.)

The frost on Nakhti's body thickened then pressed into Nakhti leaveing just a thin layer of frost remaining.

(Back into the dream land)

Nakhti looked up at Skadi.

"And the hard part?"

Skadi pulled out a knife.

"A blood oath. This one is diffrent though. This one is an oath from me to you but there is a catch."

Nakhti stood up.

"And that is?"

Skadi looked down at the knife.

"I will have to slash my palm for this oath but for you to command the giant i need to carve one of two symbols on you. So you have a choice here. Yes or no. If it is a yes the symbols are the face of the giant or the portait of the goddess. It is the only way to grant this power."

Nakhti sighed.

"Portrait of the goddess i guess......... one request. If i'm not required to speak can you make me unconcious for this?"

Skadi smiled and shook her head.

"Just like your father... its ok i'll clear your mind you will not feel a thing though you will be sore afterwards."

Skadi waved her hand obliterateing Nakhti's chair and instead a bed formed.

"Remove your jacket and lay down."

Nakhti did as he was told and as soon as he laid down Skadi waved her hand and Nakhti was rendered unconcious. (i know unconious in a dream trippy huh?) She then moved to stand over him. She placed the knife to his skin then carved an intricate picture of herself in her full war/hunting gear looking off into the distance over her shoulder. The same carving his father had it will never fully heal there will always be a scar where the knife penatrated. Now speaking in the language of the gods sheiced her right palm and placed it upon Nakhti's bleeding chest. a red white and silver blue glow emmited from Nakhti's chest untill Skadi finished speaking.

"There we go now all done."

(outside in the real word.)

Nakhti's chest was splitting open into the pattern that Skadi carved into his chest within his dream. The same red white blue and silver glow emited from his chest then faded away leaving Nakhti still bleeding from the picture carved into his chest down Tiger's back.  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger feels the changes and tries to keep control. What is happening to you? She thinks as she turns to look at him, then the others. She looks ahead and, for a few paces, is calm. Suddenly she feels something oozing on her coat. She feels her heart start to panic and her stomach churn. Ty's eyes roll white as she turns her head to see blood all over her from Nakhti. No! No! Oh goddess help! She thinks through the cloud of crimson panic filling her being.
Not more blood! Its not! Tiger starts stepping sideways and in an irratic manner. She struggles with herself as to not knock him off or to hurt anyone else. Her breathing deepens and she whickers lowly.
My goddess! Someone help... Please... She rears up, her hooves flailing, letting loose a loud neigh, she canters uncontrolably. She runs on blindly, her instincts now the master.

Callypso suddenly solidifies before Skadi and slaps her soundly across the face. "What do you tink you are doing? Ty can no' handle fresh blood! Especially as an animal! Are you absolutely phsycotic?!" She says, her face only inches from Skadi's, her eyes a furious deep sea storm green. "Dis' can destroy bot' o' dem! Den what do we do?" She says, her voice deadly quiet, her hands clasping Skadi's clothes. Half of the surrounding landscape, now a roiling stormy sea.  

[NakhtiChaos]

(In the mind)
The Skadi that was slapped cracked then crumbled to a fine powder. A scythe of ice went over Callypso's shoulder. The point of the ice scythe rested upon Callypso's other shoulder. The long sharp edge pressed snugly upon her throught.

"If you really would have hit me you would not be standing there. Remember how your girl played a part in saving the town because she tripped his memory trigger? Well this is something that had to be done soon after his memory trigger when he first fell asleep. If i multiplied his power while he was too far into the training i would have overpowered him and he would have literaly exploded. As for the blood oath upon his chest. He is of age to get it done, its a long standing tradition, and I saw no harm in it. I had no idea your gaurdian lacked control of herself in animal form."

Infront Skadi and Callypso Nakhti's body faded wavered then vanished.

"Now it appears time for my gaurdian to help yours regain her senses. Untill then sit down and cool off."

Skadi blasted power behind her freezing the sea. Her eyes pure white she withdrew her scythe and formed a throne like chair to sit on and waved her hand to materialize a mirror so she could watch what was going on.

(In the real world)

Nakhti was jarred awake violently.

"GAH!"

Nakhti's open chest wound slammed into Tiger's back and he tensed hard. Quickly looking up and analyzing his surrounding and realised they were moving. Each hoofbeat into the ground brought Nakhti extreme pain. From the looks of things to Nakhti Tiger was in a panic. He could even smell her fear. I got to calm her down before she throws me. Nakhti placed a hand to his chest and frosted the blood to slow the bleeding since he was going to need his energy. Then leaning forward in spite of the jarring pain he began to rub Tiger's neck and back slowly.

"Hey Tig listen its your buddy Nakhti do you think you can slow down a teeny tiny bit your kinda hurting me ya know."

Nakhti kept rubbing Tiger's neck and her sides trying to put a measure of calm back into Tiger.  

[Tiger Tales]

A new sea boils up behind her behind her as she turns around to face Skadi. "When I taught you how to allow the changing of form to your people, I was certai' I tol' you that insticts are unable to be removed. Dey can only be train'd. But an eye for an eye i suppose." She says as she backs through the scythe, her appearance rippling around the weapon.

Tiger suddenly stumbles and falls to her knees, nearly dropping Nahkti. She stays on her knees, her sides heaving, some of the blood caking onto her fur, the rest dripping onto the ground. Slowly and carefully she lays down, her entire body shaking. Ty's shape changes and the white and black colors underneath the blood is barely visable. Her tail twitches a couple times, then the tiger lies still. "I'm sorry." She says after a minute of silence. "I didn't mean to..."  

[zepherion]

Mia ran to catch up with Ty and Nakhti who were now on the ground. Mia crouched beside Ty once she got to them. "Ty! Are you okay?" Mia noticed the wounds on Nakhti. Mia gasped and conjured up some gauges from the ground made of leaves.

"What happened? To the both of you." Mia stretched out the long gauge towards Nakhti and looked out in front of them. They were just on the outskirts of Ruby.  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger turns into her human shape, still covered in Nakhti's blood. She barely moves from her spot lying on the ground. "I'm sorry. Sorry... Didn't mean to... Didn't want to..." She shivers as some of Nakhti's blood flakes off, her own knees and elbows bleeding as well. She looks up at Mia, her eyes strangely blank. "Does anyone have any water?"  

[Dartmoor]

High up in the sky, a strangely shaped black bird was flying about in circles. What was so noticably different from the ground was that the tail feathers were long and visable, when the height should have made only the wings detectable. Like a buzzard waiting for prey to die in the desert, it loomed overhead, casting no shadow upon the ground.

=====

A little girl was watching the shadow in the sky, a ways off and out of sight from an approaching group. She was right in front of Ruby village, just staring... waiting. The faintest hint of a shimmer came off of the flying shadow, inspiring a great smile from the child. "They're coming, they're coming. Ooo... This is going to be so much fun!"

Right behind the girl, a woman walked up. Wearing mostly black, daylight betrayed her outfits obvious usefullness. "Perhaps. I still say we should wait till they've left the town. What is one more day of waiting?" Dusting off her feet, the woman wasn't anxious to get going.

Looking up at her, the girl began to pout. "Another day? But I wanna play! He's promised me! You can'no go changing his mind! Waiting is so bo-oring." With that said, she raises both her hands and begins to chant. Triagrams appear within her palms glowing ever slightly, and only the ground beneath her feet beginning to quake.

The woman simply shook her head. She spoke soft and calmly. "I just can't reason with either of you." Looking out to the travellers who have paused in their approach. "Let's just get this over with." In an instant, only the womans shadow was left behind as she moved with frightening speed. Veering off to one side, she'd flank them before they ever notice her coming.

(Opening post! Hope this was clear enough for you. ^_^)  

[Tiger Tales]

(Welcome ^_^, I'm afraid I am a little to brain dead to post at the moment. But welcome anyways!)