Desert Lullaby

[Altairas]

Leo heard the sound of the man's voice, speaking about not wanting payment. Maybe he is just a die-hard adventurer, or something. . . Ugh who cares were late! He thought biting his lip as he thought of being caught in the desert at mid day. Shinrah's voice snapped him out of his worrying thoughts as she agreed to take the man. As she added the threat at the end he could hear the man's body shift his weight uncomfortably, telling Leo that he must have heard at least some of there conversion. "Well I don't think I could let you do that." He whispered, turning himself so that he could address the new recruit.

Leo took a deep breath, placing his cane down on the street surface and balancing his weight onto it. " Alright, if you want to come with us, your welcomed. All I have to say is, I may be blind but I'm still the expert. When we get there I don't want you to do anything except breath without my permission." He said his voice very serious and matter of fact. As he finished his talk he ran his hand through his hair and turned his head slightly in Shinrah's direction. " Are we ready? " He asked her, his voice lacking it's serious tone but still carrying a urgency and a bit of excitement.

[neferti]

Ku's face beamed and he nodded his head.
He said,"I will gladly be of service to you both." He looked at both the man and the woman before remembering the empty canteen on his hip. Ku quickly made his way to the watering hole in the middle of Spargus, filled his canteen, took a few drinks, filled it up again and made his way back over to the duo.
Ku said,"If anyone is hurt, I can provide healing, as I have been touched with Green Eco." He beamed again before shoving his sweat-soaked cloak and Katara into his bag.

[Tatsu]

The young monk was up on a cliff digging through the soil. He had a shovel, hammer and other things that would help for digging artifacts. His face was covered with a bandana and a hat over his head to protect from any sand. His eyes covered with goggles. He hit the sides of the little area he was at to feel the pressure and see if there was anything buried within.

Something.

He started to use the shovel to dig closer and find what it was. As he continued to dig he could sense his Leaper Lizard, Zena. She was below him waiting for him to return. Scouting the area mainly to help if any Wastelanders or Marauders were coming. It yelped after seeing a simple animal scurry along the way.

The Monk looked down and through his bandana he gave a smile, he then yelled to it, “Don’t worry Zena it’s only a Kangarat!” His voice calm and peaceful.

Zena looked up and yelped to him. It then went back to scouting. The Monk went back to digging. He got further until he hit the object. “Good.” He whispered to himself. He then grabbed a brush and saw what it was. It was in fact a Precursor Artifact however non he seen before. It was spherical and had some writing on it. “Must be a container.” He said grabbing it from the cliff wall.

He heard a crack then some rumble. The Monk quickly looked up and saw the cliff coming down on where his hooks were. “Oh great Precursors.” He said as his body started to fall. He quickly curled his arm up to his chest placing the artifact into a bag. The hooks were behind him; it suddenly caught onto some rubble, rapidly bringing his body to a stop. “That’ll do.” He looked down at Zena who was looking right up at him.

The Monk turned his torso over and clicked the release on the hooks. His body then went hurling down again. He quickly tried to bring his body over the side so he could latch on to something with his hands. Bingo. He caught onto the ledge only to have his entire body twist from upside down to right side up. That pulled something.

He cried in pain for a moment. “Owie.” He laughed after. He latched his feet to the wall as well and started to climb down. Within a few minutes he was in jumping reach of Zena, so he took the chance and let go of the cliff. He fell right onto her.

“Thanks.” He said patting her. She yelped to him then started to take off. “I want to go to one more location today if you don’t mind Zena.” The Monk said taking his goggles off to reveal two different colored eyes. One Teal and one Green. His face was well tan. He then took off his bandana to reveal a blond goatee.

Zena yelped and hurried along, as if knowing where the location was.

The Monk then grabbed his pack and the artifact. Holding it in his gloved hands he gave a smile. “This could serve well for the Monks.” He then grabbed his shoulder, the one that helped support him in his fall. "Forgot." He said forming a green aura around it with his good hand. Green Eco then flowed on the side to help heal it.

[Neki]

Shinrah stood there for a moment thinking. Leo's voice was oft bt serious when he said that he wouldn't let her leave the man in the desert. She almost sighed, but held it back, frustration tinting her face. He may be the expert, but she was the assasin, and any danger to him herself or the mission would be eliminated without regret. She the watched as he told the other man what for. She had to smile at the air of confidence he held, and for a split second she wondereed what he was like whn he had his sight.

" Are we ready?" He asked her in an almost controlled voice, the excitement in his voice spilling over. She grinned and nodded, walking over to him. Ku moved and she waited till he was out of hearing range before saying anything to Leo.

" You can't stop me. If he's a danger to us and the mission then he's a gonner." she whispered. Ku walked back with water and said something, which she noted in the bac of her mind. She could deal with him later if necessary. She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment trying to impart to him the danger if he decided he was not happy with the arrangement.

" I think we can go. Let me get the dune buggys out an we can hit the sand." She turned from them, pulling lock picks from her pocket. With only a few seconds and a click the garage door slid open, revealaing the precious contents that they needed.

[Altairas]

Leo listened to the man's footsteps disappear into the distance as he went off to get some water. As Shinrah whispered to him he slowly dropped his hand from the top of his head and placed it into the side pocket of his jacket. " Your right, I can't stop you. But there are better ways of dealing with people then leaving them to the desert. " He replied to her. " Nobody deserves to be left there." He finished in a whisper, is head turning away and small blue glow flashing across his eyes.

As Ku came back Leo turned to face him, listening to him as he shuffled things around in his bag. "That might come in handy." He noted with a small sharp nod, his mind flashing with various scenarios where green eco would come in into play. Pushing that to the back of his mind he turned to Shinrah as she confirmed there departure.

With a nod he listened to the gears within the wall turn. The door grinded open, the sand working ageist the moving parts. When it was fully opened Leo pulled his hand out of his pocket and grabbed his notebook from under his arm. He tapped his staff in front of him, making his way into the garage.

[Tatsu]

Zena was fast, within a matter of minutes they were at an oasis. The Monk looked at the water and smiled. “Good place to relax.” He whispered. With that said he jumped off of the Leaper Lizard and headed down towards the water. From his side he grabbed a water container; it was made of metal and layered with a cloth. He dipped it into the oasis water, filling it up.

Zena walked by and dipped her head in. The Monk laughed taking a drink of the cool refreshing water as well. His shoulder was still killing him; he did some real time damage there. “Okay we rest now, then go to a cliff by the Temple, well the abandoned temple.” He gave a smile.


The hot desert air didn’t bother him; he lived in it his whole life. He felt a small breeze rushing by him. A few minutes later he jumped on Zena and took off. They were heading to the old Monk Temple, hopefully he can dig around there for some artifacts.

[neferti]

Ku walked behind Shinrah and Leo into the garage, something he walked through but never paid much attention to as Ku left to and from the city.
Ku thought,"Wow....this place is really cool!" He looked at the different dune buggies sitting in the garage, the smell of oil and sand filling his nose.
Ku asked,"So, are we all taking one together or different ones?" He had never driven any kind of vehicle, so he hoped that they all would be taking one together.

[Neki]

Shinrah turned her head a fraction, her profile towrds Ku. Was he mad? How did anyone like him get around in the desert if they didn't drive? Had he even ever driven? She moved her eyes to look at him, profile scary as she tried to think of what to say. She wasnted to soften her words, but not for him. For Leo. She didn't want to semm like a total sarcastic b***, but with the way she was thats how she came off. That man is not riding in a dune buggy with me. I would rather shoot a crocodog and step on a kitten before I let a complete stranger who just walked up and decided to join ride with me. Her thought rumpled across her mind, and she turned her head back. The curtain of red black hair swung around hiding her face.

She took a breath in, trying to steady her thinking before she spoke. She looked at the arrayed zoomers. She knew they needed something light and fast, but with good armor. The marauders were a danger ast all times, and she didn't want to be caught when they were out. She looked at Leo, wondering what he was thinking at that moment. She knew that he had to ride with her, because he couldn't see. Thats not a problem,. That was the plan anyway. I already know which dune buggy I want. It would be good for two people, light, well armored, and big enough to carry provivions we need. Shinrah looked at the sand colored buggy, wondering what to do.

" There.. is.. no.. way.. you.. are.. riding.. with .. me." She said, enunciating every word very clearly and loudly, ander clouding her features. She didnt want him with her. She didn't like him in the first place. She twitched her fingers, a tingle going through them. For a moment she thought she saw an arc of blue, but clenched her hand into a fist and shoved it into her jacked pocket, green grey eyes livid.

" How the hell have you managed without ever learning to drive? Because if you can't learn in the next five minutes your riding a leaper. I wil not have you in the same vehicle as myself. You can be metal meat for lall I care." The viciousness in her voice was suprising, anger rising as she let her eyes cloud slightly with red. The edges clowed, and she turned away. There was a sound of protesting metal, and the chain that was holdig the buggy in the garage snapped. A few pieces of fragmented metal went flying, her fury propelling them.

[neferti]

Ku chuckled a bit as he noticed Shinrah stare at him. He felt the viciousness of her glare pour into him, almost disrubting his peaceful mood.
He said,"I think I'll be able to learn madame. I've just never gone in one of these contraptions before." He lightly kicked the dune buggy's wheel and shoved his hands in his pocket.

Ku thought,"Maybe I shouldn't have come...I seem to be too much of a slow up for these guys. I think the lady might actually leave me as well." He shuddered slightly at the thought of being left alone with nothing to drink or eat in the desert. He looked at the dune buggy next to him. It was small, with not a lot of armor and no weaponry.
Ku said,"I guess I'll take this one then..."

[Altairas]

Leo tapped in-front of him, his staff making contact onto one of the many dune buggy's that encircled the garage. He placed his journal into his jacket pocket and extended his hand to examine the buggy. His fingers touched the metal frame and an array of small indented scratches met his touch. Most of them barely scratched the surface while others dug deep into the cool metal. Metal heads. . . He thought, closing his eyes and letting a small spark crackle down the surface of the buggy.

In that moment he caught a flash of blue light and opened his eyes only to realize that the light had disappeared completely. With a long sigh he turned his attention away from the dune buggy and back to Shinrah and Ku. Please don't harass him any more . . . He pleaded with himself as he turned his head around trying to pinpoint where she was standing. Suddenly she spoke each word ridged and sharp. A cloud of anger raged around her causing Leo to get a uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

As she finished her speech an all to failure crackle met his ears and he caught a glimpse of another blue flash. "Shinrah?" Leo asked, his voice soft and filled with a small ting of fear. What is wrong? He asked himself turning his head towards the ground as if he was almost scared that he would be able to see the anger on her face. Without answering him she continued her rant finishing with another threat about feeding Ku to the metal heads. Leo shivered a bit and lifted his hand to his face, his fingers tracing over the prominent jagged scars that criss-crossed over his cheeks. I'm not even sure if she understands how saying those kinds of things bother me. . . He thought to himself with a small tang of frustration.

As he stood there silently he could hear footsteps approaching him. They were somewhat light but filled with a heavy stomp of anger. He sidestepped away quickly, and bit his lip. The sound of crunching and twisting metal hit his ears and he flinched, the sound causing him to jerk his hand away from his face and sparks to arc across his hand. He could feel his heart beating violently in his chest and he took a long deep breath, working to try to calm himself down.

When the sound of Shinrah's temper tantrum ceased, Leo extended his hand to the buggy and traced his way around it without a word. As he approached the passenger side he took off his backpack and placed it as well as his cane on the floor. Grabbing hold of the frame he climbed in positioning himself in the seat as he waited silently for Shinrah to get in and start the engine.