Talia backed up watching the chaos all around her. "Holly crap!" She studdered staring wide eyed at the dark flames. "The guy's dead. It freaking insinerated him!" She coughed fearing the worst but couldn't take her eyes off it.

As Mikael started to flee, he felt wait put back on him again. He knew that he was carrying the unconscious man again, but he didn’t turn to have a proper look. As he neared the hole, the man running behind him catapulted into Mikael, causing him to fall into the hole. Mikael used the unconscious man’s armour to stop his head from hitting the ground. He was light enough to not cause any harm, but he was lucky. Any more forward and he would’ve not only impaled the man’s arm, but his head also on a jagged rock.

Mikael looked around, he saw the girl who was with the man touch the fire bird’s beak. He didn’t know what quite made her scream, or her apparent heart attack. He pushed off the jagged rock and pulled the unconscious man onto his back. He muttered to himself, while pulling his hood back over his head.

“Guess I’ll have to take care of this guy then, all the more for me when he finds out what I’m doing for him”

The old man came running past and put his arms out, pushing the man and the girl behind him out of the way of the bird’s break. Mikael saw the black flames burst from the bird’s beak, engulfing the old man and sucking in all light in the area. He took a couple of steps back, just to make sure he was out of reach of the dark flames, but he didn’t know where anyone else was. He could not see anymore, since the whole place was now shrouded with complete darkness. Mikael closed his eyes and focused on his hearing. He knew that if anyone was left, they would make at least a small amount of noise.

All that reached Mikael's ears was the roar of the flames, then silence... And a scream.

As light flooded back into the tunnel, the party could see the beak jerking back and forth, attempting to dislodge itself from the portal. But the screaming came from between it's cavernous maw...

Suzumi dangled from the hellish creature's wicked beak, screaming as her broken body bled to death. Erk lay seemingly unconscious, as well as smoking, smote upon the cavern floor.

With a triumphant cry, and the bird took off, and more rubble rained down from the ceiling as it soared off into the blackness. Suzumi was seen no more.

As the light flooded back in, Mikael looked around to see if everyone was still there. The roar of the flames past his ears left him a little deaf, but not dramatically. As he watched the beak broke loose from the rock, he noticed someone dangling from the creature’s beak. Mikael knew it was already too late for this person.

Upon his first look around the area, everyone seemed to look alright but as he spotted the girl next to the man who helped him earlier on, whimpering and clutching her hand, he noticed a strange burn on her hand. He hadn’t seen anything like it before.

“Your hand,” Mikael said as he pointed towards the girl. “let me see it for a second.”

Mikael dumped the unconscious man on the ground and walked over to the girl. He examined her hand for a couple of seconds before talking again.

“This burn, nothing like I’ve seen before. It is black, but has a strange glow to it and is oozing.”

There was a rustling sound from where the old man had laid, motionless and smouldering. Mikael had suddenly lost interest in the girl and walked over to the old man’s body. He kneeled on one leg and stared at the man’s face, waiting to see if there was any reaction.

The man’s body was extremely damaged and Mikael wasn’t expecting any response, but he was surprised to see the old man’s eyes open. He did not speak, just laid there staring at the top of what was once the entrance to where they landed.

Mikael looked closer at the old man, then stood back with his arms folded.

“It’s going to take more than an average healer to heal these two. They will need the healing of elves, trust me on this one. I’ve had near-fatal battle scars and these elves healed me.”

As Mikael finished off what he was saying, he showed a long scar running from the top of his left shoulder, all the way down to his hip.

Mikael walked back to the unconscious man and picked him up again, flinging the man on to his back. Mikael started to walk through the tunnel, then turned back to the group.

“I’m carrying this guy, someone will have to carry the old man and make sure that girl doesn’t touch anymore freakish creatures.”

she clutched her hand "ow..." she cried

"shinu" she said "i cant heal it" she said and then walked over to erk and nealed down and touched him with her other hand

it started glowing blue and it travled down her arm until it hit hte burn. it burned her and she screamed but healed erk

she let go squirming "oooow my hand" she cried tears streaming down her face

she looked at it and winced trying to stop crying but the pain was so great

"its....its reversing my own healing on myself!" she said clentching her fist the pain bubblng inside of her hand

You're right, Kairi is not going to be able to do it, I've also heard of the Elven prowess. If Erk here was any preview, I'm sure they'd be able to heal you both, or at least I hope they can. For now Kairi, you're going to have to give up on healing anyone ok?

Shinu was trying to think hard about what he could do. Asuma and Ialdo where out at the front of the group, and both of them seemed more compelled to just stay in the forefront and fight for themselves. They weren't interested in team work at all right now, so Shinu and this man he STILL did not know by name were going to have to take control at this point. They lost one girl, another injured, and most likely their strongest fighter was out unconscious. One thing Shinu did know, luck seemed to be on his side. He'd been in two major battles and had yet to sustain an injury. That was good news, the others didn't seem so lucky. One dead, two out cold, and one seriously and quite freakishly impaled.

Alright, I'll carry the old man, and I'll keep her with me. Time for the ribbon again Kai.

First Shinu lifted Erk up on his shoulder, and used one ribbon to tie up his robe onto the back of his breast plate, putting all of his weight onto his left shoulder. Then using the old ribbon, he tied his hand to hers again, and sadly took off his helmet and looked into her eyes. One small black line formed on his cheek from some of he heat getting through a hole in his helmet. He was sad for her hand, but she was going to have to be more careful.

Just stick by me until we're in the land of the elves.

she nodded even though she was frowning. she never wanted to go back to the land of the elves again. she grew up there and was taught how to control her healing power but...

she blinked remembering the needles and the intesive training she went through so she didnt blow soemthing up but she healed it

"im fine we dont have to go there do we?" she asked

she looked down at her throbbing hand

'i can live with a little pain....no owoowowowowowow' she thought

she looked down at the ribbon and smiled slightly

It's not just about your hand Kairi, it's about Erk. I think you can heal Lins, but Erk is an entirely different case. Once we get out of these catacombs I want you to heal him.

Shinu gave her a smile, trying to keep her spirits up, and sort of wondering why she didn't want to see the land of the elves, which was going to be highly beneficial to the party. He didn't have much time to think about it, there was actually pure light ahead. He wasn't any type of light researcher, but after that long extended period of time in the catacombs, this light would not be mistaken for the light of a fierce bird, it was definitely sun light, the only kind that could have given Shinu such a great feeling.

Ialdo, Asuma, can you see the light up ahead? All you two have to do is bust that rock.

Neither of the two men seemed all that much into taking orders from anyone, but for freedom and fresh air, they both seemingly ignored that request for now. The two men hacked away with their fine blades before Asuma tugged and threw the rock out carelessly and almost hitting Ialdo. It was probably good that he didn't notice, because the men just slid right out. Next went the man whom Shinu still had not caught his name, carrying an injured Lins, and then Shinu turned side ways to get himself and Kai out. He had to squat down to get Erk through, putting a lot of force on his thihgs, although his adrenaline was rushing and he wasn't really to concerned with it.

As he came out of the catacombs, he stretched his right arm out, balancing Erk on his shoulder and keeping Kairi close. Not much room for stretching for Shinu right now. As his eyes adjusted, he kept the closed and slightly opened them to blink from time to time until he could make out his surroundings. Once he used his sense of direction to determine which way was south, he found a river nearby that at least started that way. As nice as that seemed, they had no mode of transportation to get there. He knew the land of the elves was south from them now, and this small village that held perhaps five noticeable structures that were probably no more than small shops or homes. However, something did catch Shinu's eye, and that was a small boat on the eastern side of the town.

Ok everyone, this is a great chance to rest up and restock before we head south to the land of the elves. I've never heard of this small village, so just be careful. We'll meet up here in two hours.

As Mikael stepped out of the dark tunnel, he could feel a gentle breeze against his face. He was glad to get out of the dark, cramped tunnel and back into an open space. Mikael took a quick look around the place where they had come to, but had never seen the place before. Just a few huts spread across the place and very few people. There was a stream where Mikael could wash the dust off his face, but he wasn’t concerned about that just yet.

“Well… We’ve been through all that and I still don’t know your name. What is it? And why were we attacked by those things?” Asked Mikael as he dropped the man he was carrying to the ground. “Don’t forget, my help does not come free. You will need to pay me some sort of reward for helping you back there. This man also has to pay me, since I carried him out of that place alive.”

He turned around to the man who was still carrying the old man and had the girl next to him. Mikael's face was covered by his hood, so he could hide from any vigilante who was out to get him.

“I have never seen these parts before, Keep a look out for anyone who looks suspicious”

Mikael paused for a moment scanning the area, then turned back to the man.

“So you know, I am Mikael Ater, an assassin of the brotherhood of the Adramyttium. I am cold hearted killer, if any of your men get in my way again…”

Mikael ran his finger across his throat, signalling that he was still suspicious of the lot.

“If you want my help again, I shall be walking around the place, I do not take to the rooftops much.”

With that said, Mikael walked off towards the village.