Dreams of the Sunken Moon

Lance walked to the naga, frowning softly. "You know we can help you if you are hurt, you can trust us, you can come alone if you really want to." He said smiling softly as Kaitlyn stood at his side, nodding in agreement. "As long as you do not eat any of us of course, but I really don't care about anyone else we come across." He said non-nonchalantly as Kaitlyn wacked him.

"Just try not to scare anyone is all we ask, if you must do something, that involves eating, do it away from these men, they may not like it." Kaitlyn said frowning. "Personally I stay away from humans, I don't find it hard since I just don't see them the same since I met Lance, how can view the race your lover is a part of as food? It doesn't make sense."

Cazut shook his head with a smile on his face before saying, "Caldswell said he was timid. Now I can understand why he said that." Cazut thought Nyaha was a bit too timid, but then again, everyone is different. If someone was always high-strung, they probably wouldn't make friends with any predators, would they? Cazut wasn't too surprised. Timid people using had the most friends because they were also the most kind.

Cazut looked at Roxanne, "If you'd like, you could let us take care of you. Not that we'd be one hundred percent trusting of course. We're all a bit mistrusting of each other, I'm sure. But if you'd let us, we'd help heal you a bit quicker. But then you'd have to promise not to eat anyone in our party. Heck, if you wanted, you could come with us."

"W-what? He IS friends with that mermaid!?" Shadow thought out loud. "Heh... well whatever I guess..." He found a place to sit down while he thought for a bit. Hmm... isn't it a little too suspicious that he knows Caldswell and a naga AND a mermaid? I hope this isn't going to be a set up because I am still convinced that those dreams we all had are still just a coincidence... He thought to himself while looking at the mermaid and the neko.

Roxane lied back down, thinking of her options. 'I could go with them, and put my life in their hands, which may be a bad idea... But staying out here in the open seems worse. In one, I have a slim chance of bieng killed, in the other, I have slim chance of survival.'

"If you are willing, I would thank you kindly for your help. Anyone who Nyaha trusts, I see no reason to distrust." she said, after a second of reflection.

"I am happy to hear that, and if you want we can even do you a small service. Kaitlyn and I have come across an item we have been saving for an emergency. But I think now would be a good time to use it. It amplified Kaitlyn's magic, so if you wish we can turn you to about our size, it gas two uses so you can change back if you wish at journeys end." Lance offered, knowing Kaitlyn would agree with his offer as he waited for her response.

Roxanne winced. "Shrink down? To... human size? Do you know how many enemies I have? I fear the reprecussions of such a transformation.

Still, if that is the only way..." Roxanne closed her eyes. "I am ready."

Kaitlyn took a deep breath as Lance handed her a very small stone, swirling energy in the center. She took it and placed it in her mouth, swallowing it as it broke upon landing, the energy rushing through her. She tapped into it, using one of it's two uses, closing her eyes as Roxanne shifted down in size with ease.

Roxanne didn't feel a thing, but when she opened her eyes she knew it was over. The trees were much taller, as was everyone else. If her ribs didn't hurt so bad Roxanne would stand up to see how tall she was.

"So.... What now?"

"Now we get you on the ship!" Nyaha shouted from high up. Zelkova then crashed into the area and hit the ground, her hand having slipped and sent her falling as she dragged herself on land. Nyaha managed to escape the incident completely unharmed, mostly thanks to Zelkova keeping him safe and upright on her palm, and he hopped off her hand and ran over to Roxanne. He then looked around the group. "You guys better stand back a little," he warned them, as Zelkova was pushing herself upright. "Okay, gently now..." Nyaha said, backing to the side of Roxy.

Zelkova managed to balance herself on her tail as she reached down slowly, cupping her hands under Roxanne and gently lifting the naga up close to her chest. She then cupped her hands completely over her as she turned around, her tail now in front of her. She proceeded to perform a very impressive somersaulting maneuver using her tail, rolling like a stone back to the water. She kept Roxanne safe by holding her in a closed grip in both hands, preventing her from rattling around, yet gentle enough not to crush any more ribs. As she reached the water, she stopped rolling, and came to lie on her back. "Here we are, dude," she said, slowly and carefully placing Roxanne on the ground where the crew had been making their camp. "Betcha' can't find the boat!" she said with a grin as she performed one last somersault and splashed back into the water.

Roxanne looked around.

"The ship is missing. Great. MAybe this wasn't a good idea after all."

Shadow walked off the ship to the naga. "To save you the trouble of looking the ship is over there." Shadow pointed to where he had got off the ship. "Just so you don't have to play that mermaids little game heh." He smiled as he turned around and headed back to the ship once more. Ah, can we rest now? I hope so because what could possibly come next after a mermaid, harpies and a naga? Shadow thought to himself.

(Don't forget guys, it's pretty much nighttime now, so I'm planning a rest for the night, and then we get back on course the next day, 'kay? )

Nyaha ran back to the ship energetically, his big sleeves flapping in the wind behind him. He spotted the entrance and ran on board, likely zooming by Shadow once more, as he began to set up camp outside. The crew, assuming the worst must be over, decided to do the same, and in a little bit they had gotten a nice little camp set up with tents, box seats, and even a nice campfire.

Nihlus had seen weirder things but still a giant being turned into their size? Shook his head and headed back to the ship hopefully the fairy new what she was doing. To many of them did things without thinking about their consequences. Still he was tired enough that he was willing to not care about it until sometime in the morning or whenever they got up to head back out onto the river. Nihlus made sure to check on the crewmen from earlier before going to bed and found his bunk and went to bed until morning.

(I will wait until Nyaha jumps us to morning or something happens before posting again)

Cazut simply flew onto the deck of the ship again, letting his wings fully extend. They were somewhere near 25 feet from one end to the other, so he stayed away from the entrance. If anyone knew him, they'd know he was tired of sitting around on a ship, and really tired of not being able to fly. He sighs and looks around as all the other people slowly walk onto the ship. He says, "If no one has any objections, I think I'll take nightwatch. I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon anyways."

(Don't forget about the cloak, Sanion. ;3 Don't tear it, it's solid material, remember? FYI, so you guys know, the ship can't be seen from outside the cloak, except for the entrance at the end of the ramp. Also, from inside the cloaking material appears a dark blue, so you can't see outside from on the ship, either. To anyone confused by this, I'm sorry for not describing it sooner. It just slipped my mind. ^^; )

Lance smiled to Kaitlyn glad it worked and that they had gained a new companion. He took her hand as he walked up the ramp and into the ship as he looked around for a place to sleep. They found a bunk, sharing it as they laid down side by side in each others arms, Kaitlyn's wings flapping slightly in happiness as they kissed, closing their eyes and drifting into sleep.

( I knew the cloak was up. I just had a lazy streak and typed onto the ship instead of up the ramp and onto the ship That's all Nyaha.)

('Kay. Just making sure everyone knew how it looked is all. :3)

Tisem stormed out of the barrel and up to Nyaha.

"Y...you sir are not w-welcome on this vessel! I protest you or the n-naga coming on board!"

Tisem was clearly flustered and bent out of shape on the mater, but also fearful of what this new neko might do. Still, he had mustered up enough courage to vent his feelings on the matter.

Roxanne heard that, and looked over."My little friend," she smiled. "The neko you speak to is one of the most gentle creatures in the known universe." Roxanne used her usual not-too-serious tone, continuing "Getting on his good ide is easy, and even if he is angry at you he would never hurt you. I could vouch for him on my life."

It was then that she remembered she was on trial too. "I, on the other hand, am more dangerrous. However, do you think it would be wise of me, while I was aboard your ship, surrounded by your crewmates, healing in your facilities, to eat you? I would never see the shore again. You have nothing to fear from either of us." But don't come too close, just to be on the safe side.

She gestured to Nyaha. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. I trust them."

Nyaha was slightly taken aback by Tisem's verbal assault. He was super surprised that a neera actually came and talked to him first instead of the other way around. He stared at Tisem for a few moments silently. He then realized he was being rude, turned to face Tisem, and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry for staring, I'm just..." He then realized that Tisem was still being prejudiced against him, just like all the other people his size, JUST because he was a neko. He got visibly upset and stormed off behind one of the tents, not replying to Roxanne for he had not heard her.

"See! He can't even look at me straight and tell me he doesn't want to eat me!", Tisem shouted, taking Nyaha's silence and storming off as a sign of himself being correct.

"As for you naga, you might be able to fool everyone else here but you arn't fooling me! Even if you don't try now, what happens when you get the opportunity! When noone else is watching! You could easily eat me or someone else and you'd be able to get away with it! We lost a few back to some giant harpies, how would we know if it was them or you who ate them in all the chaos if you were there! Hell even the giant fish ate a few of our people, I don't care if she spit them out later, it easily shows the risks of bringing MONSTERS like you with us!"

Nyaha couldn't take the outburst. He stormed right back to Tisem and scooped him up in his sleeve-covered hand. "Listen, if there's one thing I don't like, it's people who are prejudiced against so many people. I understand being afraid and cautious, but just because they have the potential to be dangerous doesn't mean they're monters!!" Nyaha yelled angrily. "Me, her, and everyone else are people with feelings, just like you, and why it takes someone having to explain it to you is beyond me!" Nyaha placed Tisem back on top of the barrel, as gently as he possibly could in the emotional state he was in, and stormed off again.

"If you are people with feelings, then how can you justify eating other people, who, as you say HAVE FEELINGS! Face it! The only FEELING you monsters care about is the feeling of having a full stomach! I watched a whole village, completely decimated by your kind. I saw my kin FOR SALE AS FOOD in the streets of Nekomura!" Tisem shouted again, clearly and fully expressing his emotions on the matter. Then he sat down, put his head in his hands and cried.

"*sniff* Sister.......sister where are you......"

Shadow couldn't rest with all the shouting going on so he decided to get up and see what was wrong, he approached to where the commotion was. He saw Nyaha storm off with Tisem to sob on the barrel. Eh... do I want to get invovled? He thought for a second. Hmm... well the shouting stopped at least... He decided to not get involved after he went back to the place to where he was resting before.