Return of the Fountain Fellowship

It took Raven a moment to realize Kay was speaking to her. Where she came from, people who spoke to someone of her rank without being spoken to first were either relatives or messengers; certainly never a working person like Kay.

Raven's parents, however, had not raised her to be a snob. She smiled. "Yeah, really new. I just moved in yesterday."

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

"Really? That's cool." Kay said with a friendly smile. "I moved in a few months ago, so I'm pretty new too." She threw the sponge into a bucket of dirty dishwater, where it landed with a splash. Kay pulled her dishtowel from around her shoulders and began drying off the counter.

"The people are super-nice, though." Kay confided to Raven. "The ones I've met, I mean. Seriously, I wasn't even here a week when someone suggested I check the Cup & Platter to see if there were any openings, and BAM!" She snapped the towel onto the counter with a thwack. "I got a job!"

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

Cale saw that the morning rush was settled down and noticed that Stretch had stayed, he figured that he was waiting for the rebel group to show up. He had nothing to do so he went over and sat down across from him "Hey stretchy" he said with a smile.

Stretch looked up from his drink and said "Well, well; you had some fun last night" Cale grinned and said "Its hard to explain" Stretch replied "Dude, you can't keep playing with the ax, pretty soon its going to chop your head off" Cale just smiled, leaned back and looked at the roof.

Restart

Ty hesitated. "I'll . . . stay. If you want me to," he said, thinking it wasn't like anyone was waiting for him back at the hotel. He had no one who cared about him, not really. Dotty was the only one who mattered. His skin burned where her hand had brushed against his, and he shook it out slightly, almost self-consciously.

----

Jenna looked away, down at her brother, brushing her fingers against the back of his hand. Almost automatically, his hand turned into hers, and she held it firmly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I don't mean to put you on the spot like this. It's just . . . we're very protective of Chase. I just don't want him to get hurt." She glanced sidelong at MJ. "You have a brother . . . so I'm sure you understand."

----

Layla brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear, willing her skin to return to its normal ivory tone.

"I'm not your usual nanny," she said softly yet confidently. She forced herself to meet Shane's gaze squarely, her slender jaw tightening as she dared him to make fun of her again.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Restart

Normally given that suggestion, Dotty would have retorted that she wouldn't want anyone to be watching her while she slept, that it was creepy like it would be a free show, but she was already asleep.

~~~~~~

"Of course," Mary Jane murmured, contemplating the predicament Jenna was in and what she would do if their places were in reverse. She would do the same to protect John Luke from getting hurt without a question, and thinking about it in this way made her realize the similarities Jenna and herself both shared. They both would take on the pain of their brothers if they could.

However, there was a significant difference, and that was Jenna was protecting Chase from rejection, something Mary Jane never had to worry about. Staring Jenna and Chase's clutched hands, she began to realize what kind of deep untouchable hurt she could cause.

"I don't want to hurt Chase," she told Jenna earnestly after a moment's thought. "I would never wish to do that. But I don't know what to do." She lifted her gaze to meet the girl across from her. "What do you think I should do?" Speaking from sister to sister, she hoped for some advice for how she should proceed on this unknown territory.

~~~~~~

The side of Shane's mouth tucked to the side as he evaluated her. "Eeh, we'll see," he concluded as the elevator dinged and slid open. "It hasn't been a month yet."

John Luke had been watching the two parley with a slight frown, not really liking they were putting a damper on his special day. But when the elevator opened, he didn't waste a moment to escape and flee to the outside.

Restart

Ty slumped back in his chair, running his fingers through his ungelled hair. It flopped to the side and he brushed it out of his eyes irritably. He tried to stay awake, in case Dotty awoke and needed anything, but the stress of the day caught up with him, and he fell into a restless sleep.

----

Jenna suddenly blushed. "Oh, I . . . I have no idea really," she said, biting her lip gently. "I've never had anyone like me before either."

She thought a moment. "You could talk to Peyton though. She brags about having had at least ten boyfriends, but really she's only had two. But she's more experienced in any case."

She turned her face to look at MJ. "All I know is that I've never seen Chase so head-over-heels for a girl. And he's going on seventeen for goodness sake. We used to think it was because of his tumor . . . that he was afraid to get close to anyone because he didn't want to hurt them. But then we moved here and . . . I don't know, he just sort of fell for you, I guess."

----

Layla hurried forward to take John Luke's hand. "Let's let Shane lead," she suggested. "He's the one who knows where we're going." She looked over at Shane expectantly.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Restart

Mary Jane bowed her face to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, wiping her hands against her pants and then wringing them again. "I feel like I'm not worthy of this attraction. I hardly spoke two words to him before a few weeks ago."

~~~~~~

John Luke pouted when Layla caught up to him, his hopes suddenly dashed from the freedom outside the big glass doors. His hopes of running around free under the blue sky seemed to grow dimmer as well when Shane took them in the opposite direction of the big glass doors.

"Only one? You sound like you have no faith in me," Shane observed as he led them to the back of the building. "And yet she is following me!" he exclaimed in feigned shock as he stopped, started, stopped, and started again, watching John Luke and Layla with suspicion as they were forced to follow suit. He shook his head in amusement as he continued a steady pace. "I take it back. You are an unusual nanny."

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

Raven looked interested. "Really? Wow. Is this town growing quickly?" She took a drink of her coffee and another bite of her breakfast. If she could get a job as quickly as Kay had got hers, then maybe she had found a good place to stay until things cleared out back home.

Or maybe, she conceded to herself, she had found a new place to call home.

Restart

Jenna grinned slightly. "It's okay," she assured MJ. "I'm sure you've noticed . . . but Chase kind of takes things to the extreme. When he likes something, he really, really likes it. And when he hates something, he absolutely abhors it. So I'm sure he figured he was in love with you the moment he thought you were pretty, or something." Jenna rolled her eyes, but there was a fondness in her voice. She gave a breathy laugh.

"Honestly we don't take him that seriously, but we have to be careful because he takes things personally, and we don't want him to think we're laughing at him or mocking him or something like that."

----

Layla raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad you find this so amusing," she said dryly.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

Kay frowned in thought. "I don't know for sure. There are definitely a good amount of people here, but we're not on a big boom or anything as far as I know." She shrugged and smiled in a friendly way. "What kind of job are you looking for?"

(Kay was secretly pleased that Raven seemed to be enjoying the breakfast that she herself had made.)

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Our story opens in the far reaches of the Ditto Galaxy, on the Planet Terre: the only planet in the Ditto Galaxy that has yet to be discovered. On that planet, in the heart of the country Vayond, rules a king. He rarely leaves his castle, instead preferring to rule from the comfort of his home. A strange group of ruthless men, The Hunters, scourge the land and terrify all of the inhabitants. Mysterious deaths follow in their wake wherever they go, bearing witness to the fact that they have no hesitation to kill.

Nonetheless, the people of Vayond are naïve. Aside from the presence of the Hunters, they are relatively content and live their lives normally. They do not stop to wonder why the king does not stop the Hunters, and the few who do wonder leave their opinions unspoken. One fact is certain, however: no one in the land of Vayond can imagine what takes place behind the locked doors of King Xailin’s Castle. They have no idea that behind the king’s façade of kindness lies a cruel heart, and devious plans. And it’s from here where we start, where we make the future and lives of the people and characters. Where we begin: Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters.

18 years before our story begins....in a cottage on the plains of Veilin....

The cry of a new born baby floats out from the single room of a house on the plains. A sweaty, but joyful mother, holds a gorgeous baby girl in her arms. The Father stands by her, stroking his wifes hair and staring in awe at the bundle of life in her arms

"Her name will be Susanne....and she will bring light to all she knows" her mother whispers and kisses the delicate fore-head of her child, rocking it and singing it a lullaby.

The father holds his baby daughter's hand, it's little fingers curling around his large middle finger "A lovely name." he says tenderly, then slips his finger from the babies and leaves before returning with a hand crafted cradle. "And this will be where she will lie." he said setting it down and folding a soft blanket of sheep's wool into the bottom of it.

"She will love it...." her mothers says admiring the miracle, so perfect in her arms.

Suddenly there is a knock on the door of the cottage, the father tenses and retrieves his sword which is lying unsheathed on the small kitchen table. Placing his hand on the handle, he yanks it open his face twisted into a grim scowl. Before him stands a cloaked man with a gleaming silver blade, all he says is a cruel "Good bye" and before the father has a chance to react, he is killed, and drops to the floor lifeless. Stepping in and approaching the Mother and baby who are cowering on the bed, he shows no emotion. The Mother, weak and almost helpless, screams in terror and sadness before vaulting out of bed and lying her child in the crib. She covers it up before collapsing to her knees from weakness. As the man approaches, she begs for mercy folding her hands and sobbing, but he heeds her not and slashes his sword, her dying words were "Susanne my baby...." then she also fell to the floor dead. As the cloaked figure turns to the crib and sees the crying little newborn baby, he is moved with compassion for the first time in 12 years. Images flash in his eyes, and his hardened heart tries to recall what is long past. Unable to kill the child, he flies from the cottage and jumps onto horse leaving no signs he was ever there. He gallops of in the night leaving the bodies there, and the child crying...

18 years later....where our tale begins

Susanne ran, almost breathless down the worn dirt rode. Her bare feet, were bleeding from stepping on sharp rocks, and her hair was caked with mud and blood. Her mind beat with a headache, each pound of her heart sending a sudden and hard wave of pain through her mind. She gasped for breath, the ability to breathe at all almost taken from her.

The beautiful colors of spring, were magnified in the bright orange and red colors of the silk sunset. It basked the landscape of Vayond in gorgeous arrays of light, in all colors of the spectrum. It marked the ending of the day, but the beginning of a night of terror for Susanne. She had been running for days now, trying to escape the breath of death that followed her like the wind. One minute, those who were pursuing her would be gone, the next minute they would appear only feet away. Her eyes burned with tears, as she glanced behind her, seeing nothing but air and nature. But she knew that her hunters were not far away...they were watching her every second, contemplating every move she would make. She was frightened prey in their eyes...they didn't care how they caught her, just that she was caught and killed.

She then saw a flash of black and the sound of a cruel laugh in the trees off to her right. Letting out a cry of fear, she picked up her speed again, stumbling from weakness and exhaustion. She knew she couldn't run much longer, every joint was weary from running. She had tortured her body so by pressing it on with no rest....she was feeling the effects of her foolishness now. Seeing a column of smoke rising up from the fire of a home hearth, about a mile down the way, she pressed harder. The sun sinking lower into the horizon....she would loose all light soon and they would surely catch her, with shadows as there protection. They were the masters and wielders of shadows. They knew their profession well, and could judge there preys every weakness and strength....and they could tell she was ready to collapse.

She struggled on, barely about to take steps. She knew she was so close to shelter, help and mercy, but they were catching her and she couldn't stop it. She looked at the sky, as the sun now completely disappeared exposing the land to the dark and twilight. "No!" she cried, tears then pouring down her cheeks. "No.....no..." she sobbed, looking behind her shoulder to see figures darting in the long shadows "Leave me alone!" she screamed at them and tried to go on to the house she was seeing ahead. Though it seemed like hours to the poor, frail, girl, minutes later she came to the door step of the house, which turned about to the a blacksmiths shop. Coming to the door, she knocked then collasped outside, no longer able to hold on. She laid there hoping some one would came and take her almost lifeless body in...before...they catch her

((OOC: Okay!! There it is....finally the opening post for Vayond...I know it's horribly long but I got on a role and did it. Sorry for the long wait guys. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. *Takes a big breath and sigh of relief....then flops into bed...exhausted as her charrie * ))

Vayond: The land of the shadowed Hunters
Edmund O'Riley ran a hand through his blonde hair, which was mid-neck in the back. At 19, he realized something had to be up with the king, but didn't know what. He had said to one of the knights, "Ever wonder why the king isn't jailing the Hunters?"
The knight immediately yelled, "Traitor!"
This caused him to spring to his feet, run to the stable and hop onto his horse. Angry men with arrows chased after him, until they lost him in the woods. Suddenly, he got to the black smiths, and found a small, frail girl standing at the door. He got off his horse, hand on his sword just in case the men were after him. Then he heard voices in the woods. Uh oh! The hunters! He reached out his hand to the fral girl. "Get on my horse, now!"

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Aeryn tossed another pebble into the creek, her mind in a deep trance of thought. Her friend and companion, Chyrr the ferret, rolled in the clover near the stream. The pebbles continued to fly into the creek as Aeryn continued to think.

"What are you thinking of, my child?" An old woman's voice resounded from behind Aeryn.

Turning to look, Aeryn beheld Marle, a friend and a "mother" of sorts. "Nothing of importance, Marle."

"I would say it was important, dear. You did not hear me the first time." Marle chuckled. "Which is very strange, coming from the one who can hear a mouse running through the forest from at least a quarter of a mile away." The old woman winked.

"Well," Aeryn stood and joined the older woman on a log. Chyrr followed, sqeaking excitedly. "I suppose it was important...in a way."

"Tell me, then." Marle said, as she reached over to pet Chyrr, who accepted the petting with delight.

"I was thinking that maybe I should leave the perimeters of Vallea to search for my family. I have searched every town inside the boarder and I have come up with nothing. Absolutely nothing." Aeryn quietly said.

Even though Aeryn was wearing a veil, Marle could tell that she was frowning. "My child, if you feel you must go, then you must go. I have done all I can for you. It is time for you to take care of yourself now. I can no longer do it."

Aeryn smiled and took the old woman's hand in her own. "Marle, I will come back for you when I find my family. I promise, I will."

"Of course you will." Marle said, standing. "Winter is about to set in. Make sure you take warm clothes. Oh, and keep a close eye on Chyrr. Animals get frightened in strange places. He may run off."

Aeryn placed the ferret on her shoulder. "I will. Though, I do not think Chyrr would run away."

"You never know." Marle said. "I know he is very special to you, and I would not want you two to be separated."

Marle and Aeryn made their way back to the small cottage they shared. When Aeryn was younger, the cottage was snug for both of them, but now the fit was a little tight in the tiny house. The cottage was built for one person to be comfortable, not two.

As Aeryn packed what little belongings she had, Marle made her some bread to take along.

When all was ready, Aeryn hugged Marle. "I will miss you, Marle."

"And, I will miss you, Aeryn." Marle kissed the younger woman on the forehead. "Be safe, my dear."

"I will." Aeryn said. She picked Chyrr up and set him on her shoulder. "I sort of wish I had a horse..." Aeryn chuckled.

"When you get to town, buy one. I put some extra money in your sack." Marle said, opening the door.

"Marle, but that is your money! I cannot accept it." Aeryn said, shaking her head.

"Take it. It is a gift. Now go before nighttime falls." Marle said, pushing Aeryn out the door.

"Goodbye, Marle." Aeryn said as she left the doorstep.

When Aeryn was a good ways off, she turned and said, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Aeryn." Marle said, closing the door.

Aeryn turned from the cottage and quickly started to walk down the path. Chyrr chattered to himself, but Aeryn listened beyond his noise to the silent woods she knew so well.

I dearly hope I am not making a terrible mistake...

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah was the last one in the smithy, as usual. The master blacksmith always left the shop at about seven each night, because he knew customers rarely came that late at night; Micah, however, had to stay to finish up any odd projects needing to be finished, and to lock up after dusk.
Micah glanced out the window and saw it was now quite dark; time for him to be heading home. He rinsed his dirty hands quickly in a basin of water, put the tools away, and put out the fires in the forge. Just as he did, however, he heard a weak knock at the door; weak, but still filled with urgency. He also heard the sound of beating hooves, and then a voice.
He went quizzically to the door and opened it; as soon as he did, a frail body fell inward; a young woman, severely exhausted and in poor condition. Micah glanced up and saw a boy of about 19 on a horse.
"Who are you, and what have you done to this girl?" He asked quickly, misinterpreting the situation. His hand went quickly to the hilt of his sword, which was sheathed across his back.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz. Hinvi waved his hand in front of his face as he still walked on. Buzz, buzz, buzz. Hinvi finally narrowed his eyes on the fly, and flicked it in mid air, which sent it falling to the ground.
“That’s right!” Hinvi said to the ground, but he was really talking to the fly, “You think twice before botherin’ me.”
Hinvi looked up and noticed that he was in a forest, nobody around to be seen. He put his large callused hand on the back of his neck. “Hinvi, old boy, you’ve got to get out of solitude. How long has it been since the last sight of a kind face? A year or two… something like that.”
Hinvi shook his head, and continued walking, “And Now I’m talking to myself.”
Suddenly, Hinvi heard something. He narrowed his eyes to see better, but the shadows of the trees had different ideas. Nothing could be seen. He then heard it again, and then he saw something that looked like a head, glistening in the moon light. Hunter!
Hinvi pulled out a spear from the holder on his back, and threw it square right at the head. The spear looked to have struck the head, and stuck into the tree. Hinvi ran up to retrieve his spear, and discovered that the spear hadn’t struck a head. In fact, it wasn’t a head at all; it was actually a squirrel that was scurrying up the tree. The squirrel was now pinned to the tree by the spear.
“Sorry little bloke.” Hinvi said, pulling the spear out, and then taking the squirrel off the end. “I guess this is dinner.”
Then Hinvi looked at the hole in the tree, and then looked at where he was standing, “I really need to get out of solitude.