Awakening Anew

Yumi stopped and looked at him with a defiant scowl. She didn't notice that Kilahi had flown after them, curious about what was going on along with worried. The tree nymph could feel the anger rolling off of the girl and she didn't like it.

"I'm going to the mountain. Maybe there will be a cave there that I can stay in for the night. Not sure about you but those cloud up there threaten rain," she said, pointing up at a few scattered clouds yet dark clouds that were starting to form. "You, for all I care, can stay outside and be hungry. Or you could try to be civil and come with me. Either way, stop ruining my birthday you stupid idiot!" She could have said a few worse things. Yumi was no stranger to cuss words and many times did not filter what she said to people that annoyed her. But this basilisk didn't deserve her true skills. Not if he was going to insult her every time he spoke.

Yumi thought back over the day as she stepped around Cero and continued towards the mountain. She'd circle the whole thing if she had to to find a cave, but she thought she had seen one a few feet up the side they were on. She had been so happy that morning after getting her tattoo and knowing that she was 18--an adult, a free adult at last. And then he'd shown up and shown her her powers and then insulted her non-stop after that. Well she was tired of it. It was her birthday--and she was going to be happy if it was the last thing she did.
 
With a low hiss Cero swept the girls feet out from under her. His tail swaying behind him triumphantly as he turned, grinning down at the girl. "Look, here's the issue with you just waltzing into that mountain." Kneeling down, he looked at the girl, his grin growing into a sneer. "I have no idea who the Abala person is, nor how strong they are. But from what the small one says, it doesn't seem very nice." He wrapped his tail around her and picked her up, looking at her with a dull glance. "If you're worried about the weather I will find you shelter, but it's not going to be in the mountain. With all these tree's, I'm sure there's a thick canopy somewhere where the rain is either none or very little." He turned and began walking back toward his original spot, his tail still holding on tightly to the girl.

"Just take a seat somewhere and calm down."
 
Yumi at first wasn't quiet sure how she'd ended on the ground, or standing up, or being dragged behind the man with a tail around her waist. It didn't matter to her. What mattered was that she was being dragged, against her will, to who knew where, by a man that had called her ugly. She didn't care if his logic was sound. She didn't care if he was the only person in the surrounding area that could protect her from the Abala of the Mountain. She didn't really care about anything at that moment except clawing his eyes out and making him 'ugly'. She dug her heels into the ground, fighting to keep from following him but only ended in stumbling forward as he kept moving and she became unbalanced. Next she grabbed onto a branch that was over her head, holding on for dear life as his tail pulled her forward. The tree branch snapped and down she fell.

She closed her eyes and focused on becoming calm. She had too or else she'd cry in front of him. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't cry. Not today. "You can let me go." She finally said, arms crossing over her chest.
 
The slight tugging behind Cero got no reaction from him. He just simply took a seat, looking up at the girl. "You're troublesome." He said with a sigh as he placed her down next to him, his arms crossed as well. "look, you need to learn to control your emotions. You have magic now, and with no proper training its dangerous to you and anything and everyone around you. I doubt the little one would be happy if you destroyed any part of her forest." He got to his feet once more, dusting himself off. "You were worried about the rain, lets go. Kilahi, can you lead us to a canopy or one of the giant tree's. Maybe we can sleep under one of the roots."
 
Kilahi had remained quiet yet hovered close to Yumi as if to console her until the man spoke to her. "Kilahi thinks that she knows where one is here. But before I lead you there I think both of you should apologize--Big shiftyshifty for insulting Yumi's nose and looks for that wasn't nice. I think she looks really pretty for a witch and human. Yumi should apologize too--for being child-like and breaking this poor tree's arm. Cero was right, we don't know what Abala would do should you try to stay in her cave. I don't deal with Abala since I normally can't fly this far," the creature said, sitting cross legged in the air, looking at them with an angry but nonviolent look.

Yumi blinked and flushed a little. She looked over at the man and frowned. He wouldn't apologize. At least, she didn't think he would. It didn't seem to be part of his nature. She pushed herself up and bowed to the tree. "May your spirit remain strong despite the damage I did to you and may you grow even stronger. I am sorry for wounding you," she said almost reverently to the tree before turning to Cero, though she refused to look at him. "And I'm sorry for acting like a child. I should have thought before I leapt, to use the old saying." she said, less reverently than she had spoken to to the tree. "Will you lead us now Kilahi?"

"Big shiftyshifties?" Kilahi asked, flying over to sit on his shoulder like one of those animated short stories with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, though it was obvious which she was attempting to be.
 
"Look tiny," Cero grunted out, rolling his eyes as the small took a seat on his shoulder. "The deal is, she has to learn to control her emotions properly. Which might I add, she didn't. Either she gets her emotions in check, or she'll end up hurting lots of people." He began walking again, satisfied with the excuse he'd be continuing to use until it was full acknowledged that it wasn't all true. "Though still, I apologize that the way I go about my lessons can be a little. Well, harsh. I suppose I can try and work on it."

He lot out a small snort, unsatisfied with being bossed around by such a small creature. Though he was getting tired of the two already. Assumed to be because he was hoping to get sleep in the small clearing they were already in. It should have been obvious that wasn't to be the case though. He was running around with a girl that was his total opposite, and now a small creature that seemed to be curious about probably everything. On top of that, he was to be ordered around by both. The little witch simple because he was her familiar, giving him little choice in the matter either way. And a tree nymph that could turn and entire forest against him. Which he had no interest in in the first place.
 
Kilahi smiled and stood before flying up to give him a small kiss on his nose before flying off into the woods. "Follow me!" she said happily, as if the trouble between the two was completely fixed already. Yumi looked away from him and sighed before following. He could have told her he was going to try and get a raise out of her. It would have worked better that way. And she had thought she had been pretty good at controlling her emotions. After all, she had gotten up and walked away from a fight before she'd lost control rather than getting mad and beating him up right then and there.

When Kilahi came to a stop under a bunch of trees that overlapped and created a safe haven from the rain that had started to pour a few minutes before, Yumi collapsed next to a tree and put her pack underneath her head, closing her eyes. "There isn't any problem with me sleeping now is there Cero?" she asked politely, having hated it
 
Snorting, Cero wiped his nose. He shook his head, trying to hide his face behind his bangs that had already been cut. Sighing, he watched Yumi walked by, soon following after the girl. His day only seemingly getting worse as the sun finally vanished and the rain began to dampen his hair. The amount of water pouring down on his head seemed to slow as they finally neared the small canopy before them. He stopped right before it, watching the girls get comfortable before taking a seat where he was. He never much mined the rain, in reality he much preferred it. As opposed to dry places, that were probably moist from the air anyway.

Giving a shrug as an answer to Yumi, he laid on his side. His hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks as the water continued to drip and run down his face. With another yawn, he got himself comfortable in the soaked grass beneath him and closed his eyes. Having no real intention of falling fully asleep.
 
Yumi laid there for a while, staring at the clearing and where the other man lay. Tomorrow I'll start over, she thought before she fell asleep. Closing her eyes she dreamed about the days before her. It wasn't such a bad outlook really while she dreamed. Of course Cero was nicer in her dream and didn't treat her like she was a moron. She was surprised that he didn't change physically as she dreamed. Most of the times when she dreamed about guys their appearances changed, but for some reason it didn't for her this time.

When she opened her eyes she found herself staring at a medium size spider that was resting on her pack next to her. She blinked a few times and slowly stood up and stretched. Moving away form her pack she stepped out from the canopy. She wasn't one of those girls that screamed and carried on about spiders. After all she had spent most of her teenage life sleeping outside. If she had flipped a lid every time that a spider had come near her she would have been caught or laughed at much sooner. As she looked up into the bright sunshine of the day ahead, she smiled and closed her eyes.

"May the following day be bright and wise," she said to the air and spun on the slick grass. She giggled a little and looked around for her two friends. Kilahi was still sleeping in her tree.
 
Grunting, Cero covered his ears. "Only you, could be this happy in the morning." Mumbling a few more words under his breath, he rolled over. Leaving his back to the small group. As he felt the suns rays on his cheek he got a soft chill, changing form with a yawn. "Damn it." He wasn't a cheery morning person, he wasn't really a people person, or an any type of day person either. Stretching all eight of his legs out, he slowly paced to the girl. A dull look in his eye as his tail slothed about behind him. This time he would examine her further, looking her up and down before, once again, changing his shape.

It was often like this when he woke up, switching back and forth. Staying in one position for so long in only one form tend to make him uncomfortable. So upon rising he'd switch back and forth every so often, sometimes within seconds of one another. As he stepped around her, still examining her fully from head to toe he let out a small sigh. "Are girls normally this....tiny?" He questioned her, a sneer look on his face as he stood before her once more.
 
Yumi blinked and looked at him with curiosity as he first had eight arms and then looked like a normal young man with a tail again. She tilted her head to the side as she thought about his question. "I'm only this tiny because I don't get a lot of sugary foods and I have to run a lot. So no, I don't suppose most women are ... tiny as you put it," she said with a shrug before looking at him, "Are all basilisks bad morning people?" She couldn't let his bad attitude affect her so she went back and brushed the spider lightly off her pack and pulled out a few items before she found her breakfast--a cold turkey sandwich with lettuce and american cheese--and started to eat it. It only occured to her halfway through that despite all his talk about finding his own food, he might like a turkey sandwich.

"Want some?" She asked after swallowing her bite. She smiled up at him with a soft kindness that hadn't been there when he'd first amazed her with his presence. Though that didn't mean she forgave him for calling her nose big, but she supposed that from that moment on she couldn't take anything he said as the truth--at least not when her looks were being spoken about.
 
"Figures," he said with a small grunt, shrugging a bit to himself. He yawned again, dusting himself off as he stepped back into the small bit of sunshine that had snuck its way through the leafs. "Basilisk aren't anything people witch. Solitude is our thing. Of course actual basilisk, not shape shifting ones like me, have a worse temper. Meaning you get to close, they'll just attack and try to eat you." Once again, he changed his form. Instead of simply standing there though, he began to make his way up through the tree's. Seeking out the warmth of the sun. As he looked down at her from a branch that seemed barely thick enough to hold his weight, he shook his head. "Nah, I'll go hunting once the little one wakes up." With a low growl he continued up the tree's again. Watching carefully and paying close attention to his weight on the branches. Finally he reached the highest branch that could support him, and he made himself comfortable. Soaking up the warmth of the sun.
 
Yumi frowned up at him as he escaped to the morning sun before she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and looked up at the tree. She hopped up onto the lowest branch quickly before climbing as far up as she dare put her weight in. She wasn't as far up as he was but she could see him at least. "Why must you wait until she awakens? I'm not without protection. You said last night that my emotions control my powers. If I'm scared or worried won't that connect me with the elements and get them to help me should someone attack? Or is it more complicated than that? And I know some decent fighting arts so if it's a human, as unlikely as that is, I'd be able to get them to unhand me should it come to that," she said conversationally as she leaned back against the trunk. He was one big puzzle. Sometimes he cared. Sometimes he didn't or at least he appeared to care and not care. She hoped that she would figure him out as they spent time together. He seemed like he'd be a good person to get to know.
 
"Because first of all," he began with a grunt. "It'd be rude to wake the little one and I don't feel like actually searching about when I can simply ask her to help me find something." He twisted about on the branch, whining as the girl finally came into view. She was a rather irritating sight to him. Seeing as at the time he wanted nothing to do with anyone. His tail flicked about around him, his arms resting beneath his chin as his body returned to a much simpler form. "Your powers will react to your emotions, yes. But that can be rather dangerous."

He slinked down from his position on the branch. Landing only a few feet higher than her. "With no control of your power you could destroy everything around you. And I'd rather not have to try and protect you from the little tree people that would probably be out for your head." His eyes gleamed with irritation as he stared the girl down. It was honestly as if she understood nothing, and he didn't feel like the right kind of guy to be explaining it all to her. "You don't know anything about the world you have just entered. You have a gift and no control of it, and because of that I can't let you out of my site." Sighing he took a seat where he once stood. The irritation gone and a look of boredom quickly replacing it. "If you'd like me to go hunting so soon I suppose I can. Though I can swear you had something you could eat
 
Yumi watched as he climbed down and listened to him. "Well I'm sorry that I'm a new person to all this. It isn't like I chose it," she said as she turned her gaze away and looked at the other trees around them. "All I can do to remedy that is to learn as much as I can as fast as I can. If we just focus on the the learning, it'll go by faster I suppose. Really though, Cero. I don't think you need to stick around with me. The likelihood of anyone finding me in this place is slim. And I'll probably still be up here anyway. It's pretty up here and I sort of want to spend a little more time up here." As she looked out over the forest a smile came onto her face and giggled as some birds swooped by.
 
"Well right now it's not entirely about leaving you anywhere." Crossing his arms he relaxed against the tree trunk, eyes closed as the forest was quickly coming to life. Not shockingly the birds were up and active. Chirping and jumping about in the tree's. Soon to be hunted the way he saw it. Not by him of course, birds were far to easy to catch, but there were other small animals that would jump into the skys to catch their meals. Finally he went back to listening to whatever Yumi had been talking about, giving her a dull look. 'More time up here' was all he got after hearing her small comment before that. His tail flicking about behind him, he tilted his chin up, now looking down his nose at her. "Huh?"
 
Yumi blinked and looked up at him and then shook her head and shrugged. "It's nothing important I guess," she said before pushing herself to stand on her branch which brought her head level to his lap. Reflexively she reached up and grabbed the branch he sat on for support as she stood on the tree branch that swayed under her. With a smile she watched as the creatures of the clearing woke up and began their day. " Do not worry about it. The only reason it would concern you is if you gave a damn about other people and what they do." This was said in a lighthearted way. She wasn't really mad that he hadn't paid attention to what she had said. Nah. She had given up on getting any reaction other than disdain, dislike, and uninterest from him. Instead she would be happy with simply being spoken to. She shrugged and looked up at the break in the branches that let her see the bright morning sky. "So we begin training today right?"
 
Cero yawned as he looked down at the girl. The sound of the tree's and animals echoing through his ears. He felt more at home than he had in a long time, only being thrown off by the presence of the girl below him. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he knelt down, taking the girls hand. His tail wrapped around her waist and pulled her up to the same branch as he. As she seemed stable on the branch, he removed his tail from her waist, leaving it to sway below them. His hand kept her's though, preferring he have a way to make sure she wouldn't fall. And on the off chance that she did, he would easily be able to catch her. "If I didn't care I would have let you charge right up to that mountain, or wonder about the forest alone." Relaxing against the trunk of the tree once more, he rolled his eyes. "I just prefer not to let it be known. I'm no weakling. Besides that, yes. We'll be starting today." Peering at her across his shoulder he shrugged a bit, "How good are your combat skills?"
 
Yumi had gasped as she was pulled up to the branch above her by the tail. She could care less about him holding her hand. It wasn't as if she were one of those girls that thought that a simple hand hold meant anything more than for support. His attitude didn't help make the girl believe anything else. Knowing that e wouldn't let her fall she inched her way out on the branch, her hand grasping his tightly as she looked down and laughed softly to herself as the feeling of flying hit her for a moment. Then she rushed back to stand closer to him, a grin on her face.

"Don't be so black and white Cero. You only care so much as to keep me alive because like you said yesterday you don't know what will happen to you should I die or refuse to train with you. I meant care in a different way. In the you would be sad that I was gone or the sadness one person feels for another when that person leaves," she told him, the grin not leaving her features. "Let us face it here and now Cero, so that we can be done with this conversation. I survive as long as I can, you get to stay here and experience earth again. It could have been me or the street bum from the park--you wouldn't have cared as long as it got you out of wherever it was that you were."

The young woman gave his hand a squeeze that was meant to show understand. "As long as those borders are kept in mind we'll have a wonderful relationship--mentor to trainee. And I'm fair with hand-to-hand combat and hunting. But most of my skills are with evading and running and blending in so others don't see me. I once," she giggled at the memory, "Hid myself by letting my hair out of it's braid at the time and plastered myself up against a pile of rocks. Don't ask me how but they passed right by me those cops did."
 
He simply shrugged his shoulders at what she had to say. His tail swaying boredly behind him as he looked over the forest. Only slowly coming to life. He was beginning to get a bit impatient. Feeling the day only seeming to be waster as the small thing slept in. Had it been only him, he wouldn't have gotten his meal already and been about his business. Instead he stood there with this girl, watching over all the other lively animals scurrying through the trees.

"It's all classified as caring. Who are you to be picky about it. You're no longer alone, and I'm no longer trapped inside a pointless cage." Looking up at the sky for a few moments, he imagined the dark world he'd created to conceal himself from the others that had been banned from this world. Mentally he growled to himself, forcing a small grin. "I don't care to hear of how you coward about you whole life. I don't run, despise hiding. That'll have to change."
 
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