Nocturne Reverie

"I'm not so sure I like that method of transportation." Seeing little other option though, Nicole turned around to tuck the orb under her shirt in her bra. It wouldn't get away that way, and it wasn't in an awkward or uncomfortable spot.

Turning back to him, it was hard to hide dislike of the piggy-back idea. But once again she allowed him to help her up on his back. With her arms circling his neck, she was almost holding on too tight. That anticipation of free falling down the side of the mountain giving her so many terrible mental images of how it might go wrong. Slipping on ice, crashing in to rocks. Splatting a million miles below.

Nicole hid her face at his neck. It was better not to look. "I'm ready." came her muffled response.
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

Firmly tucking his arms under her knees, Gregory looked back at her, her face hidden in his neck. "Alright then. Here we go." Dashing out of the cave, he slid along the ice, over the ledge, and balanced himself as they began sliding down the side of the mountain once more. Leaning his weight left, and right, he dodge large chunks of rock that stuck up from under the snow. Jumping his feet firmly left the rice beneath them, and then began free falling, looking straight at the ground. Pivoting in the air, he glided them to a smell ledge, where he flipped in midair, and landed softly in the snow before dashing off once more. His heart beat furiously as the excitement of it all filled his blood. He'd done this many times in his youth, and though it was dangerous, he couldn't help by enjoy himself to some degree.

Cutting through the snow, like a knife, they sped forth through the portion of the pass that could be traveled. "Well the hard part is over, now we simply slide down the rest of the way." He called over the wind to Nicole who was clinging tightly to him, most likely from fright. Jumping from the path once more, he landed on his feet, and began sliding down the side of the mountain once more, again leaning left, and right to dodge the large rocks that seemed to spring up before them. If Nicole were to chance a glance, she would see the snow began to melt, and soon he was sliding down nothing but dirt, and gravel. The weather almost instantly changing to a simple chilly fall. The trees below filled with oranges, browns, and reds as they fell to the ground.

Leaping once more, they sailed through the air. Landing heavily on his feet, Gregory went to one knee, and shook his head slightly. "We've made it to the base of the mountain." the young man said gently over his shoulder in a calm tone, though Nicole would more than likely be far from calm at that point.






 
There was a soft croaking "okay" from her, but Nicole didn't loosen her grip. In fact it was probably a miracle she hadn't strangled him to death. She was so certain that they had been upside down more than once, near to their death. The few sparse moments she opened her eyes, she wished she hadn't. Even now she was afraid to open them!

However, when he didn't move, she slowly opened one eye and then the other. There was still a chill in the air, but everything reminded her of a New England fall. The colors were so rich, for a moment she had forgotten that they had just slid their way down a mountain in record time and was just staring up at the tree canopies.

Her grip was still iron tight.

"Is the mountain really so high...?" It baffled her. They had come down so fast, yet the temperature here was so different. This definitely wasn't Antarctica either. The continent had no trees or unfrozen areas.

"How did you do all of that?"
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

"Aye... many weeks journey for one to travel up if they don't know the paths like I do. Falling down is always faster." Answering her in a matter of fact tone. "How did I do that? Well... one day when I was a young boy, I fell from the mountain, and I found myself gliding through the air. I learned that even though a stone falls, it can guide itself. From there, I began doing it every time I left the mountain... I guess you can say I've become addicted, or that it's a habit, though it's much faster, no?"

Remaining on a knee, he waited for Nicole to relax, and release her death grip on his neck, though he didn't complain to it. "The weather is much nicer here, and I'm sure it'll suit you better. It will get warmer as we travel south to Jyundo, though it won't become uncomfortable. Though we should continue as soon as we can, so that we can cover as much ground as we can before night fall." He said to her, as he waited. Though they would likely not be in any danger, Gregory still was eager to get them both safely back to the capital.








 
Slowly she released his next and slid to the ground. Today she felt a lot more solid on her feet... as solid as she could feel after dropping off a mountain. When he straightened and stood, it was only now that she realized just how tall he was compared to her. With humor, she supposed if a man was supposed to be a goddess' guardian, he needed to be pretty big.

Once he started walking, Nicole fell in to a quick step beside him. The orb came out from under her shirt, just so she would have something to do with her hands. "So you like to do dangerous things for fun." she stated. The man was an adrenaline junkie. She, on the other hand, much prefer everything to be safe and predictable.

That was making this little adventure really hard on her nerves. Not knowing where they were, where they were going. ...Well, she knew they were going to a temple, but for all she knew this place was on the moon.

"So why were you on a mountain looking for a goddess? What sort of prophecy were you talking about?" Nicole was curious, and if it was going to involve HER she wanted to know as many of the details as she could.
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

"Well not necessarily. Just that."

"So why were you on a mountain looking for a goddess? What sort of prophecy were you talking about?"

"I was sent to find you, as there will be a great disaster to threaten the world, with you being the sole individual who can prevent the Rain of a Thousand Winters." Looking down at her, he saw the look on her face. "The gods decreed that every ten thousand years, life if tainted would be erased, and that it would be started anew, unless their daughter decreed them pure, which they would then spare mortals, and leave us to our destinies. I do not know the entire story, as it can only be read as it comes to pass. Now that you're hear, when we get back to Jyundo, the next portion of the prophecy can be deciphered."

Reaching up he plucked two apples from a branch as they passed by, handed her one, and then pulled a large leaf from the branch as well. "Thirsty?" He asked holding the leaf out to her. Not thinking that with her lapse in memory that she would know what to do with it. "Ah... here." He said motioning for her to hold a hand out, where he would wring the leaf, letting it's clear sap to pour into her hand. The taste would have a slight citrus taste to it, much like lemonade.





 
Drinking lemonade sap from a leaf was definitely high on her list of strange things. It had a strange mix of sour and sweet, but was rather pleasant.

The prophecy on the other hand, mostly just gave her the creeps. So she was just supposed to appear and save the world? Just like that? Considering every movie and book she had ever read, saving the world didn't come easy. There was dangerous, bad guys, and usually someone ended up dying in the process. And considering she was supposed to be a goddess, that could even mean self sacrifice. Nicole wasn't so sure she was that sort of person.

Those doubts and worries were on her face, plain as day. Even as she bit in to the apple and chewed in thought. "I guess it won't be as easy as standing somewhere and screaming about how awesome this place is." She would try it, of course. But what if it required having an honest opinion about it. Like traveling the world and writing a detailed review?

Nicole cast him a sideways glance. "And you just bring me to the temple and we read the rest of the prophecy and that is that?"
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

Wringing the rest out, he drank deeply from the leaf, and wiped his mouth with his forearm as Nicole asked him further about what she was expected to do. "I do not know. What's been spoken so far from the prophecy is that the Goddess will awaken from her frozen sleep, and be returned to Jyundo by her Antiac. What comes after that has yet to be read until we get there." Noting the concern on her face, he took a small bite from the apple. After chewing, and swallowing it, he gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "Fear not, Goddess. As long as I draw breath, no harm shall come to you, that is my duty, my pledge, and my solemn promise." He certainly seemed confident of it, and showed no hesitation when he spoke the words.

"What's more important is that you get the opportunity to rest, so that you may regain your memory, and your abilities. Hopefully then the cycle of the prophecy may finally end." Hinting at the fact that this wasn't the first time these events had been set into motion, though what Gregory knew of them was a mystery. Ten thousand years was an awful long time to keep records about the past, especially if what he said was true, about civilization being wiped away.








 
Nicole wasn't sure how comforting that was, considering he was just a really big stranger with a sword. But she supposed it was better than flailing about a strange world on her own. It felt an awful lot like after her high school graduation and she had no idea where she was going. Only this time it involved potentially world destroying prophecies and crazy magic.

"I don't really have a memory to get back... what if I'm not the right person. It's happened before, right? The whole world getting wiped out and starting again? Even on my planet that's happened for. Volcanoes and asteroids and ice ages. That's not really something a person can stop.." Nicole didn't even want to begin thinking about what magical powers where supposed to be involved. It could be anything from wizards to necromancers to jedi knights.

She sure didn't feel magical. She just felt out of place and frustrated.
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

"You'll regain yourself in time. I can only imagine your mind returning from heaven would be a strenuous act." Gregory answered, seeing Nicole struggle with what she'd been told. Lifting a branch from her path, allowing her to pass he then said "If nothing else, we shall see in the days to come, for once the prophecy begins, there is nothing to stop it save the Rains."

They continued on for days through the lush brush, a distinct change of scenery from the barren snow covered mountain. Passing many landmarks, Nicole was introduced to many sights, such as river's that were filled with fish that could talk, and birds with human hands instead of talons, as well as a few nymphs that had a pension for lifting various items from their possession as they slept. The occasional Sleipnir chanced the opportunity to get close enough to look at the strange woman. Gregory explained each sight in detail to Nicole much like that of parent instructing a child, for it appeared Nicole had no idea of what they were, which was beginning to make the young Antiac nervous.

But she had to be the Goddess... the prophecy told of a woman falling from the ice.






 
With each day passing, Nicole found herself falling in to a reluctant acceptance. After the first few days this life started to feel more 'real', though she was constantly amazed and surprised by each new creature Gregory introduced her to and every new sight she saw. Without that fear of an icy death and forgetting about the dangers of potential monsters, it was easy for Nicole to let her fascination run away with her. She was so very interested in everything around her!

For the moment, she had a hand full of ridiculously tiny mice. Small, furry and having no fear of her whatsoever, she was playing with the little critters until one sat up to point at a nearby shrub. Stopping on the trail, she left them off in to the branches and caught up with Gregory again.

"How much farther is it?" She was curious to know. By the way the path was starting to open up and get wider, she figured they must be coming close to a populated area with more people or traveling.
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

Nicole's demeanor amused him now. Gregory had been watching her reactions to everything, and it seemed as if she was learning all this for the first time.

"How much farther is it?"

Pointing to a large group of trees, that seemed to soar straight up above the clouds, "Just past this tree line. You'll see the waterfall city of Jyundo." Now that he mentioned it, the sound of rushing, and falling water was starting to get louder. Not to mention, a small river seemed to have sprang up from nowhere, and was now beside them as they traveled. Reaching out, he plucked a very large leaf from a passing branch, and then held it above Nicole, as the air began to dampen, small beads of water hanging in the air. It wasn't long before it became a steady downpour soaking Gregory in the rain.

"The rain comes from the waterfall as the water strikes against the rocks at the bottom, and floats up on the northern winds. It's much dryer in the city, so please bare with it until we pass through the Three Gates."





 
The trees were larger than any trees she had ever seen. Yet they weren't enough to shield them from the falling water. In fact it was so wet and misty here from the waterfall, that even with the leaf he was holding over her head, water droplets were still clinging and making clothes damp. The river beside them grew wider and wider as they neared the roaring sound of the falls.

Before long the towering trees thinned to reveal a huge crescent cut-out in the mountain side. They were at the bottom looking upwards at a waterfall that Nicole was sure could be higher than any skyscraper she had seen before. Now she was seeing what he meant by Three Gates and the city not being plagued by the mists. Where she was expected just a few door-like gates, they were actually huge stone bridges that connected pillars of rock carved out by the falls. Each one led a level higher, until the very last that reached the Jyundo city itself. High above the ground below where the falls created the rains and nestled perfectly on a flattened cliff-side.

From their distance, the city reminded Nicole of those ancient worn down ruins lost in South American jungles. But here, the place was surrounded by icy snow covered mountains, and trees covered in red and orange colors of fall. There didn't seem to be a lot of people around, but that didn't stop Nicole from feeling wary. Now that they were nearing the city, she was remembering all those worries and doubts she had been trying to forget.

"Will there be a lot of people at this Jooyudoo temple...?"
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

"Many, I would imagine as your return is etched in the crystal that adorns the temple Obelisk. Do you find yourself confused still? Has none of your memory returned?" His tone still laced with slight concern, though he had slowly began to assume that Nicole's memory would slowly begin to return the closer she got to Jyundo. "You will be able to rest, and collect yourself once we arrive. Perhaps that will help your memory, and you can also prepare for the Lighting of Waters."

Pausing a moment, Gregory put a gloved hand to his forehead, and rubbed it gently as if he were plagued by a headache. "Something... fast approaches." He then murmured, and shook his head. Turning his eyes to Nicole, his sword hand went to the hilt of his blade, as the other pulled her behind him, as he took a defensive stance, his eyes slowly moving through the foliage.


















 
Nicole didn't have an opportunity to correct him about her memories. He looked tense, watching the trees and waiting for some unforeseen dangers. Suddenly everything felt so quiet and still. She hadn't realized just how much noise and chatter went on in a forest of trees until it all falls silent.

Bushes rumbled and growled. At first she thought she was crazy, thinking bushes were growling... But as the foliage parted she could see two large golden eyes peering out from the leaves. They began low at the ground, but as the rustling came close, they rose higher and higher. A face took shape, feline in appearance, though not looking like any cat she had ever seen. When it's whole body appeared, it's coloring and build were similar to a tiger's. But the creature was huge! Twice the size of Gregory, and quite possibly could swallow a person in one mighty chomp.

With all of her wide-eyed focus on the first creature, she never realized of saw the second, creeping up behind them on the other side of the trail.
 
[size=+2]Gregory[/size]

Before he could act, the large creature was upon him, and knocked Gregory to the ground. "Agh, Moldanya!" The Antiac warrior yelled, as he locked his hands firmly around the creatures claws, keeping them from rending his face. "Goddess! Quickly, climb the trees. Vogya's cannot climb them!" The creature attacking him lunged for his face, missing only by a hair's length. Tensing his arms, Gregory focused all his energy on lifting the large feline creature from him in an attempt to get up, and it seemed to be working. The man's strength would seem incredible, as he was soon too his knees, forcing the creature onto it's back legs.

Though he was completely unaware of the second creature. Throwing his arm's forward, he managed to knock the creature off balance, and drew his sword, while tackling it into the ground. The large two edged sword bit deeply into the creature's chest as it howled out in pain. Then almost as quickly as it had bit home, the creature's body turned to stone, and held his blade firm. Placing a booted foot on the dead creatures chest, he pulled with all his might, only to be taken completely by surpise, as the second Vogya tackled him to the ground pinning him beneath it's great waste on his stomach. It's large jaw locked firmly onto his shoulder, though Gregory seemed only to grunt as the pain scorched his mind.

 
At his command, Nicole ran for one of the trees, but found herself completely perplexed on how to get herself up it. She was no world class tree climber. A snarl had her spinning around, staring dumbfound at the beast trying desperately to claw it's way to Gregory's skin. With every growl and swipe, she was cringing and near shouting useless words of encourage. Only biting her tongue kept her from drawing attention to herself.

He killed the first, it body turning to stone, but just as quickly a second came leaping out of the jungle to chomp it's teeth in him. Nicole didn't have the time to scream and warn him! She glanced around frantically, looking for anything that seemed like it would have a good solid weight to it. A nearby branch was the only thing she could wrap her hands around and lift.

With a curse, Nicole ran towards the beast and cracked the branch over it's back. Her only result being another snarl as it chomped it's jaw down on it's prey and the branch breaking in to pieces. Her first attempt was a failure, she wasn't intending to give up. She circled behind the creature and grabbed on to it's tail. Pulling, tugging. Trying to drag it off. Finally, she simply grabbed it's tail and with a mutter apology bent it with a hard SNAP.

Roaring in pain, the beast released Gregory only to whirl around and swipe a meaty paw at Nicole. She found herself swatted several feet away against a tree and all of the sense knocked out of her. The creature swinging it's broken tail as it stomped forward to pounce.
 
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