Nazareth wrapped her right arm around Pilot?s waist, both sparing her a fall and easing her continued steps. ?Mother? Oh, why don?t worry yourself, Pilot. Mother will come see you very soon, I?m sure. She just needs to rest.?
Val, who was busy making Phoenix comfortable in his arms, was stolen by Nazareth?s promise. Eyes zeroed in on the back of the woman?s head and, showing off those sensitive senses, Nazareth turned right around and smiled.
?Coming, brother??
?Nazareth, I?m warning you. Don?t get any ideas here.?
Neth shows Val her back and continues, Pilot in her arms, towards the break in the rocks. Val stays close and fishes the stone out of his pocket. They were nearing the cave. Nazareth pauses, turns to the side and extends her free hand. ?Grab on. We have to be connected.?
Taking hold the best he could with both arms hooked under Phoenix, Val follows Nazareth?s lead. She enters the mouth of the cave and the four travelers slip through the rift.
Phoenix had been out and comfortable throughout the entire trip. However, this was Pilot's first time, she gripped into the fabric of Valcroix's borrowed cloak. She let out a light scream as they traveled through. "Ahhn!" The hand that snagged Nazareth's loosened as she collapsed to her knees, staring widely at the ground. Phoenix's little breathless gasps, rang out in light of the travel. Her chest heaved violently as she took short, stunted breaths.
Following their traversing of space, time and all those other physical impossibilities, Val himself followed the experience up with a long, hungry breath. Proof of the distortion of time, Val looked on at a forest lighted in mid-afternoon. It was a strange lag considering that they had only just escaped the biting cold of Gailey at midnight. But the color of life was welcome, those greens and blues, and Val vowed under his breath that he would never return to his homeland; not a single memory was worth saving, so let them all die he thought. Val took several cautious steps down the overgrown knoll, Phoenix still perfectly balanced in his wiry arms. He looks to Pilot. ?Pretty huh?? Give a girl a forest for the first time and await reaction; Val was practically itching for the girl?s response.
Nazareth snaps away from Pilot, probably with enough force to send her off-balance and starts away on quick feet.
?Hey---? Val started to beckon, but stayed his tongue intelligently. It was best for her to go. She and him just would never reconcile.
Pilot's knees met the ground with force, skin tearing and body quaking. She stared up at the forest and began to crawl off that way. "Oh.." Was the only sound that came from her lips as she scooted across the ground. She attempted to climb to her full height, but only collapsed seconds after like a toddler gaining her grounds.
Val would have scooped the girl up and into his arms, were their -arms- to give. Phoenix occupied them, and she was engaging Val?s eyes with sputtered, incomplete and clogged breaths. Pilot?s legs would return to her in time, but Val feared that time was almost up for Phoenix. He lays her near the bottom of the hill on a bed of old, brown dandelions that the winter had finally found. ?Hey. . come on, Phoenix.? He sticks his fingers between her neck and collar to seek a pulse; he didn?t know anything about Slane anatomy, but he figured that most of the bits and pieces worked just like any other sapien. ?Sh't. .?
