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"Uh, hey, where are we going, anyway? I don't especially like walking blind in to deathtraps, you know? It's kind of a thing with me."

((M-M-M-MEGA SHOORRRRRT))

(( Were we having a contest? Lol))

Dadj met gazes with the lizard woman and again went through that feeling of de ja vous. He definitely saw this woman somewhere before. Or so he thought.

"We are going on a journey headed by this woman to some tower where we can stop the rain. Where that tower resides is only held within her brain, so she is our map and navigator. Huzzah." Admittedly he was being all sarcasm now.

Celestina pouted. "Not men. Just a couple men." When Samantha asked their question, she had been about to answer. But of course, Dadj got there first. She suddenly stopped walking. Yes, she was in fact going to be childish. "Very well." she said simply. "You all can go on without me, if I am of such little use to you. If I am such an annoyance, I would truly love to see you go on your way without me."

She stood there and crossed her arms over her chest, going silent. Smooth move, Dadj...

Dadj regarded the woman for a moment, then his sour expression went to cruel. He placed a hand on the gnome's shoulder and smiled at her. "If I go on, Owaja comes with me. She is generally concerned for the environment, as well as I and therefore will not abandon this quest. If we need to trudge on ahead, we will find this tower you speak of and defeat the wizard inhabiting it alone. I believe Sitta will agree that course of action is acceptable."

Owaja blinked rapidly as if snapping back from a day dream. Truth be told, she hadn't been listening to a single thing any of the party members were bickering about and only came to when Dadj's hand touched her shoulder.

"Um--right- yes. mmhmm..." The gnome's eyes wandered around, making quick interpretations of everyone's expression before her subconscious finally clicked into play. "Wait-what? Are you sure you don't want to go, Miss Celestia ma'am? I thought you really wanted to go." Owaja frowned and gave the young woman a short compassionate stare before her Sunflower's growling broke her concentration.

The ferret wanted nothing to do with the seemingly giant man standing beside Owaja, and he promptly arched his back and raised his hackles to make himself as threatening as possible, all while still atop of Owaja's head. Hearing the overhead displeasure from her dear faunistic friend, Owaja promptly turned to face Dadj and let out a huff.

"You're trying to steal my spotlight aren't you...?"

Celestina looked away and pouted. "Yes, I want to come. But right now I'd rather have someone pushed out of this shield so he can learn some manners in the rain!" She didn't look so much as mad anymore than she looked hurt.

She started walking again, as long as Owaja followed of course, but she wouldn't look at anyone.

"If you want me to walk to our destination naked, then go for it." The Rangers usual cocky smirk was back in place as they continued on.

He had ignored the gnomes questioning entirely as he had gotten what he wanted and it was of no consequence what she thought his motives to be.

Sitta sighed. Mentally, of course. "Put your feelings aside, rain woman, and look around you. Do you know how many lives you are possibly dooming by being a blundering, moody fool? Do you know what this rain will turn these once fertile lands into? If you do not wish to come, tell us the way and be done with it. Or at least save that for later."

'Later' would be after their task was done - and when he was away from her, preferably. Typical. Humans were always acting according to their feelings, when they should use logic or sense of duty instead.

Celestina blushed when Dadj spoke of walking there naked. No, that definitely was not a good idea. When Sitta pointed out what she already knew, she said nothing. It had been a bluff, really. She would never have just stopped and let them all go on.

"He could be nicer." she mumbled. She wasn't mad anymore. Just hurt.

"It shouldn't be too long." Hopefully they were making good time and would get to the rift soon. The tower was protected by magical energy that was...well, rather finicky.

The Ranger knew it would be proper etiquette to apologize right about now, but his pride prevented him from doing so. And the thought that this woman would grow old and die like everyone else, why make friends?

He simply settled for walking on in silence.

Crossing her arms and muttering a few harsh words under her breath, the gnome turned away from the ranger and looked onward. Rising steam from the rain's acidic makeup made it hard to see anything in the distance, but Owaja was sure she felt something. Sunflower had noticed it well before she did, perhaps that was why he had been acting so strangely. Or maybe it was just his distemper towards Dadj. What ever the came, the gnome waited a few more minutes before the static feeling swept over her again.

"Uh, 'scuse me, Miss Selestia?" Owaja began while spinning around on a heal and walking backwards. "How far would you say we are from that magical tower thingie? Cuz I'm sensing a pretty big and powerful force not too far away from here."

Celestina didn't bother correcting Owaja. She moved forward so she was beside the woman. "I knew I'd felt that tingling before. Stop moving, quickly. If we get too close it will recognize you before me, and the result won't be pretty."

She stepped forward, murmuring a few foreign words. She looked around at what appeared to be just an endless expanse of land. "Show yourself." she whispered. Suddenly a wall throbbed into view, a foggy yet clear wall that was just a couple yards ahead of them. Celestina shivered. "That was close." After a few moments, she gave a glance back at the ranger and spoke bitterly. "It's a shame. We should have had him leading."

Yeah, she wasn't going to forgive him until he apologized. When he did so, so would she. But since he was being stubborn...well, so would she. "Alright," she said, turning her attention back to Owaja. "Please stay here for a moment." She stepped out of their shield, running towards the barrier so that she would not suffer too much rain. Still, it hit and sizzled on her skin, making concentration difficult. She pressed her hands against the wall, steeling herself against the burning rain that fell down on her.

"Come on.." she murmured, focusing against the barrier. "Accept me already, this hurts." The section she was touching suddenly melted into a large, passable hole. She waved the others towards her. "In, hurry!" She had to keep her hand on the wall to keep their passage open.

Once they would reach the other side, they would find that there was no more rain. The land was lavish and beautiful, a large courtyard it seemed with flowers and fruits and trees abound. In the center of it all was a very tall stone tower. Not a soul was in sight so far.

Celestina could be mad at the man for the rest of her life. It was not likely he was ever going to utter words close to an apology within that time anyhow. He followed in silence and entirely ignored Celestina's jab. He was the last to walk through the hole.

He stood a long moment in front of it when everyone else had gone through, even Owaja and her bubble. The acidic rain pelted him now, but he was ignorant to its hissing. He took a deep breath after contemplating the dimensional ramifications and stepped through. It was like moving through jello for him, while it had been so easy for the others. Little static shocks harmed his being but he pushed through anyhow. Once he was free of the wall, he pitched forward to his knees, dripping with rain and sweat, singed and smoking.

When Sitta passed through the hole in the barrier, the air around him seemed to stir for a second, and the hole started slightly (yet erratically) changing shapes. But once he was in the other side, it stopped. Had the Sibling felt fear at the possibility of the barrier closing in on him? No one would ever know.

"Let us make haste."

Sam had passed through with no ill effects of any kind, save for her magic Lite Brite sword going crazy, but it was sheathed anyway. She'd pulled back her hood and was enjoying the fresh air, and sunlight. She had also dismounted - Mort was investigating the area. With his nose to the ground, his wagging tail, and his peculiar bouncing gait, he resembled a large, purple dog.

At Sitta's suggestion, she nodded in his direction. "Yeah, we shouldn't stay long. But, there's something I must do before we go any further."

She turned to address Celestina. She took a deep breath, sighed, and squared her shoulders. "Sorry about this, but it has to be done." She then looked up and around, as if taking in her surroundings for the first time, and asked, "What... what is this place?"

He pulled himself back to his feet and ignored the fact that he was steaming. He took in his surroundings uneasily, as he still felt he'd be ejected from this place any moment. He quickly dusted himself off, less for vanity and more for the reassurance that he was corporal. He glanced uneasily to his companions, a look he didn't often make.

"Yes, Celestina; what is this place? And where do we go from here?"

Celestina was not expecting the others to have such strange effects, though really she'd never brought anyone else to this area. Dadj was the worst, so she went right to him. "Are you okay?" Yeah, she was mad at him, but he was hurt! He was smoking! "Let me see if I can help.." She opened the small pouch at her waist that held clean water, since it was rare to get any with the rain now. Unless Dadj stopped her, she would move the water with her hands and move it over Dadj's wounds to soothe them.

At the questions, she gave a sheepish smile. "Nowhere. It's literally nowhere. It's a place that is all it's own. But yet right here in our world. It's comlicated, I can't really explain it." She sighed and looked at the tower. "We made it, he and I. So that people would be safe from us."

Calling off her spell, Owaja let the magical barrier dissipate as she took in the word around her. She had never seen anything like it! Turning on a dime to face Celestia, her mouth spread into a wide smile she couldn't control.

"YOU MADE this place?!?!"

Dadj let her apply the water, despite the fact that it was unnecessary. He waited for her to be done before standing towards the back of the group. He eyed Celestina when she claimed to have helped make this place. Then Owaja when she exclaimed about Celestina claiming to make this place.

Celestina blushed brightly. "Y-yes. I helped, at least..." She bit her lip, kind of embarrassed and shy about the attention she was getting due to that fact. "So be careful. I'm sure he knows we're here by now... and I'm not sure what kind of a welcome to expect."

But it was nice, being back in that place that used to be a safehaven. Too bad it could now possibly be her demise.