[center][b]Chapter II
[u]To Enter Jinn[/u][/b]
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Warde stood from the side of the small lake, still rubbing his nose. He was grateful he had survived, and even more so that Sephy had healed him, but his nose had not regained its shape, and it was rather foreign to him. He began to make his way back to the fort, and Jake, one of the members of the recently met convoy which had agreed to help them out, did his part. A blanket of darkness fell on the area, blinding anyone Jake did not intend to be able to see so that Warde could return to the inside of the fort without any Geraden scouts finding the entrance to their fort.

He wove his way through the dimly lit corridors of the fort to the scent of food. That was what he needed right now to take his mind off of her. Warde sighed. He had failed, again, to express his...um...infatuation with Lillith, and had made a complete fool of himself. He had tormented himself on the inside for the past three days, and had hardly spoken to anyone since. When he reached the mess hall, he grabbed a platter of food, found a dark corner to sit in, and ate, uncaring for how sloppy he may have gotten. At least, that was until he would think someone was approaching, when he comedically would wipe his face to hide his lack of manners.

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Lillith carried the three plates back toward the infirmary. Sephora was still there, and the girl they were taking care of--who was not easily interpreted as a girl--had been stirring slightly every now and then, and could awaken any time. The two had agreed that, after being unconscious for a number of days, this girl would likely be ravenous, regardless of her normal appetite.

Lillith, since Warde had decided to completely avoid her, had taken to watching over Sephy's patient and helping in what ways she could. She figured that a companion and an aide would be helpful, and though an unlikely team, Lillith thought that she and Sephora worked rather well together. She was certainly learning; that couldn't be doubted. Maybe she would take up learning staves at some point...

The room was still quiet when Lillith returned, and she noticed that the girl had not yet come to. Lillith merely set the first plate on the table next to the cot and handed the second to Sephora before finding one of the few chairs in the room and settling into it to eat. "Any signs to her waking up?" Lillith whispered to Sephora, trying not to startle the unconscious girl, in case she may have actually awoken and fallen back to sleep.

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Evan had been pondering heavily on the group's next move. They couldn't simply stay put forever. They had to move. He had long had the thought that they should go to the Aurora Empire. There were problems, though. They could cross the border into Jinn, and travel all the way north by land, an alternate route being to pass through Exotria, and the last being to use sea travel. Whichever they chose, they would likely have to land in Jinn, where a civil war was raging.

With crossing the border into Jinn, they risked fighting an enormous amount of Geraden troops. Then going through Exotria could mean that they would be attacked by beasts. Then there was sea travel, where they'd have to first steal a ship, which would likely mean unnecessary blood being shed, and they risked being attacked by pirates. Then there were always the bloody Risen.

Evan had been pacing in front of the table in the meeting room, the movement not helping his mind decide. He eventually just sat down and decided he needed the input of another. He didn't want to disturb Rael, but it was the only way he would be able to finally make a decision. Rising to his feet again, Evan began making his way to the library.