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[color=skyblue][h1]Ariella Taraman[/h1][h3]The Outlands[/h3][/color][/center]
The Outlands were amazingly different from behind the Gate and Wall. She was busy admiring all of the trees at the distance when Cru and Sky said that they were splitting off. Her mouth could barely form the word, "What?!" before they were already running off to the west. Her eyes were wide as she saw the disappear over the thousand foot span between the wall and the forest. Peering around, they were all alone. The other groups that came out on a midnight tour had taken off away from the two new Guards, leaving them to fend for themselves, for a lack of a better phrase. 

Noah began walking forward and Ariella immediately followed him, having to take bigger steps to remain even with him. They were walking over the span of the thousand feet to get to the edge of the forest. [i]“Ari, what’re you thinking right now? Because I’m thinking this is…”[/i] She cocked an eyebrow. Only her friends really called her Ari... Everyone else refered to her as Ariella or Ella. She had to admit, though, she didn't mind it all that much. She smiled softly toward the ground as he finished his sentence, glad for the mask around her face so he couldn't see her smile. He continued on to say how the Outlands were something. She had to agree. She had never been out here before. She had only seen glimpses in run through simulations. 

"I'll agree to that," she murmured quietly, almost to herself. She peered around as they approached the forest. In the dark of the night, everything seemed to be moving inside of it. She could see some flashes in the distance from laser guns and the force of the sight forced her to draw her own, new pistol. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she kept a tight grip on her handle, making sure that her shaking wasn't noticeable. She took the point, moving slightly ahead of Noah, but making sure that she remained close to him. 

"It's a lot quieter than I thought," she said, out loud. She looked around the darkness surrounding them. Taking a small breath, she stepped into the darkness of the forest. Almost immediately after her foot touched the ground, there was a rustling in the trees above them. She jerked the pistol up, looking into the trees above them. "This is fucking bullshit that Cru and Sky left us on our own," she growled, fear driving it out of her rather than actual anger. 

Everything surrounding them went quiet once again and she proceeded forward once more. Her tennis shoes were almost silent on the fallen branches and leaves around them. They walked for a good twenty or so minutes before another rustle came above her. She jerked up again, staring into the trees. "It would be easier to see if we had flashlights," she said. She dropped her gun again, keeping an eye on the upper level of the trees."

She dropped her gaze turning to Noah. "We should probably head east, since Cru and Sky went west," she said, pointing east as she did so. "If we don't find any from there, we head north until a half an hour left, then head back to the Gate. Hopefully after that we'll finally stay together." As she was talking, she took no notice of the dark, slim, scorpion tail like shadown that descended behind her, glistening with poison...