[center][h3]Old Woods[/h3][/center]

[center]~[@Rune_Alchemist]~[/center]

[quote=Zasada][color=f6989d]"It may not help, but it might. Come on, stand up we got to get moving. Be a big girl, eh?"[/color][/quote]

"[color=springgreen]Uh, umm... I don't-- I don't exactly... drink. Sorry.[/color]" Ibon declined [u]Zasada's[/u] offer of alcohol. "[color=springgreen]B-but thanks.[/color]" Still, the kind gesture raised Ibon's spirits somewhat. The Liberi had stopped crying and gotten up.

Wu departed from the party to search for the missing Longgui. Meanwhile, [u]Zasada's[/u] plan was followed. Rex took the unconscious Blizzard and took point while Ibon stuck close behind [u]Zasada[/u]. The team continued onwards to Riventor, not stopping as per [u]Zasada's[/u] instruction. They kept a close eye on each other this time too. Should another member instantly disappear, they would at least know who or what was the culprit.

Fortunately, nothing untoward happened to the team since Wu left. The woods the surrounded was a bit more noisier now with the occassional chirp of birds and the light rustling of small rabbits and rodents. It was a little odd to see them in a forest as dead as this. However, the group was still on full alert. Whatever that took Longgui could still be out there. Could still be stalking them.

The uneventful trip was broken whem Ibon piped up behind [u]Zasada[/u]. "[color=springgreen]Zasada, y-you're a pretty great scientist right? W-What do you think happened back there? Uhh, not Longgui's disappearance although I have questions for that too. I mean, the storm that brought us down. It... wasn't a normal storm, wasn't it?[/color]" Ibon asked. "[color=springgreen]And, and... I've also heard from the pilots that... something was following us.[/color]"

[hr]
[center][h3]Old Woods[/h3][/center]

[center]~[@Kuroakuma], [@Lunarlord34]~[/center]

[u]Dragonheart[/u] and [u]Will-O-Wisp[/u] bolted through the woods to escape the predator. The huge dog was hot on their trail, chasing them without being hindered by the dead forest. But when [u]Dragonheart[/u] climbed the large tree with [u]Will-O-Wisp[/u] on him, the huge dog could do nothing but scratch on the tree's trunk in a vain attempt to climb. It barked and scratched for a while, not at all losing interest at its Vulpo prey.

The two Operators discussed again on what to do next with [u]Dragonheart[/u] suggesting that they get above the forest's canopy to get a look on where they were and maybe find where Riventor was. But before [u]Will-O-Wisp[/u] could reply, another figure emerged from the woods catching everyone's, including the canine predator's, attention.

It was a tall Feline man with orange hair and tiger ears and tail. He was armed with a shield as tall as him, marking him as a Defender Operator. [u]Dragonheart[/u] and [u]Will-O-Wisp[/u] would know him as Wu, a Defender Operator of Haynek Institute and a member of one of the teams in this operation. Specifically, he was with the team aboard Raven One and a survivor of that crash. What he was doing here of all places was a mystery.

"[color=orange]Hey! Pick on someone your own size![/color]" Wu challenged the huge dog. The large predator shifted its attention, finding new prey. It quickly lunged at the Feline Defender who raised his tower shield to block. It took all of Wu's strength not to fall over and keep the dog from him. The predator barked as it tried to bite Wu but the Defender then pushed it to the tree where [u]Dragonheart[/u] and [u]Will-O-Wisp[/u] was.

"[color=orange]A little help here![/color]" Wu called out to the two Operators as he continued to pin the huge dog on the tree.