Xander {Part 3}

Via

The two groups had joined, and yet still kept to themselves. The boy who had been in such distress was being comforted by a blond girl wearing a thick black cloak, and the Elf who had snapped so harshly at Bly was now speaking with her in lowered tones. Xander felt himself bristle mentally, the man had no reason to growl at her for asking a simple question.
The Elf fellow, Xander realized he didn't know any of their names, walked back to his group, and Bly joined Xander by the fire.
"Well?" Xander didn't look up from polishing his sword, instead just rubbed the metal with more aggression.
Bly positioned her dirty skirts around her daintily, "Well what?"
"You two were talking for a long time"
She blinked at him blankly for a moment, then seemed at a loss for what to say.
Finally she took a deep breath, "Captain Bolivar, I didn't think you would get so-"
"Ok ok. Forget I said anything" He had forgotten how perceptive she was.
Bly smiled and glanced over her shoulder at where Adonis and Nairi were arguing over whether or not the berries that grow in the Tawarthion Forest were edible. 
"You still think they won't kill each other given the opportunity?" Xander asked her, he didn't see Bly's reasoning over that, they seemed like a perfect pair of enemies to him.
"I'm rather certain"
Xander shrugged again, and tuned out the argueing of Adonis and Nairi. They'd settle things on their own..somehow.
"So, what have you learned about them" Xander gestured to the new comers with his sword tip, and caught the Mermaid/Dwarf/other stuff girl's eye. She was regarding him with a sort of wary untrust. She looked away, and said something in lowered tones to the other dark cloaked girl.
"Well" Bly cleared her throat, "I knew who Nithron is-"
"Nithron? The elf guy?"
Bly laughed, "Nithron Featherheart, yes. His Father is on the council, and I saw him a few times at Voronwe. Naturally, we didn't associate much, since we didn't want Felix to accuse the ambassadors of having friends in the Rebels..." she looked down and kicked a stone, "Not like that much matters now..."
Xander rested a hand on hers, "Its not by any fault of your own, trust me. If Felix really wanted peace with your people, it would have happened"
Bly nodded, and tucked a whisp of hair behind her pointed ear. "Anyway, I was amazed to see him here, normally he is in more important places. And then he said that the Mergirl, Kaymele, was accused of wrongs, he didn't specify, and he helped her leave.  They picked up the those three in Africi, Prid, Anakis and Natia are their names. Prid is half lion, and the girls are Fairies"
Xander glanced at the girls in surprise, "Really? What are they doing so far from their tree? Fairies haven't been heard of for centuries, Did, that guy, Nithron, tell you that?"
Bly shook her head, "He didn't say they were fairies, but I knew"
Xander turned to look at Bly, "How could you possibly know?"
She looked down at the ground, "When I said I didn't have any abilities back at the prison, well, it was a tiny lie. I have never thought of it as an ability, since, well, we all have it.  We can tell species if we look deeply"
"How?"
Bly looked up, seemingly surprised that he wasn't angry at her, "Souls, each person's soul is a different shade, but the colors are all in the same color group in each species. Fairies are pink or purple, Elves are green, Dragons are red, Dwarves are Brown, and Merpeople's are blue. Its an ability we can turn off or on"
Xander seemed taken back, "So, it kinda just, glows around a person? And what about humans?"
Bly smiled, "Yes, like a light coming from within and surronding them" then she frowned, "Humans, are difficult, though. All humans start off white, or pale pale blue. But, as time goes on, their colors may change, or may stay the same.  Felix's was a dark dark red, and yours-" She suddenly stopped, and turned away.
"What? Mine is?"
Looking at him from the corner of her eyes, Bly said, "I can't tell you. It's against our morals. But, look inside yourself, You'll find your own color, I'm s-"
She was interrupted by Nairi's screams.
All members of the parties stood and those with swords held them at the ready.
Adonis ran into the bushes where Nairi had strolled, and came out seconds later with her tossed over his shoulder. For once, she wasn't protesting his aid.
"I saw it! It was huge! I was just-" a shrill shriek filled the air, and the two fairy girls clapped hands over their ears. "It's an Otrov" Nithron whispered. "Otrov?" Prid asked just as quietly, and another shriek pierced the air. The Elf nodded, "They came over with the Fire Mages about, oh, 7000 years ago, and have grown. The last one I saw was about 2000 years ago. And it was the size of a large cow I can only imagine how bi-"
As if on que, the beast's double head reared above them, hissing.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but, in Dragon tongue, that translates into run!" Adonis took off, hefting Nairi over his shoulder again. The white Dragon that had accompanied the newcomers growled at Adonis, then at the Ortrov. The others followed Adonis' lead, but the beast was far more adept at running through a dangerous trap laid forest. It seemed to know where every fire pocket, and Walking tree grove was, and it's snake like body and short stubby legs propelled it with amazing speed through the trees.
"We can't hope to outrun it" the lion boy, Prid, gasped.
"In that case, we'll have to kill it" Adonis stopped suddenly, and dropped Nairi to the ground.
The sounds of the ancient serpent crashing through the undergrowth grew closer.
"Bly, take Ciar and Rudy, and Nairi too, and get out of here. And those fairies. They probably can't fight to save their lives" Xander ordered, he turned towards the sound of the Ortov, and didn't see Natia and Anakis' look of distress that mingled with insult.
Bly seemed ready to obey, but Nariri spoke up, "Now listen, Captain Bolivar, you might be a big guy in that army, but we are all equals here" Nithron seemed ready to interrupt her, but she ignored him, "I say we all stay, or at least I do. And there's nothing you can do about it"
Xander glared at her, silly girl. She had saw the thing, did she really think she would be any help? He was prepared to scold her, with maybe a quip about her height, but the Ortrov burst through the trees. With a squeal that sounded like pleasure, it lunged in to attack. It's double heads spitting poison and fire.
"Don't let it get on you!" Xander heard Bly shout.
He felt the concentrating that only comes on when fighting block all other sounds out, at one point Adonis was fighting beside him, then Nithron. The hissing of the beast and the smell of the sour poison filled the air.
Then in slow motion, it happened. Nairi ran to stick her sword in its stomach, using her short height to get under it, but with a snack like speed, it snapped at her, it's poison, dagger like tongue flickering at her. It sliced across her face and arms before Bly ran in, pulling her friend away, and turning her back to the creature.
Adonis and Xander both shouted at once.
It stabbed Bly in the shoulder, yellowed poison rolling off its fangs, and dripping onto its tongue.
Xander ran forward, his sword felt lighter in his hands, and in the corner of his eyes, where Adonis had once stood, a red dragon growled. In one movement, Xander sliced the creature's tongue off, while the red dragon rammed the Ortrov. Nithron bounded jumped off the white dragon, and stuck his sword into the creatures defenseless belly.
The Ortrov squirmed for a moment, but finally stilled, and Nithron pulled his sword out.
"Bly!" Xander sheathed his red blade, and ran to where Bly and Nairi were collapsed.
The Red Dragon disappeared, leaving only a worried Adonis.
"Bly...." He picked up her limp form, and Nithron knelt beside him, "She'll come to, Elves resist the poison better then Humans" worry clouded his face, and he glanced at the discarded tongue Xander had sliced off. "But that was a lot of poison"

~Ok. I could very well go on, but this post is long enough. Tell me what'cha guys think. Kathrine, your turn!~

~Oh, and isn't that pic of Xander absolutely SMASHING?!~

~Oh, and I apologize for taking the liberties of naming the Ortov. It means 'Poison' in Cretian. or some language. I kinda forget...*whistles* ^.^~