[RP]Obake Blade

[JasraLantill]

As the rock snake was wreaking havoc down below her, Aya was clinging to the small ironwood tree for dear life. The rock snake roared, and Aya shut her eyes tightly in a fear response. Suddenly she felt a breeze on her neck.

 

"Let go of the tree, Aya," a voice instructed her to do. "I have you."

 

Aya cracked an eye open. "Ack!"

 

Hovering in midair, Takara was quite the sight to see. Wind was her only support and her hair drifted lazily, much like it would look underwater; her eyes were pure white.

 

"You're supported, Aya," Takara encouraged, her voice soothing. "Trust me. Let go of the tree."

 

Aya heard shouting from below, and then an echoing thud, and then...

 

"Ow!" A pebble had hit Aya on the top of her head. She looked up, but didn't have time to shout a warning before the rockslide came tumbling down the cliff.

 

She closed her eyes and held onto the branch even tighter as rocks clattered and clinked all around her and Takara. Fortunately for them, the ledge that the tree had found safety in clinging to also protected them from the larger boulders. When the dust cleared, the fire dragon was no more, but Aya and Takara remained relatively unscathed.

 

Aya opened her eyes. Takara was still floating in mid-air beside her. Aya glanced down. It was a long way to the ground.

 

"Takara? Promise me you won't let me fall?"

[Grace]

"I promise," Takara said. "I have you. If it would help your confidence..." She eased forward, reaching out and taking hold of one of Aya's hands. "Come on," she urged, smiling faintly. "You can trust me."

[JasraLantill]

Aya hesitated a moment. She had complete trust in Takara, but wasn't too sure about the swirling air being able to hold up both of them. Yet with one hand in Takara's grip already, Aya closed her eyes tight and took the plunge. She let go with her other hand and clutched Takara's arm tightly.

 

"Please don't let me f...." Aya cracked an eye open. "...all." She grinned then, seeing as she wasn't falling and that she had a bird's eye view of what was going on below her. "Hey! This isn't scary at all! It's actually kind of... fun!"

 

Her grin faded quickly as she saw the others trying to battle the rock snake. "Takara, we've got to get down there to help," she said with urgency.

[ForceFightWMe12]

As the others set to work against the serpant, Kyo watched Takara as she drifted down, Aya safely next to her. Dashing back to Carwyn, he pulled an arrow out of the Ranger's quiver and handed it to him.

 

"Give this to Miss Aya the moment she touches down." he told him. Carwyn looked at him blankly for a second, seeming totally lost. Kyo explained quickly. "Just tell her to hold it and pray - pray quickly. Don't fire the arrow until I tell you - your target will be obvious enough."

 

And with little more than that, the swordsman turned and ran at the snake, his sword drawn. Now it was his turn to fight.

 

He scooped up a rock as he went - it was a pretty good size, a bit smaller than his hand. Skidding to a stop only a few meters from the giant head of the Rock Snake, he chucked it with all his might at the thing, hitting it between the eyes.

 

"Hey! Stoney! Down here!"

 

A shuddering hiss issued from the snake's mouth, its eyes looking down at the swordsman with a murderous glare. He had no idea if the creature could understand him - but it seemed to get the basic idea. It dropped its head until it was level with Kyo, its breath blowing Kyo's hair and clothes, kicking dust and pebbles up at him. He winced slightly at the sudden burst of stinking air, but held his ground. After a moment, he set his jaw and raised his blade. Then, he charged the beast.

 

He struck his sword against the snake's nose, directly between the slitted nostrils. Nothing happened - his blade bounced off the hard stone, reverberating with the strength of the blow and shaking his arm to the bone. He gritted his teeth, wincing a bit.

 

Ouch.

 

The snake didn't take too well to being poked in the snout. With another murderous hiss, it pulled its head back, only to drive it back at Kyo. He jumped to the side, rolling to avoid the attack. As he came to his knees again, the snake was already changing tactics. It raised its head again, its fangs beared.

 

Kyo swore to himself as it came down with lightning speed. He didn't have time to get out of the way.

 

Throwing his sword and arm up, the tip of the blade caught in the roof of the thing's mouth - which was also made of stone. It didn't give. But it did stop the snake.

 

The only small downside was that the fang was peircing his arm.

 

With a soft grunt, he winced, his body straining against the snake as it tried to close its mouth, breaking him like a toothpick in the process. Setting his foot against the bottom half of its jaw, Kyo fought to keep the mouth open. This was their chance. This is what he had been hoping to do.

 

"CARWYN! Now! Down the throat!"

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

Meanwhile, the snake's body kept thrashing. Its tail whipped across the ground, trying to sweep away the others that were still attacking it.

 

((Note: You guys shouldn't try and 'rescue' Kyo at this point. You'd be too distracted by trying to not get squashed >.>))

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn watched as Takara glided down next to him, Aya in tow. He had little time to marvel at the feat though, as Kyo was battling with the rock snake. Trotting quickly over to Aya, he thrust the arrow into her hands. "Aya, I need you to pray over this arrow."

 

She looked at him confusedly. "What?"

 

"Yeah, that's what I said," Carwyn replied. "Just do it. Pray that the gods will bless it or something. We need some of your magic."

 

Realization and understanding crept into her soft brown eyes. "Right." Bowing her head, she held the arrow tightly in her hands. "Here goes nothing," she whispered, closing her eyes and calling upon the gods to lend her their power.

 

Within moments, the same ethereal glow from before began to emanate from Aya. Carwyn stood back for a few seconds, simply marveling at the sight. Almost as quickly as it had come, the glowing aura dissipated from around Aya, leaving only the arrow gleaming.

 

"Here," Aya said, holding the shining shaft out to Carwyn. She suddenly looked very tired. Slumping slowly to the ground, she whispered, "Shoot quickly, Kyo needs help."

 

Carwyn nodded, his practiced hands already nocking the arrow into his longbow. Turning back to where Kyo was battling the rock snake, he saw that the warrior had managed to hold the serpent's mouth open with his sword. From the grimace on Kyo's face, Carwyn guessed that it wasn't easy, as the rock snake tried to snap its massive jaws shut on him. Kyo turned to stare at the ranger. "CARWYN! Now! Down the throat!", he yelled.

 

"Don't have to tell me twice," Carwyn said, taking aim at the inky blackness of the rock snake's mouth and letting the enchanted arrow fly. His aim was true as it sped right past Kyo and into the beast's waiting maw. It roared in agony, widening its mouth so that Kyo tumbled out. He rolled on the ground and was back on his feet in seconds, observing the serpent as it howled in pain.

[Jason Skywalker]

Akira nocked another arrow, trying to not scream in pain. He was also trying to evade the snake. He hid behind a boulder and pulled it back. Then, suddenly, the beast started howling in pain as he then came behind of the boulder.

 

"Rest in pain slithery snake," He said as he let the arrow go as it embebbed itself on the neck, right beside the "magical" arrow as Akira then fell to the ground, exhausted.

[ForceFightWMe12]

The snake slithered and thrashed, its tail whipping back and forth as it roared and hissed in pain. It seemed as if it were trying to force the arrow out - but Kyo could no longer see the light of the weapon in the inky blackness of the creature's throat. It was impossible - the arrow was too far in.

 

After a few moments of violence, the serpant's black eyes began to glow. It gave a few hoarse, choking hisses before it finally lay its head down and no longer moved. The arrow had done its job - it was dead.

 

Kyo paused before moving again, watching the white light fade from the monster's eyes, waiting for them to return to stone. After they had done so, he rose from his crouched position, holding his arm.

 

"That's it, guys!" he called to the others, "We did it!"

[Rexraptor2000]

Its official: If I manage to survive this little quest, which I doubt at this rate this is going, I’m never going to visit the East again, Toa thought to himself as he felt himself slammed across the chest and sent flying by the snake’s death lash. Well, at least things couldn’t get any worse. Then he hit the stone wall and then the ground.

 

“Ow,” he muttered to himself as he painfully got up, pain radiating particularly in his chest from the previous wound. And that my friend, is why most Pyromacers never live past 24.

 

“I suppose the dragon wasn’t so smart of a move. But hey, if you ever settle in the West, you know what you’ll have to deal with.” Toa chuckled painfully as he walked over to the others.

[Quist]

"Maggie!" the shrill voice echoed through the stone hallway.

 

Magdelena 'Maggie' Roche pulled her long brown hair up into a ponytail as she tied the last knot on her high leather boots. "Coming, Brother Hanzo!" she called out, whisking her door shut behind her as she padded quickly down the long hallway. Arriving at Brother Hanzo's door, she slowed down said, "I'm coming in, Brother!"

 

"Yes yes, hurry," the monk's irritable voice came from inside the room.

 

Maggie let herself in to see Brother Hanzo sitting on the egde of his bed, his arms rigid at his side. She moved quickly to him and knelt at his feet. "Oh, it's your arthritis again, isn't it, Brother?"

 

The wizened old monk looked at Maggie and nodded. "It came upon me quickly this morning."

 

"I'll go make you some ryebark tea to soothe your aches," Maggie told him, rising to move to the door.

 

"We haven't any more," Brother Hanzo called out to her. As she turned back to look at him, he said, "I'll need you to go out and gather some for me."

 

She nodded. "There should be some near the entrance to Rock Snake Canyon, I'll head over there now."

 

"Be careful," Brother Hanzo cautioned, waggling a bony finger at her.

 

Maggie flashed him a smile. He had been telling her to be careful whenever she went out on her own since she was twelve years old. "Always, Brother," she replied, bowing respectfully as she exited.

 

She made her way through the cavernous stone hallways, her booted feet barely making noise. She had honed this skill out of necessity, as monks did not particularly like loud sounds when studying or meditating. Coming to a halt at the huge wooden entrance door, she took her high-collared black cloak off a peg in the wall and fastened it around her neck. She took a smooth white wood walking stick from a rack to the side, then undid the latch on the door and set her shoulder against it, pushing it open with all her might. It creaked open, admitting her into the warm light of the day. Hefting her small leather bag, she started towards her destination.

[JasraLantill]

Aya sat on the ground, tired and exhausted once again, but still awake and cognitive for the moment. The rock snake was dead and its body began to solidify into rock once more, making a beautiful, twisted rock formation. She looked around the canyon—a closer, more critical look than she ever had before. There were tens of them—the same coiled snake-like formations, although a bit more weathered after being there for a number of years, that her father had told her were ancient, sleeping rock snakes. She had doubted him then, but didn't doubt him now. And if one had been woken up….

 

“Carwyn… we have to get out of here,” she said tiredly. She nodded to the rock formations. “Out of this canyon. Kyo was right. It’s not safe.” Her eyes searched for their bold warrior leader.

 

Kyo was just coming out from behind the rock snake formation, clutching his arm, but otherwise looking fine. Aya frowned slightly, then shook her head. “Carwyn…can you put me up on Bob? I still need to get to the top of the peak, but I don’t think I can walk it.” She looked upwards. “I’m certainly not going to climb it again.” She sighed. “I just thought I could get up there and back before everyone woke up to leave. I’m sorry that I put everyone in danger. I didn’t mean to. Honest.”

 

She looked over at Kyo again, then cringed slightly. “He’s going to be mad at me, isn’t he?” she asked Carwyn.

[ForceFightWMe12]

As the others drifted back towards where Carwyn, Aya, and Takara stood, Kyo hung behind. He studied the solidifying rock snake for a few moments, his gloved hand over his arm, small rivulets of crimson working their way between his fingers. Strange things...

 

He turned, slowly making his way back to the others. The others had gathered around in a clump, the 'mancers looking quite exhausted already, the others seeming a bit more worn-out than usual. As he drew closer, he saw a pale-looking Aya slumped against a rock, the exhaustion clear on her face. He had hoped that blessing the arrow wouldn't take too much out of her...Of course, things had a tendancy to not go as planned when he was the mastermind. He had tried to get past the canyon safely, but his words had driven Aya to venture into it alone. He had hoped to defeat the rock snake with as little energy and pain as possible. Everyone was now exhausted, a few of them injured. The worst part...was knowing that most of it was his fault.

 

Walking between - and inadvertantly ignoring - everyone else, he crouched close to the merchant.

 

"Miss Aya?" he asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

[JasraLantill]

"Fine," she said, leaning on Carwyn's arm for support. "Just a bit tired though. From the rock climbing, I imagine," she added with a weak grin. Then she gave Kyo, then everyone else around her an apolgetic look. "I'm really sorry, guys. I shouldn't have come here on my own. I meant to get to the peak and get back before morning, and was trying to save time by climbing instead of taking the trail around to the top." She sighed. "Boy, was I stupid. I should have just waited to...."

 

She paused and her brow crinkled as she looked over her shoulder to the small backpack she was wearing. "I was just trying to make good on my promise to my father. He loved Dovetail Peak," she said, looking upwards at the high mesa on the mountain top. "We used to camp up there by the old ruins on our way to the Northern Monestary." She grinned. "You would think it would be really windy up there, but for some odd reason, it's sheltered from the wind. Nice, quiet place. And you can see for miles." Her grin faded. "Still... I shouldn't have come on my own. I should have known that once you read my note that you'd come looking for me."

[Rogue Nine]

"What note?" Carwyn asked, looking at Aya.

 

She turned to face him. "The note I left with Bob, of course," she replied. As if on cue, Bob trundled his way towards them, stopping next to Kyo. He whinnied, then reached back with his head to grab at something on the left side of his pack. When he turned back towards them, he had a bit of rice paper in his teeth. On it was scrawled a message.

 

Carwyn took the paper from Bob's mouth, read it, then laughed. "Why didn't you show this to us earlier, Bob?" he asked the pony.

 

Bob snorted and pawed at the ground, as if saying I tried to!

 

Carwyn handed the note to Kyo, who looked it over, then cast a tired expression at Aya. "Honestly now," he said, his voice carrying a slight tone of amusement. "You couldn't wait until morning?"

 

Aya reddened. "I didn't want to put us out of our way, so I thought I could save us some trouble by coming out here during the night." She sighed. "I ended up doing the exact opposite," she muttered ruefully.

 

"No use dwelling on it now," Carwyn said as he carefully took her in his arms. He stepped over to where Bob was and placed Aya between the pony's broad shoulders. "We're all safe and alive, and that's what matters. You just rest easy there."

 

"Thanks Carwyn," Aya said, smiling at him. Her eyes wandered over to Kyo, who was still clutching at his arm. "Are you all right Kyo?"

 

The swordsman grimaced again, then looked up and Aya. "I've been better," he gritted out.

 

"Where's Tellis?" Aya called out. "Kyo needs help!"

 

"I'm right here," Tellis said, slipping into view from behind Bob. She looked a bit peaked herself, her usually neat brown hair plastered in wisps to her forehead, her cheeks rosier than usual.

 

"Tel, are you okay?" Carwyn asked, reaching an hand out to steady her.

 

"I'm fine, Carwyn," she said, kneeling down next to Kyo. "Just a bit...overexerted, that's all."

 

"Overexerted?" Carwyn repeated stupidly.

 

"Yes," she replied, point upward. Carwyn followed the direction of her finger to see a giant sheet of ice on one of the craggy canyon faces. Behind the glinting transparent wall, a number of rather large boulders could be seen, pressing up against it. Carwyn's face fell as he realized what Tellis had done. She'd saved him, Bob and probably a good number of their group by throwing together an ice barrier to block what would have been a fatal rockslide. "Wow," was all he managed to get out as he stared.

 

"Indeed," Tellis said dryly. "Now Kyo, let's take a look at that injury of yours, shall we?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"I'm fine." he said, gently pulling away. Taking his hand away, he showed the drying blood to the others. It was still bleeding - but for the moment, it didn't appear that he would bleed to death. "See? Already stopping. We're all exhausted after that - it would be best for us to get out of this canyon before we stop to do anything."

 

Looking above them, his eyes travelled from Tellis' massive sheet of ice to Dovetail. With a small smile and curiosity glinting in his eye, he looked back to spot the entrance to Dovtail's path. Taking a few steps towards it, he turned to the others and said, "Let's find out just how many miles we can see from Dovetail Peak, shall we?"

[Jason Skywalker]

"You know, you could help me 'round here," Akira said breathing heavily while laying exhausted on the ground, "Sorry if i sound meany or demanding or so, but hey, i'm not the one who got impaled by an arrow on the shoulder and could have the stiches come out while i shot at the snake," He said sarcastically.

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis' tired grey eyes darted towards where Akira was laying on the ground. "But you are the one who got impaled by an arrow through your shoulder," she replied silkily. Moving over to him, she knelt down and pulled his tunic back, exposing his left shoulder. Sure enough, his wound was still there, all stitched up. She studied it carefully from the front, then pulled him towards her to check his back. "It looks fine to me," she announced. "My stitchwork might not be as good as Dr. Waverly's but I do take pride in it." She smirked at him. "If it really does continue to bother you, I can place a cold compress poultice on it once we're out of this wretched canyon." She stood smoothly then offered her hand to him.

 

****

 

Carwyn looked back at where Tellis had gone to check on Akira. Overhearing the healer's comments, he chuckled, then leaned over to Bob and whispered in the pony's ear, "Gee, I wonder when Akira started drinking wussy juice."

 

Bob bared his teeth and let out an amused snort.

[Jason Skywalker]

"I know i am, i was only being sarcastic. And don't worry, your stichwork is fine," Akira said, taking her hand and getting up.

[JasraLantill]

Taking a few steps towards it, Kyo turned to the others and said, "Let's find out just how many miles we can see from Dovetail Peak, shall we?"

 

Aya gazed at him with surprise. "You mean, after all the trouble I've caused you, you're still willing to indulge me and go to the top of the peak?" She gave him a tired grin. "Well, Bob knows the way."

 

She nudged the pony forward with her heel. "Go on, Bob." She leaned forward, resting her head against Bob's neck, her fingers tightening in the tangles of Bob's thick mane. Gently, she closed her eyes. "Take us up to the top."

[ForceFightWMe12]

The swordsman smiled faintly as Aya leaned against Bob's neck, closing her eyes. She was exhausted, no doubt...and he couldn't help but feel at least partially if not entirely responsible. He paused for a moment to allow Bob to pass, then followed the pony up the trail.

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

Within a half an hour, the group had managed to reach the top of Dovetail Peak. It really was a goregous view - when Aya had said that you could see for miles from the top, she hadn't been joking. Kyo felt as if he could see straight to the Heavens from here, if he had wished it. He could see several towns and cities in the distance and - was it just his eyes playing tricks on him? Or were those really the faint outlines of the mountains in the West?

 

He sat at the edge of the peak, the others settling down behind him on the flat rock for a noontime meal. After a few moments of sight-seeing, he pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the peirced bracer.

 

Blood still oozed from the small wound, though it wasn't life threatening. He could either bandage it now, or allow it to stop on its own. If he allowed it to go on its own, it would probably seal up about an hour from now - it was neither very large nor terribly deep. If he bandaged it, it would stop the flow of blood, but...

[JasraLantill]

Aya was still tired, though with each passing moment, she felt her strength returning. She had helped make some stew for lunch, and seeing Kyo all by himself surveying their surroundings near the edge, she decided to carry over a bowl of stew to him.

 

Sidling up behind him, she sat the bowl down on a small boulder. "I brought you something to eat, Kyo." She looked at him, standing there strong and vibrant with the slightest bit of a breeze rustling through his hair, and then she looked at small bit of blood oozing from the wound on his arm. And then she frowned.

 

"Does it hurt?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

He gritted his teeth momentarily as he clentched and unclentched his fist, testing the muscles. Afterwords, he shrugged and looked at the merchant from the corner of his eye.

 

"A bit." he said, "This is just a scratch - I've had worse. I'll be fine."

 

((*Runs away from her cruddy post*))

[JasraLantill]

"Indeed?" Aya's eyes narrowed and she looked at him askance. "Worse than that? Well, you'd better eat and keep your strength up, being as you're such a strong warrior."

 

Averting her eyes from him, she slipped off her back pack and set it down on the ground near the boulder, then removed her father's urn from within. "My father was a strong man as well," she said, holding the urn reverently in her hands. She looked over to a small outcrop of rocks near the edge, where, if one looked closely, one could see the faint trace of the letter 'S' carved into one of the boulders. She started towards it. "But I doubt that even he could have survived the petrifying bite from a Rock Snake," she said as she walked away.

[ForceFightWMe12]

He frowned faintly after that rather pointed comment.

 

Petrifying bite...?

 

He hadn't even thought about the power that the Rock Snake's venom was suposed to have. He pulled the sleeve of his shirt back down over the bracer, taking a seat and grabbing the bowl that Aya had brought over for him. He watched her move over to the rocks with her father's ashes, pondering what she had said.

 

Why wasn't he petrified now?

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis put the finishing touches on the cold compress poultice. It had taken a bit of ingenuity on her part, but she'd managed to use both disciplines she was proficient in to craft a remedy for Akira's shoulder. Hefting it, she rolled it in a long piece of cloth, then reached over and tied it around Akira's collarbone. She tightened the knots, then sat back and wiped her brow.

 

"Better?" she asked the swordsman.

 

****

 

Carwyn sat, perched atop a rock overlooking the horizon. He was used to great heights, but being above Dovetail Peak was something entirely new. The land seemed to stretch out far beyond even his keen eyes could see and he was just marveling at it all. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out another slightly bent cookie and took a bite. You're out there somewhere, Chrys...

[JasraLantill]

Aya knelt quietly by the rock and traced her finger over the faint letter that was carved into it. Her father had carved that when he had been a young boy--the letter 'S' for Samuro S'Ornaku. Even though he had been born in raised in the lush green valleys of the South, this had been his most favorite place in all of the world. 'From here, you can almost see the gods themselves,' he had said to her.

 

And you almost could. She said a quick prayer, one that was quite standard at funerals in the South, and then she rose to her feet.

 

She looked out over the world. DoveTail Peak was not the highest place in the land, (she could just barely see the tall spikey mountains to the West, and the snow covered peaks further to the North,) but it looked out across the flat, green grasslands, forests and the sea. It was like standing on top of the world here, easy to see why someone long ago had thought to build a small temple, even though now, it was just a mesa peppered with rocky boulders and an outline of foundation stones.

 

"Well, I kept my promise, father," she said to the urn. "Brought you all this way, to your favourite place. Just like you asked."

 

Tears welled up in her eyes, then spilled over to streak down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I could now though. Apparently, I'm some sort of a 'spirit mage'--a miko, Kyo calls me. I can save people when I pray. Did you know that?" Her voice cracked, and more tears began to fall. "Is that why you asked me not to pray for you when...." She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "You had to have known! Why else would you have said that? Why would you have made me promise to bring you here? You knew. You knew that I would save you, but in the process be too weak to escape the bandits. Why didn't you tell me?" She sniffled. "What you didn't know were that the soldiers were on the way to save us. And they did. They saved the ones you gave your last breaths to protect. Just like I could have saved you."

 

Again, she wiped away the tears. "You were so brave. I wish you were here with us now. Remember all those stories you told me? About the Rock Snakes, and the Tornado Griffins. The Obake Blade. They weren't just stories, were they. They were real. And now... now we're on a quest to find it with this warrior called Kyo. I didn't believe him at first, not even when he took me to see the old woman? You know, the one."

 

She let out a sad sigh. "I don't know if I'm strong enough or brave enough to do this, father. And my companions are injured. And we still have a long way to go."

 

She looked over her shoulder at the group, eating and recuperating from their latest encounter. They all looked like they could use a nice long rest to heal and recover. But there wasn't any time.

 

She turned back to the urn. "You'd know what to do. I so wish you could tell me now." She kissed the urn. "Goodbye, father. Peaceful journey."

 

She opened up the urn and tipped it so that the ashes fell out onto the light breeze. They swirled upwards in a spiral dance, encircling above the entire mesa, hovering above everyone for a moment, before sailing away on the wind.

 

Aya suddenly knew what she had to do. She put the lid on the urn and set it down by the rock with the 'S' on it. Then she bowed her head, and began to pray. For all of them. To heal their injuries. Restore their minds, bodies and spirits to their full potential. Mancers and Warriors. Young and old. Animals and people. Sighted and Blind. She prayed for all of them, encompassing them with the spirit she could channel from the gods--until she was completely and utterly spent.

 

She didn't even feel her head hit the ground as she collasped.

 

((OOC: All injuries, including Xan's cataracts if Master_Archon likes, are now completely healed for all party members. All Mancers are completely energized and restored to their full health. The bond that Aya shares with Toa will allow him to know that she's not dead, even though she might appear so at first glance. Tellis, being a healer, and Kai, also being a 'spirit' weilder should realise that Aya is only in a very deep sleep. Aya will need several hours to recover--unless they can find a monk wandering about in the canyon. (*cough-Maggie/Quist-cough*) A monk should know how to restore spirit better than anyone, right? ))