[Aithe]

Aithe continued to weave her way down the dimly lit streets, careful to not lose her way when the street lamps dissappeared. She didn't look back at the group, assuming they were all following. Her thoughts were half dedicated to getting to the Arc, and half on why Zephyr chose red of all colors. Of course he didn't seem like a green...but still...

Suddenly a lit blob could be seen on the horizon, and she quickened her pace, eager to see the Arc. The others may not have been able to keep up, but her want to arrive kept her from slowing down. In what seemed forever, the Arc was towering over her, and she looked up in awe.

Isn't it beautiful?

[Ryou]

Ryou followed the Wyvern down the streets of Paris, his own thoughts running through his head in an attempt to drown some of the noise from the minds of others. He'd just achieved level 2, so he couldn't actually hear proper thoughts yet. He stopped when he reached Aithe's left side and looked up at the Arc.

"Wow, he breathed, taking in the sight of it. He listened when Aithe spoke, nodding his agreement.

[Daoine]

Daoine had followed Aithe aswell. As they arrived at the Arc de Triomphe, Daoine stared at it in awe. That looked amazing! "I had no idea it would be this beautiful" she said to the others.

[Myrth]

Myrth trailed behind Aithe, Ryou, and Daoine through the streets. She was pretty eager on seeing the Arc, and when they arrived, she couldn't believe her own eyes.

"I had no idea it would be this beautiful."

"Neither did I," she said, gazing at it with wonder and admiration. The pale monument was illuminated by golden lights. Admiring the lovely carvings, she stepped forward and went into a state almost like a reverie.

[Aithe]

"I had no idea it would be this beautiful."

Which is why I took you....to behold this magnificent piece of history. It has a tie with that human...what's his name...Napoleon? Yes, that's the man. Aithe paused, transfixed on the curves of the stonework. Sometimes I wonder if the Eiffel is overrated...

After a few moments of no movement, she glided forward, closer to the Arc. Now...are you ready to climb?

[Myrth]

Myrth listened to Aithe's words as she remembered Napoleon. She knew that the Arc was created in honor of the fights and the war, but she had no idea that such beauty was the result of war.

"Now...are you ready to climb?"

"Climb?" Myrth inquired, a bit stunned. Is there an elevator or something, or does she really mean climb?

[Aithe]

"Climb?"

Well of course, silly. They didn't build elevators back then, Aithe said, winking. Didn't you read the brochure? Climbing is a part of the package. C'mon. It isn't as hard as it sounds, she assured Myrth, then pushed through a couple who had their arms entwined. Some threw Aithe glances, then dispersed. Whether it was her attitude, her past, or her new role in the dragon community that brought it on, she didn't know.

That is unless you'd rather go see the dead person underneath. Much more enthralling than going to the top, wouldn't you say? It was sarcasm, no doubt. But not the biting kind she used with those that...didn't strike her fancy

[Daoine]

Climbing the Arc sounded like a great idea, Daoine had heard this was possible indeed. So she followed Aithe who made her way towards the stairs that led up the Arc.

"This should be exciting, I'm sure we'll have an wonderfull view of Paris when we get to the top." she said and with that she started to climb the stairs.

[Ryou]

Ryou stared at the arc in awe before starting up the stairs as well. He listened to the others speak, trying to block out the jumble of voices and noise in his head. He hoped he'd level soon; This whole... Thing was starting to irritate him.

[Myrth]

"This should be exciting, I'm sure we'll have an wonderfull view of Paris when we get to the top."

Myrth nodded and followed Daoine and Ryou, noticing that they took the stairs. Oh, that's what she meant. She smiled and said, "I can't wait. This will be wonderful."

[Aithe]

An irritated look flickered across Aithe's face before it dissappeared. Well...the stairs weren't what I was referring to, she glanced at Daoine and the others who were already heading towards the top, but I guess it'll do, she concluded with a sigh, then followed.

A silence fell over her once again. There was the knowledge of Ryou suffering, Zephyr, and walking instead of climbing, among other things as well, that distracted her. Somehow she wished she could be stronger, so that problems didn't exist. But of course, even for one as powerful as Xanth, problems existed.

Last one to the top is a rotten egg, she called suddenly, racing towards the top stair, which was not yet in sight

[Myrth]

Myrth glanced at Aithe for a moment. She seemed a bit troubled, to say the least. She knew she wasn't a blue dragon, who could glimpse thoughts, or a gold dragon, who could sense the feelings of others, but she was a person. Just as she as about to say something, Aithe rushed forward and called out, "Last one to the top is a rotten egg."

"Wait up," she shouted good-naturedly. She knew she couldn't match up with Aithe because she wasn't very athletic, but she could keep up a decent pace. She concentrated on the steps that went by before her, a thought flashing through her mind of the Fae Tree.

[Zephyr]

Zephyr silently followed and climbed, staying behind the others. No one had yet asked of his choice, and for that he was thankful, but it was still just, so much. Had he given in to his father's brain-washing? Zephyr wasn't sure.

When Aithe called out and turned the climb into a race, Zephyr did a half-sigh. He was so apathetic right now. What was with him?

[Aithe]

Aithe turned grinned wildly as Mryth followed, then spun around quickly, racing back up towards the top. And then there was a distubance, and her feet came to a hault on the edge of a stair, her balance thrown off for a moment before she caught herself.

Well that would've been bad... she mumbled, eying the many steps below with a cringe. Aithe a la Sidewalk, being served at the local monument. Now to find what almost caused her death...

It was Zephyr, no doubt. He lagged behind, and sighed...Worried about his father, eh? she sighed mentally. This is getting old...

Zephyr, get your butt up here before I drag it up here. Just because you're a gray cloud, doesn't mean you have to block out the sunshine. It wasn't meant to be mean. She was concerned, and Zephyr needed to snap out of it, or something might happen to him.

[Daoine]

As Aithe started to run to the top and passed her, Daoine decided to run after her. She didn't have an excellent physical condition but should still be able to at least try and keep up with her Wyvern. She noticed Myrth did her best to keep up aswell while Zephyr was lagging a bit. She was still curious about how he had made his final choice but as long as he didn't want to talk about it, she kept quiet aswell.

She kept running up the stairs chasing Aithe in a friendly manner, "Go on, you're so slow a snail would be able to pass you by." she laughed.

[Aithe]

Go on, you're so slow a snail would be able to pass you by

In that instant, Aithe forgot about Zephyr, and a playfully wicked smile crept across her face. Oh yeah? Well, we'll see how snail-like I am when I beat you to the top! she teased, then took off again up the stairs, trying to shorten the distance between her and her friends who were closing in.

The top could be seen against the dark night sky, like a stairway to heaven, so high up, one might think you could reach up and touch the whispery clouds that drifted by above. Even though the bustle of tourists and city folk were ever so present, from here they were only a buzz, and it seemed that the world had stopped...and Aithe only had herself and her friends to worry about. That everything else was slipping away...that the pain was hiding behind a wall...not an unbreakable one, but it seemed as though the seal was getting stronger each day.

I'm free, she thought, a smile touching her lips. I'm finally free...

Her legs pumped all the harder

[Daoine]

Oh yeah? Well, we'll see how snail-like I am when I beat you to the top!

Daoine saw the wicked smile appear on Aithe's face and noticed she started to run faster even. Daoine decided she was not going to give Aithe an easy winning and tried to keep up with Aithe's tempo.

She sensed how Aithe ws feeling joy and relief, and Daoine was glad her friend was feeling so good. Aithe had a character of her own, anger and pain often seemed to prevail over other emotions. Of what little details Aithe had shared with her, Daoine knew that Aithe had a difficult youth and could therefore understand she wasn't always the easiest person to be friends with. It was just that others often didn't see it this way, they only saw a Wyvern with an attitude...

Daoine shook her head, her thoughts were wandering off with her and meanwhile the distance between Aithe and herself grew. She picked up the pass again and tried to catch up before Aithe reached the top.

[Ryou]

Ryou grinned, watching the others run. "Aw, what the heck," he muttered before running up the steps, taking them three at a time. Focusing all of his attention on running up the stairs, the dragon realized that focusing on something simple helped pull his mind away from the sounds in his head.

Maybe he could wait until he levelled again without going completely mad.

[Aithe]

Aithe smiled slightly. Daoine was a good friend, and understood her better than most. Without knowing it, she slowed down to let Daoine get farther along.

Hey guys, you might wanna tune down on the thoughts. Don't want Ryou going insane, now do we? she teased, stifling a giggle.

[Zephyr]

Zephyr trudged up the steps, slightly faster than before. Still not at ease with his decision, Zephyr slipped his hands out of his pockets and started bounding steps 2 at a time. Slowly gainin speed, Zephyr quickly passed Ryou and Myrth. Coming up behind Daoine Zephyr slowed.

He didn't want to make anyone look slow. His red dragon speed out-matched any of them surely, except for possibly Aithe. How could he keep from making others think he was showing off?

Please remember not to godmod the other characters