The SLATEPORT Team

“You can call me Hauberk.” I accepted the bug's name with a nod of my head. I would take that as a good sign. MYbe I was not a monster yet, after all, when I could still have the trusts of others. I listened silently from my perch upon the upturned boat as Hauberk explained his simple objectives and I nodded again. It was understandible. Hauberk appeared to be busying himself with exploring among other things so I allowed my mind to wander. My gave automatically turned to the clear morning sky. I was still beautiful, even after the Epidemic happened. Even after I became infected. I supressed a sigh. I missed the days with Jai and Nace bitterly, the days with Taylor even more. I remembered the way that the Ninjask had seemed last time I saw him, devestated over Jai's untimely death and just an empty shell of his former self. My eyes narrowed with sarrow. I prey that he would be alright.

My thoughts were interrupted by the deep voice of my new companion and I jerked myself back to the present. He was motioning to the building he was heading for.“You may stay out here if you wish; but be wary of the Mightyena. He did not look like he would forget you too easily.” I nodded to Hauberk as he paused before continuing.  “There may be a few Undead in here, if you are coming with.” Once more, I nodded to his kind warning. Or kind in my eyes, anyway. I was going to follow Hauberk, not wishing to leave my new companion, and opened my wings to take flight, but I was interrupted.

"Wait ... is that what I think it is?" My feathers puffed out and I whipped around to slwatch as the Mightyena approached. I cawed a warning at him, my wings that had been for flying now outstretched defensively. But then I realized that he was not being aggressive. "I knew it! That's the Team Rocket symbol! You were with them too?" A chill ran down my spine as his hardened eyes bored into mine. Saddness clouded my gaze as my posture softened dramaticly, my wings dropping limply at my sides. Taylor... I couldn't help but glance away from the canine before I could awnser. Emotion threatened to constrict my throat.

"Y-yes, I was," I responded in a dull voice. I was not too keen on explaining my own history to the Mightyena, but felt the need to add,"My original trainer was one of them. He was kind to me, but the organization itself is responsible for taking him from me," And with that I fell silent, but my postured straightened. I stood tall and proud as my intelligent eyes proudly met his. 

Carrie could sense unrest between the two serpants, Nally and Darron. It was silent the whole time. She kept wondering how the two will react to her presentation. She brought her mind back to earth when Darron said, "So, uh, Carrie. Where exactly are we going?" She shivered at the thought of telling them that she was a killer. Not turning around, she said, "Just something you need to know about me..."

She peeked into rooms, trying to find it. She finally reach her destination. She turned around to the two and said, "Okay, let me warn you about something. What you'll see in here is something gross and something I'm not proud of. Promise me you won't freak out, okay?"

When the two responded, she lead them into the room. Bodies were everywhere, all mangled and decomposing. She could still see the stage, covered in blood where she and Margaret suffered. The memories rushed through her head. Her expressionless eyes glanced back over to the Serperior and the Milotic, saying, "Well, here it is..."

"Interesting." Shadow sat on his haunches as the Murkrow spoke. His red and yellow eyes narrowed upon the mention of the Trainer being 'kind'. "Well, I certainly didn't get a 'kind' one," he said bitterly. "He beat me and kept me chained up." He gestured to the collar around his neck. "I got my revenge, though. The bastard deserved it."

It felt strange conversing with another one of Team Rocket's Pokemon, almost as if he and Sem were related somehow. Clearly the Murkrow had had a much different experience than he had, so Shadow decided not to start giving the gory details. They'd only hate him more for it anyway.

He continued to observe the little Murkrow for some time before slight movement from the giant bug distracted him. He hadn't paid much attention to the building before, but now that he recognised it, Shadow flattened his ears against his head and stood up.

"If you're thinking of going in there, I hear strange sounds coming from it regularly so I reckon that there are undead using it as a hideout of some sort. If you're determined, however, let me come in with you and offer my protection." Stop it, you idiot, he thought as he lay down onto his stomach and rested his head on his paws. "Consider it an apology for my behaviour before."

Well, at least he hadn't said the S-word. His pride was cracked on the surface, but still intact. It was about time he started helping out others rather than just himself. Maybe, later, if he was feeling really generous he'd let Hauberk share his food. The guy looked like he hadn't had a decent meal in a while. He wasn't sure if the Murkrow deserved any of it though.

"Oh, guess I should tell you my name," the Mightyena said, getting back to his feet. "I'm Shadow."

He was following them all over the freaking contest hall. Where was she taking Darron? And why the hell was he going with her? The jerk was never nice to anyone, ever, so why her? Why now? And WHY DID HE CARE WHAT DARRON DID? Nalin was ready to just pound his head into a wall for this whole stupid thing when Darron's voice echoed down the hall. "So, uh, Carrie. Where exactly are we going?" Good f-ing question.

"Okay, let me warn you about something. What you'll see in here is something gross and something I'm not proud of. Promise me you won't freak out, okay?" That...didn't sound good. What was she going to do to Darron? And, once again, WHY did he give a damn? This was driving Nalin nuts. He hated Darron, he had always hated Darron. The arrogant prick had made Nalin's contest life hell since the day he arrived. And even sometimes outside of the contest hall if they ran into each other. What was it about nearly dying that made him suddenly want to just up and follow Darron down a death-infested corridor?

"Well, here it is..."

Holy---There were bodies EVERYWHERE! He could only just make it out over the Serperior, who he was sure knew Nalin had been following him by now, and was utterly disgusted. Was the Froslass saying that she did all of that? What? Why? It didn't make any sense. She was so quiet, so blase about the whole thing. If that really was all of her handiwork then where was the murderous rage that should have accompanied it? He just couldn't keep quiet anymore, and had to ask. "...HOW?!"

All that were there were bodies. Bodies stuck to the walls, on the ground, on the fans, on ribbons, on anything that could support them. Pokemon and human alike. Though, this didn't surprise him. They were already in a massacre, and he had to slither over others just to get here. A frown creased his face as he looked to her, then back to the scene, then to her, and back, her and back. The hell? Yes, he knew that the damn rabid dogs already destroyed the place. What more did he need to know about it?

"HOW?!" a voice shouted in disbelief behind him. It started the grass snake a bit, but when he turned to see who it was, he only smiled.

"Nally, you made it!" he called, waving him closer with the end of his tail. "This is Carrie, by the way. Rude for not introducing yourself earlier, bro. Really rude." He turned back to the scene and sighed. "Yeah, those dogs really did a number on this place... We should probably leave them, though... Leave the bodies in peace. Not much else we can do." He began to slither away, pondering vaguely if anyone had stopped those freaks. "Any berries around here? I'm hungry."

"Interesting." Was the response the Mightyena gave me. He was actually really listening to what I was saying, his bright eyes narrowing, especially when I memtioned Taylor. I silently vowed that I would gut him then and there if he insulted that man. But, alas, he simply relplied in a venomous voice about himself."Well, I certainly didn't get a 'kind' one. He beat me and kept me chained up." The canine motioned to the thick collar around his neck before continuing "I got my revenge, though. The bastard deserved it."

 I openly cringed at what he oviously implied had happened to his cruel master. And it wasn't being fired. But at the same time I felt sympathy for the poor creature. No wonder he was not pleasant to be around at first. I quickly discovered that I no longer saw him as a threat, but as a brother, an ally that wanted nothing but to survive this hell. But you aren't. There is no salvation for you. Not anymore. Pushing the darker thoughts away, I responded to his words. I looked to the Mightyena with eyes calm with understanding. "I apologize for what has happened to you," I murrmured with a respectful nod to the dark type. "Maybe someday the wrongs may be righted, but for now we just have to concentrate on surviving. Right?" I ended with a smile, pulling up the corners of my beaf as much as was physically possible.

"If you're thinking of going in there, I hear strange sounds coming from it regularly so I reckon that there are undead using it as a hideout of some sort. If you're determined, however, let me come in with you and offer my protection." I blinked with suprise as he openly offered to help us, regaurding Hauberk with his words."Consider it an apology for my behaviour before." An apology? Well well! A smile crept across my face but I turned so that the wolf would not see it. Looks like he had a heart after all!

"Yes, I agree!" I cawed, stretching my wings and taking to the air, flying closer to Hauberk as I did so. "It would be wise for us to combind our efforts for this cause." I turned to see the Mightyena following, adding as he stood,"Oh, guess I should tell you my name. I'm Shadow." I nodded to him, responding, "I call myself Sem." I was not going to introduce Hauberk just in case the great beast did not want his name known.

((Ooc; Sem doesn't know that Shadow knows his name~ ))

The Milotic was in disbelief at the room. Carrie kept the straightest face ever, but still frowning in shame. Darron realized that the Milotic was with them. Carrie floated over towards them. "Nally, you made it! This is Carrie, by the way. Rude for not introducing yourself earlier, dude. Really rude."

He mentioned something about dogs wrecking the place. "No, no. It wasn't dogs who killed all these people, though they may have eaten them, they didn't kill them. It was me." Carrie looked down to the ground. "If you want me to explain myself, I will." She floated over to the stage.

"My trainer was a mean girl named Margaret. She would constantly beat me whenever she lost a contest, even if it wasn't my fault. We entered a Super Contest together. The judge announced our names as the winners. I was so happy, as was Margaret. But then, we were soaked. It was blood. Grumpig blood that wasn't infected. The real winners were Margaret's rival, Susan and her Milotic." She looked at Nally, "It wasn't you, though, I know that. Margaret was so upset, she beat me on stage right in front of everyone. The final straw came when she struck me in the head with a mic stand, which is why the crystal is cracked. I showed her, as well as everyone, my true potential. I unleashed a relaying combination of Ice Shard and Psychic. It killed everyone, and I mean everyone. People. Pokemon. Margaret. When I broke out of my trance, I felt sick of myself. I couldn't live with myself."

She ended her story, her head still hung low. "Any berries around here?" Darron said, "I'm hungry." Carrie looked at him. "I think I know a place. Let's just get out of here. I hate it here..."

It wasn't until she was leaving that she realized that they may no longer trust her after telling them.

Shadow sat down and simply nodded as the two Pokemon introduced themselves; he didn't see the need to tell them that he already knew their names. He was somewhat surprised that they had accepted his apology so quickly. How did they know that he wasn't planning to trick them or lure them to somewhere secluded so he could kill them without detection? He was capable of doing either of those things, but preferred not to stray back to his old ways since Sakura would never forgive him if he did.

Despite Shadow's warning, Hauberk was still adamant on entering the building. Just what exactly is that guy going in there for? the Dark type thought to himself as he sat down and idly scratched the back of his ear. Surely he wouldn't deliberately walk straight into a building stuffed to the brim with undead without good reason?

Before he could ask the bug what his intentions were, Hauberk began to warn him and Sem about the Pokemon within. Shadow's strong nose sniffed the air and caught the same scents. The undead knew that they were outside and were getting closer. The fur on Shadow's back bristled as he stood up, faced the building and snarled, ready to attack and kill anything that dared show itself.

Surely enough, three Herider appeared. One was quickly and impressively dispatched by Hauberk; Shadow couldn't help but admire the bug's sheer strength and quick reaction. The two remaining dogs looked extremely pissed off to say the least after watching the death of their companion. One of them bared its fangs and charged straight at Shadow.

Come on...

Shadow waited until the grotesque canine was a mere foot away from him and then jumped straight over it with a single powerful leap. He span 180 degrees upon landing and threw himself onto the Herider's back, sinking his fangs into the dog's neck. He locked his jaws as the undead Pokemon bellowed and tried to throw him off. There was a sickening crunch as Shadow's fangs sank deep enough to crush its vertebrae. With a gurgling gasp the Herider fell to the ground, permanently dead.

Just because he was no longer with Team Rocket didn't mean that he had ceased to be a trained killer.

Nalin bristled slightly at the insulting, girly nickname Darron kept insisting on using. Always with that name. Always. But right now, his irritation was only slight, residing in the back of his mind for the moment, while he took in the state of the room the Froslass was showing them. The scene was morbid, with bodies littered everywhere, walls decorated with entrails, and the smell. Dear Arceus, the smell. But what came out of Darron's mouth made Nalin's mouth drop open and his eyes go wide.

"Yeah, those dogs really did a number on this place... We should probably leave them, though... Leave the bodies in peace. Not much else we can do." Really? REALLY? Did he totally not listen to the girl who freaking brought him here? She all but said 'Hey see this? I did it.' Was that ego really still so inflamed, even after all of this, that he couldn't see the chick was psychotic. And who cared what her name was? She freaking killed people! They needed to get away from her!

"No, no. It wasn't dogs who killed all these people, though they may have eaten them, they didn't kill them. It was me."

"See? That right there!" Nalin cried out. "Darron, we need to go, right now! Crazy people who decorate the walls with their trainers are NOT something we need to hang out around! Let's just go!" Sure he hated the Serperior, but he didn't hate him enough to want the asshole to wind up like whatever used to be that red and purple-ish stain on the floor. She tried explaining herself, telling them some tale about abuse and horrible humans, but Nalin didn't care. She was dangerous and that was a big 'NO' for him. If only Darron could pull his head out of his own ass long enough to see it, too.

Carries shook her head at Darron after his statement. "No, no," she began softly, "It wasn't dogs who killed all these people, though they may have eaten them, they didn't kill them. It was me."

...Bwha?

"See? That right there!" Nally cried out from behind. "Darron, we need to go, right now! Crazy people who decorate the walls with their trainers are NOT something we need to hang out around! Let's just go!"

The serperior flinched and watched Carrie's reaction carefully. Didn't this dipshit know that the one group of people you don't insult -next to muscle guys- are crazy people? She was RIGHT THERE. His tail tapped the floor anxiously as he listened to the scared rant, Nally begging them to leave her. He wanted to tie Nally's big head into a knot of his own stupid girly body so he would shut up long enough for the froslass not to destroy them like she did the people in this room... which he still found weird.

"Eh heh..." he chuckled nervously after Nally finished, "Uhm... Well, Carrie... I guess that just means you aren't to be messed with." He shot Nally a subtle glare to the side before continuing. "But... like I said before, nothing to be done about it. And I'm still hungry. I think it'd be best if we got out of here, huh? Out of the stale air?" He hoped his lack of a reaction would placate the anger or rage the ghost may have been feeling... Hopefully, Nally hadn't completely botched it like he usually did...

I was pleased that things with Shadow, and the petty squabble he had began unprovoked, had been smoothed over shockingly easy. I would still keep am eye open in case he tried something suspicous, but overall I was glad to now have two allies after having none for that while. If I thought about it, I would realize that I was now traveling with a dark type and a bug... Ironic since I had been with Nace for so long and he was a bug type. My feathers had begun to ruffle themselves but I made an effort to smooth them over as I slowly circled above Hauberk's tall antenna. He was speaking in his low, vibrating voice as he regaurded Shadow. The red and purple bug may have been adressing me, also, but I listened either way as I lazily flapped my wings to stay aflight.

“I smell a few Herdiers, and possibly a Cacturne.” Hauberk warned. My red eyes narrowed. Herdier..? I wranked my brain but came up blank. I had been around the world to all of the regions... Except the one Jai had called Unova. It was the furthest away and we had never had a chance to explore it's lands before the Epidemic came. As if reading my thoughts, Hauberk adds, “Just in case you do not know, Herdiers are Unovan dog Pokémon. They’re nasty, but easy to stop.” I nodded my appreciation at the explaination. Unovan dog Pokemon- easy enough. But a Cacturne... Those were nasty buggers. Easy enough to defeat due to my type advantage, but still not one of my favorites.

Before Shadow or I could reply, the battle began. Three alein looking canines appreared, very oviously and sickeningly imfected. Their coats were discolored so I would not know what normal Herdier looked like yet, but now was not the time to think too much about it. Four pairs of greedy red eyes shone at us hungerly, the last far behind the others like a demented puppet master,  and my feathers ruffled. I gave a short caw of anger and almost immediately Hauberk and Shadow were both attacked by a Herdier each. I tensed, watching for a few seconds to make sure they could handle themselves, and the  relaxed. Hauberk has dismissed the first one within seconds and the Mightyena was vicously tearing at another. My eyes turned to the remaining threats. I was sure that the two could take care of the last dog by themselves and that left only the Cacturne. I survayed the scene as whisps of light began to swirl around my body like snakes made of fuzzy glows. The thing stepped slowly into the light that was cast by my charging Sky Attack. I fought the urge to spit in discust at it. The Cacturne looked nearly perfect. The spines that lined it's body was a deep violet as they turned purple and it's eyes were a startling red. It was newly infected and clearly knew how to control the Herdier to do it's bidding as it just sat back and watched.

It was when it's face turned to smirk at me that I squaked in fury, diving at it as my attack was finally ready. I was a shooting star of blinding lights of gold and white swirling around my body as I shot at the Cacturne within heartbeats. With the immense power of the attack, I hit right where I aimed and my sharp beak ripped through it's torso and made a hole as I literally shot right through it. I whipped around once behind him and dove back at it with an angry caw. There was a hole in it's stomach at least a foot in length and it turned to stare at me in fury and disbeleif. The undead raised one spiked arm, the thorns glowing and stretching as it prepared a Needle Arm, but I was already on it. I easily severed said arm as I flashed by it again, the glowing wing tips of my Wing Attack cutting through it like butter.

((Ooc; Sem is a little badass, literally. He has a very impressive level, despite his size and preference not to fight :3))

As Carrie was leaving to search for some berries, which was Darrin's idea in the first place, she heard a sentence that shook her.

"See? That right there! Darron, we need to go, right now! Crazy people who decorate the walls with their trainers are NOT something we need to hang out around! Let's just go!"

The sentence made Carrie freeze. She turned around, facing the Milotic. Her eyes fueled with anger and rage as she sent a psychic at him.

"Listen the fuck up, girly boy!" Carrie screamed, "I did not want these people to die! It was something caused by fate! I know that you don't know what I've been through, but whatever you do, do not call me crazy! If I hear that word come out of your mouth one more time, I will show you how I killed these people."

Carrie resumed her destination towards the door. "Let's go..."

She had a feeling she couldn't trust these people. She was wrong to trust them in the first place.

Shadow licked the blood off his lips then hawked and spat it out. He pulled a face of disgust; undead blood tasted truly foul. No matter how many of the damn things he killed he had never got used to it. He spat again to make sure he didn't swallow any of it and then tensed as a large Zoroark scrambled past him, clearly injured because of its limp and misshapen ribcage. Shadow cast a brief but impressed glance at Hauberk; the guy wasn't just big and tough-looking.

"Sem may need some cover, Shadow," the overgrown bug said to him. Shadow turned to him and scowled. "Don't tell me what to do," he said, looking towards the Murkrow only to see him tearing the Cacturne into bloody, spiky pieces. "I think he's got it covered."

Once the area was eerily silent once more, Shadow moved closer to the others, his eyes on the nearby building that the Zoroark had retreated too. "Keep an eye out in case that damn fox comes back." A swift Pokemon like that could easily hide in the darkness and then ambush them, even if it was injured.

Nalin winced as the frozen horror launched a Psychic at him, the ripples of energy making their way towards him. It was by sheer luck that managed to duck in time, a stared at Carrie in shock. And Darron had just completely ignored him, had let him get attacked. The hell? Not that he was expecting any less from the arrogant ass, but still, it bothered him. Nalin listened to Carrie rant at him, using that stupid nickname Darron always used, and he curled up tightly into himself. She was crazy...

As she turned for the door Nalin made a mad dash the other way, back where he came from. It was stupid to follow them, he should have just let Darron die. Now there was a crazy person who wanted to kill him and he had no way to defend against that. Crazy people where, by definition, unpredictable. Fleeing back into the hall where Darron first found him, he paused. He couldn't go back there, not with crazy chick on the loose, but he couldn't just hide in that room anymore. He needed to do something, but what?

"Where do I go from here?" he whispered sadly, wishing that someone, anyone, could answer.

Darron flinched away from the powerful psychic waves that were launched past him at the milotic, the ice ghost completely livid. He couldn't do much other than sit and watch; what could he do against her? However, Nally seemed to think differently as he shot Darron a glance before slithering off, to which Carrie simply said for them to go.

"...Hold on a moment, Carrie..." Darron said softly as he watched Nally leave. "I'll be right back." He then slithered right after the water snake, his mind set. What was Nally thinking, blurting that out to her face? He managed to catch up quickly, slithering in front of Nally.

"...Nalin," Darron began in a serious, low tone, "keep your head on. You don't go around blurting that out to people right in front of them." His stare was intense, studying Nally's reaction carefully. "Now, come on. We need some food." He turned and began to slither away, back toward Carrie and the entrance. "Show must go on...!"

Carrie wanted to just leave the two behind. Darron went back to talk to Nally. In her boredom, she started singing to herself (no light, no light in your bright blue eyes I never knew daylight could be so violent)

Carrie wanted to get out of this place as much as the others. "Why don't we go outside? I really hate it here, and I'm sure you guys do too." Without waiting, she rushed over to the doors, opening them and leaving the place where she caused chaos. "After you" she said to Darron with a smile and a slight blush.

(OoC: The song she's singing is "No Light, No Light" by Florence + the Machine. I chose as her theme song, kinda.)

((Sorry but skip me. There isn't much I can do at the moment. Say that Shadow followed Hauberk into the building and is keeping an eye out for enemies.))

"...Nalin," Crap. Darron was using his 'I'm serious' tone. He hated that tone. It was usually used to tell Nalin that he was an idiot. Especially when he used his full name rather than that stupid nickname. "Keep your head on. You don't go around blurting that out to people right in front of them." Oh, that's what he meant. Yeah, the crazy chick did kind of flip out on him for that. But what was he supposed to do? Just sit there like nothing freaking happened? The chick was nuts! "Now, come on. We need some food. Show must go on...!" REALLY?!

"This isn't a contest!" Nalin all but screamed at the smug Serperior. "I'm not really willing to risk my neck around some psycho who killed her own trainer! Food or no food!" Nalin was practically hyperventilating. Darron was the only one in the world who could get the normally shy, quiet Milotic to react like this. And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why that was. The guy was just such a jerk that it must just bring it out in him. At least, that was what he always told himself.

((OOC: Sorry for the lame post, I couldn't think of much since NO ONE ELSE IN THE TEAM IS AROUND! lol. Is the rest of the team ever going to JOIN the team?))

"This isn't a contest!" Nally all but screamed back at Darron, who paused in his slither back to the entrance. "I'm not really willing to risk my neck around some psycho who killed her own trainer! Food or no food!" He began panting, and Darron's gaze narrowed. Showing this much fear, this much anxiety...

"This is why you never beat me," he growled darkly. "It doesn't matter if this is a contest or not, it's something that's going to bite you in the ass if you don't keep your head on straight. You can't just go around talking like that, dude. There's consquences for every word you spout, especially around people like her." He gave an odd shrug by coiling and uncoiling himself slightly. "But fine, you wanna rot in here with your dead memories and these other corpses, starve to death or kill yourself, fine. More food for those willing to go out and get it." He slithered more into the hallway, back to Carrie. "I was trying to help you out, but whatever. Do what you want; it's obviously been a great strategy so far."

With just a few more slices of my wing tips to the infected's body was anough to deter it. The Cacturne hissed angerly as it lost it's other arm as well as a long gash now on it's neck. I did not allow myself to think rationally, to remember that this monster had once been like me. The infected had all been like me at one point. Emotions that I did not wish to deal with swirled within me, and I could feel my heart pounding against my small ribcage, but I did not faulter. The Cacturne would have no mercy if I did. With one last Wing Attack, I knocked my wing right into it's jugular, knocking the thing back with a terrible cracking noise. I flinched, but it did not rise again. A sigh escaped me, so many emotions flying through my eyes. But I could not dwell on any of them. Hauberk and Shadow were my new allies and I would stick by them. 

It was actually thrn that I realized the two had left the building and anxiety ruffled my feathers. Were they discusted with my display of brutism? I cawed in distress and swooped out of the building with a few flap of my wings. I sighed in releif as I saw the two larger pokemon. They neither appeared discusted nor harmed. I began to fly closer to them when I glimpsed my wing tips and bile rose in my throat. Black sludgey goo and scarlet blood covered my feathers where I had sliced into the infected duel type. I would not look exactly trustworthy like that. I did not allow myself to go into the eyesight of the great insect or the Mightyena, instead I gained height and flew right over them, calling out, "I will only be a short while! Do not wait up!" 

I flew higher and higher above the city, scouring for a water source other than the grand space of water South of the city. Who knew how many infected monsters were there. But my paragers were awnsered when a small pond threw light up in my direction. I flew in closer to the ground to see that there was indeed a small hole of water right next to the contest hall. It was as if a Golem had smashed into the concrete, making that perfect circle, and later a water type filled it up. I shrugged midair, not nessisarily needing to mnow exactly how it was formed. I dove right into the clean water, submerging my entire form under the surphase. I thrashed my wings and whipped my head around as to dislodge all of the filth. By the time I crawled back out of the water, nothing was left on me but the water was no longer clean in the least.

I was not even wet for long. I saw that not even a small puddle had formed beneath me and I realized with discust that my oily feathers did not even hold onto the water. I wanted to gag at the reality. But that was when I heard voices. I perked up, my back straight as I whipped around to face the source. I tilted my head curiously. It was coming from within the building nearest the water I found- the contest hall. I flicked my wings out with uncertainty. I could try to make new allies, but what if they were infected? After a few heartbeats, I ended up deciding to go against my better judgement. How would I make new companions if I were too afraid to call? "Hello!" I called with another caw, straining my eyes to see movement. "Is anyone there?"

With all that's happened, Carrie was contemplating whether or not to move on without the two. She watched Darron and Nalin (he didn't like the name 'Nally') carefully. On the one hand, Nalin thought she was nuts and didn't accept the fact that the deaths were just an accident piled on by her whole life. On the other hand, she felt safe around Darron. She could trust him and keep Nalin under control (To the best of his ability).

She heard a voice down the hall "Hello! Is anyone there?" There was another voice! Yes! She looked back at the two guys. She chose to leave them, but wanted them to know she was leaving. "I heard a voice down the hall. I'm gonna go check it out."

She went down the twisting halls to find a Murkrow. It looked really ratty looking. Its feathers were all greasey, its eyes were bloodshot, but the most distinctive feature was a black band around its leg with a red 'R' on it. Carrie got curious. With caution, she went up to him, "Excuse me, but what is the 'R' on your talon there?" She asked pointing to the band.