Upon hearing the other blonde male cough after husking in some of that poisonous gas, the youngest jerked his attention towards Valen. Before he was able to speak though, the eldest warded him off. It did nothing to ease his worry, but he didnâ??t dare speak against a statement. Pressing his lips together, Brand nodded stiffly, before worrying over the next cough. He wanted to do nothing more than rip that pip from Valenâ??s hand and show the other male how much venom the concoction had, despite itâ??s â??naturalâ?? like nature.<br/><br/>Glancing over at Altima, he noted that she was stretched out and relaxing away. It really should have been strange for them to be in the bath together, nearly a few feet away from one anotherâ??s private zone. But they were used to one anotherâ??s presence, almost comforted by the moments that they would walk side by side and have their shoulders brush. At least, that was how it was for Brand. He couldnâ??t say for certain they didnâ??t enjoy those close moments as well, but he hoped they didâ??else he feared he was a strange one.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">â??Weâ??ll be able to handle this on our own, wonâ??t we? I mean, at least Cam, since her hometown is rather far compared to where we are.â?</span>he noted, trying to remember the distance between Alusair and Cam. The distance would have to be covered twice, taking up too much time to get help from. He believed they could handle Cam without the help of many thoughâ??mainly because of two factors. The first being the fact that he didnâ??t want to disturb the Elves with groups of uninvited guests, and the second being that they had not yet seen anything dangerous deep within Cam.<br/><br/>The people were still roaming around as if nothing has happened, and the Eclipse wasnâ??t a present danger. That also meant that the shard had not yet disrupted its surrounding. There was no need for alarm just yet, and if they could find the shardâ??s location in peace, they could extract itâ??s essence without any suspicion from those around them. He remembered curling up with Kali years ago, her stories told in her calming voice about the Amulet that resided within her.<br/><br/>It had been just after the Incidentâ??one that he would not speak of to anyoneâ??and she decided to tell him that there are more frightening things; a psychological play to show that what he went through wasnâ??t that bad. The Amulet, she had said, held not only light, but a source of power that could alter the ever shifting environment around it. If left in the wrong hands, it could mimic the holderâ??s will, whether or not it was consciously asked for. Large landscapes could be changed, turning deserts into tropical forests, to reanimating a loved one, and even the simplest task of keeping a cutting knife sharp and unbreakable. There was an unlimited possibility of what the Amulet could do with just its presence.<br/><br/>With that in mind, he was nearly sure that with just a shard of the Amulet, it could and would be noticeable. Even now, they could slightly feel its pull. Kali had blessed her four knights to feel the radiance of her magic, thus tying them to the presence of the shards. Though the pull was weakened by the fragment of the Amulet, they were also guided by the anomalies through rumors and facts. The Elves had mentioned some strange eerie things occurring deep within their temples, of people going in to offer their prayers, and coming out with such an accursed luck, that they dared not to go back in. Strange indeed, as the Temple of Eleem had been said to be gifted with a touch of luckâ??quite the opposite.<br/><br/>Beyond that though, he could tell that the people of Alusair would be needed for if they went to the Long Empire. No, not if. He had to go. Had to see if Ranis was holding up well. The woman was of one of the strongest wills he knew of, but any ruler would suffer if their people were suffering. The winters were heating up, the ice was melting. Long Empire was on the brink of losing its cool grounds. Many Dragons required the cooling temperatures, enjoying the breeze for their healthâ??what with such thick scales. Their wings required the exercise it took to fly in harsh conditionsâ??if the environment changed drastically, the future generations would suffer a massive de-evolution.<br/><br/>Taking a deep breath, he suddenly found himself fearful of the second home he ever knew, one that he protected with his life. But no, he mustnâ??t let his mind and heart stray; Ranis, though the drunken woman sheâ??d become, was not stupid. She would not let her own people become any less than the powerful beings they were without a fight. Pressing his lips together, he began to swim towards the other two, noting that they were closer together than he was. Well, he rather walked to them, as the water was not that deep. Perhaps if he was smaller he would have to swim.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">â??Valenâ?¦â?</span>his fingers itched to pull the pipe away yet again, but he only stopped midway of pulling his hand out of the water and ended up clenching it to his side.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">â??Iâ??m scared.â?</span>the young blonde suddenly announced. He hoped it worked, as it had worked a few times in the past, when he had been but a small boy thatâ??s entered the knights much too early in everyoneâ??s opinion. Brand never said he minded the elderâ??s habits, but he had voice that he didnâ??t like to be held with such a scent floating around him. And he only wanted to be held by his companions when he was scaredâ??something the youngest was never ashamed to admit when times got hard.<br/><br/>Glancing over at Altima, he tried to get her to cooperate with him through a silent plea. He hoped that Valen would not question it, and would leave the wretched pipe to join the fire and lightening knights.