Camp was made and the group turned in for the night. Still within the territory of the Earth Kingdom, but they were closer to their goal by a day at least. The journey thus far was different than it had been before. It felt like the very heart and soul of their party had been sucked from them, and that was a close representation for what happened.<br/><br/>Ro was gone. Their leader, their friend, family in some cases was gone and there was no bringing him back. Already, his soul had moved on to the next vessel to house it in this life time. Though the soul was the same, the body and personality would not be. It was not going to be Ro, it would never be Ro. Ro was gone forever and there was nothing anyone could do about it now. Not now…<br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #40BFFF"><span style="font-style: italic"> They were in their house, the one they shared as children. Pebbles lay on the ground before them, within a circle waiting for the game to begin. It was a simple game that they played often as children. All they had to do was shove the pebbles out of the circle to earn a point. The trick was that the other person would be trying to do same. A test of wills and skill, they played this for hours when they were children and now, it seemed they were children once again as they sat across from one another to play this game. <br/><br/>“You never win,” Xiao said with a grin at her brother. “Why do you insist we play this game?”<br/><br/>“I never win, because I let you,” Ro replied with complete confidence. <br/><br/>The look that came to Xiao’s face was one of anger, hurt and determination as the game began between the two of them. At first each of them moved a couple of pebbles unmolested to the other side to score points, but then they both locked onto one stone and the struggle began. The stone shivered, shook and trembled between them though neither gave up much space to the other. <br/><br/>Until…<br/><br/>Suddenly, the pebble flew past Ro and smacked the wall with a resounding sound of triumph. “I DID IT!” she shouted. “Let me win, huh?” she boasted to her brother who had not moved much since the last few moments of the game. “I know for a fact that you fought back!” Another laugh filled cheer, she reached over to pat him on the shoulder and he instead fell over.<br/><br/>“Ro?” <br/><br/>Blood now stained her hand and from his chest stood what looked like a stone stake. “Ro….” His name repeated again as she watched his blood continue to pump from his body and cover the floor. “No...no…no…no…no…” she continued over and over again, until the scene changed and though they were in the same house they were older now. <br/><br/>“Ready to leave?” Ro asked from the doorway. <br/><br/>The room had changed once again and Xiao looked down at herself to see a young woman, rather than the child she had just been.<br/><br/>“Wh…What?” she asked confused with the sting of tears still fresh in her eyes.<br/><br/>“I said are you ready to go,” he asked with a look of confusion. “Mother needs us to head to the market for some things for dinner. I figure we can then meet Yu and have some fun before dinner…”<br/><br/>“NO!” her words cut off the end of his sentence as she rushed to him, hands desperately snatched at the material of his clothing. “We can’t go to see him! He’s going to betray you! Kill you!”<br/><br/>“Xiao…what has gotten into you?” Ro asked while he tried to remove himself from her grasp. “Yu is one of our dearest and oldest friends he would nev…” the sentence was never finished as blood began to pour from his still agape mouth.<br/><br/>“No….not again…” Xiao gasped as she caught the full weight of her brother as he slumped forward into her arms, behind him stood Yu Shang with Ro’s blood still fresh on his hands, a sick grin of satisfaction plastered on his face.<br/><br/>“Looks like you failed him…again…” Yu Shang laughed turned and walked away. <br/><br/>“No!” she shouted but her words appeared to be swallowed by the ground around them, which had become more akin to mud then anything solid. Like her words, soon she too began to get sucked into the ground while she still clutched the cooling body of her beloved brother.<br/><br/>“Xiao…” his voice a whisper at her ear, “how could you let this happen?”</span></span><br/><br/><br/>With a start she awoke, just as the final glimpses of light had disappeared once the ground had taken her completely. Now, she laid on her bedroll, little more than a thin layer of material to keep the cold out rather than shield her from the hard ground beneath. Into the fire she gazed, eyes intense as she watched the flames dance to and fro. Flickers of the dream just past reflected in the surface of the flames. Each one a fresh reminder of the brother that she lost and the pain she felt, the guilt, hate and rage.<br/><br/>A sound drew her attention. One of those within her group had stirred within their slumber, or perhaps she imagined it all. Regardless, now that rage she felt for herself was directed outwards at them once again. The ones who had failed to protect her brother when he needed them most. The pathetic freeloading, worthless miscreants that were nothing but a burden to her now. With a snarl of rage she slammed her fist down onto the ground and the earth trembled with what should be enough force to rouse those who slept.<br/><br/>If she would not get any rest tonight than neither would they.