Ezo silently nodded, keeping his eyes open for any movement in the tunnels. D'Arby led them into a narrow passageway, lined with floodlights along the walls. "You said you were a messenger, right?" "Yes mr. Eazo. That is correct." "You don't use any kind of transportation?" "No.We-I mean I walk wherever I need to go...." Ezo gave the man a strange look as he rode behind him. "Something's not right with this guy, when he grabbed me, I noticed a huge hole where his left lung should be. His jacket must cover it up, but I was close enough to see right through his body. I didn't notice it earlier but, this guy has two right hands!" Ezo never took his eyes off the giant, watching him carefully for any signs of unnatural movement.

Lia nestled down again, looking back at Kammie as they were lead onward towards "Impel". Her eyes were on the giant as he showed them the way through the complex tunnel system. Suddenly, she crawled back up on Ezo's shoulder and whispered, "The smell ahead is bad, so be careful..." Finishing her warning, she leap off his shoulder and onto Kammie, so that she could curl on top of her protectively.

"Whatever, suit yourself..." The concerned look disappeared from Ezo's face, and was replaced with an apathetic one. Getting back on the swoop he checked to make sure Kammie was still asleep. "Mr. Eazo? Is there something wrong" "No, just take me to wherever the hell you're from." Ezo's voice was sharp and cold.

Lia shook her head and sat down determinedly. Her small side moved as she inhaled, having trouble breathing, but not wanting to leave him and Kammie unprotected. If the caves weren't safe for a demon, then they definitely weren't safe for her human friends. If she ran off with Nakia now, so that she could breath earlier and never saw them again or found out that they had been killed...she'd die of guilt. Nope. She was staying where she was at.

"What?" Turning to look at Lia, Ezo pointed in the direction Nakia had run off to, giving Lia a concerened look.
"You sure you're gonna be alright? You guys didn't seem too keen on the fumes around here?"

The demoness grew tense and snapped at Ezo, "Don't be crueal to him. Not everyone thinks at the same rate. It's not his fault. Also, no. I won't be staying here longer than I have to. You and Kammie can meet us later." Moving forward she reached into Ezo's shirt and removed the golden kitten, that seemed to be sleeping deeply. She cuddled her sister against her as she backed away, clearly inviting Ezo to follow her and make a break from the gigantic human. Something about it rang bad with her, but maybe it was just the air. Suddenly Lia woke up, and shook from of Nakia before leaping back to Ezo. Once more the sisters conversed silently and then Nakia hissed and spun away, snapping over her shoulder, "Keep them safe and hurry!"

"I'm curious about this "Impel" place. I think we should take him up on his offer."Ezo pushed away from the large man, sucking his teeth sourly. D'Arby looked confused. "Listen pal, We'll let you take us to wherever the hell you're from, but you've gotta stop lifting me up. That shit ain't cool." D'Arby gave a slow nod, confirming he understood. Ezo turned to Nakia with a grin. "I don't think this dumbass is a threat. We'll follow him and see what this "Impel place is all about." Behind Ezo, D'arby stared at the swoop with interest. Ezo didn't notice it, but his eyes flashed with an intelligence that previously wasn't there. He flashed a wicked grin, causing the scars around his mouth to stretch. "Are you......ready mr Eazo?" "Bastard can't even get my name right......" "Well Nakia, are you ready?"

"Well, Ezo, what shall we do?" Nakia asked in an almost coy tone of voice as she looked at the male as he lifted the human up. Her whole frame grew tense and she listened to hear if Lia would squeak from pain, but it was only silence from the other girl, so she forced herself to relax and not move forward. Her eyes switched colors, though hidden within her hood none saw their unearthly, white hues as they locked onto the giant. Working out the math, she knew how hard she had to hit him to snap his arm and free Ezo if that was what seemed like the best idea.

"Sh-Sh-shelter....." D'Arby sounded out the word with difficulty, scratching his chin as he struggled to force it past his lips. "SHELTER. Is that like food?" Ezo shook his head. "No, no. Shelter is like a safe place. Like a protected area." "Safe? Like home? You are looking for home?" "Something like that....." D'Arby nodded again "Yes...home is happy. You want to find home so you are happy......" D'Arby suddenly grabbed Ezo, looking straight into his eyes"I..know...I will take you to Impel. Because Impel is home! Then, you will be home, and you will be happy." Ezo roughly shook the big man, off giving him a warning glare. "Hey pal, I didn't ask for all that...." But D'Arby seemed to be quite pleased with himself for coming up with the idea. He shook his head frantically, giving what looked like a grimace of pain.

When the man suddenly appeared, Nakia hummed, just to cover up the sound of her scales as the hissed in surprise, since she hadn't scented the man. No one moved fast enough, but all the gas and poison in the air killed her sense of smell, so she hadn't be able to tell where he had come from. Her eyes scanned over him, wondering what he was, since he didn't look quite human to her, though the humans of her realm were smaller and fast, except the warriors, but they were all fair in coloring. She listened to the two males talk back and forth and hissed when Ezo said he was seeking shelter. Wasn't passing through a good enough lie? But she didn't voice her thoughts, not knowing how they would react to her speaking out. "Impel? Who he is?" Nakia asked curiously, looking at the giant with her head tilted at an angle.

Ezo heard Nakia's voice, but didn't catch what she was saying. The truth was that he'd stopped listening a few seconds ago. Now, he was more focused on the tall man that stood in the way of the swoop. Ezo blinked. He was sure the man wasn't there a second ago. Obviously, the threat of being hit by a large metal vehicle didn't faze the man, because he stood in the way seemingly with no intention to move. Ezo slowed to a stop about two feet away from him, meeting his gaze. The man was a giant; about seven feet tall with long arms and legs. He slouched a little, giving one the impression he was used to being around those smaller than him. He looked a little older than Ezo, and his skin was dark, about a shade or two lighter than Ezo's. He wore a sleeveless jacket and long, faded pants. His jet-black hair was tied into a long braid that hung to the middle of his back. Ezo noticed that he was fairly muscular, with well defined biceps. What made Ezo wary though, was the man's skin. It was a healthy hue, but every inch of the man's exposed skin was covered in scars. His eyes seemed old and tired, like they had seen one too many things and wanted nothing more than to close forever. It was these eyes he fixed on Ezo, staring at him as if he were some exotic creature. "Who are you?" This question was not one of suspicion, but one of genuine curiosity. The man's voice came out raspy and dry, like the wind scattering a pile of leaves in autumn. He spoke slowly, like he had to process every syllable before he spoke it. This gave Ezo the impression that he was somewhat dimwitted. Ezo tightened his grip on the Swoop handles, in case he had to run. "My name's Ezo.I'm a traveler. I'm just seeking shelter." The man slowly nodded at this, as if he understood. Pointing to himself, the man spoke again, projecting his raspy voice. "Our..I mean my name, is D' Arby....I am a messenger from Impel." The man raised long arm, pointing in the direction that they were heading. Ezo peered down the tunnel, but he saw nothing. The man extended his other arm to Ezo, and Ezo realized he wanted him to shake his hand. Cautiously, Ezo extended his own hand and shook D' Arby's. "This guy.....why's his hand so cold?" D'Arby's massive palm dwarfed Ezo's, it was a good thing he shook his hand gently otherwise, he would've crushed Ezo's fingers like glass.

Nakia looked at Ezo in shrewd way that clearly said that she was debating on how to reply to his statement or maybe she was just thinking about what he had said. "I don't know about your world, but the sky is blue where I'm from. Maybe at some point it was the same here. Who knows, maybe in a couple decades or centuries, we can make this place the same," she answered quietly, but then she shifted so that she wasn't walking so close to the swoop. Lia shifted against Ezo and coughed quietly, her small frame shaking as her lungs tried to clear themselves. The closer they drew to the settlement, the harder it got for her to breath, but she didn't voice her problem.