Rift Runners

outside the domes

Rosalina blinked watching the girl on the floor for a few moments. "Rowan move those boxes so we have somewhere to lay her until she wakes." She bent picking up Zandra and moving her over to by the boxes Rowan moved shaking her head slightly, another kid to watch over was not what she needed.

Rowan blinked as Rosalina laid Zandra down, she looked different. "Rosalina, she's growing." Zandra no longer looked like the young child he had met she almost looked to be about his age now and seemed to still be growing. "Do you think this is normal for this world?"

Rosalina shook her head and sighed running her fingers through her hair watching as Zandra arched up whimpering in pain. Rosalina pulled her water flask out and took a small sip. "I somehow doubt it, if it was I think she may have warned us or have been somewhere preparing for it."

Rowan sighed and sat on the ground looking at Zandra. "She looks like she is in pain." He paused and looked at Rosalina. "I don't suppose your healing works here. I tried some of my magic earlier but this world feels dead, there is no pulse to it."

Rosalina shrugged, it was worth a try to see if she could help the girl after all she had been trying to help them. Reaching out carefully she brushed her fingers along Zandra's brow. "umartempla" She pulled her hand back and shook her head. "She's burning up, get me a cloth, we can at least try to make her feel at ease until this passes."

Zandra shifted and opened her eyes. "No, I'm fine." Sitting up slowly she pulled the cloak Rosalina had laid over her close to her. Her old clothing had ripped and was now far to tight fitting to feel comfortable. The look on Rosalina and Rowan's faces made it clear they both had a lot of questions. Zandra sighed and stood wrapping the cloak around herself. "We don't have time for questions right now, my..." She paused for some reason she didn't want to tell them about Zuka being her brother or all the details of her past just yet. "It isn't safe here anymore." She picked up her bag and looked at the pair wondering how much trouble she was going to get in and if Ryu would believe it was still her.

Zuka remained laying still his eyes closed taking in the sounds around him. He wasn't on the floor as he had almost expected to be. He could feel the mattress beneath him and hear the soft beeping of machines. The medical lab, it had to be nowhere else had that clean of a smell. Opening his eyes he sat up and glanced around one of the scientist was a few feet away speaking with the drill teacher he had been training with. "Sir."

The drill teacher turned and looked at Zuka his eyes quickly glancing over the much changed boy. Moving over to the bedside he tapped his finger on the side of his leg. "You seem to have recovered fairly quickly." He glanced at the scientist and nodded slightly. "His rift blood seems to serve him well, the swift ageing may prove to be an advantage in later trials."

Zuka shifted hiding a wince as he sat up a little more. "Sir, there is something you should know." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. How much should he tell. How much would they believe, he wasn't even sure how much of it he believed himself. Taking a breath he nodded, no better place to start then the beginning. "I know where to find Zandra, and she is with two rift travelers."

Zandra paused and ran her hand over the dome wall looking back in the direction of the building, it had taken a little bit to convince Rosalina and Rowan the need to move swiftly. Her fingers found the slight split in the dome wall, a fine mist seeping in at the edges when she pulled on it slightly. Glancing at the pair she held out her hand for the bag shifting Rowan's shirt on her shoulders. "We will have to move fast but breathe calmly, the domes protect us from the poison air." Pulling out three masks she frowned her fingers brushing over the two air-tanks she had, she had set out to try and find information on a holding center and perhaps save a friend all she came away with was a few scraps and little information. She shook her head, no, that wasn't right. She had gained a lot of information, of course so had Zuka and through him the scientists.

Rowan took the mask Zandra held out to him and looked at Rosalina placing it over his face as she did, shaking his head as Zanda hooked two tubes to one of the containers and then to the masks he and Rosalina wore. They would share the full air-tank leaving Zandra with the almost empty one. "Can we not all share from one, perhaps make them work longer?"

Zandra shook her head tucking a lose strand of hair back. "No, it is bad enough that you two have to share. I know the fastest way and I can control my breathing enough to last." She brushed her fingers along the edges of their masks making sure they were in place, at least she hoped she could control her breathing enough to last. "Do not talk unless you have to, once we reach the ruins let me do the talking. If they do not ask you a direct question do not speak. Now hold your breath until we are outside and then flick the switch count to five then breathe slowly and follow me." She waited until they nodded and Rosalina had the air-tank in her hands. Curling her fingers around the fissure in the dome wall she took a deep breath and pulled her hair whipping around her face as the filtered air surged out, stepping out she moved aside letting the pair exit before letting go and letting the dome-wall return to where it belonged the flash of red lighting letting her know the alarms had sounded.

Rosalina flicked the switch counting to five she glanced at Rowan. The masks had suctioned tight to their faces when she had flicked the switch and like her Rowan had been surprised by it. She reached the end of her count and nodded seeing him take a breath, the air had a different taste to it but Zandra had warned them not to remove the masks until she had cleared it. She looked at the girl, who now looked to be a full grown woman, their lives were in her hands. She blinked and looked closer, Zandra had yet to turn her air-tank on yet she was already moving at a swift jog. Resting her hand on Rowans shoulder she started following making sure to keep an even pace with him.

Zandra's lungs burned begging for air yet she still held her breath, She wanted, no, she had to save as much air as she could. Her lungs felt as though they would burst, her thumb brushed the switch and she counted to five slowly before taking a small breath. Her eyes scanned the barin wasteland that was her birth-world. Everything looked, as Rowan had said, dead. Broken buildings from a time long forgotten. Vehicles, some smaller and some larger then the transports the scientists used, sat untouched some still looking as though they could still be used. Her eyes glanced past the broken fossils of past her mind going unbidden to her brother and the dream-state they had shared. How much would he tell, she shook her head chiding herself. He was one of them, she had to remember that. The sound of Rowan stumbling pulled her from her reverie. She looked back at them nodding as Rosalina pulled him up and began moving again.

Rosalina nodded to Zandra as she steadied Rowan. She patted Rowans shoulder wondering what was going through Zandra's mind the girl looked sad and yet still proud. As they started to move again Rosalina spared a glance back at the dome, they had moved far very fast, there was another dome off to their right but they didn't seem to be heading towards it. Her eyes returned to Zandra's back watching her sides counting softly to herself, the girl took her time between breaths sometimes longer than others. She looked at the air-tank wondering how to tell how much was left and how soon they would reach Zandra's friends.

Rowan shook his head, when he had stumbled he had tried again to use his magic and still nothing. Though Zandra had told him that sometimes skills you had on your birth-world were lost on others he had still hoped that he would retain his. His eyes glanced over Zandra as she led them, his shirt tied with strips of Rosalina's cloak hung off her shoulders, the rest of the cloak torn to make a skirt and slippers. His eyes paused on Zandra's feet, the slippers were torn and her feet were starting to bleed though she gave no sign of slowing. Part of him admired her for her determination but another part questioned it, she had been so young what was it that gave her that drive.

Zandra smiled softly as she pushed aside some rubble, she was glad Ryu had insisted that everyone learn where secondary entrances were hidden. She grimaced as her foot slipped slightly getting cut on a bit of metal. She glanced back at Rowan and Rosalina waving her had at the metal letting them know to be careful as they passed over it.