Run

Al was running for his life. He had managed to piss off a couple of centaurs in a magical forest. But while he was running he couldn't help but smirk and laugh as an arrow wizzed past his head. Feeling the rush of wind hitting his face gave him another burst of adrenaline. His grin widening he picked up his speed as another arrow just barely missed him. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and sent a few spells flying behind him at the centaurs. The trees were getting thinner as he reached what appeared to be a clearing in the middle of the forest. He took a quick glance behind him and noticed that the centaurs were falling behind.

He couldn't help but wonder why they were slowing down. And the grin from his face vanished as he noticed that they stopped. He was about to stop himself when he lost his footing and began to tumble. He expected to tumble on flat ground but he was sadly mistaken. He began to fall down a slope and into a pit. Eventually falling off an edge and falling a few feet. He hit a few tree branches on the way down and landed with a loud thud on some grass. "Ow." he moaned into the ground.

As he began to get up he felt his back crack and he groaned in pain. When he was finally up he did some stretching and began to look around. It was almost like a sanctuary of sorts. Sure he could apparate out of this place but he wanted to explore. Then an idea came to his mind, someone who would enjoy this as much as he did. But Lena was away on some other expedition, she had told him last night. He pulled out his phone and went through some contacts finally resting on an old friend.

He tapped call and the phone began to ring. "Hello?" he heard on the other end of the call. "Hey Kirby, I've got something you should probably see..." he said grinning. He knew that Kirby could trace his coordinates through the call, the wonders of technology.

Kirby was having a peaceful cup of coffee, that was what Kirby was doing. He had been working his tail off trying to save Emmeline and he needed a break now and then. Besides, the hobo life was sort of exhausting really. Especially when he was not always in the mood for magic. Hopping onto trains, bumming out at friend's houses, picking up odd work. Kirby had met quite a few interesting folks. There was the older, saucy singer named Ramona from a muggle pub who refused to do magic on moral grounds; the hunchbacked historian that went by Spike and collected vintage dolls, sort of strange yes; the Auror with some form of post-traumatic-stress-disorder that was convinced he was an international spy; and the Hungarian chess champion Ági Garia, who insisted that chess was the best foreplay.

All very interesting.

However, today Kirby was alone right now. And that was what he had intended. He closed his eyes, listening to the soft guitar music from the live music from within the muggle coffee shop. And that was when his cell phone rang. He was disgruntled. Very disgruntled. So was the woman playing guitar. The daggers in her eyes spurred him to take the call in the bathroom, waiting for the door to swing close before he answered. "Hello."

Murmer murmer murmer.

"Is it really worth it, Al? I was relaxing."

Murmer murmer murmer.

"Fine," Kirby said. He waved his wand, attaching his magic to Al's location via the phone and spun on his heel, instantly apparating. When the new location formed before him, he looked about. And then he looked up. And then he looked at Al. "Are you kidding me? You transported me to a pit?"

Al clapped his hands together after getting off the phone with Al. He pulled out his wand and began to explore the forest a little bit more. When he heard a loud crack he turned around and Kirby was standing where he had just been. Al walked over to him and looked him over, "You look like rubbish." he said to him grinning. "Just as I last saw you." he laughed and turned his back to him again. Continuing down the path not really caring if Kirby followed him or not. "So there I was, minding my own business. When suddenly I'm being chased by Centaurs and having arrows shot at me." he called to him. He looked around as he walked, he could hear birds chirping. What is this place? he thought.

The tree's had a very fresh feel to them, and they appeared to be glowing a little bit. He heard the trickled of water, a stream. He wondered who or what had made this place and for what purpose. It may end up just being a bust but he loved to explore anyway. "Bust or not I wanted you to see this place." he said to Kirby. He wasn't looking behind him so he hoped Jack had written for Kirby to follow him at this point or before. He continued to just explore, touching a tree here and there. Wand out, he had wanted to create a spell that scanned things and gave off readings for a long time but never got around to it. He's always too busy or too flustered. He had been getting somewhat flustered lately. And Lena had been on his mind a lot as well.

At Al's words, Kirby shrugged, grasping the long jacket that reached allthe way down to his knees with his fingerless gloves (fingerless because they were old and worn leather gloves and they had all but disintegrated). "I may look like rubbish, but I sure can pull it off." He smirked, flashing half of his teeth and whipping his head back. He settled from his smirk and looked seriously at his friend as the man recounted the wild tale of how the two chums had ended up in a hole in the earth. "You dunderhead," Kirby said. "Where are we? Ah, it doesn't matter. I bet wherever it is, it is known centaur territory- not that that knowledge would stop you from tramping about like a right blind fool, eh?" He shook his head, an amused grin gracing his lips very briefly. Al was always chasing something. Madman after adventure.

That was why Kirby liked him.

Kirby turned as Al pointed out that they may as well explore. Kirby approached a tree and touched it. And, for whatever reason, the tree semed to be calling him closer. He maneuvered around its roots and placed his head against the mossy flank. His head snapped up. "Al." He rested his head against the green cushion once more. "The trees are humming." And they were. They were cool, humming quiet melodies that comforted Kirby immensely. He pushed away, turning in a slow circle. "What is this place you have so clumsily stumbled upon?"

At Kirby's statement All walked up to the nearest tree. He pressed his ear against it and indeed heard humming. He grinned, a question had just popped up, he loved a good question. Just as he was about speak Kirby asked the question for him. He grinned, Kirby and Al were always on similar mindsets. Though, Al's was a little less....straight forward. Al was everywhere, all the time, no matter what. He looked at Kirby was was busy inspecting another tree. Al began to wander off towards the sound of trickling water. He could still see Kirby even as he moved but there was distance between them. Then he found it, a stream of what looked like water. But with humming tree's it was hard to tell if it was really water or not. He bent his knees to get closer and inspect the liquid. He dipped his hand in it, expecting the worse. However it wasn't hot, nor was it cold, it was just warm. "Interesting..." he said to himself.

All put his wand on the ground next to him and cupped his hands. He put them in the water and scooped some out. He brought it to his nose as to sniff it to see if it was safe. He figured tasting it was out of the question. But he soon quickly forgot about that notation and dipped his tongue in what hadn't strained out of his hand. The water was sweet, but it was warm. He licked his lips and cupped his hands into the water once more. This time however he drank even more. He turned around, picked up his wand, and walked back a bit towards Kirby. He scratched the back of his neck with his wand. "Kirby, the water's sweet." he told him. "It's warm and it's sweet."

Al confirmed Kirby's observation about the trees, but it seemed like his attention was drawn, instead, to the strange trickle of water that meandered through the pit. Kirby pulled awya from the tree and fished out a small leatherbound journal and stick of graphite from one of the many deep pockets sewn into his overlong jacket. Hew squatted, balancing the journal on his knee, and began to write out his observations of the place the best he could. It was important, he thought, to record what he knew of such places- for his own unofficial worldy research as well as to better describe to his peers.

Al called out another observation and Kirby slowly stood, bones creaking ever so slightly. He made his way over and kneeled along the water. He cupped some water and threw it into his mouth, swallowing. He was unafraid of poison, for he had a habit of carrying a bezoar with him everywhere he went. It was indeed sweet, and when it reached his stomach, he could not help but giggle a short laugh- it had tickled him. "Wow." He heard a noise and glanced up. Centaur faces peered at him from the top of the pit. "We have company," he said lightly to his friend.

Al looked up to where the Centaur faces where. "Oh come on!" he said angrily. "You accidentally break ONE ancient telescope for star gazing and suddenly every centaur is out to get you!" he continued to rant. Of course the centaur wouldn't dare come down with them. There would be no way for them to get back up to the top of the slop. Horse bottoms and lack of magical abilities would render them useless down here. But of course at these words reality struck him, bows. A sly grin fell upon his face, more action. "I'm not too sure how the streets are affecting you but now might be a good time to start using MAGIC." he emphasized magic to his friend. He knew he didn't like using magic but now he NEEDED to use it.

"I know you don't like it, but it's life or death right now. And unless you have a better idea I suggest you start hexing some centaur ass." he said. He pointed his wand to a centaur that was stringing an arrow in the bow. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled. A jet of light sprouted from the end of his wand and knocked the bow out of the centaurs hands. It flew backwards so he knew that the centaur would be able to retrieve it with ease. He was hoping the next one he managed to disarm would fall down into the pit.