JOSHUA FOUND.

If only I were a bird! Ah, but to eat caterpillars?
Palestinian proverb

To be the son of a God means more than just having abilities beyond the human norm, it means that one must be there for there fellow man, be they mortal or Godling alike. It seems I have taken it upon myself to lead our band.

Whilst we are all the children of the gods, and therefore natural leaders, I feel in my heart that it is my place to ensure the others are safe before I am myself. This is not through valour, or nobility, or even friendship, though I do feel those bonds. Neither is it because in many ways I am the group elder. It is simply a position I feel myself fitting into - the ordering of subordinates, easing of emotions, all such things come to me quite naturally.

It was because of feelings like this, I jumped off a cliff in the underworld today. Let me get back to where we were last week.

As you likely remember, the Ferryman had come to us to take us across the river Lethe. We were not yet ready to leave so he rowed away, though we did get a destinati0n. Asphodel. I knew, somehow, that this was a neutral zone of sorts in the Greek Underworld, for those spirits who are of an unexceptional nature.

Wuyi at this point bounced off back to the fields to retrieve her cauldron. It was now, whilst trying to stop Kelly doing any more harm to herself, or others that I noticed Tal cutting herself. Of course, she is Atzlanti, but I will have to find a way for her to make sacrifices without having to injure herself, or others in the process. Kelly took this opportunity to question Tal, and I could see that it was a line of questioning not to be pursued, so we put a stop to it.

The most noticeable thing about this is that the site of Tal injuring herself seemed to ruffle Pepper far more than it should have. Maybe the bird knows something we do not? Perhaps, though, she just opposes the practice to be contrary with Cal and Tal, neither of whom she seems too fond of.

Wuyi returned with the woman we had found in the cave, Kat, and so again we called the Ferry. Rhiannon sped off on her own before it arrived to pick something she had spotted in the river. A memory of sorts, though she says not of us. What is so important about it, I don't know. Whilst she was doing this, Wuyi chased her along the bank before I could stop her, and Kelly almost jumped in the river after her again. We managed to stop Kelly. I really need to keep an eye on that girl, she seems to be developing a habit of wandering into dangerous situations.

WE got on the boat, with Tal handing out the money, and missing out doing so for Kat. She, like myself does not trust the woman. I would rather keep her close to us for the time being though, so we can keep a wary eye on her. Wuyi, once again caused trouble by steling a coin from Tal and words were thrown, such as thief and princess. The two were getting ready to fight, and Tal even leapt for Wuyi, so I found myself intervening to prevent bloodshed at this early stage.

Tal leapt ahead of us onto the shore we had just arrived at and found some tracks heading to the west. Good girl. We began to follow, myself heading to the front and the relative safety that was at Tal's side after Rhiannon decided now was a good time to make crude jokes about myself and the other woman. I'm about 10 years older than Tal! Beyond that, it would be entirely innapropriate and unprofessional to get mixed up in such things when we have work to do.

The spirits all around us moved in, as if to crush us. It got colder, but not debilitatingly so for myself, so I let Tal lead the way whilst I checked on the others. Wuyi in particular seemed to be struggling, but Rupper was doing his best to cheer her up through his usual perversion.

Eventually we were guided to the edge of a nearby cliff, and we made our plans for getting down - Wuyi would go first with Kat, and then I would follow behind to defend her and help stabilise a rope for others to climb down. Cal was sent down on reconaissance, but was chased back up by a pair of bat-like women. Harpies. Tal got the one attacking Cal, and despite an early fumble, I managed to tear into the second one with my HK before it could reach the group.

Unfortunately, Cal had begun to fall down and Tal had gone running as if to leap off the edge after her. I stopped Tal, but then had the strangest urge to jump myself.

It felt like the right thing to do.

I fell, but Wuyi had already caught Cal, so instead I spread my arms and just let the wind rush around me. It felt the most natural thing in the world. As luck would have it, I also spotted Joshua, and managed to swing onto the cliff face again, remaining entirely uninjured.

When the others finally caught up, it was explained that the man locked up was Joshuas brother. The women bickered amongst themselves again, this time mostly in Spanish, so I decided to have a smoke, and was soon joined by Rupper and Rhiannon.

Last thing I heard was the chain break and the cry of harpies.

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS

More to come to terms with today. Just as I was beginning to appreciate my gifts, I find out that i'm already in hell.

We'll start where I left you off in my last entry. I was thinking on what I had seen, and what I had felt and speaking to Pepper. I should probably explain at this point that Pepper is my hunting falcon. I don't know when I got her, just that she has been around since the time I awoke six months ago, and she seems to listen to me. This time though, I wasn't just speaking to her, she was replying. Replying, just not in any language. I could understand what she was saying fine and replying in a whistling language of my own. Turns out that Pepper's mind is on a completely different level from my own though, concentrated entirely on the hunt and on prey.

It wasn't long before I heard another pair of voices in conversation. Of course, Tal had a hawk of her own. Wait, did this mean we could all speak to the birds? Since nobody else was joining in conversation, I guessed not. Convenient, a private way for the two hunters of the group to communicate and organise things. I had a feeling this would come in useful in future.

It was then that Tal started speaking English again, reminding the others that we had a village to save. Good girl. The pair of us, without even needing to confer on the subject - not even via bird - set Pepper and her Hawk Cal into the air. Pepper circled above us and Cal went ahead. One thing that I had picked up in our conversation was that Pepper didn't seem to like Tal speaking to me. Could my pet Falcon have some sort of crush on me? Awkward.

Wuyi, as usual ran through ahead, but I moved after her quickly, just to discover the trees here had shifted as if to hide the exit of the forest from us. Didn't matter, I could see tracks we had made earlier, smell the direction of the wheat fields. No need to worry, the way out to me was obvious. It was then that Tal came close behind me and pointed the same was I said to go. "I trust her instincts" I agreed. No need to take the glory away from her, she has enough trust issues as it is.

We came to the same skeleton from earlier, and knew we had found our way out. The skull tried to speak to us, but as Pepper had reported that the village was under sttack and a group of riders were moving off on horses with the others. Nobody else could reach the riders, but I had my rifle and could hit them from the vantage point at the top of the hill. Once again, my eyes locked with Tal's and she nodded. The other five ran down to the village, and from what I heard, it was a massacre of the riders which had been left.

As they did that, the two birds flew ahead, and harried the escaping riders horses, actually managing to kill one and crushing the rider underneath it. The villager on the back managed to land safely.I managed to get two shots in before the riders got too far away, knocking the riders off of horses as well, and ensuring the safety of two more villagers. Cal let out a terrific cry, warning us that the villagers had been stopped at the edge of the Misty River andwere waiting for some vessel. I ran, not paying attention to anything else, when suddenly I found myself on Tals back. I stabilised myself, and hardly had time to pull out my HK before we came to the riverbank. The girl was fast.

Elder Joshua had been loaded up, and the boat moved away, whilst the others were held as hostages. I didn't give enough of a damn to listen to their threats and just let out a burst of HK fire, killing two more of the riders. The villagers they were holding onto just kinda stood there in shock at how close to death they had come. At the same time, Tal had managed to loft a spear through the air, and right through the middle of the chest of whatever it was issuing threats and commanding the zombie riders. It fell into the drink. Game over for him. I'll remember not to piss her off in future.

To our side, Wuyi came bouncing along with Rhiannon in her arms. Didn't even say "Hi" as she leapt through the air, flying god knows how far and reaching the ferry, which had made it's way into the mists. Girl could jump, but I didn't get to see what was going on up there, until the two of them found themselves in the water. The rest of the group finally started turning up on horseback themselves, and I realised how awkward it must look to Rupper, me sitting on Tals shoulders still. I decided to slip off and stand next to the other man.

Kelly took the descision to swim in the Misty River to save the others, but they seemed fine. After beating off the creature which had previously been on the boat (and was somehow still alive) those two got to shore. It took Rupper with a hastily assembled Lasso to pull Kelly in, who after swallowing some of the drink, had forgotten her own name all over again. I gave her a slap for being stupid, and in the hopes it would knock her brains back in place, but all it did was cause her to act even more airheaded.

I saw a bunch of stuff on the ground, and went for the little bell that was waiting there, but Kelly got to it first because I had suddenly found myself surrounded by crowds of villagers, all wanting to get close to their 'Hero'. What the hell? Why pick me? Rupper looked a bit annoyed at the fact himself. The girl started ringing the bell as soon as she got it, but I managed to get a hand around her wrist through the crowds and stop her. I didn't want that damned boat coming back for us as well.

Tal had brought up the possibility that we were in Hades, an idea which didn't exactly thrill me. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to talk it through much, since the Ferryman had returned for Kelly after she rang the bell.

AWAKENING

I know the truth now. I know how I came in possession of the weapons I wield. I know that there was once a time when I would have had killed a man with second thought.

I wonder if I could do that again. Become the man I was. I wonder if I want to become the man I was. Maybe I should start from the beginning.

It was a normal day. I was a normal man in the village. With six others I had been tasked to collect the water, something I did often with this group. Though I had only knew them for a few months, I felt I could trust them. I had no other choice. I had Wuyi and Tal. Kelly, Rhiannon and the sole other man in our small group, Rupert.

The six of us were returning, and the women stopped for a rest, Rupert for a smoke of his herbs. I myself sat down and watched the people of the village from afar. Even then my vision was good, I was testing myself, seeing who I could make out from this distance, and wondering idly where my bird Pepper had got to. I stood up impatient, moved over to Rupert and offered him my lighter - an attempt to reach out, maybe. The smoke from the herbs filled my eyes and I could not see, but through the smoke Rupert called out.

There was a fire in the distance. Smoke. That was nothing compared to what the girls had spotted. A body laying in the forest below. Faceless, Wuyi said, and insisted we investigate. After a quick conference I lead the way, undaunted.

Down in the woods, we saw the body was someone from the village, and that there were tracks deeper into the forest. Despite what we had been told of monsters, I took the initiative without prompting and followed the tracks, followed until we came to a bloody clearing. We barely had time to explore before we were surrounded by shadowy beasts who told us of a treaty, and nothing much more.

Intrigued, we decided to find out what we could. We had heard of no such treaty, but the village Elder, Joshua may have done, we figured. Returning to the village, we soon heard of attacks on a nearby village, one we - nor anyone else - had ever heard of. With little prompting, Joshua took us to his cabin, and showed us books and maps of the area, telling of the dangers in the forests, and an ancient evil locked away long ago by the gods. He told us also of the power in the forest, hidden in a tomb, the power to save the village.

Once again, the descision was made quickly, we headed deep into the woods, past the clearing again and found a tomb guarded by a man of stone, inside the door, who let us through after answering a riddle, and showering us in dust.

Entering the tomb, it was dark and the light of the torch merely awaken fungi spores, sending some of the party to sleep. We woke them again, and headed deeper inside the tomb. I was now leading the way again, using the scope of my rifle for illumination. I came across a room with a waterfall, and it was decided we cross through, blocking an archway. This time I offered to take the rear, and stay in the darkness, in case anything had followed.

Crossing the barrier, the water had a reaction with the dust on our clothing, causing it to explode. I shook off the pain and looked around the room. It was the burial chamber, a woman was floating beneath a pool of water, out of reach to me. All around the room were holes glowing with colour. One each of Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, Green and Orange. It was obvious what we had to do, so we placed our hands inside, taking hold of the crystal handle within.

A flash of lightning, of ice, of fire, flowing up my arms, into my very self it was ecstasy. Still standing, I blacked out.

The rifle felt cool against my hands, even in this desert sun. I looked down the scope there was a man, maybe of Arabic descent. I didn't recognise him. I shot him and his head exploded. Around me, the desert swam as a one eyed man approached me, seemingly out of nowhere, screams and cries for mercy filled the air.

"Well done, my son" He smiled, giving me a slight tip of the head, dropping a sword to my feet. I was blinded with a headache, and I knew. I knew this was my real father.

I awoke, feeling the weight of my weapons upon me. To my right, I felt Rhiannons heart speed up, heard her tumble backwards herself. Before she could touch the floor, I was there supporting her.

"Thank you" she whispered before pushing me away. The cave was shaking, the entombed woman freed. Some of the others could see in the dark and helped each other up and out. I stumbled ahead alone, not thinking after what had just hit me. The power, and the pain.

I stepped out into the main hallway, breathing in, remembering the fungus too late. The last thing I heard before blacking out again was my own gun tumbling to the floor as I sword to myself.

The flash of flesh, scream. Were they of agony or of pain?

I was not to find out. I woke up, in the daylight, the girl Wuyi carrying me. The wounds i'd recieved earlier miraculously healed. The others were speaking to the woman we had freed. I was looking back to the village, and to the past.