Loud tribal drums beat in the distance from Mashyuu position, unfortunately for him, he was being watched the whole time, as this segment of the forest was Holy Ground to the Shandia people. The woman who watched Mashyuu from the distance was a small woman around 4'9, a Shandia priestess by the name of Uryki. Despite her height and childish looks, the woman was nearing her middle twenties, and she'd been revered among her peers as a strong huntress, nicknamed the 'Small Oak'. "Ah... So the boy fights with chains and blades. Intriguing. If he was patched up... He might prove an excellent sparring partner for Rey." Uryki grinned, as she thought to herself. Suspended in an oak tree, ironically, about twenty-feet off the ground, secluded by the broad leaves on the oak trees branches, Uryki dug into her pocket revealing a duck whistle, the sound of which trailed over a thirty meter radius. The drums that were once moving away from Mashyuu were now drawing closer and closer by the passing second. These were the drums of Uryki's hunting buddies, three in number, well four including herself. One whistle blow was signal for 'I found something of interest' and that was all the men needed to lock onto the woman's position, suspended in the trees. BUM BUM BUM, the sound of the parties crashing drums were in hope of attracting wild tigers to catch as game for the feast ahead. However, tonight, it wouldn't be a Tiger they carry back home possibly to their boss, it might be a winged stranger.

At the position twenty-five meters away, the party of three conversed among themselves, as they flew closer. The man beating the drums, a musician warrior by the name of Odin, ceased his banging to acknowledge the sound of incoming footsteps. Activating his Mantra, the man felt the presence of three men drawing closer to their position. "Brother. It seems sister has encountered some intruders. Three of them. They're coming in our direction." Odin reported. "I wonder if it's those foolish slavers from Quaid's faction. He never ceases to disrespect our King!" the woman, Freya shouted in frustration, spitting against the ground at the thought of such a disgrace. "Relax you two. They'll be here in a few moments, let's land and intercept them." Ragnar retorted. As stated, the trio's flight ceased as they landed in the path of the retreating slavers, who fell to their knees at the sight of the large, eight foot tall Shandia's. "Fear not humans. I won't kill you yet. Answer my questions and I shall let you live." Ragnar stated, pausing to dig through his hunters pouch for his smoking pipe, setting it ablaze to intake his daily dose of Sacred Herbs.

"Why do you trample on our Holy Ground?" Ragnar inquired, blowing smoke from his mouth as he spoke. Attempting to gulp, the saliva clump stuck in the man's throat, made speaking almost impossible for the moment. "I-I- I know that... these grounds are forbidden to even those of Skypiea... but our boss sent us after an escaped slave!" one of the hunters shouted in fear. "Ah. So you've been hunting prey on our land, is that it?" Odin asked, with a mischievous grin on his face.  "No! No! We'd never break the agreement between Quaid and your King! Trust me! I beg of you to spare our lives!" one of the slavers shouted. "Reluctantly Bro- I mean, King Rey permitted you fools to hunt on these grounds, as long as it was your 'slaves' and not our game. I care not for Blue Dweller affairs. Out of my sight." Ragnar commanded. The man's words prompted the men to dash away once again through the forest, running as fast as their limbs could've carried them. "Odin. Execute them." Ragnar stated. "Ah. I thought it was weird you let them leave." Odin responded grinning. "My brother doesn't value our traditions as strictly... I. However I do." Ragnar stated. "Anyone who tramples on these grounds that aren't Shandia shall be executed. Winged or Dweller alike." Ragnar concluded.

The Eight Foot, giant bellied man didn't even move an inch to chase the attackers, instead, digging into the hunter's pouch along his waist, he'd removed two halves of a flute. Assembling the flute, he'd flick the base of the flute open, revealing several darts lined within it's pipeline. Pointing the mouth in the slaver's direction, Odin released three darts, each towards the men's thigh, neck and shoulder blade, each making contact. The darts were lined in a deadly toads poison which killed the mightiest animals within minutes, so on humans, it'd be seconds before the slavers died. Turning his attention towards his sister's location, Ragnar commanded his men to take flight once again, flying to her position hoisted in the tree, it'd be a matter of minutes before Mashyuu's aura came within Ragnar's Mantra. Once again, the loud prideful sound of the drums beat majestically.

Odin | Ragnar | Freya :

Uryki watched from a distance as the man frantically tried to escape from the area where her brothers and sisters were approaching readily. Reaching into her quiver, she'd jab her sharpened arrow heads into the tree tops, leaving a path for them to follow, as she'd trail the man's advance cautiously. At anytime, she could've certainly attempted to take the man's life but Uryki was always intrigued by the cultures and races outside her close knit Shandia Clan, and it was this fascination that struck her even as a child that saved Mashyuu from having a new enemy. However, orders were orders, and Rey's own was absolute. Anyone who'd drawn close to Golden Shrine, and especially, touch foot on these grounds and not be of Shandia blood, was to be executed on site or tortured for information as to why they intruded. Even the highest ranking members of the tribe in Ragnar weren't allowed to venture into these parts too long, which made all parties involved, extremely anxious about how close this alien was drawing to the Holy Land. Eventually, Mashyuu had stumbled across an old camp site, and his bleeding was becoming worse by the second, and his injuries weren't anything to scoff at either. She'd watch the man from the noblest of tree top, as to what his next action would be next. After rumbling around the camp for a few moments, the spiky black haired male stumbled across a half curved blade, which he was primitively using to close his wounds. After first smell of singeing flesh, the woman's voice echoed from the trees, "Stop this at once!" Uryki shouted. "What are you to if that wound was to get infected!? Do you even know where that weapon came from? The amount of bacteria swarming around it? Billions you nut!? Billions!" Uryki exclaimed, flailing around her hands like a wild thing, or more so an angry mum.

"Drop the weapon. I'll patch you up, outsider. However, promise to leave once I have?" Uryki stated but didn't wait much longer before treating the man's wounds. First up, it was the condition of his wings, they'd look to be have placed through a wringer. Breaking several parts of his wing back into proper location, the woman hummed a soothing melody that worked almost as strong as any anaesthetic.

"Into the Palace... The bird flies. Searching for shelter, a home." Uryki sung, maintaining the angelic harmony all the way through the song's phrasing.

"In search of diamonds and treasure... The mortals lusted for gold. The bird simply laughed... 'How foolish of them?' To trespass in heaven's walls." Uryki continued to sing, as she'd buzzed around like a worker bee, correcting Mashyuu's wings, now digging in her bag for a roll of bandages.

"The bird found life. A orchid for love. The mortals found the city of gold. Alas was no exit, and all that was left. Was a fruit ordained in Devil's remorse." Uryki said, ending the beautiful, yet ominous hymn with a smile of approval of handy work on Mashyuu's wings.

"Now for these nasty... burns." Uyrki stated, pouting her cheeks in disappointment of the man's decision to seal his wounds this way. Rummaging through her bag, she'd reveal a small jar, which contained an ointment made from several herbs and shrubs found all across Skypiea. Opening the jar, the smell of the ointments earthy aroma filled the nostrils of all present. Rubbing the ointment against the man's wounds, his ribcage and the wounds across his thigh, the ointment went to work effectively immediately.

Covering the wounds with another set of bandages, Uyrki was content with her work. "Much better. Take these. These shrubs are good for neutralising pain. It'll allow you to walk. Drink this. It's a steroid that'll let you keep moving for a bit. I'm afraid my siblings aren't as kind as I." Uyrki informed, handing over the shrubs and hand made elixir. "The next time I see you... We'll be enemies. Leave this place. If you continue on this route... You'll end up like the mortals in our ancestors songs. Or slaughtered by brother Ragnar" Uyrki said, before flying off in the direction of the drums that now filled the area with intense energy.

OCC: All Moderate wounds are now Minor.

Odin | Ragnar | Freya :

OCC: You mashyuu heard the drums, so he'd be paralyse and the wound would be Tertiary versus. Claiming hit unless stated otherwise by actions.

As the sound of the enlarged drum-stick banging against the drum set made the very leaves of the trees tremble as the men, climbing around thirty feet into the air, shrouded by the tops of the trees, enclosed on their sister's aura with an every growing Mantra. Deer in headlights, it was a common phenomena found when game becomes entangled in the blaring glare of approaching light signatures. The wounded Winged Man, who after being spared by Uyrki's mercy, didn't take the smarter route to flee, no, he'd remained at his former position, even climbing higher into the air, taking the Druid's blessing, as an all encompassing miracle but that would surely be a mistake, he'd come to forget for the rest of his life. Enslaved, Mashyuu's body would be frozen by the drums sound, as his Willpower wouldn't be enough to fight against it's effects, and he'd only notice this mistake once he'd climbed to his established forty feet mark, it'd be then that the sound of the enticing drums would cause his heart to accelerate, so fast that the shock literally frozen him in the moment. As his cardiac danced along at a samba like pace, Mashyuu would start hyperventilating a bit. Still being able to maintain his wings flapping, because this kind of paralysis didn't play fully on the muscles, it played strictly with the mind. Sadly, there he'd be, after being caught in the range of the loud pulsating drums, frozen, forty feet off the ground, in clear sight for the approaching wolves that waited in the wing to save their sister.

Freya had remained at the hind of the pack, while Odin and Ragnar advanced, increased their speed after now being in flight for about ten minutes or so, adjusting their speeds to higher tempo's was child's play for the Shandia Champions, Raganr arriving first, as Odin lagged behind lazily, panting heavily from being out of shape, but still maintaining with chore like conviction the drum's sound. Now, suspended in air, with no where to run, Mashyuu now stood before the eight foot Winged Shandia, Ragnar, who'd now reached for his spear, during his flight's advance. It was a sight to see, his position from twenty-five meters was cleared with ease, once his top speed had come into focus, using the Wing Techniques of his ancestor's carrying his feathery travel. Resting his spear on Mashyuu's shoulder, the distance separating them being the length from his spear's blade, to the bottom of his thirty-two inch staff, the space between the two men couldn't help to bring a smile to Ragnar's face, the perfect range for close range combat genius to shine. "Outsider. I take from those wings... You are not one of our brothers." Ragnar stated, smiling menacingly as his cold artic eyes made contact with Mashyuu's pupils. Ragnar knew from the shape of his wings alone he'd been an outsider, trespassing on Sacred Land, a rule that even the governing body of Angel Island followed. Retracting his spear five inches, entering his hand into an arched angle, Ragnar would attempt to thrust his spear through the man's heart, ending his life in one fatal blow. "Wait! Brother! Stop it!" Uryki shouted, taking to the skies to confront her brother.

Ceasing his movement, the man's grin turned into an enraged frown. "Uryki! You go missing from the village for a week now! We come to look for you... Now your giving me orders... Have you lost your mind?" Ragnar inquired, spatting out in anger at this sister request. "This man was being chased by those slavers... The same ones who've been raiding our village as of late! He's the victim here, not our enemy!" Uryki shouted. "Fool. Did you forget what the Elder Rey prophesied!? It'd be our own brothers who sell us off to the Quinn merchant. We have evidence now after today's tribunal! It'll be no more treaty's and talks of peace. If we must commit genocide for the sake of our people... I will eradicate the leader of the Quaid or whatever it's called. Then I shall have the heads of every winged who served to trade our people!" Ragnar shouted. "Brother..." Odin murmured, afraid of his brother once his temper had reached these heights. Drawing her bow and arrow from her strap, she'd aim an arrowhead towards her brother's head, lining up the correct angle and spacing for a shot. "I see. You'd throw away our traditions for an outsider... As per usual. Uryki Soga! As First in Command of the Shandia People... I herby expel you from our village. First... falling in love with a Bottom Dweller... and now this. Unacceptable. Freya. Take her out." Ragnar commanded. With no hesitation, as a tear fell from the woman's eye,    
Frey's arrow impaled Uryki's chest cage, causing her to fall from the sky.

Unable to break the paralysis of Odin's drums, Mashyuu was helpless. Had he only ran away, as instructed, the woman's life would've not been endangered. However, greed begets consequence.  Ragnar attached his Flame Dial to his spear's head, combining to with a mechanism that trigger it to activate upon impact. "Obiwana.... It's an interesting spear. It's laced in a poison that's resistant to heat and once it becomes heated, it's toxicity can cause it's enemies to hallucinate. Five days the say... before they die. As the most painful memories come rushing back to them. It's surely hell. I've been struck by this spear before... I can tell you it's truth." Ragnar declared smiling. Adding a slight spin to the spear, Ragnar jammed the spear's tip into the man's ribcage, missing his major organs by mere centimetres. The poisoned seeped into his system, as the flame dial slight charred his insides, engulfing the man in flames. "Next time... In your next life... When you hear the mighty drums of our people... Run." Ragnar said grinning. Withdrawing his spear, Mashyuu's blood stained the air, "Let's go. I've had enough of this. It's time to inform Brother of Our findings." Ragnar shouted, resting his spear on his shoulder, as he'd float back towards the direction of the village. Ragnar's attack approached at Tertiary Strength, but it's true retaining value was the poison that attack organs in a weird manner, starting with shutting down of the five major senses. Only left to hallucinate with the sins of ones past, again, it was truly hell. It all started with the base of a drum. As Uryki's body touched the ground, if Mashyuu did survive the attack, he'd fall below. In the case that escape was possible, and his attack had missed it's mark, Mashyuu would'v gotten serious, abandoning his spear and placing an Impact Dial, to the heroes heart.

Odin | Ragnar | Freya :

Tears fell from Freya's eyes as she had to shoot down her own sister. "Brother!" Freya shouted, after retreating under Ragnar's commands about five meters away. "What is it now Freya?" Ragnar asked, continuing his advanced forward with Odin at his side. "I request permission to go and retrieve sister's body." Freya inquired. "Body? Why are you talking as if you killed her? I know you missed her vitals on purpose. Freya. Don't anger me any longer. If something like that was able to kill Uryki, then she wasn't our sister in the first place!" Ragnar shouted. "This is why Brother Rey was able to become King! This need of yours to stick to tradition is outdated! So what if she loved a human! Even you in your youth was once in love too with that Shandia girl, Angelica-" Freya's words were interrupted by the force of Ragnar's spear stopping inches before impact against the woman's nose bridge.

"If you want to go save that traitor... Then so be it. I'll exile you both. However, don't you ever mention that bitches name in my prescience again. Odin. We're leaving." Ragnar concluded, leaving Freya suspending in mid-air choked up in tears. "Your words though well spoken... we're crude and uninformed." Odin murmured to his sister before flying off. Meanwhile on the ground, Uyrki breathing became more erratic as Mashyuu tried to apply first-aid to her wound, coughing up blood, as her body was now entering into a feverish state, the woman's words severed as light for the poisoned Mashyuu. "Listen to the sound of my voice... Boy. What your seeing and feeling are affects of my brother's poisonous spear... Obiwana..." Uryki stated, as her panicked breathing continued. "You mustn't... loose hope. Nothing your hearing now is real... just fragments of your past." Uryki said before passing out. Rushing towards her sister's aid, Freya landed, breaking Uryki from the winged man's arms.

Breaking both ends of the arrow, making sure to just leave the shaft in the centre, she'd quickly began to patch up her sister, applying proper bandaids from her pouch and rubbing ointment, similar to the one used on Mashyuu's early against her wounds. Quickly reaching for her bow and arrow, she'd aimed an arrow towards Mashyuu's direction, "I should kill you now... outsider. If I can at least do that... I'll be able to return home." Freya stated calmly, extending her shooting right arm backwards in attempts to fire her arrow. However, Uryki's hand clutching at her sister's foot, stopped the action, removing the tension from the trained warrior. "Stop it... He's already been injured enough..." Uryki stated. Suddenly, rain began to descend from the skies, and with all the wound present between the two, Freya lifted both Mashyuu and Uryki on her shoulders, flying towards the Golden Pyramid ahead to take shelter. Humming the tune of the song that Urkyi was singing earlier, the woman rested both Mashyuu and Uryki down about three meters into the entrance of the Pyramid's walls.

"To think... The very pyramid we'd been trained our whole life to avoid... We're now taking shelter inside of. The irony of life." Freya stated. The poison was now rapidly expanding through Mashyuu's body. Digging through her pouch, she'd taken out a small vial, containing a purple liquid and force fed it down the flailing Winged Man's throat. "Relax! Without this antidote... Your death is certain." Freya shouted. Next, she'd then begin to patch up the wound from the spear, only to notice the man's scars from earlier wounds which opened the woman's eyes in astonishment. "How... Did you suffer such horrible wounds child?" Freya inquired, as her hands danced around Mashyuu's body, fixing the seemingly iron man's body.

" Into the Palace... The bird flies. Searching for shelter, a home.

In search of diamonds and treasure... The mortals lusted for gold. The bird simply laughed... 'How foolish of them?' To trespass in heaven's walls.

The bird found life. A orchid for love. The mortals found the city of gold. Alas was no exit, and all that was left. Was a fruit ordained in Devil's remorse." Freya sung, as she prayed for Mashyuu's recovery.

"The antidote will only cure the fatal elements of the poison. It's up to your will to escape the illusions." Freya thought, continuing into the second verse of the song.

"The fruit consumed... enticed the man... Who lost his lover's own.

The bird rejoice in merriment, for freedom woven prone.

Alas Alas... A fool's gold... The City Ordained With Souls.

Down below the temples walls... A monster sleeps alone." Freya concluded.

Odin | Ragnar | Freya :

"I can see why Sister saved you... You look like him." Freya stated abruptly to the man's question, moving the conversation at her own pace, deciding whether she should answer the question truthfully or not. Invading Mashyuu's personal space, the woman placed her forehead against his own, "This place is called Adam's Keep. I believe the bottom Dwellers refer to it as the City of Gold." Freya explained. Springing her position so close to Mashyuu's face, the woman began to dance around in mid-air, likening the flaps of her wings to that of an haphazard waltz. "There's a song we've been told as children to keep us away from this place. A tale that talks of a Demon who slumbers in the pinnacle of these walls. Intriguing ain't it?" Freya declared. "It's said that when the Father of all Winged, Adam descended from the Moon. He created this keep to store all of his most precious heirlooms." Freya concluded. "I hope you're accepting responsibility for us. I'll take nothing less than being your second wife after Uryki of course. We've been disgraced by even stepping foot into these grounds, you'll do well to make us proud off-spring-" Freya's words were interrupted by an arrow flying from the bow of the now flustered and conscious Uryki. "Y-Y-Y-ou idiot! What are you babbling on about!?" Uryki shouted. Tilting her head to the side in confusion, "I don't understand the question. I'm simply declaring the hierarchy of our marriage." Freya said to herself, nodding in approval of her own words.

---

Odin and Ragnar arrived back to the Shandia Village after their long voyage, they reported to the main tent in the centre of the village, the place where the feared Chief, and their older brother, Rey lived. Puffing on the contents of his mahogany pipe, shrouded in the bodies of several winged women, Rey laid on his side, propping up his head with the palm of his right hand, as he'd listened to his brothers report. "Basically. Freya and Uryki have betrayed our clan? Is that what I'm getting here, Ragnar?" Rey inquired, smirking sinisterly. "I believe they're under the influence of the outsider... A winged boy..." Ragnar stated. "We've returned here to gain permission to trespass on Adam's Keep to retrieve them brother!" Odin shouted. "She was always your favourite huh? Ragnar. Jiro Jiro..." Rey bursted out into laughter about the leverage he had in this situation. "Fine. I'll let you have permission to trespass on Adam's Keep and I'll even pardon Uryki and Freya's actions... Under two conditions... Of course." Rey stated grinning. "I'm listening." Ragnar said, biting his bottom lip to suppress his frustration in the situation, using enough force to draw blood. Suddenly, the skies overcast and rain began to pelt down upon the tents. Raising his finger to gesture the number one, "The outsider must be delivered alive before us... to testify of his sins. Your only permitted to capture him alive." Rey stated. "Of course! We'd have it no other-" Odin's squawk was interrupted by Rey's next alarming reveal. "If his testimony is deemed unsatisfactory... Odin... Freya... Uryki... and all of your followers Ragnar will be sentenced to be slaves in our contract with the outsider Quinn. Of course that includes the boy as well!" Rey exclaimed in immense glee. "That's madness!" Odin shouted, breaking his humble demeanour and slamming his hands against the matted dirt floor, leaving a sizeable mark. "If that happens then Ragnar's claim as the next heir after you will be lost. Our people will be without a future King!" Odin shouted. "Didn't you know... With Ragnar gone... I can finally begin on my true excavation of Adam's Keep. The human's say that inside those walls lie the powers of a 'Demon'. Once I have it, I'll be immortal. Then... I'll be last ruler of the Shandia Tribe... for all eternity. Sounds crazy doesn't it? Fail... and it'll be a reality." Rey shouted.

"And what if we're found to be in the right?" Ragnar said sternly. "Then you and the boy will engage in Trial by Death Ritual. The winner will walk out with their lives." Rey declared. "Tch... Either way..." Odin thought. "I still get the outcome I desire." Rey thought, smiling widely as Ragnar stormed from the the tent.

Odin | Ragnar | Freya :

Breaking out into laughter Freya flapped her wings frantically in amusement, "Kid!? Bwahaha young? That old bat! No way!" Freya shouted. "Freya! How rude! I'm only 26! Thank you very much!" Uryki shouted in frustration, pouting out her cheeks similar to that of a child. "Besides! It's only these baggy clothes! Underneath I have the body of a woman!" Uryki shouted, only to add further to her own embarrassment. "Wow sis. That's pretty bold of ya' to admit. Though, I'm only 17 and I best you in most feminine things." Freya said, sticking out her tongue to tease the woman. If Freya wasn't truthful by nature, an outsider would've surely found lies in those words with the simple 3ft' difference in height between the sparsely aged sisters. Stuck in the comedy duo, Freya and Uryki's mood were broken by Mashyuu's words about his parent's guarding this pyramid. "Boy... What's your Father's name?" Uryki inquired with a more serious tone. At this stage, Mashyuu was already moving at his own pace, barking orders off at Uryki and Freya, who'd decided to go along with whimsical commands. However, what was truly odd was why the man wouldn't fly but walk towards the door, and as he opened the door, he'd stumble across a large room, about fifty by fifth meters wide, and sitting in the centre of the room was an middle aged winged gentleman, wielding what appeared to be a cane but once he'd drawn the blade from the cane's wooden sheath, the man stood to his feet, standing at around 9ft tall, flapping his black wings with pride.

"Hello. Little birdies." the man said ominously, as in the distance a cascading staircase hung about twenty-five meters behind him. "Welcome to Adam's Keep. My name is Cain. The entrance for the next level is... a blood sacrifice. Who shall pay the toll?" Cain inquired grinning.

---

Meanwhile in the Shandia Village, Ragnar's personal army, including Odin prepare for a raid on Adam's Keep. "Your playing right into his hands brother... Adam's Keep... That's where those who've been infected with Moon Disease are sent. They loose their humanity slowly... First ability to digest food... Then voices in their heads and finally-" Odin stated only to be interrupted by his brother's retort. "Cannibalism. I understand it's dangerous. Those who have been infected by the disease are forced to serve the ruler of Adam's Keep. And the Treasure he guards. The first of his kind... A Three Eyed Winged." Ragnar reported.

Odin | Ragnar | Freya | Cain: