SKYWARD MIRACLES - IC Thread

[Beowulf]

Taka's grip tightened for just an instant as the Librarian took hold of his wing before letting it go. He trusted the Librarian, truly he did. But you must understand, he had just recently regained ownership of the wing. And though he was now giving it to him so it'd be attached once more to him, a small voice in the far corner of his conscious shouted at the top of it's lungs and flailed with all it's might trying to convince him to hold onto it with both hands.

As the Librarian spoke to himself and felt the nub of what the robbers had left him, Taka stiffened and froze, a slight blush coming to his face, but he kept a stiff upper lip. No one should touch someone else like that unless they knew them very, very, very, well. But much like a doctor fondling your junk, it was a necessary awkward moment.

Suddenly, he felt a warmth on his back. And when that warmth left, a weight was there that had been missing for a long time. He craned his head every which way to try and get a glimpse of it. And sure enough, there it was. Though he had no control over it and it draped on the floor, it was most certainly attached to him. If he strained, however, he could see it tremble ever so slightly.

Tears of joy welled in his eyes, and a smile of pure wonderment crept across his face. He reached around and grabbed his wing, feeling the tug as he moved and pulled on it. It was back, he had both of his wings now. He was complete once more.

'You are as over emotional as ever.' Buras spoke up, the sudden surge of emotions prompting him to appear. 'If you've ogled yourself for long enough, this lovely Celestial would like to continue treating you.'

The stupid smile that was on his face vanished in a flash as he was brought back to from his emotional high. The tears remained simply because if he wiped them away he'd bring attention to them. Clearing his throat, he says to the Celestial. "Yes, you may finish."

 

[Yzmael]

​

As she approached the fellow Youkai and asked for help in locating a specific someone, she turned towards her with a rather happy disposition and a friendly demeanor. It was nice, for a change. Taiyoko was almost growing used to being looked at with contempt or accusing eyes. Kitsunes didn't seem to possess a very good reputation among the humans. She had heard of the curious tales carrying her kin's names, including the most curious being the one about how "A Kitsune's power can be measured by the number of tails". It was an intriguing saying, considering all Kitsunes were born with a single tail and never grew any other. She wondered the origin of these hilarious and rather foolish tales, but wonder was all she could do.

Being treated differently for once after such a long time, combined with the pleasant surprise of having found someone who shares the same homeland as she did, Taiyoko couldn't help but smile meekly in response. When questioned about who she wanted to see, Taiyoko responded excitedly. "I wish to speak with the Captain of this ship." Taiyoko spoke, calmly although rather shyly. As she said so, she motioned her hands to show the ringed ship by their side.

"That'd be Captain Agatha but... she's away right now, I can get you to meet one of her officers though."

The Kitsune's response caused Taiyoko to become pensive for a moment, but followed with a nod of approval. The still unknown fellow of kin then proceeded to lead her to the Officer she could speak with, to which Taiyoko followed calmly. As she did, she studied the ship carefully with a smile on her face. Truly a wonder of discovery and ingenuity. As she stared, awed, however, the fellow youkai said something she wasn't expecting.

"How should I introduce you by the way? I'm Miyamoto Saki by the way, maybe you have heard my clan's name before."

The Miyamoto wasn't as large as clan as many others, but they sure did leave their mark as a prominent warrior clan in Harukayama. Some of them started off as hunters and mercenaries, but eventually reached a level of respect that they deserved as worthy and honored warriors. "I am Taiyoko Masumi. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Saki."

"It's an honor, Taiyoko."

Taiyoko was rather surprised by her reaction after the mention of her name, however, as Saki suddenly bowed her head, much akin to how warriors did to their lords. At first, Taiyoko grew somewhat shy at the act, she thought of telling Saki that there was no need for such formalities, but she thought that maybe, if she did, it'd feel as if Saki did something wrong. Instead, Taiyoko only smiled and nodded in response with a large smile.

---

She was then presented to the seeming officer of the ringed airship. He was a sharp-looking young man, and nothing akin to what Taiyoko expected. If anything, Taiyoko would have assumed that the crew was run by some sort of old man, but this was not the case. The young man presented himself and made point that the Captain, named Agatha Nightingale, was not present at the moment. The Fox Youkai made sure to note the last name. Indeed, she knew of them. A prominent name around Venesia, and they possessed quite the power as well. Although, to say the least, it was strange to imagine the member of a Patrician Family of Venesia was running around as Captain of a ship. It surprised Taiyoko, and some of this was evident in her initial thoughtful expression, but what followed after was a simple smile. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Officer Aster." A simple, long bow of her head was what she did to show a sign of respect towards the man, a formal presentation, if anything.

"This is quite the impressive airship you command, if I may say. I have come here bearing both an offer of work and a few questions. Would you mind if I took some of your time, Officer Aster?" Taiyoko's formality was based on how she wanted to leave a good first impression. In the least, that was all she could do to attempt to sway things in her favor. After all, she intended to join the crew as well. It wasn't too much a surprise to her that the young man accepted her offer, to which Taiyoko merely smiled. "To give you a brief explanation of the work in hands. As you might know, I am a performer that has been roaming the continent. I've only recently arrived in Eustia and performed a few hours ago at the main theater of the city." As Taiyoko said that, she looked somewhat saddened by it. Biting her lip in a somewhat pained expression, she continued: "As sad as it is, an incident occurred in an alleyway near the theater, including having been seen by two of your crew members. At the end of the incident, I found myself robbed of my most prized instrument, my Guzheng. While a deal with one of the crew members of this ship was made, and he promised me to attempt tracking the instrument, I'd like to ask you if it is possible to have your cooperation at this search and maybe even a recovery of my instrument."

Having finished most of her explanation, Taiyoko then proceeded to explain her financial situation. Although she had received money from her performances, these were most of the time spent on keeping herself under a roof. Inns and such were only ever so costly, and the maintaining of the instrument also had some interference. In the end, Taiyoko expected him to charge a price she would never be able to pay. "However, I must indeed say that at the moment, I possess no currency with which I can bargain, Officer... Other than my own work. That leads me to my second question, if I may... Are you still accepting applicants to the crew?" As she asked that, she finally had finished her statement.

It was both a plea for help and a promise of payment through work, and she could only wonder what kind of response she would receive. If it was anything, at least they could take the job, and she would have to find another way to pay them later on. As she faced Aster directly, she looked somewhat disheartened, but her expression was an anticipating one. Almost like a pleading dog. It was even easier to imagine it due to her ears, standing somewhat stiff as she awaited.

 

[Karyra]

Specific Mentions of: @Miya | Cera and @RedArmyShogun | Attackers
​

While it was slow going, Sonya smiled the whole way. Oh man, she forgot how nice it was to see the face of someone who just realized what had happened and there was barely a thing they could do about it. That feeling was as fleeting as the adrenaline that was already starting to fade slowly but surely. And that meant her refugee was getting only heavier with each step.

I should have made Cera carry him. She's way stronger than I am.

No time for take-backs, and even as they couldn't see someone pursuing them, Sonya knew that someone was. She doubted that much 'merchandise' being stolen would let her off with that much luck. The cultists were kind of the last bit of luck she bet that she had today.

"Gun'thar found you... Boss tell Gun'thar to get you!"

It's not hide and seek, asshole.

Gods above she was already tiring out and they hadn't really gotten much of a chance to rest.

"Hehehehe... you think we'd just let you run that easily?"

Crap, the orc was one thing but... another Drow? Really? This was officially terrible, now.

"Now remember, Gun, our job is to capture, not kill... except for these two bitches, though I'd prefer we spare them, who knows, maybe Boss will let us keep them. They'd look good in collars..." the male Drow said, and Sonya suppressed a shudder as he looked her up and down, "Especially you, luv, I'll keep you safe," He grinned at Sonya, "Fellow Drows have to look out for each other, hmm?"

"Sorry, I don't do collars," Sonya said, trying to not let how tired she felt drip into her voice. "Better luck next time."

"Okay, Abu! Gun'thar try not to kill!"

Sonya had enough time to register that the Drow had vanished and thrown needles her way. Pivoting on her left foot, she swung her refugee in front her like a shield, and let him slip off her back slowly where he collapsed.

The needles had a sleeping agent. But two could play at the shadow game, and Sonya had a grappling gun. Barely managing to connect to a broken building and have her feet graze the top of Abu's head, Sonya was now a mere shadow as well.

"Ss-stop!"

Sonya didn't flinch from her position, already connecting to the next, higher, area. She could rest somewhat, buy time to recover some if she could flee to an upper area.

"Th-this little humie here works for Gorgutz! He's a big warboss now, trying to seize some gitz for his good cause!"

I won't interfere, but you better hope you know what you're doing Cera...

"How about you gitz join us? Considering 'ow strong you are, Boss Gorgutz will definitely pay you more than that wretched 'umie you served with!"

Oh Gods above they were gonna die.

Sonya pulled herself up to the top of a broken ceiling and launched herself off of it, aiming to use the height and speed to confuse Abu. She prepared a drop kick, but pulled out her knife to deflect if necessary.

 

[Astoria]

"Oh? What's this?"

Stepping up to the front door of the estate, the echoes her heels against the polished marble floor were accentuated by the eerily serene silence in the air. It truly made Charlotte feel completely alone inside... but she knew better. Her eyes falling on the wooden doors of her sister's, an unnatural chill ran down her spine for but a brief moment. Upon the door was a large, dimly glowing magical seal that completely barred the door. It was rather elaborate for one created in haste… but the tell-tale sign that it was not one her sister had put in place were the patterns more reminiscent of a witch's work.

Indeed, she was not alone in the house of her sister. It was a mystery for Charlotte the detective to solve. Taking minimal precautions in the form of placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, she quietly began to inspect the first floor of the building. Making a quick circuit around the floor, she found herself entering the basement. Walking through deserted servant's quarters and the house kitchen, she entered the wine cellar. The familiar musky scent of barrels and faint wine reached her keen nose, prompting a small smile on her face as she briefly inspected the vintages her sister kept. To her displeasure, they were labels all too familiar to her.

As she slid a wine bottle back into its place, a faraway noise caught her attention. Silencing herself, she listened, homing in on the hunt as she identified the metallic signs of small tools and the subtle but obvious charge of magic in the air. Closing in on her target, it became more obvious to her what the intruder was, reinforcing the evidence found in the main hall.

And soon enough, she found herself face to face with the back of a young girl donning the familiar plumage of a descendant of Lilith. An amused look on the vampire's face, she tapped her heel against the cold stone floor to catch the witch's attention. She dramatically placed a hand atop her sheathed sword.

"Oh? If you're not a common thief, are you a big time thief?"

 

[Villamvihar]

The entire world was crumbling around Ádalé. Large fragments of the ceiling along with the walls around her were coming down with enough force to shatter bones. Metal plates creaked under the stress levied at them, but even if they did not break, the elemental fury behind the blows made its impact known. Bruise after bruise was formed on the knight's skin as stone threatened to overcome armour. But she held on. With a silent prayer to the Divine One along with both of Its hands, Ádalé gritted her teeth and silenced all of her complaints. Two lives were depending on her at this very moment, children that she absolutely could not fail. Even as she felt her skeleton crack, she refused to yield to death. No matter how many of her bones felt like shattering into dozens of tiny pieces, she would get through this! Unfortunately, mere resolve was not enough to get through the collapse of a building.

As fractions of a second seemed to stretch into hours, the knight's armour started to fail. A loud crack signalled the demise of one of her shoulder-plates, followed by sickening thud that marked a piece of rubble landing on the exposed spot. Colour rushed out of Ádalé's face as she bit down hard on her lip so as to prevent herself from screaming out loud. Blood flowed her lips, because her teeth bit into her skin in an effort to shut herself up and look strong for her two charges. Then it got even worse. More and more pieces of her protection failed miserably, bringing with them injuries of various severity. Most of them were only severe bruises because of the angles of the impact, but there were also several that broke bones. Being in the most protected position, her legs recieved the least of the damage. Yet even they had been cruelly battered before the rain of blunt death finally ended.

Thank the One. A massive sigh of relief left Ádalé, instantly causing her breath to hitch as she discovered that something bruised the side of her ribs. A quick survey of her own body with her magical abilities left her knowing that she was the worst shape she had ever been in yet. But... At least the two in her hands were safe. Feeling as if moving even a finger of hers would be a titanic effort, the knight rested under the rubble for a bit to gather her strength. She was not buried very thickly, but a normal man would have likely been crushed under such stresses. Even her strong body was feeling like it had been hit by an airship at full speed, a metaphor she was sure that Agatha would appreciate. Goodness was her body heavy.

Alas, the call of the One was still strong. With a herculean effort, the knight started to move what little pieces of rubble she could lift with her injured limbs. Luckily, she had help from the outside and as she was dug out, she could not help but smile a radiant smile as the man she pulled out earlier all but hugged the children to death. His Common might have been a little bit accented or broken, however, one did not necessarily need words to understand gratitude. It was enough to see the relief on the children's faces along with the expression of hope overcoming despair on their... father? Caretaker? Ádalé really could not care less. She merely basked in the joy that such a moment brought in an effort to forget about her aching body.

Unfortunately, the happiness did not last for a long time. Five men approached from the ruins, bearing makeshift weapons. And while they would have been no threat under ordinary circumstances, Ádalé was not in top shape at the moment to put it mildly. Not only did she leave Alris somewhere under the rubble, she could not have even lifted the weapon with her busted shoulder. Or her busted other limbs for that matter. The only thing she was relatively confident in was her footwork and everything else was either in terrible condition or she could not use at all. Therefore, she had no place on the battlefield at all. Any commanding officer worth their salt would have removed her immediately from her position, rotating her out for a fresher individual. In this case, however, she had no choice.

Gathering what little magic she had to her heart, Ádalé let the strange energies seep into her bones and diminish the pain she felt all over her body. She could not stand and fight, naturally, but she did not have to: she only needed to get in a single, lucky strike. Then she could delay the men long enough for the children and the man to escape.

"The refugee camp is to the south. Run," advised the knight to her charges and then she let the pavement crack over her boots. She lunged forwards with simply amazing speed, pushing her body well beyond its capacity in order to gamble on the power of surprise... And by some miracle, she succeeded. The instant militia before her blinked in surprise. Their reactions were all too sluggish to her relatively experienced eyes, almost as if they were moving in molasses. Surprise was written on all of their faces, an expression that soon mixed with fear when the knight's foot connected with one of their ribcages. A sickening crack of shattering bone filled the air as the man's chest practically evaporated. The armoured boot sunk deep into the cavity that it created, shattering spine along with lungs in a single, merciless swoop. Of course, such a strike left Ádalé precariously unbalanced, not to mention vulnerable to counterattack.

She did not want to let her opponents to capitalise on this advantage. Using her somewhat better off arm, Ádalé ripped the cadavear off her legs with the very same motion. Naturally, she almost ended up face-first in the rubble, but now she had the men's attention. Her gamble paid off as the unsavoury men focused on her, letting her charges get away so they could grab the one who killed one of their comrades. Their reason did not matter: All that counted was that now she could run rings around them with her relatively intact legs. It would push the knight's body even more to the limit than it already was, but what other choice did she have? She did not intend to die on this battlefield and she knew when she was outmatched. The same approach would not work twice either. As unexperienced her opponents were, they were very much on their guard now. Given that they had weapons and she did not, this meant that they would defeat her soundly.

A morbid thought, yet a very realistic one. As such, Ádalé poured what little healing magic she had in her body, then fled from the engagement. Naturally, her speed was not really what it could have been, which meant that she barely managed to stay ahead of her pursuers all the while her body was screaming at her to take a break. But she could not. That would spell her doom. That was the thought she kept repeating to herself as she dodged through the ruins, exhausting her considerable stamina in a game of lethal hide-and-seek. She was not really looking where she was going, only that she put as much distance between herself and the front lines as possible, which lead her to a more intact part of the city. Most buildings were only half-ruined here with some even going as far as standing proud against the bleak fate of others. As such, they would make halfway decent hiding places.

Of course, Ádalé did not realise that she had lost her pursuers some time ago. They were likely wandering the streets again, looking for more victims... And seeing as she had no time for niceties, she used the last vestiges of her strength in an attempt to break through a random door. Unfortunately, she had gravely misjudged how exhausted she was. Instead of breaking through the tough piece of work, the knight only succeeded in smashing into it at full force. As it turned out, that had been the last straw her body could take and she collapsed like a rucksack of potatoes right before she could reach her salvation.

 

[Izurich]

Justicar Team​

@Accelerator @RedArmyShogun

"A-... aah..." The Messenger's sapphire eyes widened in shock as Voyd transformed into a being of materialized Darkness. "Harbinger..." As a Celestial, she recognized his kin, they were the demonic subrace created by Luna herself during the Great War between the Celestials and Infernals in the Seraphic Era. Exerting Luna's chaotic will, the Harbingers tipped the scale enough for the Infernals to triumph, leading to the end of Celestial rule over Bumi.

Ariel knew of his heritage ever since they stargazed together that night but to see a Harbinger unleashing their terrible true form right in front of her eyes was breathtaking. He went this far to protect her, that fact didn't go unnoticed to the Messenger. Amidst her injuries and exhaustion, she managed to crack a small smile at Voyd as the Harbinger caressed her cheek. However... she knew the situation wasn't over yet and it despaired her to know she couldn't do anything about it, there wasn't just enough time...

"Voyd... please don't kill her." It was all she could whisper with her cracked voice.

---

"Ariel!!" The Justicar of an older sister sliced through the last of Sengal's lackeys only to find the Youkai lay dead, missing a good chunk of his face and now, one of those Infernal monster was looming on her sibling. "Get away from her!" She knew his kind, once they succumbed to their terrible powers, they would be no different than ravenous beasts, bent on destroying everything in its path. She must protect her sister and take down the beast!

---

---

Bending on one knee with her sword inverted in front of her, Zephiel momentarily closed her eyes, "Sol, Patron of Order, grant me the strength to cast away the Darkness!" A short prayer muttered as she opened them back, her sapphire irises were now shining with power and in addition to her main pair of wings, she sprouted two smaller pairs just below it, they flapped once, trailing brilliant golden particles and light feathers, hovering her a few inches above the ground.

"Foul beast!" Raising her divine blade, she unleashed a solar beam at the Harbinger, striking him at his side, "Face me!" Aiming to divert his attention to her, she easily succeeded. Facing the being of Shadow without fear, without hesitation, she charged straight at Voyd, she would protect her sister or die trying! "Haaaaa!!" Their weapons clashed with one another, golden light and wispy shadow chaotically dispersing around them. "You shouldn't have come here, Harbinger!"

In a flurry of blows, the two beings, representing each half of the Divine One, fought, reason and logic thrown out of the window, only fury remained. With each slash she made on Voyd's awakened form, dispersing his shadowy coat in Sol's light, she too received Luna's claws in return, her armor dented and body wounded from the Harbinger's own strikes.

As for the Blood Devil, two paths lay before her... either she could rescue the Messenger and let the two duke it out, join in the bout herself in an attempt to quell them, both equally difficult and with its own challenges.

<----->​

@Beowulf

The Messenger, clad in white-blue robes, wings folded with a golden ring floating above her golden-haired head, arrived before the white-haired Owl Youkai. "Of course, Sir, then please excuse me." She made a small bow before positioning himself behind his back, examining where the healer left off, it was mostly done but it could be better. "Please stay calm." She extended her hands, gentle soft touch brushing the point where his back and wing met.

Closing her eyes, the Celestial worked her healing magic as her palms shone golden. A warm soothing touch would return to the Youkai as she regenerated bone, flesh, skin, and feathers. Steadily, Taka would feel the weight of his wing as his nerves were reconnected. Once all the kinks were taken care of, the Messenger drew back, "It's all done, I'd advise letting it rest for at least one day before you try flying again," She gave him a sincere smile, "Then, I shall continue on my task." before leaving to attend other patients.

---

A few moments later, one of the Kingdom's field engineers, a young one, approached the Youkai, "Hey! Fukurou Taka, is it? Nice job in the docks! Heard about it," The young man grinned, "Name's Thomas, joined the engineer corp just a year ago, this is my first big mission." He positioned himself in front of Taka, carrying an object with him, a curious object with him, a Magitek scope of some sort, "I found this during one of our sweeps, but I can't seem to get it working, looks like a rifle attachment..." He pondered, "Maybe you can take a look?"

 

[Izurich]

Messenger Team​

@☆Luna☆ @Lstorm

This particular... cat-eared girl was an unusual one indeed, well, not surprising for someone possessing such an exquisite blade. At first glance, the girl looked to be a Neko Youkai but now he had a better look on her, Arkon recognized her purple eyes... they didn't look cat-like enough. No, they looked more similar to his cousin sub-race, the Erumer, instead. Was she a halfbreed then? A curious combination indeed, the Drow's interest in her only grew by the minute.

When Yumi began to speak, Arkon became convinced that she wasn't an actual child, merely a woman of petite stature and slim build. "Heh, just like a cat." That explained things, no child was crazy or lucky enough to be a mercenary and take on the famous Deadeye. "You are one brave cat, foolish too if I say so myself, taking on Deadeye... and yet, you live to tell the tale, I guess cats are walking bastions of luck, hmm?" He chuckled, putting down the blade on the nearby wooden table.

So she was part of the Kingdom most likely, hired by them in their foolhardy to 'pacify' Somnus but by the looks of things, they might just succeed. "Heh, not important, huh? Let's say I believe you." Her naivety was almost jarring, but she was a cat, they were always scheming something. "Leaving so soon?" It was quite obvious that the situation still wasn't anywhere safe for travel but... if she insisted, who was he to stop her? "Alright, just eat up first." Pushing his luck on some kind of deal would be unpreferable considering she was with the Kingdom... the last thing he wanted was receiving the burning end of a Celestial's blade. A shame but such was life.

---

A few moments later, A loud thud resounded through the house, coming from the front door. "Hmmm?! " Arkon raised his head in alert as he went out of the room, "What is it?" checking up with one of his staff. One of the guards came running to him, bearing a report, "If it's one of those crazy cultists, tell my guards to dispatch them." He groaned, "...what?" The Drow blinked, "A... knight?" He glanced back at Yumi, "One of your friends from the Kingdom?"

It seemed curiosity took hold of the cat and Drow as the two went to the check up the errant guest. Lo and behold, splayed on his house's hall, having being dragged in by his guards, was an armored female figure with dark hair. Her condition was far worse than the purple-eyed cat. Ah, the two knew each other, figures. "Haa..." If this kept happening, he'd sooner open a hospice and charge medical treatment. "Remove her armor and treat her wounds before she returns to the Flow." Arkon rubbed his forehead as his housekeepers and healer began to work, "Should have taken on another job, huh, Yumi?" He shrugged, he'd let the halfbreed accompany her comrade if she felt like it. "Regardless, you two owe me."

---

---

@Miya @Karyra

The battle raged on between the two pair of fighters. Half-Infernal versus the Greenskin and two Elusive Drows facing off one another.

"Waaaaaagh!" Roared the orc as made a wild swing, succeeding only in smashing one of the kiosks, good thing no one was using it right now but whoever owned it would no doubt be pissed. The large figure whipped towards Cera as his legs tensed, preparing for another bull rush, "Hmmm?!" that's when the small - by comparison - female told him to stop. "Gun'thar no like stahp in fite!" He grumbled, spittle dispersing from his fanged mouth.

"Gorgutz?" However, his attention was taken when Cera mentioned that particular name, "Youz werk fer Waaghboz Gorgutz?" That particular orc was a respected among the greenskin, possessing numerous achievements under his belt. Oh good, working for Gorgutz would be better than the puny human boss he had right now, "Rite! Gun'thar can werk fer Gorgutz, but Ummie no trick Gun'thar!" He seemed to be pondering, it appeared the orc, as simple as he looked, wasn't completely idiotic, "Tell youz wat, you beat Gun'thar an' Gun'thar will beelief Ummie! So, we fite! Waaaaaaaagh!" At least, Cera had her answer now, that and the fact her orcish opponent was charging again at her.

---

"Heh, not bad!" Abu grinned, just as expected from a fellow Drow rogue, he loved it when his prey fought back. The Rothmers, cloaked in the dark, merely a moving shadow to the untrained eye, chased after Sonya in a show of acrobatic feat matching the thief. "Tsk tsk, no running~" The drow entered the dilapidated building, now the two were at their best, a dark confined space. May the best rogue triumphed.

"Hmph!" The male Rothmer noticed Sonya's movements just in time for him to roll to the side, causing her to land on the ground instead of drop-kicking him. Abu then launched a throwing dagger from his belt. Steel met steel as Sonya deflected it with her knife. Narrowing his eyes in alert, he knew now not to underestimate his opponent, Abu brandished both of his daggers as he zig-zagged towards Sonya, launching a flurry of quick and precise attacks at her vitals.

Sparks flew as the both combatants moved from ledge to ledge in attempts to gain an edge over the other yet so far, the status quo was maintained.

<----->​

@Click This

"Uh... w-well... not exactly," The witch flashed Charlotte a superbly awkward grin, "I very much prefer to call myself a... treasure hunter." Yep, since this house was obviously abandoned, no one would be offended if she treats it as another ruin full of treasure... or so she thought anyway. How could she know the owner would be checking now of all times? Wait... was this a deliberate trap to lure i-... no no, that was much too far-fetched. Whatever the case, she had to tread carefully, this Nosferatu wasn't alone most likely and if she just legged it out of there... her chances were not good even with her Magitek broom.

"Okay, okay, can we work out some sort of deal..." She made the best doe-eyed look her brown eyes could muster, "Please?" She begged, "I am this close to opening this thing, can you at least give me that satisfaction? Pleaaaase!" Curses, if only the owner was a man. She could only gamble on whether or not Charlotte was interested in fellow women. No going back now.

"Ah...?" Apparently, her little plea worked! The golden-haired lady was willing to listen to reason, phew, good. Though it came with a price, "Look only, no touch, got it." Ah well, at least she could use this as a practice... not like she did this often, mind you! Sighing in relief, Jezebel went back to her work, fiddling with the vault's lock, a little tweak here, a little turn there, and... "Eureka!" With a click, the mechanisms keeping the vault door shut activated as it grated open.

Jezebel looked on with anticipation though too bad she couldn't take anything, at least she could see what the vampire had in store here. "Uh... since this is your vault, I think uh... you can go in first." Well, she was technically correct since the actual owner of the vault was the vampire's family.

Stepping into Noir's storage, this is where she stored her more valuable treasure. Items acquired by the shrewd Nosferatu, it was too bad they had to leave in such a hurry. Looking at the witch, it was quite clear she was barely holding herself back from picking up the items. That gem-encrusted ornamental Masyan dagger, that fossilized leaf of an ancient Eyjallian tree, and oh! That... that glowing ruby floating in a jar at the middle of the room, set on a pedestal.

"Woah..." Upon closer inspection, both Jessy and Charlotte can feel power emanating from the palm-sized gem, it was colored blood red much like the Nosferatus' irises, exuding wispy crimson aura, and rotated slowly in place. "A... a Blood Stone...?" Only heard in rumors outside of the Kindred's inner circle, Blood Stones were one of their most unique creations. It was essentially a much more potent - and sinister - dark sibling of Erchius. Able to hold significantly larger amount of mana compared to an Erchius crystal of similar size and it could be refilled instead of evaporating after use. The sinister part? Well, just like its name suggested, it fed on blood. Tales of Kindred using slaves and their enemies for arcane rituals didn't sound too far off now.

"Heh..." Jessy gulped, chuckling dryly, "I've seen enough, can I leave now?" Yep, better do that before the lady changed her mind and decided to use her as fuel for the blood stone, no nope, there were better ways to return to the Flow and being fuel wasn't one of them.

 

[Izurich]

Staying Team​

@Akashi

Heh, she wouldn't call it cheap and not just because Agatha didn't want to offend one of her important crew member and business partner, Charlotte's wine was of excellent quality and combined with its affordable price, no wonder it became the staple for wine lovers throughout Bumi. It was just that Chateau Florentina wasn't the only fine vintage out there, even Agatha could get bored drinking the same thing over and over again.

"Now where have I heard that before?" Agatha chuckled though it quickly died as the atmosphere turned a serious note, "Aye, and let's make sure that doesn't happen, hmm?" The brunette finished her glass of sparkling wine before pouring another, "Well, what do you know, to no one's surprise, the Princess planned all that, not me, all I knew was getting the job from the Doge. About rescuing her? Aside it's the right thing to do, we had no choice, either that or the noose for all of us." She sighed, "As Captain, I won't let any of my crew die if I can help it."

"Oh..." Quite an interesting proposal, one Charlotte would definitely like to her once she returned from Somnus, "As long as you don't start feeding on my crew, sure." Even if the pink-haired girl had no loyalty to her, it wasn't difficult to see it was a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" sort of camaraderie, "Welcome aboard, Eve." Agatha raised her glass, proposing a toast.

"By the way..." The brunette pondered, "That creepy raven out there, is it yours?"

<----->​

@LowDefinition

Of course, the curious younger sibling of Silva had been listening to the conversation from just outside the living room. It seemed they started fine... then things got serious and now, her older sister looked like she was about to cry. "Sis..." Shion entered the room after Max left, a look of concern on her younger face,

"What happened?" She slowly approached Silva, afraid to make her angry yet unable to ignore everything just like that. "Is it about... uh... big bro?" Her late brother-in-law, Geoffrey, her older sister hadn't been the same ever since his passing, "D-don't worry, Sis, I'm sure everything will be alright." She fidgeted, trying to come up with something that'd cheer up her sister, "I think Uncle Max likes you... so uhm... that's good, right?"

Sighing, Shion then perked up, remembering something Max said, "Also, Sis, uhm... Uncle Max told me that if you want to train the troops, you can, you just need to schedule a session with him or an official."

<----->​

@Yzmael

"Why, it's an honor, Milady," Aster smiled, glancing towards the parked Lughanta with pride, "Been serving her for years, Agatha is the owner and captain but it feels as if she belongs to all of us." Then the blue-haired man turned his attention back to the Kitsune, "Of course, by all means." Along with Saki, he listened to what she had to say, a look of concern fell on his features, "I see..." Theft, huh? Even Eustia had its fair share of crimes, the perfect city didn't exist but at least, the Kingdom's capital was one of the most secure places on Bumi. Taiyoko's appearance certainly attracted attention, the high-class aura she had, it was no wonder the thieves targeted her. So two of the crew attended her concert, that explained why she's here.

"Our condolences for your loss, Milady, we will try to help to best of our abilities. However, if I may ask, who are these two crew?" Ah, Venrid and Gorgutz, wait, Gorgutz, really? It was odd imagining the orc having interest in the musical arts but as experience told him, never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, never judge a greenskin by his style of speech. Still, Aster wondered if either Venrid or Gorgutz demanded any compensation out of her, it was only fair.

To be honest, the officer was quite surprised that Taiyoko had little florins on her, did they rob her too? Rubbing the back of his neck, he had to find a valid reason or else Agatha would chew him, "I may consider it, of course, you have to tell me about your skills. Well, aside from your musical talents." That alone would be good really, the ship could use a bard, however, without her Guzheng, what could she do? Certainly, he couldn't buy her a new one, the Company wasn't in its best shape after all that happened.

As Taiyoko listed out her abilities, he had to admit, her skillset was quite impressive, she was a natural spellcaster and was adept in wielding her war fans, well now, she would be a very fine addition to the crew even without her Guzheng, this one was a no brainer, "Of course, we can use all the help we need and you are capable." He then glanced at the dragon girl, "Saki, can you assist Lady Masumi here for a moment? I have to oversee the loading process."

"Of course, Aster," The golden-scaled Youkai bowed then turned at the Kitsune, "Shall I show you around the ship then?" A pause, "Hmmm... just between us as kin, I am willing to help you find your Guzheng or if it's gone already, let's see if I can purchase a new one, you can return the funds later." While Saki loved to use her funds as a bed instead - literally, she slept on florins - if there was someone she deemed appropriate to lend money to, it'd be a kin and not just any kin, she was the daughter of Daimyo Masumi.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Throughout the conversation, Yumi remained shy and deferent. She couldn't help but notice that she was being sized up the entire time. The man's eyes felt probing. She could feel them looking all over her, especially her eyes. Not that this was something foreign to Yumi, she had gotten far less innocent looks at the bar on the Lughanta. There was just such a level of vulnerability with this man. He had saved her life, and she felt a sense of gratitude for that, but now she could feel this corroding any hope for a normal relationship with the man. She could tell just by looking, this wasn't the sort of person who just saved people just to save them. Eventually, Yumi began to blush, as she was simply addressed as "cat", even though she had just introduced herself.

Yumi practically dives on her knife when Arkon sets it down. It seems to occupy the entirety of her attention for a brief moment before she places it in her holster, noticeably more comfortable with it at her side. Yumi finally seemed prepared to at least maintain eye contact as Arkon spoke with her, when suddenly she heard a big "thud" as she felt the vibrations run through her. She seemed just about ready for a fight in that moment but relaxes when Arkon utilizes his guards. Yumi does seem cautious, however, as she still had yet to determine the price of this sort of help.

When the source of the noise is determined, Yumi can't help but call out, "Ádalé!" Yumi moves swiftly to the girl's side with half a mind to take care of Ádalé herself. It was merely Yumi's rationality which kept her from getting in the way. Instead, Yumi simply held the battered girl's hand, feeling not only comforted but the girl's pulse. For a brief moment, Yumi seems at peace with this, but naturally, Arkon would be there to ruin the good feeling shortly.

Listening carefully to what Arkon had to say, her worries that there may be a price to pay were now substantiated. Yumi once again speaks with her soft, wavering voice, "If it makes any difference, I'd sooner pay the price for both of us. And... I couldn't possibly bother you further, asking for a meal on top of everything else. You've offered plenty. But, well... I don't regret coming here. I don't think any of us do." Looking down at the ground vulnerably, "Like I said before, I don't have any money to offer, but if there was another way I could be useful..."

 

[Astros]

"Yeah."

With a loud sigh and a cold reply, Venrid shook his head as the war chief explained to him their reason for traversing through the dense stretch of woodland they had traveled for the last thirty minutes. Contemplating turning around and leaving to save himself inevitable pain, he stopped in his tracks and allowed the Ork to walk ahead of him. Watching his back grow farther away, the grim thought of the figure managing to concoct a wildlife dinner that may poison the entire crew crept into his mind. Being his responsible to look after it, there would only be one held accountable for whatever "it" achieved. That possibility combined with a growl of frustration allowed Venrid to regain his step in fear of the image he knew all too well. That woman and her smirking face, one overjoyed by the fact he owed them yet another favor and was in their debt.

Eventually coming to the huge rock that the Ork was already climbing, while not that large, the side Gorgutz had chosen was a near damn vertical incline. Offering hardly hand or foot hold to any would be climbers, the Ork had taken to using knives instead, and stabbed his way up. Venrid left without a means to follow stared up after him, before struggling to use the holes left behind as a means to follow in pursuit. Soon finding the space between the artificial holds were longer than his forearm length. He was forced to take leaps of faith in order to keep up to the big smelly green turd.

Looking up constantly to where the the green figure up above had distance on him. The climb soon intensified and the distance to his death ever increased. Unable to help his growing flames of anger, words began slipping from his mouth despite not being worth a damn as when it came to matters of money and pride, the Ork could not be persuaded the wiser.

"Fucking ridiculous... there's ah another way yah damn idiot... has to be..."

It wasn't until there came a shouting above that he took his eyes and momentary focus off the bland rock face in front of him, and directed it up toward the source. His view immediately blocked by the sudden appearance of a falling, terrified goat. He had only a few seconds to cling to the cliff's edge before it sailed right behind his back. Feeling the hooves of the beast kick against him in search of a foothold, he grunted and turned to see it continue on its path downward.

Stubby legs flailing and a repeated "BAAAA" echoing up, the small mammal soon had its head smash against an outlaying rock with a sick crack and gruesome twist of its entire neck. The momentum sending it into an out of control spiral, it gained momentum and drifted into the air, away from the mountain, before disappearing behind the trees below.

"OI! YAH FUCKING SHITHEAD! YAH BETTER HOPE I DON GET UP THERE!"

Appearing to ignore his outrage, Venrid proceeded to ignore risk and assaulted the mountain catch up. Slipping several times, but managing to still hold on with a few fingers here and there, when he finally made it to the top he was breathing heavy from exhaustion with a look of utter rage. Crawling his way to his feet and planning to give the Ork more than a piece of his mind, the sound of gunfire to his back caught his attention instead. Immediately looking to where the sound came from he saw flashes of light in the distance before the echo again reached him.

Wondering who would need weapons in the woods there came an unexpected slap to his back. Caught completely off guard he tried to support himself with a foot forward that only managed to find empty space. For an instant, he could feel himself falling completely forward and off the side of the cliff. Thankfully the rest of his body collapsed instinctively in order cling to the edge. Spilling halfway off, but managing with one arm and leg to hold on, he growled as he pulled himself up, only to be greeted by further dismay.

With a beehive hitting his chest and landing next to his feet, the bundles of rage inside wasted no time and scrambled to the outside of their threatened nest. Noticing Venrid nearby and marking him as their intruder, the whole colony swarmed him in a storm of buzzing before fighting back the only known means given to them, stinging. Unlike most beehives however, as that would be far too lucky, the breed attacking Venrid was known for its ability to administer multiple injections in rapid succession. Mounting his body in a bid to fight off the titan, he was body was painted by pricks on all fronts in a matter of minutes.

With escape impossible, Venrid ran around instead swatting at the would be pursuers. Cursing the Ork in every tongue he knew, he somehow managed to hike up a leg at his word and did as he bid, kicking the nest of his agony away from him. Though, instead of the boars it was directed toward the green skins backside instead.

@RedArmyShogun

 

[RedArmyShogun]

"Well, well, go on, get out of here holy man, more children will have need of you, such is the price of War." Sorina says while cutting the bonds to a Priest, it seemed things had resolved quickly. Or so she would like to say, Voyd had went a little too far, so he fancied her did he after all? Well so much for the better, she was sure on part of her mothers Machinations, there was still one small ever lingering issue.

He had killed her sister, or rather his incompetence had, while she could over look that, or even have a bit of sympathy for his people, anything more would not suit them. She wouldn't even know how to cook for him or how to dote on him as the smiling woman was.

How curious, didn't they ever tell you to be afraid of monsters, naïve little angel... So long lived yet so unlearned..

Of course what was to happen next was amusing in it's own right, her partner had rushed in of her own accord, jumping to conclusions, that one did not think all that much such as felt. Same as Voyd, and why neither of them would ever be fit to rule. Duty in the name and face of Chaos was to surrender one's will, one's wants, to become an avatar and enforcer, to lead by example and to be held above all. For that reason alone she makes up her mind rather suddenly. While the Girl that was Sorina would like to see him suffer for abandoning her, killing kin and endangering her mother, the Noble Sorina of her House knew better.

If he wanted to be with this girl, then dealing with her sister would become and issue sooner or later. And with his battle senses heightened... "Voyd, Voyd... How unworthy you are, how zealous this partner of mine can be, neither questioning or giving pause, tis no surprise we have fell on one another's blade for Eon's."

Rushing in with her spear, the choice was clear, save the little Celestial. If she joined the battle their was no guarantee the other Celestial would not fight her and Voyd likely would not discern between friend and foe. This would be much more dangerous than her training program, she would have to nearly kill the both. If not actually, deploying her wings, with angled spear behind her, the young Blood Devil rushes in with a great burst of speed, trailing a red hue in her wake, expending energy for speed, she smirks taking hold of Ariel in her swoop, before stepping off again and out of the way of the two combatants.

"Oh, aren't we a lucky one? Depending on how this goes it would make a nice love story, but behold, the chains of love and hatred... A saying there is, to know great hate is to have once known great love. Emotions that are not guided.. Well.." Motioning with her lance, the Infernal then swiftly sweeps it downwards with a smirk, cutting the binds.

"..I will only intervene when the opportunity is right. If you want to, try and use reason, stand between them. Otherwise all you can do is witness this folly, praise or curse it, ehehehehe. Then clean up the mess, while he is my Servant to do with as I please, you may have him with my permission or are you now afraid? Eheheheh. To love is not to be kind and enjoy what is best. It is to see what is worst and stand beside them all the same.."

I won't be to blame if you are ran through however.

Watching the display, this human wasn't all that spry, the mountain was beating him and not matter how big Gorgutz was he knew he couldn't beat a mountain, not without some bombs at least. Next came the bee's hitting Venrid in the chest, the man begins running about swinging his arms in some sort of bizarre ritual. "Oi Ummie! Yah kanz Dance! AMAZIN!"

"Ehh?" Noticing the Beehive Gorgutz simply side steps to the left, as it hits the ground bursting. "Yahz aimed da wrong way Ummie! TO DA LAFT!" Watching as left over bees swarmed, Gorgutz runs straight for the boars, letting out a war cry to the startled beasts, leading the swarm into their midst, being stung and scared by the orc, the feral beasts charge after him, following him off a nearby cliff face. One by one the boars charge off the hill and off the mountainside falling to their deaths. Grinning wildly on the other side, Gorgutz has his hands secured firmly over a vine, they would have more pigs than they needed, but that could be solved by selling or for extra rations. Noticing some of the herbs he had came up here for as well the tomatoes, Gorgutz reaches across grabbing a handful, placing them in a satchel on his belt. "Maybee sum moar.." When suddenly the vine breaks on one side, gripping it in both hands Gorgutz lets out a sort of jungle man scream as he sails through the air with the greatest of ease, until it snaps, sending him to a small hut down below, breaking his fall on the roof and then a dinner table a thin old human looks at the Orc, more than a bit surprised..

"Finally.. After all this time someone has came to carry out the words of a dying man, falling from the heavens.. the Divine is truly with me... are you alright sir?"

"OI OLD MAN WHY YAH LIVE'N ON A MOUNTAIN!?!!?! DO YAH HAZ SUM DEVILS FRUITS!?"

 

[Astros]

"Devil wha-?"

After hearing a repeat of the Ork's words, but knowing none the wiser of what the devil he was talking about, the short wrinkled mess of white hair known as the Hermit Philosopher of the mountain clambered out of his barrel and over to the remains of his dining table.

"I'm sure there's plenty fruit round these parts. Nature provides where man cannot... B-but... sir."

Managing to dig a few scraps of parchment from the shards of wood and thatch roofing on the floor, he held them up to the Orks face in order that they may be read by the light. Little more than scribbles of philosophical nature, stained with food and the familiar red drops of wine, if anything could be gleamed from them by the Ork it was likely his lack of table manners. Apart from these there was one that looked to be a map of the area. Crudely drawn and with an X marking something important, the old man rambled on about his search for the ruins of a once holy empire.

"You see. I have been waiting for a traveler. By the Divine, who has always guided all and myself to these woods. For the last fifteen years i have searched. But now I am old, and am soon to die... b-but will you search... for me? It is but a humble request of a dying man. Please. Search for the ruins of the great Dregkas."

"Fukin hell, is this real!?"

Shortly after the old mans words, the sound of Venrid's voice, not far off could be heard in an outcry of surprise. Standing next to a cutting stump where in lay a rusty saber with a golden hand guard thrust deep into its roots. Venrid had eyed it before making to pull the sword out by its handle. Straining and straining for several minutes, with grunts befitting an animal, he soon collapsed to the ground lightly out of breath. Knowing that the sword itself was worthless, but the gold still valued for a few florin to the right buyers. He tried breaking the blade in half, but the steel proved flexible beyond its years and simply rocked back and forth from his strong kick

"Damn it."

Having taken his time dealing with the bees and noting where the boar had fallen over. He was in no real rush to follow after Orksen. Relieved to have lost him of his own devices, the peace had been welcome in the aftermath of stinging burning agony just moments earlier. His skin now a lumpy shade of red, he was numb all over from the venom and not quite sure whether to turn back or not until spotting the shine of the gold from a distance. Hurrying to its spot, but now disgruntled with the result. His senses finally registered the Orks voice among the small hut some fifteen feet or so away behind it.

"Oi! Green skin. Come get this sword will yah?"

@RedArmyShogun

 

[Accelerator]

​

The fight should have been over.

As the monster that had once been Voyd caressed her cheek, its deformed features softened when it saw her smile. A smile that was so bright, it threatened to course through the murky madness that had permeated his mind. But as if a realization had hit her, the smile on the messenger's face was quickly replaced by a pained expression as she let out a confusing statement with the remaining strength she had left...

"Plea... s... d..n't...k...ll ...h...r"

That gibberish was all it could understand given its current mental state, which brought it a considerable amount of confusion. That request, he wanted to know what it meant because all the remaining sanity in him ever wanted at that moment was to make this girl happy. It was the only fiber binding his sanity from disappearing into the far reaches of his mind.

But that pleasant reprieve from the battle would come to an end when it was suddenly hit by a burning pain coming from his side, causing it to howl and shriek both in pain and fury. Voyd's attention shifted to the source of the attack and realized that one of the celestials that was supposed to be an ally rushing towards him, sword in hand and killing intent apparent.

The monster instinctively retrieved Kohakuren from the ground and began engaging Zephiel, performing a mixture of controlled Maeburedo techniques and wild claw and slash attacks. From an observer's point of view, it looked less than a clash of swords and more of a slug fest. Of course, considering, the Harbinger was using a wooden sword to combat the Justicar with the flaming blade, such a notion could not be helped.

Despite this, they looked oddly evenly matched. For every slash the Infernal received, it retaliated with heavy blows towards the Justicar. Every collision of their attacks sent shockwaves all around them, a testament to how serious both combatants attacks were. But if that were truly the case for the Harbinger, then it was a mystery why the shadow demon decided to use a non lethal weapon instead of the blade strapped to his waist.

No matter how many moves either of them received, the fact that neither of them would yield to the other was nothing but a certainty at this point. For a brief moment, relief could be seen on both their faces upon realizing that Ariel had been moved by Sorina to a safer location. It didn't last long however, as the two continued their onslaught upon one another and nobody present dared to get in their way or risk incurring their wrath. The Justicar and the Harbinger had started resorting to using their own elemental affinities against one another, sending burning beams of light and harrowing blasts of dark energy towards one another. And even then

No matter how gravely wounded the Celestial and the Infernal got, both of their attacks were still unrelenting to the point that if nobody stopped them now, they would not only destroy each other but everyone around them as well as the temple itself.​

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

​

"Whew, I only meant to see how this would play it but it looks like both of them are taking it a little too far..."

A lone female figure contemplates the scene before her from her vantage point atop an opening in the rooftop. Her company was hired by the Eidolon of Luna to ensure that the Justicars do not go out of line and end up exterminating everyone indiscriminately. That said, their protocol for this operation was just to observe and report their findings back to their client.

But when she felt the malevolence coming from this temple, she knew that such pressure would only come from a Harbinger transforming into their Malevolence mode. As a Harbinger, herself, Mare has a sworn duty to oversee that a fellow kinsman does not succumb to the madness this power brings... and that includes eliminating the threat before it could potentially cause even more harm to others.

Still, certain restrictions have been placed on each of her kinsman during birth to prevent the potential abuse of this ability. Meaning, this one should have met at least one of the conditions in order to enter the transformation which consequently meant he would have had a good reason why he would risk himself to obtain such power.

Watching the bout of the Harbinger against the youkai and the succeeding events painted a clearer picture for her. It would seem that the Youkai had held a Celestial girl hostage and the Harbinger came to her rescue. But to go so far as to protect a "ring head" could only mean that he cares deeply enough for her. Her suspicions grew even more seeing how he was apparently checking on her after he had brutally murdered the youkai.

While such a relationship is quite a rare sight even for someone like her who had traveled all over Bumi, what wasn't surprising was the other Celestial's prejudicial actions that started another full blown fight.

"Tch... typical for a "ring head" I suppose. Especially those snotty Justicars. All they ever wanted was to smite us after the Great War ended."

Stopping them in the middle of their bout wasn't an option for Mare so she decided to act after they both had dealt significant damage to each other.

Once they seemed to have been sufficiently weakened by the wounds they received, Mare quickly took action, dropping in without warning and conjuring enough chains to bind both the Justicar and the Harbinger in place. The Harbinger, for his part, began thrashing violently due to his shackled state until Mare thrust a palm at his abdomen and sealed his transformation once again, revealing the identity of the Infernal.

"I had a feeling it was you but who knew we'd see each other again here after all these years... little brother." ​

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Watching the battle play out, it seemed the messenger had yet to make a move, or rather Sorina didn't much care, enjoying the bit of free blood sport. Had she had a glass of wine and a throne it would have been all that more the better. But of course there was a point and time where such frivolous games must be stopped. She couldn't have Voyd or the Celestial either dying here after all. Leaving Ariel to her own devices, the Blood Devil grips her lance, waiting for a lull in the fighting, another presence catches her attention near the last minute.

"Wha-" Readying her Lance, the other figure dropped in unawares, ensnaring the pair with a form of chains. An enemy or an ally?

Readying her Lance and preparing a rush, Sorina stops short, recognizing the figure. "Oh.. The Agitator." Watching the interplay between the pair, she shrugs. "And here I was going to spear him. Word of Advice my ally, it will be less trouble if you stop trying to kill him, never mind her. While my people are naturally more skilled at War, I am hardly in the mood for more repairs to my Armor. Nor do I wish to kill either of them. No harm shall come to you nor your sister, this I swear upon House Caramitru. I am Sorina Caramitru, Second Daughter of my house.. Well..by birth, Technically I am the eldest now for what that is worth."


Giving an icy glare at the pair of Harbingers, Sorina seems to ponder saying something, pausing for a bit to consider her words.

"Voyd, my dear, sweet, insufferable Voyd, provided she will have anything to do with you, the four of you have much to speak of. Let's just say I'm prone to wandering the decks at night and my eyes see further than you may guess. Though your mistakes once took something from me, I cannot take action against you on that, but neither can I just forget it, that was your job...not hers..

So you should thank your sister, or I would have ran you through to end this. Not enough to kill you, but to leave you at deaths doorstep.. You should reflect well on how all this came to be and what it nearly had caused if not for this chance happening. Twice now have you been saved from your blunders. Well, bare that in mind when you wake up Ehehehehe.. Well I'm afraid this is a family affair, or the potential to be one, so I shall see myself out, this blade of mine has yet to taste enough blood and the war goes on.. On the bright side I guess you'll be given a new nickname, hopefully not Cat Killer.."

Waving at the trio Sorina makes for the exit, aiming to rejoin the battle, enough time was wasted here on this day. Baring anyone stopping her, she had no further role to play in this place.

@Izurich @Accelerator

"Corse da mountan provides ole'man, yah a funneh Ummie. So watz diz bout some lost ruins of Draino?" Rubbing his head, the Orc seemed not fazed in the least with his near brush with death. Hearing the voice of Venrid, he was surprised the other had arrived so fast, he wasn't so useless at climbing mountains afterall.

"Okay UMMIE, STAND BACK!" Running outside, Gorgutz grips the blade with two hands, yanking it free with a bit of girth and strength, a beam of light shines from the blade and the stump. "URRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!" Hurling the blade with all his strength the Orc seemed more than a little upset with the supernatural light, without care or reason throwing the blade to the wilderness and trails below, perhaps even stabbing a wary traveler on the roads below..

"Sir Orc, why did you throw the Blade of Dregkas off the cliff? ...you know the legend yes? Many a man has tried pulling out that blade, it makes one a kin-"

"Oi! Listen ere Ole Ummie, a blade from sum sky or lake whore don't make yah no Kang, I haz me Axe, I's can kill Kangs. An no fellahs gonna follow ah glowy sword! Dey can't see were dey goin!"


"Hmm.. So you are saying it is better to make yourself King with your own efforts, that men should not follow a blind light..that Kingship is earned not given.. My simply wondrous, tell me though, what is your name and did you climb the mountain?"


Slightly annoyed Gorgutz huffs, snorting. "Mah Name is Gorgutz, Gorgutz Orksen, I'm from dah Great Flatlands. An'yes we climbed da mountain. How else yah gonna get up it?"

"But Ser Orksen, there is a mountain road up the t-"

Holding up his right hand to shush the man, Orksen glares. "Cuz der iz a road don't mean yah shud takes it, yah miss fingz and neva accomplish dah sweet on yah like one o'da Propa Boyz."

Seemingly taken aback, the old man rushes back into his home, grabbing a piece of paper and a red ink quill.

"Of course! By Limiting ourselves to the roads of others how shall we ever pave the road. And effort is in a way it's own reward, what a profound outlook on life!" He says scribbling the Orc's nonsense as if he had found profound wisdom. "Though I must ask Ser Orksen, why do you speak in such a strange manner?"

"Iz speak proppa, youz lot ain't the soapfisticated ones."

"But me and others speak the same, how ever in all of Bumi could we be the wrong ones?"

"Cuz a bunch o'blind drunk men in a bar finks the goat is ah whore don't make it so. How yah know I ain't the right one? Yah want'n a fight Ummie? I gotz sum Kwestins, wuts yer name old man?"

Pausing to process this new information, the old man nods sagely. "Simply remarkable, if the reality of the world is shaped by observation, then more thought must be given, our perceptions could grow cloudy. Indeed the spoken tongue was once different some years ago than it is now. Simply marvelous.. Tell me Ser Orksen are you also a fellow Sage? You are a man of unfathomable depths... Ah, I am the Great Sage, formerly of the Empire, Galinthias Vasilakis. Long have I looked for these temple ruins to uncover it's treasures... Not gold, but it's knowledge... Tell me Ser Orksen what brings you to this mountain?"


"Genis." Orksen says flatly in response.

"What?"

"Yer Name is Genis ta me, yer name is too long an'yer one'o dem big'ead boyz. An knawleeeedge ehh? I came erz fer ingredients ta make some new food I had in mind fer me crewmates, finks I can't makes bettah food, I'll show em, me dish will be all ova the realm."

"Genis.. Ah a short form of Genius, you are truly a Sage among men. Ah so you are not here for treasure, but rather treasure to make your will a reality? Remarkable foresight.. Ah! Mister...ah.."

Looking at Venrid the old man had yet to get the laters name.

"If you are interested in the gold you may have a fair share that isn't sent to historical archives and the Church, I can assure you even the modest 10% we can split among the three of us will be more gold than you can typically make in several years, you can even have a part of my share, I simply want to find the lost tomb. Well you help a dying man in his task? Oh..and could I borrow Ser Orksen for a bit to speak with? I will of course send him to assist you.. That light all but confirms the Great Tomb is here.."

The old man adds with a hopeful, pleading glance.

@Astros

 

[Miya]

Cera immediately displayed her disappointment and anxiety as the huge Orc in front of her once again charged at her, as he did not buy into her words. She quickly dodged to the side as her adversary attempted to attack her. Without any other choices, Cera has to defend herself against the Orc. She continued to be on the defensive, trying to find an opening for an attack and disable her opponent.

("By the bloody Divine...!")

Despite being blessed with enhanced strength due to her mixed Infernal blood, Cera using her magitek weapon to deflect the Orc's attack would be nearly impossible, considering his humongous size and weapon. Perhaps it can be done if the half-Infernal utilizes her weapon's Magitek functions. Even then, it felt like a risky plan, as she does not want to chance a direct blow to her armor, considering how large that mace the Orc was equipped with.

As the one-sided battle goes on, the half-Infernal began gasping for air. As for Gun'thar, he showed no signs of stopping. When Cera managed to evade one of his attacks, the huge Orc unexpectedly made a fast follow-up attack. After quickly poising herself, the half-Infernal immediately activated her weapon's magitek system. Her red heated sword clashed with the large mace, causing a large fiery spark. The Orc's attack was deflected barely enough to miss Cera. However, the sheer amount of force coming from Gun'thar threw Cera off her feet, causing her to fly and tumble on the ground.

("Urgh..! That was close!")

She thought while trying to get herself on her feet. The huge orc once again charged at her. Cera dived away to safety as Gun'thar's large mace destroyed a wooden beam nearby. The porch above the Orc that was connected to a building behind him lets out a dangerous creak, signifying that it was about to crumble.

("That's it!")

The half-Infernal immediately knew what she has to do when she saw there was another wooden beam. While on the ground, Cera immediately casted an Inferno Slash, destroying the last wooden beam. The wooden porch immediately came crashing down on the huge Orc.

 

[Astoria]

"Oh? Is that so."

Half amused at this witch trespassing in her sister's home, Charlotte decided to humor the wide brimmed hat girl, curious herself at what her younger sister Noir kept locked up in that fancy vault of hers. Although she was sure she could have asked and be shown it in the past, she never had, and now was an… interesting enough opportunity. All the while, though, the vampire kept a devious glint in her eye as she watched the little thief work away at the vault door.

For a short while, it seemed as if it were in question whether or not the witch had the skill to open such a complex mechanism, but soon enough, with a loud click and an echo down the corridor, the heavy metal door of the vault swung open. Nodding at the girl's hesitant prodding, she carefully stepped inside, watching her back in case the girl tried anything as naughty as trying to lock her inside the fault with its treasures.


"Hmm… Wow."

Although Charlotte wasn't too much of a treasure hunter or a collector, she whistled as red eyes glanced over shelves and piles of exotic and rare treasures, neatly organized no doubt by Noir's trusty maid Riri. While there were treasures big and large, there were some more mundane things in storage, like mahogany furniture, fixtures, and crated restraints, easily identified for slaves as they were still in Somnus, after all. She made a mental note of this.

Charlotte's attention was quickly drawn by the witch's sounds of fascination, her eyes falling on the true treasure of the room, a grand, ruby-red stone that all but symbolized her and her kin: a Blood Stone. It was quite a valuable and important artifact among vampires, and the very presence of it in the abandoned estate told Charlotte just how quickly Noir and the rest of her staff had evacuated the city. Now… what to do about it? Clearly, it wasn't safe here if a simple thief had cracked open the vault before her, but she felt a bit bad just up and taking it too, not to mention it was a bit cumbersome taking it along with her.

"Well now, not so fast~"

Weighing her thoughts, she noticed the trespassing witch slowly trying to back out. Grinning, she retraced her path, and with sleight of hand, made her way behind the girl, and with a click snapped on the metal restraint onto the witch's neck.

"What? Finders keepers, right?"

 

[Astros]

"Sir Orc, why did you throw the Blade of Dregkas off the cliff?...

Yeah! Yah fuckin idiot. Was gonna sell that.

Not paying the strange light that radiated from the stump any attention. Venrid took off in the direction that the blade had been flung, in hopes of finding where it had been tossed. With the slope of the mountain and the strength of the ork in mind, if not within a hundred yards then the blade was likely in another country. Spending several minutes moving through brush and kicking over limbs in vain searching for its golden luster, Venrid soon returned to the old man's hut just as him and the Ork began speaking about his dying wish.

"Archive huh? An who's gonna protect all that gold? Yah might think they'll keep it, but it'll be gilded coppa before long. If I find anythin I'ma just take it. ... "

Not willing to settle for a lowly ten percent, Venrid made his demands for helping clear. He would take things as he saw fit and the only way to stop him was through force. Though, doubting the feeble old man had it in him for such, he was confident he'd walk away without at least something to show for all the pain and misery so far.

"Sure. Keep em busy fer all I care. Got all you want outa the damn mountain green skin? ... I'ma search ova here."

Taking to the green forest again, fifteen minutes passed and then half an hour. Roaming the backside of the mountain in search of what signs of civilization were remaining, Venrid scouted for stones, bricks, or anything of the sort. Finding a few here and there, but nothing to suggest a tomb he spent a good hour searching a circle around the old man's hut before returning empty handed. Taking a seat on the stump from earlier, he looked up as the old man came out of his hut and asked.

"Yah sure it's here? Mountain ain't that large old man. Could cover it in a month or so. Got maps ah the place?"

@RedArmyShogun

 

[LowDefinition]

Silva wiped off the tears that escaped her eyes soon after Max left the house. Breathing in and out to calm herself down. She shouldn't be this emotional. She's a soldier, she should've known the risks of being in the battlefield. She turned to her sister Shion who apparently overheard their conversations. Worried about Silva being emotional, which was understandable.

During the time she hit rock bottom after losing Geoffrey. Silva lashes out her grief to everyone near her. She probably lost count on how many bottles of alcohol she consumed, how many times she hit her sister just for expressing her worriness, how many times she considered suicide. Knowing that, she shouldn't worry her sister anymore about it. Silva gave Shion a soft smile as she pats her head. "I'm alright Shion... Thanks for your concerns though..." was the only thing she said.

Silva walked away after that, though hearing what Max said to Shion. She turned around to her sister. "He asked me to return to serving Fraulia." She said as she turned around. "But, you see... I'm part of Lughanta right now, it just doesn't feel right to ditch the crew without saying anything right? So the first thing in the morning tomorrow for me is to have a talk with the captain first to discuss about this." She expressed her reason of not immediately returning to serve. "Um... Shion, what do you think about Uncle Max? Maybe... say if he became your big brother, what would you say?" She asked, curiously wondering if Shion would accept Maximilian as her brother-in-law.

 

[Villamvihar]

​

Waking up was a painful experience that Ádalé did not wish on anyone. In fact, she was sure that it was one of the most agonising experiences that one could ever go through, so in her admittedly scrambled state of mind, she was not sure how anyone managed it. She did not know how she accomplished such a great feat either. All she knew was that when she opened her eyes, pain hit her almost like a physical force. Despite her training, the knight could not help the pained groan which escaped her lips or her lack of focus in the first few seconds. By the One, what was she thinking when she tried to rush down that door? On the bright side, at least she was still alive, not to mention in a comfortable bed, but that did not stop her from reflecting on her memories. Good thing, too, because she had no idea where she was.

The bed along with the moderately fancy room was her first clue that she was probably amongst friendlies. Enemies could not afford to spare something like this for their prisoners from what she was taught, not to mention they would probably not have bothered bandaging her thoroughly. Ádalé saw no fault in how her injuries had been treated as she examined her body. She was not tied down to the bed either, another fact that promised her a somewhat peaceful recovery instead of shackles or being treated as a prisoner of war. Then there was the matter of the glass set down on a table to her left: it was filled with what seemed to be water, probably placed there for her benefit.

Her bedsheets were also removed in favour of a tougher, white fabric that she knew had the capacity to absorb blood without letting it stain the bed itself. Given the quality of the furniture, it was probably a necessary measure and it also spoke of preparation. Whoever housed her here was expecting this to happen. They wanted either to house refugees or maybe take care of their own and she just ended up being one of the people who were helped. As such, Ádalé thanked the One silently for her fortune, then she started to collect herself. She was no longer wearing her armour; it had been stripped off in favour of bandages, but she was not helpless by any means. The knight still had her strength even though it would likely cost her to use it.

So then it was time to see if her rescuers were as friendly as they showed themselves to be. Therefore, Ádalé gathered what little magic she had into focus before pouring it into her body to soothe her pain as well as to help her injuries. Bolstered by her own power like this, she got up from her bed, then she started to head towards the do-

*BUMP. TRIP.*​

One moment, Ádalé had been safe in the knowledge that her feet were firmly underneath her. The next, she felt one of her boots catch on something right beside her bed and then the floor was advancing rapidly towards her face. The only thing she could do was to raise both of her hands in a vain effort to protect her nose, but that was not exactly the best of ideas when one was covered in bandages along with wounds. Therefore, the moment she landed, she let out a loud, painful hiss as she impacted the floor with a painful thud. Ádalé almost started rolling around the floor just to express the sheer amount of pain that exploded through her spine. Dull, yet stinging lances impacted all over her body as she cursed herself for being foolish enough to try and walk on her own with injuries like these.

 

[Yzmael]

​

As Aster responded Taiyoko, she remained smiling. Seeing him comment on how he was honored to serve on the crew of the red and yellow airship made her chuckle lightly. His pride and happiness was clear to her. In fact, if she had to say anything about Aster from initial impressions it would be that he was honest with both words and expressions. Still, it was too early to judge anything. She would need more experience with him in order to truly tell what kind of person he was.

Even though his words sounded as if they were concerned and truly sympathizing, she couldn't help but think, for a moment, he was merely being nice to her. What followed after that was a question regarding who she met that night, to which Taiyoko spoke the Orc's name and proceeded to describe the rugged figure, with blue eyes, that she met after the show. She explained the appearance of the man and even told Aster a bit about how the roguish tracker helped her in the initial recognition of the theft. Aster's expression revealed some surprise, which caused the Kistune to giggle in response. She could understand, after all, seeing a figure such as Gorgutz's there in the theater was a very scary surprise.

The Fox Youkai also noticed the seeming surprise in his expressions, but a different sheepish one, when she mentioned she lacked the money to pay him for the job. Although she expected him to respond rather negatively to it, he simply asked her a question regarding her abilities, to which Taiyoko showed him one of the Sennokaze in response. She listed her fight abilities, emphasizing slightly on her magical capabilities, as well as the usage of the War Fans, expressing herself much how someone would if they were attempting to sell a weapon. Additionally, she mentioned she also possessed other skills, such as her knowledge of archeology and court experience. It wasn't something worth going into much depth, of course, but it was something that she thought she should mention.

---

Upon Aster's approval of her and him having more important things to do, ending up letting Saki handle the tour through the ship, Taiyoko couldn't help but face her fellow Youkai with a large smile on her face. Before he had gone away from her sight, she thanked Aster and once more turned herself to face Saki this time. "Ara, I'll have my own tour guide throughout the Lughanta? My, I'm starting to feel welcomed already." The princess-acting Taiyoko responded, with a hand on her mouth followed by a short giggle. "I am immensely curious to know how this ship works. It is late, however, so I wouldn't want to get in the way of your work for far too long, Saki." Taiyoko said as she smiled gently.

To her surprise, the young fellow Youkai provided an offer of help in regard to her Guzheng, to which Taiyoko's face seemed almost apologetic upon hearing her words. She had just arrived, to cause so much trouble to the people of the ship was far too impudent of her already. She looked away, almost shyly, as she thought for a moment. "Forgive me, Saki, but I would like to first hear what that man might have to say about it. I believe it would be far too unrefined of me to ask you to... Wait? I do greatly appreciate the offer, however, which is why I'd like some time to see how the situation might be." As she said those words, she once more had a clearly disheartened look on her face, almost as if it pained her to simply tell Saki that she wished to first take a look into how things were. Surely, she could make use of the help from her fellow Youkai, but first, she wished to understand if there was even going to have any need for it. "If you will... Please wait until I have enough information." She pleaded with a rather difficult expression. It truly seemed like doing so pained her somehow.

With that, the rest of the night was spent with Taiyoko being guided across the ship, being shown the most important locations and, finally, her room. She did ask Saki where she would find the rugged man, apparently named "Venrid", but it seemingly was too late and the time wouldn't allow her to speak with him. In the end, she brought her things from the inn, introduced Shiro to some of the members of the crew, which even ended up in him exploring about the ship and causing trouble to a few people. It was a good, warm night.

As she settled in, she couldn't help but notice how small the cabin was. Her first expression upon seeing how small the room showcased a bit of disappointment, but still, she recomposed herself and, when questioned, she would wave her hands and state that it was good enough. Although Taiyoko was used to sleeping in inns, the cabin managed to be even smaller. Perhaps it was a good thing that, despite carrying the Guzheng around, she was used to traveling light. A chest and a suitcase were all she brought with her for the sake of her journeys. As she finished setting up her clothes into the small storage inside the cabin, she looked outside the window to see the darkness had crept upon the entire city. Still, she could hear the sound of some of the crew still at work. To them, it seemed like the night was still rather young, but she felt rather sleepy. She had barely finished removing everything the chests before the sleep settled in and she finally gave in to the new, hard and cold bed. Soon, a new day awaited.

---

The morning was spent mostly with studies and remembering. Taiyoko had landed a deal with the tracker, Venrid, and she was going to keep her word of it. Among the chest was a medium-sized magitech notebook. It served as the youkai's journal and research log. Few people could tell what kind of mission she was now setting upon, but as she read the latest entry of the logbook, one could easily tell. She mumbled words of reminisce as she reminded herself of her last discoveries. Particularly, Taiyoko's latest research had reached a point that she didn't much enjoy, but one that she would have to study nonetheless... Blood Magic.

She found herself skipping the pages backwards until she finally found what she was seeking. It was a imprint page from a book that she had found on the library back in the Masumi Mansion. Luckily for her, her father was a collector of such knowledge, and she would many times go into his room to find specific books herself. She only read those who perked her interests, after all. One particular book caught enough of her attention when she was leaving her home, that she decided to imprint it upon her own notebook, creating a perfect copy of dozens of pages she could find. It possessed information about the ancient Mages, Natural Spellcasters, from the time before Magitech ever existed. A rarity, of course, and although her father allowed her access to all books in the house, she would've been heavily reprimanded for reading it where the young girl caught doing so. The page brought back many memories, some of how much she was starting to miss her family and home, others about how her first plans regarding what to show her father. Although her mission here was one of discovery, she was on a personal quest of her own... To uncover the true origins of magic and the Natural Spellcasters of back then.

The page depicted a transcript from the book she found in her home, of a particular page talking about items that utilized Blood Magic. Back then, without Erchius to power up objects, many mages fell upon using Blood Magic to fuel their items. Some of these magic items were created through rituals involving the use of Blood Magic, others were directly fueled by it and other were simply tools to collect such Still, she was held with a strange sense of hopeless curiosity whenever she thought of this plan or about her father's order...

"Go, then! Show to me, Taiyoko, that the world outside is better than ours."

A powerful request... But oh, so broad. It was almost impossible to pinpoint exactly what would bring upon her father the sense that truly, the world outside was better than Harukayama. Perhaps it was indeed impossible and all he did was please her will to leave. The man always did spoil her much. Sighing, Taiyoko's thoughts slowly trailed off.

Although at the moment things wouldn't make it easier for her, she initially, when coming to this landmass, planned to visit the Elves and seek information from them. As she read the book, Shirou suddenly woke up and started causing a ruckus. The Fox was one to rarely want to stay home. The action lied outside and it called out to both of them. Marking the page so that she could later on show it to the tracker, she found herself being almost pulled outside by the fox, who quickly once again disappeared. With a sigh, Taiyoko, after seeing the blue sky and sun shining above, came to the conclusion that sometimes, Shirou was right. The weather was nice enough that warranted Taiyoko to simple remain there, on the deck of the airship, enjoying the breeze and sun.