The Library

[Alphakoka]

Andre was anxious over the urgent mission he had been assigned to. If it was true that the bandits managed to take down a team of holders, or even two teams, the chance that he won't make it back were quite large. Though the mission was to get the captured holder out, so he guessed the team would be able to pull it off.

Still, what the hell is the hub's thinking? Andre thought as he looked at his team mates, They lost two teams and only sent a team of three?

And one of them is even that one who don't have anything from yesterday, Shadow chimed.

Andre frowned over the thought of dying once more, "I do hope this mission's going to be fine."

[Animus]

Aven cocked an eyebrow at the number of holders gathered at Liason's office. It was shocking the turn up was only a measly number of three holders, especially since the said mission was posted as a high priority one. At that moment, he felt the danger of the mission had risen to an incredible level. Their enemies were people capable of almost completely decimating two holder teams that were sent after them, and the only reason Lux was alive was because they intended to use him as a hostage.

The main priority of the mission; retrieve Lux and return to headquarters for further orders. It was not part of the mission to take down the mercenaries, but it was obvious to Aven. In order to retrieve Lux, a confrontation with them was only a matter of time. Liason seemed to know of this, as his tone was grim. His last line kept resounding in Aven's mind - ''Don't die on us."

----------------------------------------------------

The young man grimaced as he gazed into the forest. It reeked of death. A death that he wasn't willing to let claim him. He was desperately trying to calm himself. He had only accepted the mission due to the impression that a large team of experienced holders would be sent; it would have been an opportunity to work with the best. A team of three was definitely not what he was expecting. It's gonna be alright, those guys sent previously must've just sucked, Aven thought to himself. From her profile, he could tell Salia was a capable holder. He also knew from experience that Andre was a reliable partner. Actually, Aven was not all that bad himself, he had successfully completed all missions that were assigned to him before, albeit the odd screwup or two. He had proven his capability before despite being only a pawn. Yeah! If we take it seriously, theres no way we can fail, he thought, once again attempting to boost his confidence.

The brunet averted his eyes from the forest; back to his companions. Aven awaited orders from either of his two seniors. He was feeling a mixture of both fear and excitement. The fear of death, and the thrill of successfully completing such a fearsome mission.

[Hedya]

Rug for the Fireplace

Upon returning to the library, Salia quickly wrote a couple of letters, for Ramza and Orion, where she thanked them for their good work during their last mision, as well as wishing then good luck on their next jobs. It was not exactly easy for her to accept anyone as her leader, since she always did things her own way. However, Salia had to admit, privately, that Ramza had leadership skills. She would have liked to speak to her companions personally, but that was not to be possible, because right after she made it to her room, an important letter for her was waiting inside.

Strangely enough, Salia was still worried about that girl. The decive they had to retrieve. There was something completely wrong with that. She would have liked to try talking to Simonette, but... obviously, she was just treated as a device to be retrieved, and not as a living being, when in fact, she probably had a consciousness. In the end, Salia decided it was best to forget about those things, for the time being.

With the abrupt end to her last mission, which included her being tricked by one of the thieves himself, Salia didn't almost have time to rest, since she had to get prepared for an urgent mission. She didn't really have much choice, because she was ordered to join the team, which had only a couple of members. It had been decided even before she had made it back from Midsummer's mission, so there was nothing she could do. The problem was that this looked like a completely suicidal mission. Two teams had been lost on this mission before, and now they were sending three members, one of them being a pawn.

However, the reports available to her said Aven was rather capable. In fact, nearly all pawns probably were, since what they lacked in power, they had to make it up somehow. The same thing had happened with Ramza during her last mission. Salia was also intrigued about Andre, the other team mate. He was a rook, just as she was. She knew him from the intelligence department, although usually Salia was not the most sociable person, so it was not like she had talked to him a lot.

When they were given the mission details, she didn't feel they were expecting them to return. Did they send them to their deaths on purpose? Or it was just that they couldn't do better? Either way, she was not planning on cutting her life short, no way. "It will be fine, Andre". Salia answered her team mate, without even as much as a voice tone change on her voice.

Soon, they were already walking through the forest, as there was no time to be wasted. They had been mostly silent, knwoing this was really serious. Salia was actually comfortable with silence, and the only thing that was awkward for her was knowing that the others would find the silence awkward. Pretty ironical. At a certain point, however, when they were drawing near the -marked zone-, Salia decided somebody should take the lead.

"Alright guys." She stopped walking. "We're getting closer now. These bandits have managed to take down two teams of holders, so we definitely have to be careful here. I say we create a strategy or, at least, decide on some kind of plan, if we are to stand a chance of being successful. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to die here. State your best abilities and we'll get ready. Also, for your information, my best ability is speed, and fighting, be it head-on combat or attacking from the back."

She looked at her partners' eyes, trying to appear confident. "So, what about you?"

[Lyzan]

Suspicious began to dwell on his mind towards the guide. Unharmed? The golem? Was he insane? It's utterly ridiculous, thought Ramza. The man's request was almost impossible. Not with them two librarians at the task. A mere Pawn and a Knight who feared her own spirit and pretty much everything else could hardly bring this thing down, let alone captured it with minimal damage. Even should there be a choice to do so, to spare it, Ramza wouldn't allow it. Who knows what future damage it would do to the people of Bihar in the future? The request was too much of a risk. But he was glad that his partner answered with the best reply one could offer in such times. So he pretended not to hear the whisper Maxwell made to Adeline. Instead, he studied the arched stone and it's runes. He ran his fingers over them before placing his palm, flat against the vibrating and glowing rock.

"Interesting indeed," Ramza muttered. The whole place seemed to be buzzing with magi. A huge range of natural magi resources which this golem seemed to be feeding on theoritically. The only possible way to downed this ancient defensive technology without damage would probably be outside of Bihar, Ramza suspected. If it was true that this thing runs on these resources, then to exhaust it from it's energy was not an option. That was Ramza's initial plans. He turned towards the girl as she stood before a twenty feet hole. A sudden sharp bite on his finger jolted his hand back reflexively. Ramza hissed as stealthily as he could before he stared at his index finger. There was a cut.

"Shit!" he cursed in a whisper to himself before he put his finger into his mouth.

As soon as he did, there was a sharp pain within his mind, forcing him to shut his eyes. Images flashed. There was no clear picture for him to grasp. Nothing recognizable. It was almost the same projected image he'd seen while he was in the Midsummer's office. Only different was, it was in his head. He couldn't recall them even if he wanted to as the flashes went so fast, carrying with it frames of Bihar's histories. Or at least that was what he thought. Then again, it might just be his imagination. Thinking of how the ruins might have looked like to the founders may have influenced his subconscious mind into thinking he was shown to it. Before the whole thing ended, there was a frame that lingered far longer than the rest. The odd thing about it was, the image was somewhat familiar.

It was huge and seemed to be on fire. In fact, everything seemed to be ablaze. Ramza looked up, staring onto it's head. He couldn't find any eyes on the creature. But what grasp his gaze was it's horns and it's massive wings. A red flaming dragon. Ramza could've sworn he'd seen it somewhere. At least once before. He knew he'd seen it. Maybe it was in his dreams. Maybe somewhere in his lifetime but he just couldn't recall where exactly. Soon, it faded and all was dark.

When Ramza opened his eyes, he heard Adeline's question. Briefly, he glanced back to the stone where his finger was cut just to see if there was anything significant. There was naught and he sighed in relief before he made his way to the lady's side.

"Usually, I would say ladies first before entering into somewhere interesting.. But this time, I hope you don't mind if I go ahead.." Ramza held Adeline's gaze. "Oh.. Maxwell was it? Could you tell us a little more about this golem? I mean in the most simplest and of general term.. If that makes any sense.."

"Umm.." the guide began. "Well, it stood at about fifteen feet tall and appears to have no head. However, it's sense of direction was not lost. In fact, it could navigate itself around fairly well," Maxwell paused as if to think of how to put the next few words in the simplest form without using the terms of a researcher. "They say that it had the same glowing runes these rocks have and that it could somehow changed it's shapes and sizes.. You two better watch out for it's huge fists though.. I'm sure there's a lot of power behind them.."

"Alright.." Ramza interrupted. "I think that information should've sufficed," he said. By the hub, Ramza cursed. This man just couldn't stop talking could he?

Ramza then cocked his head towards the city and Maxwell got the message. He left the two librarians to deal with the matter. A researcher for a teammate could be useful, thought Ramza. Especially when the site itself was swarming with them. She might've gotten some lead or at least an idea on how they could accomplish this mission. Ramza silently gazed over her cute freckled face before entering the hole.

It was dark at first, but soon, there was greenish light as they get deeper. Apparently, the glowing runes decorated the interiors of the labyrinth. That explained how there could be traps within them. They must've been powered the same way the golem was.

"You stay close behind me..." Ramza finally whispered to Adeline. "And you could start preparing your spirit as well.. Have him or her.. or whatever you call it to watch over us," his words was kind.. or at least sounded convincingly so. Within the man's heart, there was only one goal. To find it, bring it down and head back. As simple as that.

Ramza touched the runes and cut himself which brought him to see a glimpse of his spirit in his thoughts. The Bahamut. He made Maxwell described to them of what the golem looks like which they're now aware of what to look out for before both Ramza and Adeline descend down the spiral staircase.

[Valeric]

Adeline was extremely relieved that Ramza decided to take her hint and go in the front. The man walked forward with confident strides and disappeared into the temple ruins. She made a bitter smile and followed suit. Adeline had long accepted her cowardly nature. It wasn't a bad trait if it meant being able to increase her chances of survival.

They descended the staircase in tense silence, bathed in the green lighting of the mystical runes. Adeline perked up her senses to look for the traps they were warned about. The air became dank and stale as they reached further into the cold earth, but the descent was completely uneventful. After what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom of the stairs. There was nothing but a wide corridor leading further into the darkness. Everything was a shade of green as the only light source was the glowing runes.

"You stay close behind me..." Ramza whispered to Adeline. "And you could start preparing your spirit as well.. Have him or her.. or whatever you call it to watch over us."

Prepare her spirit, he said.

'Adeline, seems like you finallly-'

Not once has it ever stopped talking to her. A daily dosage of a specific herb temporarily numbed their connection, but she couldn't take it for this mission. Its whispers had started to echo in her head since morning.

Adeline patted the pockets of her black jacket and drew out a small white notebook. She grimaced as her recent wounds stung from her movement. Flipping through the pages, she stopped at where the bookmark was left. Her small but neat handwriting was hard to decipher in the dim lighting.

"According to what little information they gave us, if we turn right here, go straight till the end, turn left, and then turn right, we'll reach a stairway that leads to a lower floor," Adeline recited. "If anything, it's a start."

The place gave Adeline the chills. For all they knew, the runes on the walls could be warning them of the traps that lie ahead, and their inability to understand the ancient language turned the labyrinth into a death trap. It didn't take long for them to witness the danger that lurked behind the smooth walls.

Coming around a turn, they found themselves in a large square room. There was a single exit on the opposite side, but a black chasm lay between them. Standing at the edge of the pitfall, Adeline could see rows of spikes bristling off the ground, and the unmistakable outlines of less fortunate explorers lying in the midst. Dizziness started to attack her mind, and she quickly backed away from the edge.

[Animus]

Aven had been walking behind Andre and Salia when suddenly, the latter stopped. The brunette had decided that communication was necessary before they engaged in combat, it was a logical thing to do. Understanding each others strengths and abilities were basic, heading further into enemy territory without any preparation was suicidal; and the enemies they were up against this time, were anything but weak. Aven listened attentively till the end of her speech, only to find her staring at both him and Andre, expecting similar explanations of their abilities.

Deciding to go first, Aven cleared his throat before raising his voice, "Jack-of-all-Trades." The teenager scratched his head after his simple explanation of his abilities. It was true though, Aven was strong and fast, but not extraordinary so. He was capable of Martial Arts, but he was not master at it. "I don't know about a plan though," he said.

"We're up against holders whom we have no information on. Assuming their capabilities and designing a plan could result in our downfall." Aven sighed as things got grimmer as time passed. "Thats not to say we should just dive in unprepared. Something simple that can be applicable in all situations, something like get Lux out and don't die." The last part was meant to be a joke Aven made to lighten the mood, he hoped his companions understood that being stressed out would affect their ability.

[Kestrel]

As Adeline and Ramza ventured further into the labyrinth, they spotted something that much reminded them of a snake, slithering through the corridor in front of them. However, it was much longer than a normal snake and it seemed as if it's body was coming out of a wall.

When finally it's full length had appeared before the holders, they could notice it was made of a clay-like substance. The shape slithered towards them slowly, but remained at a distance. It then began to rise, spiralling around itself. The shape became a leg, extended into a second leg. It was becoming clear to Ramza and Adeline what this thing was going to be; it finally formed a stomach, torso and two gigantic arms. It was the Bihar Golem... But standing at a rough seven feet?

It stood still in front of Adeline and Ramza, not yet (?) making a move. It seemed as if it was guarding the way... And gave them the option to flee...

[Alphakoka]

Andre grunted over his companion's comment as they were transported to the mission area. She then stopped as she tried to learn better about Andre and Aven. "Infiltration and getting away," Andre replied a-matter-of-factly. "And according to database, the guy Lux is supposed to be a good Bishop."

Andre tapped the ground with the heel of his boots, making silent thumps as he let Aven finished his comment, not finding anything humorous about it. "I'd rather not meet anyone that could wipe out two teams of holders in succession like that..Damn it, if only we could do something to learn more about these people."

[Rilla]

Rug In The Fireplace

Their plan was set, their movements were crisp, any team coming to deliver their co-worker from the devilish grasp of the mercenaries would fall. At least, that’s what Kest continued to tell himself. It would be nightfall soon and he was sure the new team wouldn’t be comfortable searching for what amounted to a needle in the haystack, then attempting to do battle with that needle. His eyes squinted as he peered into the eerie green of the forest and listened for any out of place sounds. Whomever was sent for Lux would have to be far off, unless they somehow had the magical capabilities to get close this early. Perhaps the Library had sent a better team this time.

“Boss, Gamma reported a team of mercenaries about a mile and a half off,” Beta stated as he stepped back into the little hideaway cabin. “What do you want us to do?” The question was stupid, but required.

“Nothing,” Alpha piped up -- he knew the boss was in thought. “Keep your abilities at the ready; we’ll be out shortly.” He finished and went back to Lux, slamming his nine-tailed whip against his back. “You better hope they only want to give us money.”

[Hedya]

Salia listened carefull at her companions' words. SHe wanted to be able to craft a small plan of sorts that would help them when facing their enemies. So Aven was an all rounder, and didn't have any good idea. If she wasn't wrong, then Aven would have to be paired with somebody else. A "Jack-of-all-Trades" is always great to have around, but it could be dangerous to have him work on his own. His analysing capabilities were above par, however, which Salia decided to make sure she'd remember.

"Right. Obviously I do not think we have to decide on a strict plan to follow. More like deciding our course of action, and knowing how to react to certain situations, if you know what I mean. Flexibility is the key word here, but to attack without having any idea of what we're doing, that would be plain reckless. While your idea sounds like a good one, Aven..." She smiled" "...we need something with a bit more depth. But I like the goal already".

So Aven was in quite a light mood, or at least it seemed that way. He appeared to be convinced of his success. Andre, on the other hand, seemed quite more worried. Salia listened to Andre's talents, and her mind started working. Well they were certainly not infiltrating any kind of building, but... "I'm well aware of our bishop's skills. We can not assume Lux will be able to help, though. He may not be physically strong enough to fight, so we should think of the worst-case scenario, in which he's weak enough so that we'd have to carry him. And I don't want to sound fatalistic... but we will definitely meet them. Just forget about their previous fights with the library's holders."

Salia spoke as if the library was a separate entity from her own self. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't plan on stopping here. I'm coming back with Lux." The girl wasn't always the most optimistic kind of person, but her eyes now showed such certainty that one could not help but believe in her words.

"I have various ideas as for how to find out more about them... One of them involves Andre spying on them while we wait at a safe distance. We would have to wait until he was back with information. Then, we could try something else. It's a bit more risky, though... We would split the group and attack from three points at once." Salia looked at the confused faces of her current companions.

"Let me explain. Andre can sneak past their base and attack from behind. Aven can attack frontally -don't worry, it would not be especially dangerous for you, since we'll all be going at it, and they'll be confused for a short while.-, and, as for me... I would do it from the inside. I just need to rip my clothes a bit and act like a damsel in distress. They are less likely to be suspicious about me. No matter which approach they use on me, being kind or being rough, it doesn't matter. We're attacking anyway. Now, the only thing we would need with this is a proper signal so that the three of us would time the attack..."

Would this plan work? Three people against the enemies was not the best number. But attacking from three places at the same time could be the key to victory...