Saren Harlaus
Unknown Location, Eastern Drakovia

"This book holds more power than any Mage of the Magiya could ever imagine... You do not understand, I can save this world, I can prevent natural disasters, I.. I can destroy all who oppose the order of the Magiya! We could be the most powerful people in the world! Even the Dragons would fear our supreme power! We could be like gods, Master!"

The metallic rasp of a sword slowly unsheathing filled the dark stone-built hall. It was just the two of them: Master, and Apprentice. One of them would die here. Over what? An old spellbook? This isn't what the old Master-level Mage wanted... "Saren, give it to me. It has corrupted you. ...I can still save you, if only you will listen to reason."

"Reason? M-Master... I understand fully what I'm doing here! This book, these dark secrets, they can save the Magiya! We can just resist the evil, we're immune to such things!" Saren argued, not a hint of doubt or dishonesty in his voice.

"Save the Order from what!?" The old man yelled at his apprentice, "What enemies do we have? What overwhelming threat is there to face? None! By using the power of that tome you hold, you will only destroy our way of life... Please, give me the book. I do not wish to take it from your cold, dead hands - because believe me, that is how far I'll go. But only if you make me." The old man negotiated, but his apprentice stiffly shook his head once again and began to flick through the jet black, ancient-looking book. "...We can still return home, Saren..." He offered, extending his hand out to his apprentice, the other still wielding the silver-bladed sword. A splash of red dashed across the floor as the sword turned on its wielder and stabbed through his gut, the younger of the two Mages shivering with fear at his own murderous action. 

"Master... I'm sorry. You don't understand why I'm doing this, ...you... You can't stop me!" Saren muttered in a sad tone, before emitting a monster-like growl and telekinetically slicing the heartbroken old Mage to pieces with his own weapon, despite his attempts to cancel Saren's spells, "...I'm so sick of you, the people I hold dear... You all just.. you don't understand a thing..."

The white-robed mage's apprentice treaded carefully towards his Master's messy corpse and leaned down to pick up his sword. It was automatically drawn to his hand by the powerful telekinetic energy, making the new wielder's frightened expression form into a mad smile. Now there was nothing holding him back. All he needed was time. In due time, he would have unimaginable power. Enough to make the world tremble in fear before the Magiya. No, ...before himself!

---

Rei Shirokaze
Shizukesa, Northern-Eastern Morallea

"A letter?" Rei asked as she laid down her bokken and knelt on the wooden dojo floor, "But it has already been opened. This was addressed to my father. Why did you bring it to me?" she asked as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with a cloth. The envelopes seal was of Clan Magiya. Golden, so it was obviously a top priority message. It was addressed to Shirokaze Sasuke, Rei's father and the Daimyo of the clan - he was not a King, but a Lord and a General. For the message to have been passed to Rei, it meant he had a task for her. Judging by the contents, ...this was very important.

"His lordship asked me to bring it to you, milady." Rei's personal servant bowed as she spoke, but the silver-haired young lady pushed on her shoulder and waved her hand in dismissal as if to tell her to 'quit licking my boots'. The servant woman looked kind of embarrassed, but also quite pleased. With that over with, Rei began to read.

"Dear Lord of the Shirokaze Clan,

It is in the Magiyan Elder Council's highest hopes that you shall lend assistance in our time of need. We shall spare unnecessary formalities, as time is of the essence.

Nearly one week ago, an apprentice mage of our order left our city with a certain artefact that we currently do not wish to reveal to you for reasons of security. His name is Saren Harlaus; Drakovian born, usually seen wearing cream-coloured robes, noticeable by a razor-like tattoo underneath his right eye. He has black hair, and as of one month ago, has blood red eyes through said artifacts corruptive abilities. The item he stole before leaving the Order of Magiya is dangerous enough to throw the world as we know it into chaos, and we cannot let that happen. Take our word very seriously for it when we say this is not simply superstitious nonsense. The artifact must be secured at any cost! Cutting to the chase... If Saren is to be captured, or even killed if it comes to that, we require a team. If one capable representative were to come from each of Morallea's four clans, the versatility of such a team would be able to track down and capture Saren before he can put any schemes into action.

Sending an army after one man is simply too high-profile.

The representatives shall meet at the place Morallea's four-way Alliance was made at their earliest convenience, as the last contact we had indicated Saren was heading North, into Drakovian territory. The Golden Tablet is suitable enough to meet at due to it's proximity to the Drakovian border.

We wish luck to each of the representatives, and hope to see Morallea's Alliance is still steadfast as ever.

Godspeed,
The Elder Council"

"It seems you'll be away for a while then, milady." The servant woman frowned.

Rei's mouth curved into a slight smile as she folded the letter and put it back in its envelope. Finally she had a way to gain her own respect - no 'princess' issues attached. "Could you do me a favour and fetch my swords and kunai? I'll get dressed into something more appropriate for traveling and get some things to take with me. Meet me by the stables in one hour." She commanded, ...for once in her life.

The servant woman bowed and began tiptoeing off as fast as she could in her decorative kimono, "That's what I'm here for, milady!" She called back almost proudly. Rei was just so boring to attend to, because the girl did everything herself anyway!

---

"...So you're leaving, huh?" A silver-haired young man asked from the stable doors. He smoked a kiseru and wore a green yukata with varying jungle-like patterns running along it. His left eye was covered by bandages, a wound he'd received as a child. His name is Shirokaze Kirai. Rei's older brother and the next-in-line to become Daimyo of the clan. The two never spoke much, either through past childish grievances or because they just never got around to it. Rei was always training, and Kirai was always out hunting down bandits and the like to sate his seemingly natural bloodlust.

"So what if I am?" Rei murmured as she finished polishing a particularly shiny sword, while a guardsman was saddling the bright white Courser horse behind her. "I'm just doing what I've been tasked with, don't concern yourself."

"Heh, why so cold? I'm just here to wish you luck before you go on your way. Whether you like it or not, I'm still your brother. And this is, what, your first trip away from home by yourself?" Kirai grinned at his little sister, who seemed to be taking in the reality of the situation. To be honest it frightened her a little, but she wouldn't let it show - she liked to keep the image of a strong, independent young lady. Still, Kirai knew that blank look meant she was reconsidering leaving all by herself.

"...What's your point, Kirai?"

Before Rei could react, she felt a pair of arms cradle her and lift her off the ground, her head rested on Kirai's shoulder. He chuckled and patted Rei on the back before putting her down again, "That's my point. I don't give those out often, you little brat... But it's a special occasion." Rei started turning red and looked away from her brother's face. "You look after yourself out there, alright? I mean it."

Emitting a sort of displeased grumbling, the silver-haired girl climbed onto the courser. She flexed its reigns but paused, glancing down at her brother, "You can quit treating me like a kid, thank you very much! ...But I appreciate the concern." Rei turned her nose up, pridefully riding the horse out of castle grounds. Her destination: 'The Golden Tablet' - where centuries ago, Morallea became an independent land housing it's four allied clans. The tablet was a large structure about the size of a house. The text was ancient, Magiyan, but from an era far earlier. There were only few in the world who could read it, and Morallean leaders were made to understand the writing as a rite of passage of sorts.

"Yuki, faster! Let's get there before the others!" Rei smiled as she felt freer than she ever had before, the spirited courser galloping across the open fields. Her first real adventure.

---

Aura
Arcanium, Central Morallea

"Excuse me~! Is this Ms. Crais Magen's room?" A child's voice rang out in the halls of the College of the Arcane, followed by a few light taps on the door. The snow-white haired little magician stood there with a letter in both her hands as she waited for the door to open. All she was told is that Crais Magen was to be her mentor of sorts on a mission outside of the magical city. Why she had to go was beyond the girl. If it was so important, why send a child along? It was dangerous outside the city! Not to mention, Aura had never stepped outside Arcanium before... Not after she could walk, anyway.

...But maybe it could be interesting, all that danger. An adventure! "Miss Crais~?"

Abaddon Vystrel
Zion, Wild Western Morallea

"You've got a lot of nerve, showing your face back 'round here."

The smell of smoke and gunpowder in the saloon was almost overpowering, but Abaddon wouldn't have had it any other way. To be completely honest, he had been expecting a greeting like that for a while now. Some time early on. Maybe at the border. Definitely not, for example, after he'd gotten into the heart of Avanim. Though, now that he thought about it, backing off and shooting dirty glares or ignoring him completely were valid means of exiling one from society. But he could be forgiven for expecting a violent welcome, what with Avanim being Morallea's most violent land. Thankfully he wasn't completely disappointed, as the resident bartender decided to be the one to make his day.

Abaddon stood silently, saying nothing in response. The saloon door flipping open and closed was the only sound in the tense silence. Everyone was staring at the newcomer's confrontation with the man in charge of the establishment. Hell, he even caught sight of some reaching for their arms. Was the situation at hand really going to escalate that badly? Unfortunately, he was sure that even moving his hands anywhere near his hips would be a provocative act in and of itself.He just had to keep faith that nobody would do anything particularly stupid. Maybe he would have preferred to not end up in a confrontation like this.

"Well? Say something you low-life rat! State your goddamn business or get the fuck out!"
"...Lookin' for the Old Man. ...or whoever took over. Got a message to give. Gold seal. From Magiya."
"Tch. Up on the mountain. Like usual."

Abaddon nodded in affirmation before turning to leave. It seemed that that had ended quite peacefully. Not even one person got shot at, threatened, or otherwise traumatized! And it didn't seem that the information was a lie. If there was anything he was confident of, it was that nobody had the skills to dethrone the Old Man of the Mountain. Well, at least seven years ago that was true. Maybe age got to him and the leadership role was given to a successor who decided to continue the tradition of hanging out on a mountain for some indiscernible reason. "Much obliged for the info, barkeep. And for not shootin' me too," Abaddon said before exiting the saloon. If he had had a hat, he probably would have tipped it too as a show of good faith.

"...Yeah, yeah. Like an old man like me could do anythin'... Go off and die somewhere will ya... Fuckin' stray..."

---

The crunch of Abaddon’s boots on hard ground was met by a greeting from a hearty-sounding voice.

"Heh! And so the prodigal son returns!"

The Chieftain of Avanim was a title bestowed only unto the strongest gunfighter in the West. If a leader isn’t of sound mind or body, they cannot lead their armies or protect their people. Thus, as long as you had the ability to defeat the current Chieftain, you qualified for the title. And though he didn’t seem it, the giant of a man in front of Abaddon was most definitely the very same person who forced his father to stand down in single combat and assumed leadership of the West. Truly a foe to not be taken lightly.

“Now then, I assume you haven’t disregarded your exile just to stand there and gawk. What is it?”

In response, Abaddon held out the letter addressed to the leader before him. A gold seal from Magiya, as previously stated. The courier tossed the envelope to his Chief and waited as he read, taking in the sight of the Avanite landscape.

“I can see why you enjoy hangin' up 'round here,” Abaddon remarked, leaning against a large stone outcropping, It was seven years since he’d last seen walked these roads. There was a sense of nostalgia during the time he spent journeying back to this land from Drakovia. He might as well be enjoying the view; who knew when he‘d be able to see it again…

“So, those Mages seem to have a problem with some low-life hard-case… Hm? Huh? Boy, are you even paying attention?”

The sound of fingers snapping pulled Abaddon from his reverie.

“…! ...'Course I was.”

The Chief looked at him for a bit, seemingly analyzing the 20-year old courier. Abaddon was slightly put off by it, but he made no action against it. After all, what could he really do?

“Yes… I think I know exactly who our representative is going to be…”

---

“Sorry, I couldn’t stay longer, Ma… But don’t worry. I’ll be back. For sure.”

Abaddon stood outside his home, courier bag hefted over shoulder. He was allowed to visit his family once before heading off to the Golden Tablet. As he turned to leave, he saw a figure peek her head out the door. Waving her over, Abaddon knelt before his sister and forced a smile.

“I… I’m sorry your older brother couldn’t stay any longer… But when I get back… Why don‘t we just have fun? I can show you some cool tricks and you can… show me how you… used… two… guns… at… once… It‘ll be fun! …I‘m sure…”

The dark-haired young man stood and turned his back on his family, travelling not by horse, but by foot. He’d finish this mission no matter what. Not for glory, not for his country, but for the sake of his family.

Craïs Magen
Arcanium, Central Morallea

Craïs woke up with a start, hearing her name being called and her door being knocked. Dear lord, what time was it, she felt so drowsy... glancing at her clock, she found her answer. It was morning, meaning she had only managed to catch only an hour or two of sleep. She had stayed up all night cross-referencing her tomes again, before falling asleep at her desk. Her mind worked best at night-time, afterall. Getting up from her chair, the redhead stretched mid-stride as she walked to the door and opened it.

"Yes...?" She tentatively asked, hoping it wasn't some uptight Master again to inform her of some appointment. She blinked as she saw who it actually was. That was Aureno Winters, Lord Jumal's little apprentice. The two had never spoken, but Craïs had seen the diminutive girl around at the Akademia quite often, even if neither formally studied there. Craïs herself had many appointments there, courtesy of the Elder Council and several other Magiya officials. She figured little Aura merely ran chores and tasks for her elderly master there often.

Golden eyes gleaming and a sunny smile to match in spite of her tiredness, the Revelrian greeted the young apprentice mage: "If it isn't little Aura Winters? They're running you ragged this early in the morning, huh? Someone sent you to deliver me... a letter?" The redhead glanced curiously at the envelope in the girl's hands.

"So you honestly believe that the best possible thing for our clan is to throw away the ways which we used to build ourselves into what we are?" A woman's voice bellowed through the empty halls as she held a private meeting with Yaozu. This woman was the one who gave birth to him. His mother. The current leader of the Liqian. She and yaozu had recently had an argument about this subject and now she was confronting him after a few days of avoidance and silence.

Yaozu exhaled as he contemplated this for a moment. "Yes mother." He finally answered. "I believe it is our fixation on these ways of helping and taking in all those outsides that is leading us down. Our economy is suffering and our resources are running low." He spoke calmly. It was somewhat true, but not entirely. They were low on food. It was a bad harvest this year. But they could always gather more. Money was tight. But they could always barter and trade. That was his mother's view, but Yaozu was afraid this wouldn't work. And he couldn't simply trust outsiders.

"I see." Yanmei sighed before standing up. "I received a letter recently. I think now is the perfect time for you to go out into the world. And in doing so I hope you'll learn to be more compassionate and caring for others more so than yourself." She stated rather bluntly.

"So you're making me leave? Just like that?!" yaozu was angry, but he wasn't stupid enough to go against her. "At least tell me what I'll be doing."

Yanmei explained the entire situation to him as the letter expressed to her. "So you'll go as our representative. Take this mission and use it as a learning experience." She instructed.

Yaozu begrudgingly agreed and left to prepare to for his trip. It wasn't long before he was ready. A bag with a bit of clothes. Aside from that he had mostly tools a monk would use. Sutra charms, Rosary, etc. And with that he was on his way without even a word to his mother who watched him go praying he would learn the lessons she wanted him to.

"So, this is the Tablet..." The silver-haired teenager spoke to herself as her echoing steps filled the empty temple. The white horse remained outside, not tied up as Rei knew it wouldn't run off. In fact, 'Yuki' as she named him was quite fond of people.

It was a long, wide hall which was well lit by decorative lantern placements and chandeliers filled with candles. One could assume the unattended candles would have melted a long time ago, and the lanterns burned out, but there was a strange feeling resonating from this place - it was magic that kept this timeless temple in pristine condition. The large golden stone, etched with an ancient language glistened at the end of the temple, it too released it's own kind of magical energy. But was that real magic, or a mental illusion formed by curiosity? Rei stood back from the carvings with her arms folded and her head tilted to one side whilst she tried to make out what it said. The language was nothing like her own clans, or the common tongue used by all.

The young Samurai's attention was completely absorbed by the Golden Tablet's unknown writings as she waited for the other representatives to show...

---

Aura raised herself on her tiptoes and held the letter up to the older Mage, "It's a quest of some sort, Ms. Craïs. The Council wants us both to go on it," she explained. Whilst it was being read by Craïs, Aura couldn't help but examine the redheaded, tanned young woman's figure and face with a curious expression. Craïs was easily one of the prettiest mages little Aura had ever seen. Unbeknownst to the child, her jaw had dropped somewhere along the line as she continued staring.

When I get older, I wonder if I'll be like her... Thought the pale-haired girl.

Plucking the letter from Aura's hands, Craïs inspected it. It was from the Elder Council, the seal on it told her that much. Breaking the seal and opening the letter, the redheaded mage began to immerse herself in its contents. Saren Harlaus... another familiar name. He was the apprentice to Master... what was his name? She couldn't recall. Golden Tablet, that wasn't a long way from where they were. Two hours to three on horseback. She could properly get some supplies there.

Hearing the younger mage speak, Craïs responded to her with a grin. "Oh, it's a quest, alright. Artifact recovery. No wonder they asked me. And from the hands of a renegade mage, nonetheless." It sounded exciting. She needed to grab her things and... She looked back at Aura. "We're heading for the Golden Tablet. Do you have anything you need to take with you? We're going on horseback so we can't take much..."

Yaozu, being on foot, felt like he'd been travelling forever. When he arrived at the temple he felt the need to tread with caution. He wasn't the first to arrive as he thought he might have been. There was a horse. "Hey there little guy." He said with a small smile. It wasn't a little horse, but... Yaozu wasn't very little himself either. And they weren't that far apart in size. "Is your master inside? He asked as he pet the horse making sure not to scare it, but that was it. It wasn't like he expected an answer or anything of the sort. He sighed and shook his head. He had a mission to attend to. Without wasting anymore time he walked into the temple.

"Hello?" Yaozu called out as he looked around. He was cover almost from head to toe in his monk robes. And a hood as well. Just because. Still he walked forward until he noticed a... Girl? yeah it was a girl standing in front of the Golden Tablet. "Are you a representative here to complete the mission?" He asked her calmly. Then he realized it might be rude to ask without introducing himself. "Oh... Um... My name is Yaozu. I'm here representing the Liqian clan." He stated rather formally before waiting for her answer to his previous question.

Rei broke out of her study-trance suddenly as a new voice echoed into the temple. Male, and his accent was of the East like her own. Still a little different, but she could easily tell which of Morallea's four factions he was from. She turned away from the gold statue and was met with the sight of a robed figure, whom she could tell wasn't simply a peaceful monk. Under those heavy robes was a muscular figure, a warrior - if he was fat he'd probably speak and move rather slowly, she thought. After looking him over from a distance, the young samurai began slowly closing the distance between them. Her emerald-coloured eyes shone as she stepped into the rays of sunlight at the temple entrance. Resting one arm on her katana's hilt, she held the other out to offer her hand to Yaozu.

"Shirokaze Rei. It's a pleasure to meet you," Rei introduced herself with a half-smile, "I got volunteered for this, yes. Can't complain though."

---

Aura excitedly shook her head and motioned to the bag hanging from one shoulder to her opposite hip, "I have everything I need right here, Ms Craïs!" The white-haired little magician replied. There was silence for a moment as the girl turned her gaze away from the older mage, her ghostly pale face turning a bright shade of red. "But I really want to say goodbye to Master Jumal first... Who knows how long something important like this is gonna take?"

"Yeah well... I can complain. I was basically sent here as an excuse to kick me out of my clan." Yaozu was kind of exaggerating, but that is how he saw this mission. His mother kicking him out. He was pretty much just exiled. He sighed. This sucked. Literally it sucked. "Of course, just because I can doesn't mean I will." He said referring to his comment about complaining as he took her hand and shook it. The difference in sizes between the two hands was... Well... Noticeable. "Now should we tell each other our skills or wait for the rest of our party?" He asked calmly. "Or would it be best to just play things by ear?" He hadn't really done anything like this before so in addition to having questions he wasn't sure how to go about behaving and what not.

The crunch of dirt under heel was the only thing that accompanied Abaddon as he traveled through the Morallean countryside, with the sun shining upon his face, and the cool breeze on his back. He'd gotten some odd looks from the odd traveler on horseback, what with neither looking like some kind of drifting vagrant, nor as if he had just barely escaped a highwayman's assault with his life. Though, years of using the exact same method of travel had managed to allow his leg muscles and stride to sufficiently adapt to his current situation. The fact he'd had managed to depart quite early enough in the afternoon following his first home-cooked meal in who knows how many years merely helped to make his arrival time at the Golden Tablet occur much sooner than later.

"Ah, 'ere we go," the courier remarked as the temple walls of the Golden Tablet came into view on the horizon. The building sheltering the monument to Morallean unity looked mighty old and grand, that was for sure. He'd never actually managed to see the place, what with having a much busier schedule, being both an exile and a courier. No time to waste going on side trips when there was money to be made and taxes to be paid. Damn Drakovians.

As Abaddon approached, he noted the footprints. Something from someone big and stocky, if the depth compared to his own was to say. There was also a horse and another set of prints, which meant there were at least two other representatives present. Who knows, maybe he was the last to arrive? After all, he didn't know what sneaky magics those magi from Magiya were up to...

Still, he put his hand to his hip, just barely touching the handle of the fully-loaded Wild Card. One can't really tell whether or not a person's a friend or foe based merely upon whether or not you're expecting allies... With silenced steps, Abbadon entered the temple.

"I don't know..." Rei shrugged a bit at the giant of a Liqian monk and began examining the equipment he was carrying with him, "I'm sure we will get to know each other's skill sets as soon as we start on our travels. The Drakovian border is apparently full of bandits and the like, hiding in the hills waiting for caravans to pass through. It will be a surprise if we don't get attacked..."

Suddenly Rei's eyes shot away from Yaozu and to somewhere behind him, and within no time at all a kunai was ready to flick in her hand. She prepared to throw it, but at the sight of the figure's many gun holsters, decided against pissing off the newest addition to the team. With all those guns, the guy was unmistakably Avanim's representative. A warrior monk, samurai and gunslinger were now present if this newcomer was indeed who Rei thought he was. Now all they required was Mage...

"I was wondering when you would show up, Avanim. Though I'm more disappointed in the magician we're all still waiting on - I was made to believe a wizard was never late." Rei said before making her way towards Abaddon, her steps slow as she began looking him over from a distance. "Shirokaze Rei. It's.. a pleasure. And you are?"

"Put those toys down 'fore I put you down," Abaddon warned, threat emphasized with the sound of his gun's hammer being cocked back. The silvery barrel of his weapon of choice glinted in the sunlight peeking inside the temple. It was light in Abby's practiced hands, and his body showed no signs of dropping his aim any time soon. His other hand was placed securely on another revolver on his hip, this one dark in color, with a chamber that seemed to hold larger bullets. "No hard feelin's," he said, eyes narrowing, as the young lady put her fancy-schmancy throwing knife away.

Following suit, Abbadon bent his arm, pointing the barrel of the gun up at the ceiling, but still not holstering his piece. His arm moved back into aiming position as the silver-haired swordswoman came closer. "Stop right there," he commanded, tilting his head a bit to the side and glancing over at Yaozu. He flexed the fingers of the hand hovering over his other firearm, "I don' care much for pleasantries, ma'am. Name's Abbadon."

Yaozu hadn't made any other attempt to speak or move. He simply watched the two interact. It was actually quite comedic in a sense. "Alright little ones. Let's all play nice now." He said as he clapped his rather large hands once mimicking something his mother did to the children when she saw them getting a little two rough. He chuckled a bit at the situation and them, but then pushed the thought of his mother out of his head. If the gunman didn't stand down he had a plan of action. But he'd hope this wasn't necessary. "You should really ease up man. We're here to work together. There's no reason to be so hostile. Besides. None of us wish to cause an incident or clash between the four groups." He said in a rather calm tone.

(Short post is short.)

"Oh, she's just adorable... Craïs thought with an inward grin as she watched the little sorcerer's apprentice fidget in place, her cheeks flushed beet red. Just as the Desertian mage was about to reply about quickly packing up her things, a new presence made itself known to the two of them.

"Well then, I believe it is a good thing I had thought you might want to do so, leading me come here on my own."

Craïs damn near pivoted on her heel as she heard the voice. Her indignant squawk of surprise died in her throat as she saw him. Clad in the holy white cleric's robes, his hair and and beard equally white, she recognised the elderly man instantly. Lord Jumal. He was... taller than she had imagined, somehow both regal and humble in his appearance. He barely appeared his age, back straighter than most young male mages in Akademia and his eyes... those ruby orbs were sharper than even the shrewdest Magiyan elder or Master she had encountered. And she had met nearly all of them, considering they were the only ones she ever dealt with. Yet they were almost glowing with a sort of fatherly adoration and love as he spoke to his apprentice. Then he turned to her, causing her to go stiff.

"And you must be Craïs Magen. Quite the topic of... hot debate among the Elder Council, you are." His voice was full of mirth, even if repressed.

"Y-yes, sir. No, I mean, Lord Jumal. I mean Lord Arkaos!" She stuttered, instantly cursing herself in her head right after. Way to make first impressions with the one man people claimed to be the single most influential man in the Magiyan circles after the Elder Council themselves. And it wasn't a no-brainer why. The man was allegedly immortal and the single createst master of alchemy and medical magic in not just the Morallean States, but the entirety of Mirasoria.

"I- I'll just go fetch my things, my Lord." She turned on her heel and retreated back to her room before the blush of embarasment emerged on her cheeks.

"Very well. Take as much as you need. I've seen to it that your fellowship has all the necessary materials for the journey that lies before you. Including the horses and carriage."

Lord Jumal then turned to his diminutive apprentice, smiling a grandfatherly smile. "The beginning of your journey draws near, my little Aura. Are you ready?"

Outskirts of Drachenvice, Capital of Drakovia

(I'll be making these characters shortly. You guys could make some too, once I finish Saren's CS to explain what's going on ^_^ Might be able to bring in another player, too.)

There were five of the hooded figures in their dark-coloured robes. They stood around the man in his cream cloak, his blood red eyes shining defiantly through broad daylight. This was Saren Harlaus, and some old friends he gathered from the Drachenvice Mage's Guild. Beneath the five's hoods there were mixed expressions, ranging from outright shock to fierce grins.

"I trust you know why I've gathered you here? Why I came all this way, wielding the Book of the Void?" Saren asked. There were a few silent nods, and only one of those present spoke. A young woman with a katana sheathed at her side who simply replied, sorrow evident in her voice,

"...The promise we made."

Saren nodded and smiled at her, stepping closer to the woman to gently push her hood back. Her red hair tied into a long ponytail fell back, stopping just past the bottom of her neck. She had two small scars between her left eye and her nose, freckles dotting her pretty face, and deep blue eyes. While she looked pleased to see an old friend, her smile lacked any form of excitement as everyone else had. "Saren, I don't know about this. Last time I saw you, your eyes were still blue as the sky. It's that book, it's done something... I can feel it. The rhythm of your soul has changed."

"Aria, my dear... Just trust in me. I'm going to bring justice to the cruel world in my own way. For you, Sano and Lucian. For our lost comrades, and to end everything and everyone that has done wrong." Saren replied, brushing his hand along Aria's cheek. She didn't even flinch, didn't even blink.

"It's not convincing, but... I'm going with you, regardless. I gave a dead man another promise, one that'll take me a lifetime to fulfil," Aria told him as she pushed Saren's cold hand away. "Pay no attention. I'll be by your side, but I want no part in anything crazy you might end up doing."

---

Arcanium, Magiyan Capital

The moment she was asked, Aura nodded her head very excitedly at her Master. This felt like a major step forward in her training - not a chance to show everyone how much more she accomplished at such a young age than they had, but she viewed this as a real chance to get to know the world around her, and hopefully form bonds with people outside of Arcanium. It would be independence if Craïs wasn't to watch over her, but that couldn't be helped. Aura was a child. Still, she welcomed a babysitter of sorts. Who in their right mind would send a twelve-year-old alone on a potentially dangerous task as this?

"Master, I'll do my best! Ms. Craïs will be there too, so I won't get in no trouble..." Aura assured her beloved guardian and teacher, pausing and looking around to see if anyone was watching. It seemed as though everyone had disappeared, gone to classes or private study. The girl had visibly been restraining herself while the halls were full of mages, but now? She suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her small arms around Jumal's form, for the last time in.. Gods knew how long! "I promise I'll stay safe, and you please do the same for me until we get back..." she told the elderly man, looking up at that warm smile with an almost worried expression on her own face. This was all well and good for Aura to grow some, but she wouldn't often leave Jumal's side for more than a few days. This tracking mission could take weeks...

---

The Temple, Golden Tablet of Morallea

"If you pull another gun on me, I'm going to take your hand off," Rei quite calmly gave Abaddon some fair warning. Yeah, the whole 'inter-state relations' idea was suddenly lost to the young samurai's personal opinion on this one guy and his silly contraptions. Guns were probably slow anyway! Perhaps that's why this man carried four. Rei had never seen guns in action before, so of course she assumed she could close in and take off a limb before he had a chance to fire - that was in reality the worst single idea Rei'd ever had. Well, hopefully it wouldn't come to someone getting cut or shot down. Perhaps Abaddon just had a lot of reason to naturally distrust people, but again, Rei felt hostility whether it was called for or not.

"...And you - don't call me 'little'," she snapped at Yaozu. Apparently it was quite easy to piss off the Shirokaze representative. At least her little outburst at Yaozu was more funny than her threat to Abaddon.

"...Damn it, the mage we're waiting on should be here by now..." Rei murmured, changing the topic to set her mind back on their mission.

"Look. You can't match the speed of a gun Samurai girl. At least not at the range you're at now." Yaozu said as he stared down the two. "So I suggest you back down from the fight." He added calmly before turning back towards the tablet. "Geez... I thought Samurai were supposed to be smarter than this. And more calm minded. At least enough to know when not to fight and avoid a war." He said commented on Rei's behavior. "Of course... I also pictured the samurai being... bigger." He added glancing back at her for a second. His eyes wandered to the gunman and then back to the tablet. He sighed. Could they really complete this mission with the people that had so far joined. yaozu just hoped the mage was more... How could he say it? Whatever. "I hope the mage is better." He mumbled thinking aloud for a brief moment.

"Heh," Abbadon grinned. It was a sharkish thing, not unlike one that would be seen on someone who was out for blood. However, the Morallean gunslinger definitely wasn't some sort of bloodthirsty warrior. "You're insane, ma'am... and that's jus' the attitude I can respect," Abaddon continued, bending his elbow and raising his firearm to the ceiling as he had done before. See? He could be reasonable-ish. He still didn't holster the weapon, however.

Abaddon twirled the revolver on his finger, completely discounting how stupidly dangerous that was with a loaded gun, "Too bad your amigo's right - And don' think I'll jus' go down from a lost hand, ma'am." Finally, the cowboy holstered his white revolver and turned to the burly monk trying to keep the peace. "But you, sir, are a yellow-bellied coward. If you're truly an ally, then why din't you do anything but talk," Abby scowled at Yaozu, "And ever call me a 'lil one' again, and I'll show you jus' what this 'lil one' can do."

"Everyone has an area of their life for which they take more pride than others." Yaozu answered calmly. "I know I may just look like a walking target to you. And I know I'm not the largest fellow in the world. However, I do take pride in my strength and combat capabilities." He said calmly as he approached Abbadon slowly making no real hostile movements towards the fellow. "I would assume you take pride in your skills as a gunman. And I'm sure I'll praise you for them at some point. But for now we're both unsure of each other's true skill and it'd be best not to underestimate each other." The large monk kept enough distance in case this did turn into a battle. "Now the way i see it this goes down one of two ways. We calm down and relax while we wait for our mage. Or we fight and possibly cause a war. I would never do something to hurt my clan so i'd like to avoid that. But if provoked I will do everything in my power to crush you." He smirked, though it was likely hidden by the shadow over his face caused by his hood. "So little Abby. What's it gonna be?"

BANG!

"Now, sir," Abaddon started, dropping his aim, "I know I've neglected to tell you this earlier, but there's only a handful allowed to call me by that name. You, sir, are not one."

....Surprisingly, there weren't any holes in Yaozu or Rei after that fired shot, just something that seemed to be a vibration of the temple after the ceiling took a bullet. However, anybody could and would swear that he had holstered his gun earlier. The fact it was back in his hands... and a completely different model of firearm was rather odd. Rather than a revolver, it seemed to be a single-shot weapon, with a large caliber and a distinct lack of cylinder or magazine.

"And sir, I don' think you understand what it means to be a gunslinger. We don' take any pride in our shootin'."

As he spoke, Abaddon nonchalantly broke the gun, removing a rather large bullet casing - something that looked like it belonged to a rifle instead of a handgun - and replacing it with an identical one on his belt, loading the gun with a flick of the wrist and a satisfying CLICK!. He then placed the weapon in its holster under his arm as if he hadn't placed a bullet into the ceiling.

"You see sir, you're s'posed to fire your shots, not admire 'em. If you take too much pride in your skills, you get careless an' die."

Abaddon unlatched a flask of liquid from his belt and tossed it to Yaozu, "Catch."

Akademia : Arcanium, the Magiyan Capital

Jumal's chuckle held a deep and rich tone as he knelt down before his young apprentice. He was still a head taller than her as he laid his palm to rest atop her head. "I know you will, young one. That is why I put your name forward as a potential candidate when the Elder Council was discussing the matter." If Aura knew Jumal and she did, that was his way of saying he had strongarmed the Council into agreeing. Then Aura leapt into his arms, embracing the elderly mage tightly. The Lord responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her. "I promise, nothing you should worry about will happen to me here."

Just then Craïs re-emerged from her room, dragging a huge chest behind her. The highly decorated chest was made of reddish wood and sealed shut with a large, intricate-looking lock. She closed the door and spun around, grinning excitedly. "Since we have a proper carriage, might as well take all my research with me." Her excited expression fell into a bashful one as she regarded the Master in charge of transporting them. "If that's alright with you, Lord Arkaos."

Jumal stood up to his full height as he let Aura go and nodded at the fierce redhead. "It is quite alright. Is that all?" Craïs nodded, but before she could say anything, a large glyph manifested itself beneath the trio's feet. In a bright flash of light, they and the chest were gone from the hallway.

---

The Temple : Golden Tablet of Moralea

Just as Rei finished her line of thought, the same glyph that appeared in Arcanium wrote itself onto the temple floor, glowing brightly before giving out a flash almost akin to a flashbang. As the light faded, in the glyph's place stood Aura, Jumal, and Craïs. The latter looked a little shellshocked before grinning in an almost feline manner.

"Real instantaneous, long-distance transportation without the use of any pre-coordinated waystones or gateways! That was awesome!"

Her bubble of giddy excitement burst as she noticed the other three members of the escort mission having already arrived. She regarded them with an almost doe-in-the-headlights gaze, blinking a little owlishly.

"Liqian Clan." The archives of knowledge in her mind instantly reminded her as she regarded the tall monk. "Wow, he tall." She was not exactly used to men taller than her. She was very tall herself, like most women and people in the first place from Desertia were, and was quite used to standing at the same height as the tallest men in Arcanium.

"Shirokaze Clan." She thought as she looked at Rei. Sword, check. A cool enough demeanor to freeze a lake, check. Silver hair? Craïs blinked, why did that ring a few bells in her head?

"Leaving him as the Avanim representative..." The redhead regarded the gunslinger. "What a somber bunch..." A voice in the back of her head muttered. Taking a more confident stance and glancing over her shoulder at her charge, Craïs then spoke: "Looks like we were the last ones in, eh, Aura?" She grinned and winked playfully at the young apprentice. The wandering sorcerer then turned back to the other three representatives and without a care in the world strode over to Rei, offering her hand.

"Craïs Magen. Second half of the Magiyan representative for this mission. Nice to meet you~"