Was she baiting him? Or was she actually serious? Jaakuna surely wanted this to be serious, but he just wasn't sure. As she would flip her hair in a ponytail over her shoulder, she must have knew that Jaakuna loves when she does that to her hair. She was even giggling as she was doing that. More importantly, she even would go on to say that she wouldn't want to be inturrupted again. Everything about this was pointing to a yes, and yet, as he would look at her, Jaakuna just wasn't sure if she was luring him in for a tease. Oh, what is he to do?

Looking at her, Jaakuna would take the bait — or whatever it was. — A smile still on his face, he spoke. "Plus, think of how much water we would save." He laughed, but he smiled also.

---

As Nadeline spoke about all that happened and what they should all do, Wesley thought about it. The choices and how much of it he wanted to do was divided. They could definitely go after another esper, but they would risk running into one of their many enemies. On the flipside of things, the Dusk Shard presents a problem for them and being able to sue the Sword of Kings to properly destroy that thing would also be a good choice to go with. Wesley didn't know what to choose.

"Hmm, this all is hard. We do need to know how to properly put the usage of the Sword of Kings, but we mustn't let any more Espers fall into the enemy's hands." He said.

Savayna looked up to Nadeline and Wesley. "How about this for a suggestion." She would speak, "There's five of us, right?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Then why don't we split up."
"Split up? How do you mean?"
"Ugh, I mean one group of us goes to Mount Bur Omisace and talk to the Grand Kitlas and the other group goes to the location of the next Esper."

Wesley thought about that and while it's a very good suggestion, splitting up doesn't seem like the best solution. Wesley won't be totally against the idea, but before they even consider doing it, perhaps getting the opinions on the matter from Nadeline and the other two, Jaakuna and Emiri. "What say you, Nadeline? Should we do as Savayna suggests."

Nadeline looked up from her book at the mention of her name. Savayna had suggested splitting up. While it seemed practical, she was unsure how they would go about doing it. Her main concern was who would go where, mainly. The only obvious thing was that no matter what happened, Emiri would have to go to get the Esper--sending her to Mt Bur Omisace was out of the question. Still, going after the Esper meant there was a chance that they could get attacked by the enemy, so they were going to need the strongest people to go with Emiri. Perhaps Jaakuna could go to Bur Omisace with this airship, and as soon as he was done he could fly to the group and perhaps join the battle. Something told her that convincing Jaakuna to separate from Emiri was not going to be an easy idea, however.

"Splitting up may be a good idea. The question is, who goes where." She sighed, looking up. "Miss IRIS? Could you call Jaakuna and Emiri and tell them to come down here? This is important."

It would seem, against whatever odds, Nadeline was in agreement with Savayna's idea of splitting up. Truth be told, it was a brilliant idea. Splitting up would garner more results and to Wesley, he thinks that it would be a divide and conquer type of thing to do. While Savayna and WEsley were just thinking about who should go where, Nadeline would address IRIS to call upon Jaakuna and Emiri to come down to where they are at as it is of great importance.

"Yes, Miss Nadeline." Iris would say as she responded to Nadeline's request.

---

Just as Jaakuna and Emiri were right about to hop into the shower, Jaakuna heard something that he wished he hadn't cause it meant no shared shower for him nor Emiri "Master Jaakuna, Miss Emiri — Lady Nadeline requests you to join her down in the dining room.— She expressed it is of great importance." IRIS said.

Jaakuna yells as he was really looking forward to the shower with Emiri. He just wonders what on Ivalice would be so important that Nadeline would have to call upon Iris. Though, through this all, Jaakuna laughed. "Well, at least now they had Iris call upon us and not fucking barge into my room. Don't want to have a repeat of earlier." Jaakuna just laughed at that. He didn't know why he found it so funny, but yet, he found himself laughing. "I guess we should go." Jaakuna said shrugging. He would go to his closet. He would go to his jacket portion of it, and pull out his red jacket that he always wears. After that, he would get a white and red hair tie and tie up his hair into a ponytail, which would reveal his neck and just how close to his head that his tattoos were. After he did that, Jaakuna would go into his bathroom and he would go to where he kept his arm deodorant and ran some of it under his armpits Once that was done, he walked out of it and smiled to Emiri.

"Okay, I'm ready. How about you?" He asked her.

Anything was better then Savayna kicking a door open. Emiri grimaced as she recalled the moment killer, though once Jaakuna was ready, she nodded, following him to the elevator. It was funny, she never really had a good look at his tattoos. His hair usually covered his neck, so she never really looked around the area. She half thought he was copying her hairstyle, though she admitted she liked his better. Maybe blondes just looked better with their hair tied; she knew she envied Savayna's hairstyle. She took the chance to inspect the part of the tattoos closest to his head. As they went down, the brunette pondered why he got them. She would leave that question for another time, however.

The pair entered the dining room, and Emiri took a seat, looking around. Truth be told, she still wasn't used to having Savayna around. Quite frankly, the woman just looked so disinterested in everything. She turned her attention to the other blonde haired girl, who cleared her throat.

"We have reached a crossroads, so to speak." Nadeline addressed everyone at this point. "Exodus--the next Esper--can be found at the Mosphoran Highwaste. I am sure of it, and it is the only one there. However, this is also a good opportunity to seek out the Gra Kiltas on Mt. Bur Omisace in regards to destroying the Dusk Shard...we must not let what happened to Jaakuna happen again. We were lucky Aloa was there when she was." She stressed the importance of their safety. "And so, it is best that we decide as a group--we are going to split up, and we need to decide who goes where. The only person who is set in stone is, of course, Emiri. She will go to the Highwaste...without her, the Esper cannot be obtained."

Emiri listened carefully. In all honesty, she personally did not like the idea of splitting up, but she understood why it needed to be done. She remained quiet for now, as her position had already been decided.

---

The dark haired man stepped off the aircab, looking towards the large building. It seemed like long ago that he had been here. This time, he was not sure things would go smoothly, but he had to see. Reia was, apparently, busy with her own things: with war looming on the horizon, nearly everyone was on edge. The fact that she had no heir was also troubling the council greatly. Personally, he didn't understand how she could not have an heir with her many 'lovers' she would often have. The woman was quite loose, snatching any young man she deemed handsome. But that was none of his business, for now anyways: Lorenzo was the one the council wanted as Emperor, though they saw Grant had potential as he was still young and had time to marry and produce an heir of his own. There was also the option of going straight to Nadeline, but he was not sure how many supported that idea.

Still, he found himself waiting anyway. He had requested to see the Emperor: he would have to watch and see if the Emperor would see him.

When Jaakuna was done with what he was doing in his bathroom, both him and Emiri would go out of his room and head to the elevator. They would enter it, push the necessary button and it would go down to the level that everyone else were at. By simply walking to the dining room area, Jaakuna and Emiri would take seats at the table and just in time too. They would arrive when Nadeline began to speak about how they know what needs to be done. First, going after the next esper, Exodus —who can be found in the Mosphoran Highwaste — was one of the two things that they needed to do. The second would be to go to Mount Bur Omisace and talk to the Gran Kiltias. Jaakuna agreed with that. Addressing the matter in which Jaakuna acted more recklessly that he ever had done. Plus, knowing how to use the Sword of Kings properly would definitely be something worth looking into. Plus, Jaakuna and Emiri were actually talking about the latter thing that they needed to do. However, as how to do was definitely something that was of concern as Jaakuna didn't know how to handle the splitting up option.

As Jaakuna took it all in, he would speak. "I agree that we need to get both matters done as quickly as we possibly can, but I believe it would be best for me to go with Emiri. It only seems like the best route to go about, does it not?" Jaakuna said.

Savayna made a sound out from her mouth that would sound like a 'hmph' sound. "Oh please, you're the last person that should go with her. You're the dumbass that almost got himself killed and last time I checked, you're one of the leading figures of leadership within the Three great empires. You NEED to step up and accept responsibility for your actions." Savayna said pretty much raising her voice at Jaakuna.

"What right do you have to make that call? There isn't any other option other than me to go with Emiri." Jaakuna said raising his voice.

Savayna smirked. "Oh, do tell me how your last escapade ended so well for you?" She mockingly asked him.

Jaakuna said nothing. He would have to concede his point for the moment. Savayna looked to him still smirking.

Wesley coughed as to settle the awkwardness in the air. "Truth of the matter is that if anyone should go to Mount Bur Omisace, it should be Jaakuna and myself. As much as I would like to go get the Esper with Emiri, I am a descendent of the Dynast-King, so I too should know how to use the Sword of Kings properly." He stated leaning against his interlocked hands as they rested on the table and her holding up his head. He lifted his head up from its previous position. "However, that just leaves Savayna and Nadeline. How shall we go about this?" Wesley asked, specifically to Nadeline as he looked to her.

---

At his office, Vincent sat doing some paper work — or rather finishing it up — and in came a buzzing from one of the consoles along his desk. It would be his assistant notifying him that Prince Grant of house Roselia from the Rozarrian Empire requested to see him. Trying not to throw a fit of rage and anger, Vincent buzzed back giving Grant the okay to enter his office. Considering what had happened on the previous day, Vincent was surely looking forward to this meeting.

At the waiting area, there sat a woman of middle age, wearing the standard attire for the assistant to the Emperor of Archadia. Her blonde hair tied into a bun-like way, she waved to Grant. "Prince Grant, his lordship has accepted your request to see him. You may go right on in." She said, her voice bold with Archadian accent.

Here goes nothing. Grant thought to himself, thanking the woman. He entered the office, spotting Vincent at his desk. He bowed to him, though walked up to his desk. "I do hope you will forgive my intrusion, Your Eminence." Grant spoke, scratching his cheek somewhat. "I thought it best to do a follow up, so to speak. We haven't spoken in a while." Of course, a silence usually meant that one didn't want to speak, but as he said to Lorenzo, he needed to know the Emperor's position. His words were respectful, and Grant was not malicious. He was more curious then anything, really.

---

Nadeline listened to the two bicker, thinking carefully. After a moment, she looked at Savayna very seriously. "Like Jaakuna, I too hold power in my country." She admitted, placing her hands in her lap. "With a representative of the two opposing nations, as well as the Dynast King's descendant...I believe we will get the answers we seek." She speaks clearly and concisely. She then nods, looking at Savayna and Jaakuna, letting out a sigh. "Which means that will leave Savayna to accompany Emiri to get to Exodus. Hopefully our meeting with the Gran Kiltas will be quick...we can fly to the Mosphoran Highwaste quickly from Bur Omisace. I pray the enemy does not know the location of the Esper, but it cannot be helped. Both are too important to delegate and ignore."

Emiri's eye twitched ever so slightly, and she ended up looking at Savayna. She was getting stuck with her, alone? Seriously? What kind of crap was that? Surely Nadeline was joking, but she knew she was serious. She really didn't think it was a good idea: as far as she was concerned, the two women didn't really like each other or get along. What would they even say? Would they be able to battle well together? With Mateus she had been so weak she had to leave it to everyone else to fight, so she was unsure.

It was pretty much decided. Emiri and Savayna, much to their displeasure, would go after the esper while the trio of Wesley, Nadeline, and Jaakuna — all of royal blood — would go to Mount Bur Omisace to meet with the Gran Kiltias and learn of the proper way to use the Sword of Kings. However, there was definitely some stuff that everybody wanted to say no doubt. Wesley had spoke all what he wanted to say. He knew his place on this matter and he knew what he had to do to ensure everything goes according to plan. However, Savayna would be the one person who would seem to have a problem with this, and as she would speak, she would definitely let her opinions be stated and heard whether no one wanted to hear them or not.

"This is total bullshit!" She yelled out. "No offense to Miss Prissy, but this is not going to work!" She said loudly.

Wesley sighed as did Jaakuna. "Listen, Lady Savayna. The only two other people other than myself that can go to Mount Bur Omisace are Jaakuna and Nadeline. We are all of royal blood, so for us to go meet the Gran Kiltias is only natural. I'm sorry you feel displeased about this, but you're going to have to make it work." Wesley spoke putting this matter to rest. Savayna would express her displeasure in grunts and moans, but she wouldn't utter any more words.

As the matter of who would go where was settled, Wesley spoke once more. "I'm guessing there aren't any questions?" Wesley said, but then he noticed that Emiri was being awfully quiet. "Emiri, why so quiet? Surely there is something you wish to say about all of this." Wesley said in a gentle, inquisitive tone.

---

Shortly after Vincent gave the go ahead for Prince Grant to enter his office, said person entered the doors. He would walk down the carpet and what he would see was a table with two chairs and tea with two cups. Of course, food was there too. They were right in front of the stairs that lead to Vincent's desk. Grant would bow and as the Imperial Guards were standing on opposite ends of the room — to make ensure the safety of their Emperor — Prince Grant would speak about how it would be best for the two of them have a follow up. Vincent smirked, chuckled, and then would nod his head in agreement. It definitely was about time they talk about everything.

Vincent would walk around his desk and take a seat closest to his desk. "Please, Prince Grant, take a seat. I have tea and Archadian short bread. Let us enjoy it and talk." Vincent would say, offering Grant a place to sit and refreshments.

Savayna seemed to share Emiri's opinion in going together. She raised her eyebrow at the so called insult (why did she keep calling her that?), though she said nothing. For all the spits and insults she threw, she was very compliant when needed. She was like a wilder, ruder Jaakuna. Maybe that was why they had gotten along so well, but Emiri personally couldn't stand her. But if it was for the sake of everyone, she would force herself to get along with her...until everyone else caught up. She perked up slightly when Wesley addressed her, though she wasn't sure what to really say. Go with her gut and object as Savayna did, or go along for everyone's sake?

She took in a breath of air, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "It can't be helped." She spoke with a small shrug. "We best be on our way, then." She got up from the table, lightly brushing her hair off her forehead. "I'm going to take a quick shower, let me know when we arrive."

Nadeline watched the brunette leave, turning to the group. "Alright then. We leave Savayna and Emiri at the Mosphoran Highwaste, then we go to see the Gran Kiltas."

---

So far, so good. Grant nodded, taking his seat, though he politely declined any refreshments. "It would seem that I am not quite used to travel." He explained with a small grimace, his face one of discomfort as he recalled the shaking and wavering of the ship. "Quite embarrassing to admit, but I don't do well on ships." He then cleared his throat, forgetting about the travel as he looked at Vincent. He pondered where to start, though he decided on one point and would see where to go from there, "Things were certainly shaken up, so to speak. I don't think one person's actions can create or destroy something so easily. In order for one person to have power, others must comply...it is all a matter of perspective."

In layman terms, he was speaking directly about Savayna's betrayal: while he was quite sure that it shook things up, he ultimately left it up to Vincent to decide on how to react to it. Would he let her affect him or would he ignore it and move on?

When Emiri went off to take a quick shower, the rest of the group would just iron out the last details of which they had to do before they arrived at the Mosphoran Highwaste. It wasn't much to go over, but Wesley thought it might be a good idea for the three going to Mount Bur Omisace to go over exactly what they would like to ask the Gran Kiltias. A man of his stature does not have the time to waste with petty squabble. Of course, other details pertaining to Savayna and Emiri would also be discussed, but for the most part, the trio going to Omisace would discuss just that. They would spend the next fifteen minutes discussing about what they were going to say, how they were going to say it, and just little kinks such as that. Meanwhile, Savayna would just zone out from time to time. The words they were speaking meant little to her and had just as much to do with her.

As they would finish up, Savayna stretched out, bones cracking, and she released a relieved moan. She would stand up from the table and she spoke. "Okay, let's get this shit done!" She said chuckling a bit and smiling to the trio.

Wesley appreciated Savayna's enthusiasm. She actually looked genuinely excited about it. "It looks like someone is chipper." Wesley said, smiling.

Savayna laughed, still having an enthusiastic smile across her face. "What's there not to be chipper about? Gonna go and get an esper and get to actually get out of this dump." She joked..mostly.

Jaakuna perked up and had a slightly annoyed look on his face. 'HEY! This dump is my baby — well my other baby — but yeah." Jaakuna looked to the left, almost embarrassed and annoyed all at the same time.

Savayna smiled in a teasing fashion. "Meh, whatever. Let's just get going." She said sighing.

"We have arrived at Mosphoran Highwaste." Iris reported in.

Wesley smiled and nodded. "Thank you Miss Iris." He said, "please inform Emiri that we have arrived as well."
"Right away Master Wesley." She responded.

As Wesley did that, Savayna was already heading to the Beaming Station as she would wait for Emiri there. Along the way there, she would have had already gotten her Ice Queen Sword and her Crystal Shield. Her armor was on as well and of course, her hair was in it's usual braided style and placed over her right shoulder.

---

In Archadia, more specifically in the Imperial City of Archades and in Emperor Vincent's office, there sat him and Prince Grant of Roselia of the Rozarrian Empire. On the table, refreshments sit ranging from Archadian Blueberry Tea to Archadian Short Bread. It's one of the highest pleasures of cuisine of Archadia. Though Grant would refuse having any of the refreshments, Vincent would help himself to a cup of the tea and a piece of the short bread. As he would take a sip of the tea, he would place his cup down and snap a bite from the short bread. The gooey, yet firm texture brings loads of flavor into his mouth. Chewing each bit, Vincent would swallow it and wash the rest of it with a drink of his tea. As he would do that, Grant would speak about his discomfort regarding air trouble. Vincent would smile and release a light chuckle as Grant would make the comment about not doing well on ships. Vincent found this funny just cause of the previous day's events. "Truly." He simply said to that one comment.

Vincent understood what Grant was talking about, but as the prince would speak, the Emperor was trying his hardest not to rip the little prince's throat out. He knew how to play this, at least for now. It didn't matter about he felt personally, but he would swallow any anger he had for the sake of holding the upperhand on the prince and the rest of the Rozarrian Empire. "I must agree with you, Prince Grant." He said sipping his tea once more. " Do tell me what your perspective on my former general's betrayal? What do you think led her to do such a thing? Surely you must have an opinion or thought about it." Vincent was trying his best for Grant to speak his mind. He had a plan, but for now, he would let the Rozarrian prince speak his mind freely.

Grant had a rather thoughtful look on his face. He was surely surprised by the general's actions, though for the life of him simply could not figure out why she abandoned her country as such. He knew Harris would never do such a thing; it was simply unlike him. And yet, the more he thought about it, there could have been one particular reason for her betrayal. It was something that Vlyn had mentioned to him, back when the viera pair had seen the general in Bhujerba. Normally, he wouldn't jump to conclusions, but the fact of the matter was that it was painfully obvious. Vincent himself had also commented on it, as well, back when they had met.

"The Sky Pirate." Grant murmured, a hand on his chin as he thought about it. That seemed to be the most logical answer. The little group seemed centered around him, after all. Princess Nadeline, Prince Wesley, Emelia...and now General Savayna. Those people were drawn to him in one way or another, it seemed.

---

Emiri had a moment to think to herself since yesterday's events. She let out a groan of relief as she stood under the shower. She had made the water as cold as possible, and it felt good against her skin. Still, despite it being refreshing, she wondered about the group. Putting aside the obvious dislike of getting stuck with Savayna as a partner, she really wished she had admitted to the group that she did not want to split up. She thought they were stronger together. The brunette let out a sigh, turning the water off and stepping out. As she dried herself, she looked at her aching shoulder. Now that she was calm, it still ached something fierce. She patted it dry as gently as she could, though when she looked in the mirror, she let out a gasp, looking at her shoulder.

She thought both Jaakuna and Nadeline's magicks were enough to heal Grant's cuts, but they had reopened, and what was worse, one could clearly see the word 'doll' on her shoulder. The girl was in disbelief, she was so sure it had healed up, but she could see it clear as day. Biting her lip, she continued drying herself hastily, quickly pulling on her dress. Her sleeve had covered the cuts, but she was absolutely certain that they were not there earlier. She closed her eyes, cursing Grant, but at that moment, IRIS informed her that they had arrived. Her injury would have to wait, she had business to attend to.

Jumping into her boots, she laced them up properly and stuffed her dagger into one. She picked up her pack, quickly inspecting her weapons. She looked at her own reflection in her Diamond Sword, noting that she looked nervous. She was so far away from Grant, but even now he still managed to strike terror into her heart. She was still so weak, even after all this time, after everything she had been through, she was still afraid of him. She sheathed her sword, exiting her room and walked down the hall briskly. She paused before the dining room, calming her nerves, and she stood in the doorway.

"I'll see you all soon. Wish me luck." She said, referring to the general, and gave them all a small wave (and a small smile to Jaakuna) as she continued to the Beaming Station. Of course Savayna was already there. She cleared her throat, looking at the blonde. "Ready when you are." She said.

Nadeline watched Emiri leave, and gave Jaakuna a wily smile. "Not your only baby, hmm." She said, nudging Wesley slightly.

When the prince uttered those words referring to his brother, Vincent smiled. He obviously knew that Jaakuna would be a big obstacle for the prince, but just how much of it was what Vincent was wondering. To be betrayed by Savayna and most likely going to Jaakuna, Vincent found amusement in the fact that prince was immensely bothered by his brother. "Ah yes, my brother Jackson — erm I mean Jaakuna — has always had an alluring nature about him. He has been able to get people to follow him either by force or some mysterious charm he has about him." Vincent said smiling, and sipping some of his tea. "Do tell me, Prince Grant, what were your initial thoughts on my darling brother?"

---

When Emiri had left to the Beaming Station, she gave Jaakuna a smile and he did the same to her. The short gaze they exchanged would be one as if they were saying good luck respectively. They didn’t need to speak either because they had a deep emotional connection. Or at least, something to that effect. When she would depart, Nadeline would make a comment about what Jaakuna had said previously. He suddenly got all red around his cheeks. As she would say that, she would nudge Wesley. The Dalmascan prince would lightly chuckle

As the playfulness of Nadeline would soon takeover the room, Jaakuna would get irritated. “Oh hush will you? It’s not..I mean..” Jaakuna was getting even redder. “Oh forget it.” He said irritated. Wesley would just let the chuckle fade out as he would still sit at the dining room table. It would be a good hour or so before they would arrive at Omisace and somehow he knew it wouldn’t be a quick visit.

---

Savayna hated this, but she knew she had to go along with it and make the best of it. Somehow she figured this would be a very awkward trip. Her and Emiri might have one common thread among them and that’s Jaakuna, but it’s not like they can talk about it. One used to bang him and one is banging him. It’s truly a very awkward position that Savayna found herself in. Right as she would get tired of waiting, in came Emiri all serious saying that she was ready when Savayna was.

“Fine, let’s get to it.” She said as the two of them stepped into the platform and with a deconstruction of their bodies, shot down from the ship, they landed in the most southern part of the Mosphoran Highwaste known as the South Skirts. As she looked around, Savayna already knew that this would be a long trek. “Leave it to that dumb AI to drop us off at the very beginning of this place.” She said, complaining about where they landed.

All this woman seemed to do was complain. Emiri was already dreading the trip, though she did agree that she wished they were dropped off towards the middle of the place rather then the edge. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to see if she could pinpoint the Esper's location. Not that she had been able to do it before, but she often found that whenever she was close to an Esper, she could feel its mist. Right now, there was something very faint--it was some distance off. As she opened her eyes, she could hear the monsters patrolling at a distance. The girl withdrew her bow, holding it at her side.

"No use in complaining." She told Savayna as she began to walk, though it did not take a rocket scientist to know that the general was equally as displeased as she was to be here with her. "The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can get it over with. I'm hoping things will go smoothly...I'm counting on you." She said, readying an arrow. She released it, the arrow piercing through a Worgen's head. She pulled out another arrow as she began to walk, deciding to focus on the monsters and the trail rather then the blonde with her.

---

Nadeline couldn't help but giggle in delight. It was so romantic! "I'm jealous~" She said lightly. She did decide to ease up on the teasing, as she did feel somewhat guilty separating Emiri from Jaakuna. She wasn't too worried about Savayna accompanying her; despite her irate, brash, crude behavior she was still a general, which meant her battle capabilities were probably the best among them. Emiri would be safe in her hands...hopefully. She let out a small sigh, her fingers tapping her book. There would be some time before they would arrive at Mt. Bur Omisace, so she was not sure what to really do. Opening her book, her eyes glazed over the texts and images. "Power incarnate...are they really worth all the trouble?" She mused out loud.

---

It was quite obvious that Grant didn't like Jaakuna. At this point the prince remained silent, though perhaps he was unable to hide his distaste. Maybe it was because he hated the idea of his beloved being around any man, for that matter. It was more then that, however. He remembered being present when Aloa and Vlyn had given the report of their failure to reclaim Emelia. What bothered him the most, however, was how they had reported that she had escaped along with him. She did not run from her captor, she went willingly with him. And that little fact infuriated him to no end. Grant looked up at Vincent with a rather blank expression, though he did close his eyes.

"Along with Princess Nadeline of Rozarria and Prince Wesley of Dalmasca, there was another with him when we had captured the group in the Barheim Passage." He quietly admitted, his gaze elsewhere in the room. "A young woman...she is my fiance. Your brother seems to have 'charmed' her to his side, as well." His voice showed the slightest sign of anger--and perhaps jealousy as well. "A renegade prince resorting to the ways of a sky pirate...it's quite a shock in all honesty. More the shock to find my lovely future bride with him."

Vincent was quite surprised that Jaakuna has...obtained such high-profile friends. He had the princess of Rozarria, prince of Dalmasca, and future bride of the prince of Rozarria as well, not to for to mention his ex-wife and one of the former top generals of Archadia's Imperial Army. Vincent knew that his brother had the potential to draw in people to his side, but truly this is remarkable. Even Vincent had to admit that if he wasn't careful his brother could be a force to be reckoned with. Truly, his brother was indeed that.

Now, as he would listen to Grant speak, Vincent sipped his tea until it was gone. He would pour himself some more. He would sip some more of it and set it down. "Prince Grant, I find all of this truly fascinating. My brother has always been one to draw people in for his cause. It's amazing how he has at least one royal figure with him." Vincent just couldn't help but find all of this amusing. "It is not unheard of my brother being a sky pirate. He always has admired freedom. Being a Sky Pirate is the most natural choice. However, he is indeed a renegade prince and a disgraced one at that." Vincent's voice turned serious and even bitter,, but he would clean that up. "Whatever the problem with my brother and your supposed bride will have to be put on hold. I believe we both know why you came here." Vincent said, looking to Grant. "This is about your failure to keep my brother and not being able to foresee Savayna's betrayal." Vincent's tone turned angry. "Not only that, but you allowed both the Dawn and Dusk Shards to get away." Vincent stood up, brushing off the crumbs from the short bread. He would then wave his hand in the air and the two Imperial Soldiers in the room rushed behind Grant, each using their two arms to grab one of Grant's, and pulling him up straight from his seat in the process. "So, dear prince, what excuse say you?"

---

JAakuna just tried to hide his irritation at Nadeline at the current moment. He would just let it go over until he was at a content state of mind. It was definitely going to be a good while before the airship would get to Mount Bur Omisace, that's for damn sure. Jaakuna was already sitting down, wondering about what will happen at the meeting with the Gran Kiltias. It was one of the main things on his mind at the current moment. Of course, the other main thing on his mind was how Emiri would do in the Mosphoran Highwaste and how her and Savayna would do. Jaakuna didn't know if they would work together well or if it'll just be a disaster. All he knew was that the two of them would probably be at odds for the majority of their journey to get the next Esper.

As Nadeline would think aloud, Jaakuna and Wesley heard her and she would simply ask herself if the espers were worth all the trouble. Jaakuna knew they were, but Wesley also would consider that thought too. He didn't know if they were worth all the trouble of running around — and away — from the empires and risking their lives for the greater good. WEsley knew he had to do it, but if it was worth it was something he was pondering.

"Of course they are. Do we want the world we all know and love fall into the crapper? No we don't, at least I don't." Jaakuna said, responding to Nadeline's loud thinking.

---

As the two of them touched ground, Savayna kept on complaining, but she would just put a sock in it for the sake of not hearing all the negative feedback from the peanut gallery. Added to her decision to stay quiet, that very peanut gallery would open their mouth about she was counting on her. Savayna had a sour look on her face, but she would just downhole her bad mood for the sake of getting through it. Besides, perhaps killing the monsters that were off in a distance in front of them would make the time of doing this go faster. When Emiri would poise her bow and arrows, she shot off a singular arrow and right through the beast's head it went. Savayna was definitely shocked by this. She didn't know that Emiri actually had skills like that. "Wow, that was a beautiful shot." Savayna said, praising Emiri for her shot. "Maybe you do have your uses after all." She said chuckling and she patted Emiri's back...hard with her right hand. A recoil was evident from said pat.

As they would walk around as many monsters as they possibly could, Savayna and Emiri would kill some more of the Worgens when they would. Emiri, of course would use whatever methods she could and Savayna would use her incredible Ice Magick as her main offense. Savayna had incredible Magick reserves, so using it more often than most wouldn't be totally out of the question. The most that they would kill were a few Worgens and a couple of Vipers. It wouldn't be before long that they came to the Summit Pass. It was a pretty open and direct route, so going down whichever way would be the question. "Which way say you, miss prissy?" Savayna asked, clearly putting emphasis on her nickname to Emiri.

Savayna's 'friendly' pat nearly made Emiri set off her next arrow. The woman was much stronger than she looked; no wonder she was general. Emiri nodded slightly in response to the compliment, though it was somewhat migrated by her follow up. Was she insinuating that she was useless? She couldn't help but glare at the back of Savayna's head as the general took out a Viper cleanly, nor did she want to admit that she was talented. The way she fough so easily, it was clear she had years of experience and training behind each swing of hers. While Emiri had trained with Nadeline when she was younger, she had to rely on her own instinct when she ran away from home. Her own style was probably unrefined compared to Savayna's. Hell, it was unrefined compared to Nadeline's, and she had more real-world experiences than the princess had.

She relied on her bow for the moment, wanting to reserve her strength for the fight with the Esper. The Sumit Pass was before them, offering them a great many ways and directions to go to. The ice queen had taken to calling Emiri her less than amusing nickname, and it was at this point that Emiri felt her patience was strained. She looked at the general, clearly displeased. "My name is Emiri, I would appreciate it if you'd address me as such." She snapped, clearly annoyed. At the question of which way to go, she felt somewhat unsure. Concentrating once more, she tried to see if she could find the Esper. They were definitely getting closer, she could feel its Mist. And yet, the direction it came from was not offered from any of these paths. It actually seemed like...it was above. "This way." Emiri instructed, taking the left-most path.

---

Straight-forward as always; that much Nadeline had to admire Jaakuna for. Still, his answer satisfied her, and she gave him a nod of approval. Sometimes she wished she could think so simply, but that was the result of her upbringing, she supposed. "You are absolutely right." She said quietly, turning a page of her book. "To prevent the abuse of said power...to save the people we care for. It sounds very heroic, doesn't it?" She said, chuckling slightly. "Hmm...we would be quite the heroes, no? An interesting party...a sky pirate, a princess, a prince, an ex-general, and a runaway."

---

Grant remained rather stoic as he was pulled out of his seat. He raised an eyebrow at each guard, as if their actions were odd and not downright shocking. He let out a small sigh, looking at Vincent. "My failure?" He repeated his words, as if they had been in a completely foreign language. "Hmm...no, I don't believe that." He responded slowly, almost as if he was deciding what to order off a menu rather then the situation he was in. "Last I checked, Lady Glacie was not under my command. Had it been my general, then by all means, I would be taking full responsibility. I admit when she and I first met, she was nothing like I had imagined her. I assumed she was a woman of her country who served her Emperor fullheartedly...obviously, I was wrong in that department, but you were the one that advised me to take her along, no? As for the Dawn and Dusk Shards, they had been placed in the Ark's laboratory, which if I recall correctly--do feel free to correct me, if not--was under the care of your scientists. When my associates got to the lab, they found each one of them sleeping on the job."

His expression was now a very odd, somewhat forgiving one. "It must be frustrating, being unable to control your own forces...I wonder, did your brother 'charm' your general as well, Your Eminence?" He asked, a gleam in his eye. "Is it my failure you are angry about? Or has your rage against being unable to control your general gotten to you? I admit myself surprised, I thought you better than that." He sighed wistfully. "Do what you must, though I plead that you remember your position. Sure, I can be considered a throwaway prince as the current Rozarrian Empress doesn't look like she is going anywhere for sometime. However, even you know how much siblings care for one another...then again, my life would be the perfect excuse for that war you and my sister are craving." He smiled. "What say you, Eminence?"

It was obvious that Emiri did not like Savayna calling her miss prissy. Savayna really didn't think much of it. She just thought it was a good nickname for the girl, but obviously she thought otherwise. Regardless, Savayna would have to agree to call Emiri by her actual name. "Fine, fine, but I'm gonna miss calling you that." Savayna said jokingly(sort of). The attention of both of the ladies would get to the point where they would come to the decision of which way they would go and Emiri would suggest the left route. Savayna would follow as she had let Emiri pick the route for them to go in the first place.

As they would head down the path, they would have to deal with more of the Worgens and Vipers. However, this time it would seem that there were double the amount. Savayna knew that they would have to make quick work of the beasts before they get too exhausted. It wouldn't be too difficult. Savayna would just have to up her game a bit since the amount of the beasts had doubled. She would go at the beasts full force. Her body moving gracefully, she would dark left to right and right to left. She was using the essences of the Ice to glide in the air. Her mastery over the ice was so great that she was able to tap into the hidden feats that include air. Her body was indeed gliding and a trail of ice dust was coming from her feet. "Blizzaga!"She said as she would point her sword downward and a blizzaga spell would launch and hit the Worgen's dead on, freezing them and then cracking, killing them in a brutal manner as blood was in the place of where their bodies were.

---

It was pretty funny that Nadeline was actually calling her, Jaakuna, Emrii, Wesley, and even Savayna heroes, like this was an epic of some kind. Though, Jaakuna remembers Emiri telling him before that Nadeline used to read a lot of books before she became an adventurer. So, perhaps her saying such a thing like them being heroes was pretty fitting for her. Wesley thought it was amusing and cute. NAdeline sure had a very imaginitive mind, so her dubbing the group as heroes was pretty fitting for her.

"You really think we're heroes? Well, I guess whatever you have to say. I just see us as people running away from the man." Jaakuna said laughing at the fact of the statement he just said.

"Oh come on Jaakuna! Where's your sense of humor? It's pretty amusing, don't you think?" Wesley said laughing very slightly, trying not to show it as his hand covered his mouth.

"Oh, since when did the Prince of Dalmasca become a fucking adventurer?" Jaakuna asked.

"Better an adventurer than a boring-ass pirate."
"Oh you got jokes, don't you pretty boy?"
"Only when the moment fits, blondie."

Even though to some it might seem like they were getting hostile, anybody who knew Wesley or Jaakuna would know that they're just busting each other's chops. It's all in the good name of fun among friends.

---

Vincent surely was amused by the way Grant was speaking. He was acting as if he was the one in control. On the contrary, it was Vincent who was the one in charge. Sure, Grant spoke truth about how the absence of the Dawn and Dusk Shard was partially Vincent's fault and maybe even Savayna's betrayal was Vincent's fault too. However, everything else, in Vincent's eyes, was not on his blame. The Emperor saw no way the blame could be placed on him. Savayna had always demonstrated an independent and rebellious nature. Vincent saw her betrayal come a mile away.

As GRant stood held in the arms of the Imperial Soldiers, he would actually throw a very vague threat towards Vincent's face. How dare he? Vincent was surely pissed off at Grant at the very moment. The prince surely had the audacity to suggest that Vincent couldn't control his own forces. True, he didn't have full control over some of the soldiers within his command, but he did have influence over Archadia.

"Dear prince, do you really think you are in any position to threaten me? I would think not." He said smirking. "As for my former general falling to my brother's charm, that happened much before the events of the Dreadnaught Ark. You see, they are former husband and wife, so there's a certain connection between the two of them." He said, "I do understand how you would think otherwise, though." He would continue. "As for you being a throwaway prince, please don't tempt me. If it wasn't for the fact that you hold something dire that I am in need of, I would kill you right here right now." He said walking right up to Grant. He would smile at the prince."If I wanted to war with your dear sister, I would have done it by now." Vincent said.

He would take his right hand and grab Grant's chin and grab it tightly. He would turn Grant's head to the side, first to the right side then to the left. "I am afraid that, due to some unfortunate circumstances, you will be held as my prisoner, cause it is your fault that everything didn't go according to plan. At least, that is what I will tell your dear sister." Vincent said releasing Grant from his grip. He would allow the prince to get out any other words. After that, he would motion his arm to have the guards take him away, but only after he speaks his piece.

Grant didn't appreciate Vincent's actions, though admitted inwardly that he was rather surprised; he thought he would execute him right then and there. It would seem that Vincent had desired for Grant to be his prisoner--that was a first. What did he have to gain from that? He could already hear Reia yelling at him for being an idiot and telling him that she wasn't going to rescue him. He could also hear Lorenzo's irritating voice chiding him that he was an idiot for going back to Archadia. He couldn't hide his suspicious face, what was Vincent planning? He couldn't read him, nor could he hide his urge to wipe that smug look off his face. Still, he was in quite the predicament; no way he was getting himself out of this one easily.

"What are you planning exactly?" Grant asked, though he was pretty sure it was a futile attempt: he highly doubted he would get an answer.

---

Nadeline couldn't help but giggle at the two. They were certainly two peas in a pod, that much was for sure. For one reason or another, she then looked at the empty seat next to hers, where Emiri would usually sit. It was weird, she actually missed her already. No, that wasn't right. She had missed her since she had run away. The day that they had met one another in Bujerba, she was actually so happy. But her worry had outweighed that happiness, and rather then a happy reunion, they ended up arguing. She wondered if Emiri had missed her, too. She understood why, but she wished she had let her know--surely together they could have fixed the situation. Maybe she could have even told her father to tell Grant to be nicer. She let out a small sigh, and went back to her book.

---

She highly doubted that was the end of that conversation and knew Savayna would slip up and call her the nickname again. For now she would drop it, as it simply was not important. They had to get going to find the Esper, and that was that. Her thoughts were cut off as they encountered a group of monsters larger then the usual. As Savayna went in for the attack, Emiri held out her hand, intending to cast a Haste spell, only remembering that her magic wasn't working at the last second. To her surprise, however, the spell went off without a hitch, and her movements had been sped up. Her eyes widened considerably, though she took action. One by one, she aimed for each Viper, each arrow piercing through its skin, each one a one hit kill.

As she finished, her spell wore off, and it was then the Blizzaga went off. To her shock, it simply left a bloody mess of the monsters' remains. It was somewhat unsettling, in all honesty. Sure, as a hunter she was used to killing monsters and slaying whatever was in her way. But the way Savayna had don it was...brutal, to say the least. She couldn't complain, the job was done, and so she did not comment as they were done. She kept walking, as she sensed the Esper's presence was close. As she walked past a shrine, it activated, water and wind flowing through it. Emiri jumped back, alarmed, though she noticed a green light illuminating a path. It must have led to the Esper.

"The path is shown, I suppose all we can do now is follow it." She said to Savayna, walking along it.

As Grant was about to be pulled away from Vincent, the now prisoner prince would ask what Vincent was going to do with him. Vincent just laughed. What made Grant get the idea that he would have a right to know right away? Vincent just couldn’t stop laughing. He didn’t even let Grant get an answer. The Imperial Soldiers would take him to the Archadian Dungeons where he would await whatever punishment that Vincent thought would be just upon the prince of Rozarria. Vincent then goes out to the balcony just looking upon his city. He feels different now. Previously, he felt bitter, but now, as he looks upon them, he feels happy.. Not in the kind of way where’s he going to go good, but just the kind of fulfilling happiness that comes from plans coming together. It was, after all, what he had planned for dear ol’ Grant from the very beginning.

---

As Savayna and Emiri further went into the pathways along the Mosphoran Highwaste, they trekked through the paths and they came across a shrine. Savayna did remember reading about how if the shrines are all lit up in a specific order, they will light up a path to the big rock-thing up in the sky. Miss Prissy pointed out that the green lights lit up a path to the esper. Savayna was happy that they didn’t have to do the whole ordeal with the fountains, but she did think that it was odd that all the fountains were already activated. Someone was obviously already here at the Mosphoran Highwaste — someone with knowledge of the Espers and how to get them — and that’s what really concerned Savayna.

As they headed up the green glyph-looking path, they entered the Empyrean Seat. As they entered it, noises could be heard. “Sounds like there’s a battle already in progress.” Savayna said as she would peek behind the wall and she saw some guy fighting the Esper.

---

As time went by, the trio were awaiting the arrival to Mount Bur-Omisace. It was a long wait, but eventually after about fourty-five minutes, the Ifrit would arrive at it and as Iris would inform them, the trio would head to the Beaming Station. That would only take about five minutes. Of course, Wesley would have the Sword of Kings as, by right, he is the rightful owner of it. Jaakuna had his weapons, but that was miniscule compared to the weight that the Sword of Kings holds and Wesley’s own . It wouldn’t be before long that the they would beam down and they would start walking through the area.

“Well, here we are.” Jaakuna would say as they would walk. “No wonder it’s called Mountain Bur-Omisace, cause I am just so cold. Burrrrrr.” Jaakuna said sort of laughing, but he really was cold.

Wesley couldn’t help but laugh at Jaakuna’s joke, but it was more of the fact that it was so bad.

---

No doubt that Grant wasn’t enjoying his time in the dungeons, but when he would do whatever it is that Grant would do, walking down the halls of the Archadian Dungeons, located just below the Emperor’s castile, was a person that everyone knew and feared. As this person would walk down the hall, this person came in front of the cell that Grant was being held in. the two soldiers standing guard were on notice as they recognized this person.

[“J-Judge Levi! Mam!” One of the soldiers said.

“Begone with you two.” She hissed.

The two soldiers were gone instantly. Levi would go towards the cell, pressing a button and opening it up. The door slid and she would walk in. when one first saw her, they would see her very unique armor that had colors of blue, black, white, and gold all around it. She looked at Grant and sat on one of the chairs, legs crossed. “Well, looky what we have here. A prince of the enemy locked away. “ She said taking off her helmet, revealing a dark-skinned lady with tattoos just beneath her eyes and makeup of the fancy kind. Her hair had weird styles among them.

Grant huffed in disbelief, though he sat down, crossing his arms. No doubt he'd have to endure hell from Reia; he half wished he would be kept in the dungeons forever just so he would be spared from her wrath. He let out a sigh, spotting a split end in his long hair, and let out an irritated groan. Not much he could do, but for once in his life he actually wished he had listened to Lorenzo for once. Now that was a thought! He laughed to himself, though his laughter subsided as his prison door opened. He raised an eyebrow at the person before him, clad in armor--the guards outside had mentioned a 'judge'. He didn't know too much about Archadia, but their Judges were famed throughout all Ivalice. He was further surprised when she--revealed when she took off her helmet--spoke to him.

"The Water Serpent." He recognized the name, though he didn't recognize the face. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. What do I owe to being graced by your presence?"

---

Nadeline exhaled, watching the wind take her frozen breath and scattering it. She looked at the mountain with a determined face. She then turned to the boys, motioning for them to follow her. The road to the temple was a short one, but they needed to make haste: the sooner they were done here, the sooner they could return to Emiri and Savayna. They passed many people that watched them carefully, no doubt curious about Wesley's blade. As they reached the entrance, two acolytes stopped them. Nadeline gave them a deep bow, straightening up to speak.

"I am Princess Nadeline of House Roselia of Rozarria. We wish to have an audience with the Gran Kiltas." She stated.

---

Not again. Emiri thought worriedly, wondering who it could be. Was it Ixion? Harris? The fact that they were beaten there was not a good sign at all. She bit her lip nervously, wondering who it could be. If it's Ixion...could we take him? No...we wouldn't even be able to take Harris on, either...Jaakuna, what should I do? She gripped her bow, looking at Savayna. "Do you recognize them? Could we defeat them? We cannot lose this Esper as well!" Emiri spoke quietly, though her voice was urgent as she pressed the importance of not losing the Esper. They couldn't have their efforts be in vain!

When Levi had entered Grant’s cell, he would recognize her instantly, or at least, he would recognize her title, as she isn’t surprised by that. The Archadian Judges are notorious throughout the world of Ivalice, so for Prince Grant Roselia of Rozarria to know who she is — even by title — is no surprise to her. When he would speak to her, she also wasn’t surprised by the way he spoke. She has heard that he has always spoke with such grace and formality. This must be a common thing among the princes of Rozarria. As she would look at him, just intrigued by his entire persona, she would chuckle.

“I’ve heard that my dear Emperor has placed you under arrest under the charges of conspiring to overthrow him.” She said just smirking and seductively smiling at Grant. “I am curious. What have you done to deserve such a severe fate? Did you not put your good boy pants on this morning? Or did you simply eat the douche bag pill this morning?” She was enjoying herself right now. She really wanted to know, but Levi would have her fun. “I want to know all, so do entertain me with the truth, won’t you, Prince Grant?” She said.

---

As they came to the Grand Temple of the Gran Kiltias, they came to a stop by two acolytes. These two acolytes were baring identical outfits that were robe-like clothing items. Both acolytes would request to know who the trio were. Nadeline, being the professional that she was, introduced herself in a formal way. Wesley would follow suit.

“And I am Wesley Alexander Dalmasca, Royal Prince of the Kingdom of Dalmasca, and descendent of the Dynast-King Raithwall.” Wesley would state as he too, like Nadeline, bowed deeply.

Jaakuna, unlike his two friends, didn’t bow, but Wesely would nudge him. Jaakuna didn’t want to, but he knew he had to. “And I am Jackson Tunick Darcone, heir to the Archadian Empire Throne.” He said bowing; boy Jaakuna hated doing this type of thing. It felt like a dagger was going right through his heart.

The Acolytes would acknowledge the three as fitting company for the Gran Kiltias. They would wave them in and granted them passage to the Gran Kiltias, and so off they went.

---

Savayna peeked more and she couldn’t’ believe it. “Of all people, why did it have to be him?” She would have preferred it be someone else, even Vincent or anyone that wasn’t the person fighting the Esper. She knew the man just by his infamous armor and his cane sword that he wields. “Yeah, I know him.” she said regretfully.

Battling the esper, Brandon Ira “Bahamut” Darcone fights Exodus, The Judge-Sal. The movements of the esper is as to be expected. He is fast, strong, and a very worthy opponent. However, the Black Dragon is one who is also a formidable opponent. He has strength only matched by his notorious reputation of being a ruthless and aggressive warrior. The Judge-Sal goes in for a Meteor attack and Hamut blocks it with his Mega Flare Cane Sword. No magick essences around it. That’s how physically strong Hamut is. His power is even greater when applying his Dragon Seal, which he would do as fire and darkness surround his blade, oozing out from the hilt and beyond. With one swing, a gigantic wave of darkaja and firaja takes over the Esper and completely obliterates it. And with that, Hamut becomes the sole caretaker of the Judge-Sal.

As he finishes up, Savayna wants to back away, but before she could, Hamut notices her. “Going somewhere, Savayna.” He said smiling.

Savayna had a very scared look upon her face. “No of course not, Judge Magister Brandon Hamut Darcone.” She said pretty much lying out of her fucking teeth.

“Yes, of course you wouldn’t, cause you do know that I catch my prey.” He said smirking. He then turned his attention to Emiri. “And who might this dashing young lady be, hmm?”

The sheer power of this man was staggering. To see the fight between him and Exodus was something straight out of a fantasy book. How could anyone have this much power? To Emiri's dismay, however, he defeated the Esper with a mix of magic and his weapon. It was amazing, and yet she felt something deep down that bothered her. The Mist evaporated, signaling the Esper's devotion to him. Unfortunately, as in awe as she was, they had been spotted. What was more, she saw a look of fear on Savayna's face. But she recognized that look: it was the same one that Jaakuna had when they had encountered Ixion.

Another judge... Emiri thought as Savayna stated his name. She knew they shouldn't have split up, she just knew it! She cursed herself for not making a stronger objection. As the judge mentioned that he always caught his prey, she knew a fight was coming. She put away her bow, placing one hand on her sword as he addressed her. Once again, she could not share Savayna's fear, but she did know that they would not get out of this unscathed. She would not make the same mistake of just charging in, however, instead simply watching the judge before her.

"No one of importance." Emiri responded quietly, looking him right in the eye.

---

As they were lead in, Nadeline couldn't help but hesitate. She stopped the boys for a moment, and looked at Jaakuna. "With all due respect, you need to go back a couple of years to back when you were royalty." She warned him, though her warning was more of a plead than anything. "We cannot do anything to insult the Gran Kiltas. He is a figure of much power and is well known throughout all of Ivalice. So please...do your best to be respectful." She told him, looking at Wesley. "Just follow our lead...don't speak unless spoken to...pray this will be quick."

---

Grant blinked at Levi, slightly confused at her flirtatious tone. Sure, she was attractive, but he was not quite used to such a tone. He was further confused when he was informed of what he was accused off, though at the very least his question of what he was arrested for had been answered. He did smile a bit at Levi's question, and let out a slight chuckle. "I do wonder which one it was." He mused lightly. "Though if I may be honest, I haven't the slightest clue why I'm even here. I came on terms of peace...next thing I know I'm getting blamed for failure and thrown in the dungeons." He chuckled lightly, shrugging. "You must know more than I do, m'lady. The general's betrayal must have clouded the Emperor's judgment...you already know this, right?"