KY Collab

---

Julian had been just about ready to light the joint that rested on his lips when Kisheto's voice brought him back to the situation at hand. 'Ah, yea', duty calls...' he thought. 'It's been so long since we burned though...' whined Senyuko from within. Julian chuckled, 'Back at home we used to call eager kids like you "jalebis". He could hear the soft imitation of a laugh in the back of his mind. 'Whatever, Jules, just go.' Julian smiled and then turned to Yugeto.

"Ay shinyboi, les' move out, yeh?" he called. Yugeto waved in confirmation, catching up to Julian. "For your information, your shiny boy is Goldie over there." Yugeto replied, pointing to Kisheto. "The inner city...it's nice that we're going to be seeing one that is operating again, after all that time in Sovereign." Yugeto mused, his eyes wandering across the unique and new sights before him, the vast openness and myriad beams of sunlight that danced across the trio inspired Yugeto with a motivation to press onward. "We're going to have to act like normal humans here, unfortunately; we should head deep into the city to find some of the more interesting things in its heart." He said to the other two. Kisheto smiled at Yugeto and clapped his hands together, "Actually! Did I ever mention..." he began, causing Julian to squint at his sudden outburst. "I turned twenty one like a week ago... so we could always, heh, y'know?" This caused Julian to laugh and pat Kisheto on the back. Yugeto squinted, before laughing as he began to understand what the two were saying. "Oh right, I've heard about that. I've actually never drank before, but hell, why not?" He said curiously, and the three shared a hearty laugh. For a brief moment, the three young men had managed to catch a glimpse of the normal lives they had left over a year ago. Even if just for a second, they felt calm and casual, letting their worries drift away with the setting sun.

---

Northern Kell, Merchant's Walk

The three entered the city with relative ease. Having realized they didn't have much to do (assuming Zachary and Ishigo succeeded in their objective) they turned to a taxi to take them to a bank. A short carriage ride later, Julian withdrew about four hundred Laurels, noticing his parents having transferred five thousand into his account. 'It was probably for the semester's tuition and fees.... guess I won't be needing that for a while.' Kisheto had never had the chance to even use a bank before, so he waited outside with Yugeto. When Julian left the building, he pointed down the large, wide road. "If we follow Merchant's Walk that way, we'll come across Wanderer's Den. They have great prices, apparently."

Kisheto nodded, "Alright, so we're actually doing this?" he said with a smile. Julian shrugged, "I say why not, brothah."

As suggested, Julian and the other two followed the busy road down to a long array of buildings. Sure enough, after weaving through incoming hordes of busy people, they reached a large building with nice, decorative lights that made the entire set up glow a sunset orange. The three had arrived with perfect timing - the sky was on the brink of darkening up, and at the moment, matched the orange hue of the bar's lighting.

The revolving doors opened to a large, open space with tables built into the sides of the walls. The tables resembled small booths, and the actual bar was across on the other side, past a few round tables that circled some typical bar board games. A nice, acoustic melody set a relaxing vibe for the entire venue. A bouncer stood inside the building right behind the doors, appearing in front of the trio as they entered. Yugeto quickly turned around and walked back out, feigning forgetting something, and the bouncer looked sheepishly to Kisheto and Julian. "ID, please?" The bouncer asked. "You won't be carded again on entry." Julian looked back to where Yugeto had walked out, confused. 'Where dat boy gon' now, ay Sen?' 'I'm sure he's got a plan, Jules; just give the guy your ID.' Julian and Kisheto promptly handed in their identification, took it back after it was examined, and walked deeper into the bar.

Outside the bar, Yugeto scratched his head in serious thought. 'Hmm...how exactly should I get in...?' Yugeto circled the perimeter of the building, noticing a window on the second floor on the eastern side of the building, near the middle of the right-hand wall. Walking deeper into the alleyway separating the buildings, Yugeto took to his ethereal form and slipped in through a crack in the aforementioned window, then reformed. He had ended up in an empty bedroom, and opened the door out of the bedroom. To his left were the stairs, but an open door was on the wall exactly adjacent to the stairs. "Just gotta be careful..." Yugeto tiptoed out of the room towards the stairs, but stopped as he spotted a girl around his age in a bathrobe inside the room the open door was leading to, and due to his slow pace he awkwardly faced her for at least twenty seconds before the two locked eyes.

"Hey..." 'Think on your feet, Yugeto; be suave, be confident! What's cool, huh? Carpenter fixing the broken bed? That's fucking stupid, she'll think I'm pathetic. Hmm...' "I'm sorry, I got a little adventurous when I saw those stairs, I hope I'm not encroaching on your privacy." He said nonchalantly, inwardly yelping and hoping he didn't seem suspicious. "It's quite alright, but if my father sees you up here I'm afraid you won't be encroaching ever again." The girl walked over to the door as she closed it. When the door was almost fully shut, she peeked her head out of the crack in the door, and spoke. "If you're feeling adventurous again, I'll meet you downstairs in some time." Yugeto nodded seemingly uncomfortably, horrified by the thought that his feeble attempts at being flirtatious were even somewhat successful. He walked down in a daze, before meeting up with Kisheto and Julian. "Yo, dudes..." he said distantly, still in disbelief. Kisheto looked to Julian with wide eyes, "Holy shit, you're slick as fuck!" Julian laughed and the three young men walked to the back and sat on three stools that were built out of the side of the bar, farthest to the right side where no one else was sitting.

Julian sat between Kisheto and Yugeto and he looked around. He liked the bar's style- the interior was mostly wooden to add an antique type of feeling to it. Dim lighting added the perfect touch, and Julian smiled when he saw a plethora of people (notably some beautiful women) socializing about. Three bar tenders were working at a slow pace, but there wasn't much of a rush either, allowing for a reasonable waiting time. "Alright, Kish, Yug. Your first drink's gotta be bomba', yeh? No sissy sippin!" Kisheto chuckled at Julian's diction and nodded before leaning forward and looking to Yugeto, "Yo, this is legit!" Yugeto silently shook his head up and down, while Julian waved to one of the bar tenders. The woman was young and she smiled as Julian called for her. "Welcome! What can I get for yah gentlemen?" she asked. Julian looked to his two friends and then tilted his head as he looked back at the woman, "Do you guys do tropics?" he asked, twisting his mouth as he pondered his decision. The bartender tapped her finger on the side of the bar and thought, "Hmm... what did you have in mind?"

"Caliosan Squigbombs?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as he didn't expect to get a positive answer. The bartender smiled and leaned on the wooden surface, "Ha! You're from Caliosa?" Julian smiled and nodded, "Se ma sangui, se ma soul," he said, placing a hand over his heart. The woman chuckled and nodded in response. "Three Caliosan Squigbombs it is. Just a minute," she said as she walked back to the other end of the bar. Julian then looked at Kisheto, who seemed to be surprised. "Whatcha' gawkin at, yulo?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

"Yoooo.... did you see the way she was lookin' at this fool? Like he was some ice cream sundae set in front of a little fat kid, holy shit, how'd you do that?!" Kisheto asked. Yugeto hooted and pointed at Julian. "Good shit, Smokes! Lets get this started." Julian chuckled and spun around in his stool, facing away from the bar as he leaned back and placed his elbows on the surface of it. "You haven't seen noña, Kish. Why? You told me you never had a drink before, but have you never...?"

Kisheto shook his head, feeling the brunt of Julian's roast. "N-nah, it's not like that, man, I'm just, y'know. Like shit. You act like I was out there in Sovereign tryna find myself a girl. We just ba-"

"Whoa, there, brothah," Julian hushed Kisheto, suddenly turnin serious as he quieted the rowdy boy. "I didn't mean to offend, but watch whatcha say, yeah? Remember: we're of the few."

Yugeto chimed in with agreement. "Dude, if it makes you feel any better, I've never done ANYTHING with a girl, man. How do you expect to get shit done in that prison, anyway?" he asked.

Kisheto closed his eyes, feeling dumbfounded, "Agh, damn you're right." Before long, the bar tender returned with a tray holding three small shot glasses and a long bottle that had a spiraling neck which connected to a spherical bottom. At the bottom, a peeled, red fruit lay suspended in a reddish pink liquid. The top of the bottle was closed with a small tip. "Here you go, I blended together my favorite mix just for yah!" Julian nodded and smiled, "Thanks, yulie," he said with a wink, causing the woman to blush before turning and returning to her duties.

"Ok, brothahs. Here it is," he began as he reached for the bottle and held it by the bulb-shaped bottom. He poured enough of the drink to fill each of the three shot glass, and then finished by taking a pinch of a green powder that was set in a little canister on the tray. Sprinkling a little bit of the powder into each drink, he handed the glasses to both boys. "Round one for the little virgins!" he mused as held the glass between his index and middle finger and emptied its contents into his mouth. His face scrunched up at the burning sensation he felt as it slipped down his throat, but he let out a breath of satisfaction after completely downing the shot. "Now that's a feelin' I've missed!"

Kisheto smiled and looked at his own glass. "Alriiight, bottoms up!" he said as he mimiced Julian and finished off the shot. The taste was spicy, sweet, and sour packed into one fruity blend. It was as refreshing as it was warming, and it dripped down his throat like lava pouring down the side of a volcano. "Ugh, whoa... that was weird..." he said, sticking his tongue out. He didn't expect it to "hurt", but it tasted and felt great once the burning stopped.

Yugeto downed the drink, coughing and sputtering as he felt the harsh liquid leave an afterburn in his throat. "Damn, that's yucky." Yugeto announced. "I'll stay sober for now, I don't like this. But throw me one of your magic sticks in a bit, Jules. We'll get big boy Goldie here warmed up and I'll go on the hunt shortly after."

Julian laughed at the boy's reactions and pat both of them on the back, he then turned back around and raised his hands, "FIRST DRINKS!" he called, pointing to the two, whose expressions made it obvious that they didn't exactly enjoy the liquor. The people around the bar all turned to look at the man and burst into cheers, laughter, and applause. Julian laughed and turned around, pouring two more shots.

After four rounds, Kisheto had decided he was done. He could feel his mind begin to dance as his senses were dulled. He felt light, slow, and refreshed. The three had finished their drinks and began relaxing as its effects took over. It was as if they had forgotten that they were runaway hosts, prey to the largest authority on the continent. Their actions were reckless. Foolish. Irresponsible. But it didn't matter, because at the back of their minds, they knew that it may have been the last opportunity to enjoy what little life had to offer for such fugitives. Julian looked to the bar tender, "What about that one?" he said. KIsheto peered over to the woman. She was rather short, and a bit on the thicker side, but she had long, flowing brown hair and a decent smile. "Seven," Kisheto said confidently.

Yugeto chuckled. "She's alright. But I'm gonna go with a six. My bad Goldie, not too big on her."

Julian shrugged, "Eh, a six or seven's fair," he added."Elise!" he called, having found out her name when she returned to retrieve the bottles. The woman turned to Julian and instantly lit up as she walked over to him, "How's it goin'?" she asked. Julian looked left and right and then leaned in as he lowered his voice, "What's your policy on... a lil' bitta' herb?" he asked, flashing her a single joint from his pouch. Elise smiled slyly and looked down. "Well..." she then turned around and pointed to a hallway in the corner of the room, "Only in the VIP section, and that's about 100 Laurels per hour, but..."

Julian raised a single eyebrow, "But...?"

She giggled, "You guys look like you could use a break, so just keep yah mouth shut, hm?"

Julian smiled, "I owe you one, mila."

---

The VIP area was a copy of the regular bar, except much smaller and more decorated. There was a reduced number of people, and many were smoking various herbs. Through the haze, one could make out that these individuals were no ordinary folk. They were high class citizens - acutal VIP's. Yugeto walked into the VIP area alongside Julian and Kisheto, the trio obviously excited. "How do you get away with this stuff, Julian?" Yugeto asked with genuine interest and respect. "You just got her to hand you those keys like-" Yugeto snapped his fingers as he said "that." Julian chuckled, "Listen brothahs, it's all about presence. A woman can feel your confidence more than she can see it. Make her...make her feel like she's the lead actress of a movie."

Once again, the trio sat on the least crowded section of the bar. Julian opened his small pouch and retrieved a beautifully rolled joint.

'What is this poison?!'

Kisheto nearly fell out of his seat as the powerful voice boomed from within his soul. 'Shit, man, you can't just pop in and out like that!'

'Fool, are you trying to end us both?!'

Kisheto shook his head and buried his head in his hands. Julian noticed. 'Looks like Kisheto's gotten introduced to his kage, huh?' Julian pat Kisheto on the back, "No worries, right brothah?"

Kisheto nodded. 'Listen, pal. Thanks for saving my ass multiple times. But remember that you're in MY body. If you don't like it, then leave me alone. I didn't ask for you, and obviously you didn't ask for me. SO, if you don't mind, I'm going to try to live my life, and you? I would really appreciate if you just shut the hell up, a'ight?" Kisheto felt a hint of submission in the foreign presence and scoffed at his victory. Julian then placed his joint in his mouth, pinched the front end between two fingers, and twisted it back and forth while he channeled a minimal amount of spirit to his finger tips. Before long, the joint lit, and he inhaled small, short puffs of smoke to get the flame going. After taking his first long hit, he looked to the two next to him, "Alright, then. Whatcha waitin for, brothahs?" he asked jokingly.

Yugeto reached for the joint, putting the soothing herb to his lips, taking a few drags, and then holding them in. Yugeto let the smoke slowly rise like a thick cloud, before coughing slightly. "Good, good shit, Smokes." Yugeto sputtered, hanging the joint back over to Julian. Julian pat Yugeto on the back and then passed the joint over to Kisheto. "Draw in slow, then breathe in through your nose, hold it in, and lift off," he said clearly and concisely. Kisheto shrugged and grabbed the joint, putting it to his lips. He tilted his head back slightly as he started inhaling slowly. He gradually felt the burning smoke fill up his lungs, and had to hold back his gag reflex. Removing the joint from his lips, he took in a second breath through clenched teeth, forcing the smoke to his lungs. 'Ugh, tastes so good... but so bad at the same time... this is weird....' he thought as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke. He then coughed violently in short bursts and passed the joint to Julian, who chuckled. "Embrace the elevation, yeh?" Julian said before taking a long, deep drag and releasing out a graceful blob of smoke.

After the joint was burnt out, Julian tossed it in an ash tray and turned to look at the two.

Yugeto shuddered, feeling all the spirit within him warm up and send waves of euophoria throughout his body. "Woah...like I said, I'll stick to this shit." Yugeto looked around the bar with glossy eyes, a small smile on his face as he observed the area.

Kisheto leaned on the bar, facing away from it as he looked around. His vision was much clearer, but cloudy along the edges. As he turned his head, his sight began to lag behind. He felt his entire body relax and enjoyed the lightness he felt all over. "Yo.... Jules, this is some.... this is some..... yooo......" Kisheto let out a soft, raspy chuckle and gave Julian a thumbs up, unable to speak.

Julian noticed two women sitting alone on a table and nudged both Kisheto on Yugeto with each elbow. "Watch and learn, brothahs," he said as he pushed off the table and walked over to the table. Nearing the table he put one hand in his pocket, and then leaned on the wall near the table.

"Don't tell me that's blue dream in the hookah, is it?" he asked, tilting his head and smiling as he nodded towards the hookah at the center of the table. The two women looked at each other and then smiled at Julian. The one sitting on Julian's left spoke up first, "It is, how could you tell?"

Julian chuckled softly, and looked down and then back up. "I've got an eye for the herb. Well, more like a nose for it. Back in Caliosa I tried about every kind, and blue dream... well, let's just say it was one of the most amazing highs I've ever had. I'm Julian, by the way, and if you don't mind..." Julian said as he reached into his pouch, pulling out two joints, "I'd like to spread some light," he said with a chuckle. The two women laughed and one of them scooted over, patting the seat next to him. As Julian sat down, she looked to her friend, as if speaking telepathically as the two proceeded to giggle.

Meanwhile, Kisheto looked one in amazement. Julian flashed him a sly smile, as if to say "just like that."

"Can you believe that guy?" Kisheto began, smiling at Yugeto. "Hollup, lemme try this shit out..." he said as he looked around. Spotting a group of girls at the very corner of the room, he smiled, brushd his hair back with his hand, and set off. When he neared the table, he put one hand in his pocket and used his other arm to lean on a pillar near the table.

"Yo yo yo, don't tell me that's.... uh.... wait is that.... um...." Kisheto froze up as the group of girls looked at him, a total of four females eyeing him curiously. 'Shit, gotta look smooth, gotta look smooth,' he thought as he leaned forward. "You guys look like you could use a guy in yah circle, y'know?" he asked coyly, raising both brows and smiling as he looked each girl in the eyes. The girls looked at each other and giggled before one replied: "Sorry, we're into women."

Kisheto's expression dropped compeltely, as he looked dumbfounded at the response. "Oh... well, have a nice day," he said awkwardly, turning around and walking towards Yugeto embarrassed. "FUCK!" he said as he sat back down, not daring to look in the direction where a new bout of laughter was heard. "How does he... Yo, Yug, you try this shit."

Yugeto chuckled weakly, and scanned the area. "There..." He looked to two girls whispering on a table across from the two, exchanging looks and looking back at the boys. "Alright, here we go." Yugeto got up, and composed himself. He strutted over to the table, and leaned into the two girls. "So uh..." he smirked, leaning further in. "You see my friend over there?" He motioned back to Kisheto with a tilt of his head, and the two girls' eyes darted towards him. "He had his heart broken and he's trying to turn gay now...now we've tried to explain to him that one simply can't turn gay whenever he wants. so I'm going to have to enlist you two in proving to my friend there that he is, in fact, not gay, as you are some fine ladies, and I don't see a guy out there who wouldn't fall for you." Yugeto motioned for Kisheto to walk over, giving him a look that said 'just go with it'. The girls looked clearly confused, and Yugeto continued on as Kisheto cautiously approached. "Look, Kish. These girls are beautiful, aren't they? More beautiful than any man?"

Kisheto raised a brow as Yugeto spoke and then looked to the girls, confused. "Well, I mean, yeah? I wouldn't really call a man beautiful though, that's some gay shit..."

Yugeto nodded with a serious look. "Exactly, dude. That's what I'm saying." He sat down next to the girls on one side of the round table, and motioned for the bartender to approach. "Clearly, you women have made quite the startling effect on my ill friend here. Please, tell me how you did it?" The girls scoffed, pushing Yugeto away, and getting up from the table. One of the girls walked up to Kisheto with a concerned look. "Your friend has some problems, but I really hope you get your sexuality worked out; it's important for one to know his own identity." The girl explained, and Yugeto was doubled over in laughter, still at the table. Kisheto looked around completely confused as the girls brushed past him. "Wh-what?" he asked looking to Yugeto, then the girls. Turning back to Yugeto, he erupted into a bout of laughter, "FUCK YOU! WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM!" he said, charging Yugeto with a flurry of nonhostile punches. Yugeto ducked away from the punches and kept laughing. "I was just telling them about your recently discovered allure towards the male concentration, my friend." Yugeto had his comedic satisfaction, and went back to looking around; his eyes inevitably turned to the stairs, where he saw the bartender's daughter walk downstairs gracefully. "Alright Kish, all jokes aside, I need you for this one, partner." Yugeto said to his friend, walking towards the girl.

The bartender's daughter hovered past the elite crowd, walking with an air of confidence and exuberance in Kisheto and Yugeto's direction. "Well, if it isn't the adventurer and his companion." She said curiously. Kisheto looked to Yugeto, confused by her remark, and then looked back at the stranger. Yugeto took the girl's hand and coyly grinned. "I'd consider myself a cartographer. I'm searching for parts unknown." The girl slapped Yugeto on the face and dashed away in disgust. "Damn, thought that would sound suave." Yugeto groaned in exasperation.

Kisheto's eyes widened when the woman's hand collided with Yugeto's cheek. "Damn! What the hell, yo?! You can't just go in that hard! You gotta be smooth, like Jules. Shit, look at 'im..." he said nodding towards Julian. One of the girls was sitting on his lap, her face extremely close to his while the second had nearly fallen asleep on his shoulder. Kisheto shook his head, "Shit, I don't understand how he doe-"

just then Kisheto noticed a woman walk into the VIP area and take a seat at the bar alone. He squinted to get a better sight of her and nearly gasped when he made out what she looked like. 'Holy shit... she's freaking gorgeous....'

"Alright, fuck it. Lemme give this one more go," he said to Yugeto, getting up and walking towards the woman. Taking a seat next to her, he folded his arms on the surface of the bar and waited for the bar tender. He noticed the woman had already called for a drink and took the opportunity to break the ice, "Just needed to get away, huh? I don't usually see women drinking alone." It was not a false statement, but it had false implications. Kisheto didn't usually see women drinking, period.

Okani - Military Body

Okani held a fire-core rifle in his hands he picked up from a dead Golden Mercenary near the ruins, and shot down the raccoon attempting to steal food. "That must belong to someone..." Nearing the person chasing behind the raccoon, Okani placed his gun up, pointing it at her. "Identify yourself; are you a host?" He asked tentatively.

Okani - Female Body

Okani decided to make it seem like his ability was some sort of telekinesis, so he had the tree behind his military body bring a branch down forcefully onto it, sending the military body out of sight but barely harmed. "Are you alright? I felt a strong resonance of spirit from here." Okani explained, speaking through the girl's delicate and trusting voice. "I'm a Guardian, don't worry, I won't hurt you. I know you're a host; please don't attempt to attack me. I'm trying to get to the nearest town to recover." Okani explained, visibly
covered in wounds that, unbeknownst to the girl before Okani, were self-inflicted in a sense. "I can use telekinesis to move things around." Okani explained.

Meanwhile, Okani's military body rested to gather lost spirit; he would head to Kell, trailing behind his other body and the girl in order to further establish layers to his plan.

Sayuri smiled as she thought about one of her friends she'd made while hiding from the military in Sovereign. She was quickly brought to the present as her foot slid into a small hole in the ground. She swore and caught herself on a branch, 'Gah, why do I have such crappy luck since I got out?' Hiryu snickered, 'Well maybe it's not your just luck? You just have too many things on your mind? Let me see. Your sisters, parents, and the friends you made is Sovereign. The eight people you've had to kill and then the battle which allowed you to get away. All of it running around your head you need to focus on one thing. What is that one thing right now? Sayuri sighed and continued walking and spoke out load, "We need to get to the shuttle and see if they're willing to offer any assistance."

She neared the shuttle but stayed in the trees at the edge of the clearing. She watched a girl climb down off of it obviously not wearing a military uniform but she was still unsure, 'It's now or never,' she took the sword off her back and held it by the sheath loosely. She walked into the clearing and waves to the girl, "Hey, I noticed your shuttle land over here. I was wondering if you guys needed some help and if not had some supplies you could spare... Or trade if need be," she gestured to her bag at the last comment."

Kell Outskirts

Beatrice Magin

So fucking careless. Beatrice stood still: her second mistake. The first had been blindly chasing the raccoon that stole her rations and kinetic core.

She had been about to catch the raccoon. There was a loud bang, and the raccoon's back exploded in a puff of pink. She had tried to stop from running into the bloody mist in the air and failed, covering her front in speckles of blood.

The third mistake was where she stopped: right in front of the military man with the gun. Beatrice barely processed the words he yelled at her. She was completely at his mercy.

Before she could react properly to the situation, a branch fell down on the man. She took the chance to snag the kinetic core the raccoon dropped and put it in her bag, ready to dive for cover.

A woman walked up, badly injured. She was extremely calm for the situation. She explained that she was a guardian and a telekinetic. Apparently she could sense spirit as well. After being around so much death at the battle for the wall, B had plenty of spirit. She justified absorbing the spirit from dying people the same way she justified looting and stealing: survival.

B wiped some blood off her face and ignored the woman's question. "Is he dead? If you're not going to absorb his spirit I will. It looks like you need it. Same goes for his gear. You have first dibs, but I'm looking to trade in town."

B made no mention of how the woman had saved her. B hated the idea of being in debt. Talking with confidence and letting the woman have his gear was B's way of not starting at a disadvantage.

B also didn't trust the woman. She was too calm, open, and trusting for someone who was in Sovereign for a year. For now, B wouldn't let the woman know anything about her, especially her power.

You lost. The words from her kage stung mostly because B respected her. I know, Z. I was careless. We should get over your fear of gore. It's the only reason I've known you to hesitate. B hadn't made the connection before. She was glad to have something to improve on. How do you suggest we do that? We'll figure something out.

V.v.V
||
||
(m)

Okani chuckled softly at the girl before him's response. "His spirit is petty, he was a simple human; I doubt you'll get anything worth the time finding his body. Now, if you're going to survive past Sovereign's walls, I suggest you pick up a set of manners. I find it hard to believe you won't stand out with your current demeanor. Try talking in this tone with the civilians of whichever city you're headed towards and see if you'll be taken as an average pedestrian." Okani lectured the girl, clearly picking up her insecurities shaped by the prison of Sovereign. An interesting social experiment, that year was, for Okani.

The planet had changed drastically since Okani roamed it, humanity's influence shaping the terrain with fire and steel. "You can go ahead and search for that military official, but I saw the way you froze, and the confidence you're lacking. On the very possible occurrence that he's still alive, I don't think I'll be seeing you again if you look for him." He said to the clearly nervous girl. "I'm going to keep heading towards the city in the distance, and you're more than welcome to tag along." He stated. "Please, relax somewhat. You should know by now that if I wanted to hurt you I would've let that military man finish you before I dealt with him."

Okani pressed forward to Kell, talking as he walked. "In the case we run into one another again, you may as well know my name. I'm Ciara." With that, he headed on.

Raeven watched the leaves in the trees flow with the wind, enjoying her alone time. It gave her some time to focus on clearing her mind and fully process what had been happening in her life until now.

She turned her head towards the forest when she heard movement and quietly got to her feet, dismissing her hip's cry for rest. She had almost warped the light around her when a girl stepped out, already knowing her position. She frowned and reached for her dagger, but paused as the girl spoke.

The appearance of the girls clothes suggested that she had been another captive of the military in Sovereign. The way she held the sword in her hand, sheathed, signaled to Raeven that the girl didn't mean to come as a threat, but would use the sword if needed. Still, Raeven didn't trust her. She pulled her dagger from her sleeve and held it with the blade pointed towards herself, giving the girl the same signal that the girl's sword gave Raeven.

"Who are you, what did you do in Sovereign, and do you have a kage?" Rae asked, watching the girl's face for any signs of deception. "I have reason to believe that we are both on the same boat here, but I need some confirmation that you are not a threat to me and my shuttle." She wouldn't mention the others, in case this was some trap or distraction.

---

Kiara shouted as a man nearly ran her over with a taxi shuttle, waving her arms in an agitated manner. She spat on the ground and continued on her way towards her home. "Fools," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Dese city men don't know how to drive."

She continued along, her curly hair bouncing as she walked with a strong stature. At the corner of the street, Kiara stopped and waited impatiently for the chance to cross. She was already frustrated because of her new internship at the hospital, but once again the hustling city was beginning to overwhelm her. She noticed one of her favorite bars up ahead and decided that a drink would help soothe her overworked mind and crossed the street, heading to the bar.

Once inside she looked around and found the rowdy bar to be a little too rowdy. She needed a quiet place to sit and drink without any distraction. As she approached the bar, she noticed the manager help tend to the customers. She rested her arms on the bar and leant forwards, smiling warmly at him. They exchanged a few teases and flirts before Kiara gave him one of her brightest smiles. She paid him the 100 Laurels and got the key before heading into the VIP section.. She let out a happy sigh when the calming scent of herbs reached her and headed to the bar. She needed this downtime. It would be nice to have some time to relax alone.

Soon after asking for a strong enough drink to give her a buzz, her relaxation was ruined. She turned to look at the man roughly her age and stared at him, giving away no signs of irritation until he spoke.

"Just needed to get away, huh? I don't usually see women drinking alone," the fool said, irritating her all over again. She stood, pointing accusingly at him. "What do ya tink you're doing, telling me how ta drink?" She nearly shouted, ready to slap this fool to Henele and back.

Outskirts of Kell

Beatrice Magin

That was rude. B was grateful for being saved, but Ciara had been extremely condescending. The woman was walking away from B. She was a little frustrated that Ciara had been the one to get the last word in, but that didn't concern B. What did concern her was that shiny core rifle the military man had. For whatever reason the woman didn't think that was valuable. B did take some of the woman's words seriously, and decided to do some safe recon first. With a core firearm, the man was a threat if even slightly conscious.

B began to climb a tree with purpose, keeping an eye on the woman walking away from her. Was she actually telling me about manners? Now a little higher up, B also kept an eye towards the branch that had fallen, hoping to catch a glimpse of the soldier.

The tree was getting thinner as B climbed, and she finally spotted the soldier. He was on the ground and still, rifle in his lap. B plotted out the path to the military man in her head. I could take that gun from him if he was awake. Why am I hesitant now? Trust your instincts. My instincts are conflicting. Are you sure? B wanted to show the woman that she wasn't a little girl. She wanted the loot, even though it would be cumbersome and she might not be able to sell it without suspicion. What she wanted and her instincts weren't the same thing though. My instincts are telling me to clean up and find a place to rest. It'll be dark soon.

Ug. B stood up and let herself slowly tip sideways off the branch. The resigned look on her face stayed until she was about to hit the ground. How much food could I have bought with that rifle? She used her power to twist and touch her palm to the ground, rooting it and sending her bounding off away from the military man.

B headed for the lake. There, she hoped to find the Golden Mercenary who left his gear. That had also been her original plan before she was rudely robbed by the raccoon.

Kisheto raised an eyebrow as the woman got up angrily. It may have been the marijuanna, or the continuing effects of the alcohol, but when he looked at her, time seemed to freeze. His words became blurs in his mind as all he could focus on was her face, angry as it was. "Wow..." he said softly, lost in his trance, "Are you an angel?" While anyone else would have come off as flirty, and even corny, Kisheto's genuinely appalled expression gave away the sincerity of his question. He was obviously in some sort of trance, and he couldn't take his eyes off the woman's, despite the anger she felt for him. Kisheto simply smiled as she finished speaking; he looked to her like a child looking at his favorite super hero. "Hey, you talk funny, too!" He said warmly, not realizing the offense he may have generated. "You'd probably look a loooot better if you weren't so mad, though...." He said with a chuckle before turning back to face the bar.

.

---

A frozen prison
an untameable captive
waiting for release

---

Vates and Vortex – Outskirts of Kell
“And what do you suggest then? Walk into town au naturel?” Kansas smirked as he continued to dig the little ditch. The four of them were still in the wild outside of Kell and were preparing a little camp. Kansas and Benny were digging a square ditch whilst Vates and Vortex made a small wall of bushes and branches around it. The layout would help them keep hidden, and at night they might even be able to get away with building a small fire.

“We can’t go into Kell wearing our Merc armour, we would get spotted and captured immediately. Sierra’s armour isn’t exactly subtle either.” Vates scratched the side of his head thoughtfully, “Maybe nude is the best way to go.”

“Are you joking? Or has the year in Sovereign just scrambled your head?” Vortex jibed nonchalantly.

“The three of you could stay here, maybe scout the area. I could strip down and sneak into the place at night, acquire some clothing and get us sorted out first thing in the morning. If I remember rightly this is a messy night of the week for Kell, so if I get spotted it might not seem that odd.” Vates looked at the others for their opinions but all he got was laughter.

“Why not sneak into Kell in your armour? Or do you really just want to show off your physique to us?” Vortex gave him a smile and a wink (and an increased heart beat).

“It’s too cumbersome to sneak around in. Besides, I’ll be better off being caught in the nude than in Merc armour.” And with that Vates begun getting undressed, much to the amusement of Kansas and Benny, and much to the interest of Vortex.

---

Power is his goal
a hunger that will not die
he will claim it all

---

.

Kiara listened to the man speak, her jaw clenched as she mentally prepared to smack him. She nearly let him off the hook when the fool geniunely asked her if she was an angel, but the longer he spoke, the more offensive he became. The trigger about her accent ignited a whole new rage within her. "Oh, I'll make yah look real nice once I got yah on da ground beggin' for mercy," she shouted, smacking the back of his head as a warning. "You just tink yah can come in hea and tell me how ta drink and speak, den try to woo me with your high as Aeritus pick-up lines. Go back to yah hookah and mind your own damn business!" She clenched her hands into fists, her body tense as she prepared to beat the cockyness out of this fool.

Sayuri smiled when the girl responded, "I mean you no harm," keeping an eye on the girls dagger she walked a little ways towards the shuttle, "My name is Sayuri and while in Sovereign I was the leader of a small group of survivors that stayed out of the way in a mostly abandoned area of the city," she started to raise her hand but paused when Hiryu spoke, 'Are you sure we should do this? This could all just be an act and she is here to hunt and capture Kage,' she rolled her eyes, 'Always there with the worst possible option aren't you? Didn't take you for a pessimist,' she then held he hand out and created several small fireballs around her hand. She waited about thirty seconds before speaking, "and this should answer your question as to whether I'm a kage or not," her dropped her hand back to her side and the fireballs disappeared," Now it's your turn. Who are you?"

God damn it!

The mad major kept rewinding the events in her mind, the instant she almost lost to a common man with a little more power than he should have had. The wound on her arm stayed as a crude reminder of her pointless arrogance and recklessness. She wasn't angry out of fear of barely escaping death, actually the concept of death had lost any form of intimidating impact on her psyche the instant she discovered the origin of Kages, but at the idea that she was actually vulnerable for an extended period. Taking damage was one thing, but being shot from behind was pure shame to the egocentric woman.

Carol-Ann bit the tip of her white glove, a reflex of a nail biter undergoing a certain amount of stress, as she supervised the prisoner she was dragging back to the Baron base so the scientists there could play doctor on the wounded host. She glared at the unconscious man's body, the burning desire to continuously make his body explode after fighting him once more pushed her near the limits of her self-control. Luckily, the transport shuttle had landed at the base at time to distract the leading woman. Soldiers evacuated the test subject from the transport vehicle while Carol-Ann headed immediately to her designated office in the area.

With her eight man squad dismissed, she remained in her office, lying on the recently bought leather couch set against the upper right hand corner of the room. The coffee machine on the adjacent table was running as she ran her hands on the seemingly disinterested face.

'Why are you so fixated on the outcome of the fight? It isn't like I was going to let you die there anyway...'said Morel, finally manifesting himself completely in her mind, taking the form of a small blue jay on the girl's military cap. It took her a few seconds to reply to the Kage.

"I hate losing. I love winning. But I loath the idea that such an inferior piece of shit has the freedom to go down whenever he wants. If I could I would..." She'd clench her fists before pounding her gunshot wound rather violently with the balled fist. A little squeak could be heard coming out of her mouth in response to the pain. She didn't like pain, but it was an effective way to cool down when she knew perfectly that a fit of rage would cause her trouble.

After a few minutes, she looked at the clock placed on her work desk, only to realize the day had past already and it would likely be getting dark out soon enough. She grabbed the mug she had prepped earlier for coffee and sipped from it. She didn't like coffee too much, and she tended to avoid drinking it, but she couldn't deny the boost it could give to her. Along with her drink she turned on the computer integrated in the desk, employing the surveillance service she had access to in order to witness her latest victim's torment and reduction to animal levels. She could only smirk at the sordid fate the gangster would meet, but such sadism wasn't fun unless she was the dominating antagonist in the story.

A flashing, green light captivated her attention on the edge of the screen, prompting her to click it via the touch screen. The window that opened was a report concerning the shuttle she had ordered to tail via GPS location. Apparently the last known trace it left was that it landed thirty minutes away from Sovereign and that it was in Kell's territory, though it would be impossible to locate anyone in the surrounding areas filled with flora and virgin grounds no one would bother to search in in great detail. Carol-Ann sighed, out of annoyance but of relief as well.

'Your mood changed quickly. You're much prettier when you're not angry, Carol-Ann...' complimented the spiritual creature, still standing on the woman's cap.

"These assholes I have to chase, they'll probably stop somewhere not too far. Problem is, it's a big world out there. I really can't bother to lose my shit over pointless duck hunting." She yawned and took a long sip on her still hot coffee.

'... Do you think our main target is permanently dead, Carol-Ann?'

"Dead or not, it's our job to stick a bullet between his eyes to confirm." she responded with an adamant and monotone voice, almost as if the main objective wasn't what was preoccupying her the most.

'Hmmm. Something's troubling you. And you're never worried about work.' stated Morel, his bird head couldn't really express emotions but his voice held enough to express genuine concern for his host.

"Concentrate on regaining your spirit energy. That's all you're good for right now." she coldly ordered her Kage, lowering her cap just so she could cover her eyes before resting her back against her leather seat so she could get the most comfortable position possible. She quickly drifted to sleep, taking one of those power naps she seemed to enjoy after training or after work before all of this began.

Collab between Sage and BBeast

---

Near the southern entrance of Kell, where the largest main road leading into the city was built, a long array of multi-story buildings created a sort of "second layer" to the city. This sort of architecture was commonplace in many urban cities, especially in Gaia. Where there were tall buildings, there were small skywalks built along the sides of them, often seven or eight stories up. These skywalks weren't nearly as big as skyways, which were also only found in cities that used the layering architecture system. Instead, they resembled translucent sidewalks connecting actual, solid sidewalks that extended from the sides of the building. While one building may have been the office for a local stock company, the second level above could have easily been an apartment complex, complete with its own main entrance/lobby found on the base of the second layer.

In most cities, the second or even third layer was where most shuttle parking lots were found. As such, Pitstop was also built on the second layer of Kell, near a large, multi-story carriage parking lot. Ishigo and Zachary had taken one of eight large lifts located on the corners of various streets, much like subway entrances in other cities. It took them straight to a small gathering location on the second layer, still on solid road. The skywalks that connected their side of the second level sidewalk to the other building's sidewalk was rather close. They checked a nearby directory and found that Pitstop was actually the closest building to the gate. It was large and had five stories (all built on the second layer). The first level was for pedestrians and served as a main lobby/front desk. The four levels above it were all reserved for garage space, with six garage entrances (and consequently, six shuttle spots) per level. In total, the Pitstop could hold and work on twenty four shuttles at a time, which was more than enough space for its usual traffic. However, in spite of recent events, all but two spaces were occupied with various shuttles of varying size and shape.

Ishigo continued to walk towards the large building, having crossed the skywalk to the other side. The two were now on solid sidewalk, and minutes away from the shop. 'Shit... I forgot....' Ishigo, struck by realization, sighed and looked to Zachary. "If I remember correctly, you have to get ID'd before buying any fuel packs..." he stated. "It's crucial we try to minimize our records. You still up for this?" he asked, already beginning to brainstorm possible alternatives.

Zachary took a moment before his memory caught up. "I've been through the restricted purchases process a couple of times when working on my Masters and PhD. For something like shuttle cores, they check your ID, ask for the purpose of purchase and enter it into a database. There's probably a simple watchlist check, too, but how deep that watchlist goes I don't know. I should be fine. If we're traced through that, we should be long gone by then."

Ishigo nodded. The risk was reasonable, the whole point of taking it was so that they could leave and reach safety. "Alright, let's do it, then," he responded as they reached the building. He opened the door and stepped inside a lobby that was more occupied than he'd imagined. People were sitting on benches built into the sides, possibly waiting for their shuttles to refuel. Luckily, there wasn't any sort of line at the front desk, and Ishigo nodded for Zachary to proceed.

Zachary approached the counter. The man behind it nodded at him and asked, "How may I help you?"

Zachary responded, "I would like to purchase six Type C Kinetic Cores and two Type F Gravity Cores."

"Do you have ID?" the man asked. Zachary fished the card out of his pocket- just about the only possession from before the cataclysm he hadn't lost or replaced- and handed it to the man. He tapped a few keys on the computer beside him and after a few seconds asked, "Purpose of purchase?" Zachary hadn't yet given much thought to this, but he figured that honesty would serve to an extent. "Stocking up for a shuttle trip." The man tapped the information into the computer. Then the man looked up and gave Zachary a smile, "OK, we should have the cores ready in a minute. That will be 2000 Laurels. " "Thank you," Zachary replied, handing over the cash from his pockets. The man thanked him in return, handed a receipt and Zachary moved back to Ishigo.

Ishigo felt an inner wave of relief flood over him, though a completely normal expression was present on his face. He nodded to Zachary as he neared, "I'll let the others know," he said before reaching for his holopad and pressing a few buttons on the holographic interface. He called Raeven, Julian, and Arianna, though only the first two responded.

"Listen, we've got the cores and we're ready to head out. Let everyone know to meet up back at the shuttle, me and Zachary will be there shortly," he said. "That went surprisingly well..." he said to Zachary. He wasn't so sure of their objective, but it was mostly due to him overthinking their situation. Ishigo still wasn't used to being outside Sovereign; he often forgot that he didn't have to worry for his life with every move he made.

Another employee came out from a back room with a box on a trolley. "Here you go." Zachary bent down and opened the box to check its contents. Satisfied, he picked up the large box and thanked the men. Then to Ishigo he said, "Okay, let's go."

Wh... What.. ?!

Fifteen minutes after falling into a random snooze, the caffeine from the coffee stimulated her being. She brutally woke up upon feeling her abdomen being stabbed as if she was greeted by the sensation the instant she started sleeping. The shock caused her to jump in fright and her hat to fall off her head. Her neck had gotten sore from the sudden movement and her head ached for a minute or two.

"Ugh... Not this again." She rubbed her eyes with her gloved hand, combining this action with a short and weak yawn.

'Did you fall again? Or did something kill you?' asked the Kage now manifested on the desk before her.

"I thought you could read my mind and thus look into my dreams."

'I can, only if you let me. I can either talk to you and you'll hear me or you can choose to share your thoughts with me.' he explained, though he could recall explaining this before, or maybe the idea seemed a bit too obvious for him to bother to explain earlier.

"Uh-huh."

She got up from her seat, dropping her white coat in that same action so it could lay neatly on the leather chair. She didn't want to wear it anymore as it was covered in her blood, especially on her right sleeve. Her shirt was relatively clean and only had a lone stain around the bullet hole. She'd be able to conceal it with a new coat she'd righteously search for in the large locker next to the couch. This time, she took a black coat, giving less contrast with the black tie she was wearing but it gave her a rather grim appearance. The only once of white remaining on her body would be her gloves and the shirt behind her coat. Once dressed, her office's door was abruptly opened without a single knock by a subordinate officer, apparently with urgent news.

"Major Keifers ma'am. Apologies for barging in but you were not answering your paging on your computer."

Carol-Ann wasn't immediately sure how to process was going on. She felt like it would be appropriate to lash out on the man, but on the other hand she didn't check her messages because of her on-duty nap. She didn't want the man to question her reasons for not replying, so she simply acted as anyone else would.

"Alright. What's the matter?"

"A drone under the Kell Police Department reported a high level of suspicious activity and a mass of spiritual energy being manifested in the area. Host presence is almost guaranteed." Reported the stout officer, standing stiff and stoic at the office's entrance while informing the major.

"Oh?" Carol-Ann's expression reverted to the typically calm woman with an ambiguous curiosity. She walked slowly toward the officer, ruffling her somewhat messy hair to set it straight again.

"Indeed. We've also managed to scan the area and we've noticed a signal similar to the one emitted by the Golden Mercenaries' crafts. Usually we couldn't be able to detect one of these without pinpoint tracking, however the current activity there made the search much easier."

The deranged woman chuckled in happiness toward the piece of intel she was being shared. Without even stopping her regular gait, she passed the officer and stepped out of her office. The man was a bit puzzled with what she had just done, unsure if he was dismissed or if he was going to be asked something. Like many officers, he knew what were the hunters, and he knew who Major Keifers was. Thus he didn't move an inch. She simply left him, without saying a single word, and marched toward the hangar.

"George, get my guys in the Albatross in one minute... And also, I think it's about time we get some field testing going. Bring tentacle boy." She ordered via her holopad watch to an old, fat man set in the main control room of the base.

"Hyehye, alright m'lady, eight cats and a rabid comin' right up!"

Her solemn posture had not changed during her quick stroll through the enlightened corridor leading to the hangars. Once in the large space filled with many vehicle parts and parked shuttles, she'd immediately notice the gargantuan white ship parked in the center of the building. It was the Albatross, a transport-type shuttle used to carry a large number of soldiers and occasionally used as reinforced security for top priority packages. In this case, she was bringing her squad of eight along with a crew of twenty basic soldiers whom the presence was currently mandatory during Host field testing.

She entered the large ship and took her spot in the control room, supervising the two pilots of the huge piece of metal. The former Roy and now slave of the M.A.T was loaded in while kept in a titanium pod for security reasons, accompanied by the escorting soldiers. Everyone was in the cargo ship, ready to take action. Carol-Ann now only needed to confirm the need for intervention. There wasn't a doubt, such readings and supernatural events combined with the previous stolen ship landing near that same area would easily justify the current means. As she inserted a specific code on the hologram formed before her, the two pilots had the authorization to take off.

The flying Goliath took off without a second to lose, propelling itself at great speeds toward Kell. This shuttle was the smallest class of heavy transport ships, effectively making it the fastest way to bring along multiple squads for interventions. It wasn't going to be too long before it would near the skies of Kell's territory, and anyone who wasn't deaf could hear the dwarfing ship nearing the space above them. Meanwhile, Keifers had ordered the nearby ground troops of Kell and the local police to stand down and wait for her next orders. The Albatross was going to impose fear to the hosts who knew what the military would do to them, and the more easily intimidated of the bunch would inevitably make a glaring mistake.

Watcher's Lake

Beatrice Magin

Beatrice slowed long before reaching the lake this time. She was tired - both physically and spiritually.

She was surprised to see the Golden Mercenary's gear stil near the lake, exactly how she left it. Not sure why someone would leave their gear unattended for that long, the possibilities flooded B's mind. The least paranoid of those was that the merc set up camp nearby and wasn't worried about his gear. The most paranoid was that a hunter had killed the merc and was now nearby. With the people she had run into so far, and the transport ship crashing, B wouldn't be surprised if more military was close by.

B quickly rinsed the biggest and most annoying pieces of raccoon off of her and her purse, and did her best to wash her hands and her face. She then went to a different part of the lake and drank some water, submerging her head under the surface to avoid any scum that was floating. She wanted to go for a swim, but didn't want to be caught at a disadvantage. For the first time in a long while B thought about her appearance. She knew she looked awful. Her clothes, cutoff jean shorts and a short-sleeved red t-shirt, were dirty and splattered with blood, but at least the blood blended in with the shirt. Her hair, a light brown, had grown out only an inch or two since she shaved her head months ago. It didn't quite cover a nasty scar across her entire forehead, made worse by the lack of medical attention. The only advantage about her appearance was that she was short. She looked non-threatening. She didn't have any hope of getting in town. She needed a proper wash and new clothes. Maybe she should have gone with Ciara.

Screw it. B stripped and got into the water. She was in and out in record time, finally clean. She did her best to shake and wipe the water off of her, then got back into her dirty clothes. They were wet, but not soaked.

She decided to eat a ration pack from her purse. While the wrappers were intact, B's running around had reduced the contents of the packs to a pulp. She settled on pouring the pack into her mouth.

B wanted to search the path for clues, but it was getting dark and B was not a tracker. She thought back to Ciara. I really should have followed her. You still can. I'm so tired though, if I run to catch up to her will I be prepared enough if more military come? We can cut the corner, show up on the path in front of her. B was unsure. I really need to find a place to rest. Ciara may be the best chance of that. Maybe you'll share a hotel? B thought for a moment. First I'll walk along this path, see if I find any Golden Mercenaries. Or hunters. Then we'll see if cutting across the woods is a good idea or not.

B started out at a walk down the path, then a light jog. She slowly accelerated to a run, then a sprint, then her bounding stride. She focused on conserving her energy and her spirit. With no more signs of the Golden Mercenaries, she cut sharply North into the trees. If her sense of direction was right, the first trail she hit would be the one Ciara was taking.

Sage, Skai, Yugeto Collab

---

Julian had heard the commotion coming from the bar and he frowned as he saw Kisheto take a hostile hand to the back of his head. 'Oh boy...' he thought. Looking at the woman who was obviously enraged at Kisheto, Julian smiled at his two new friends and excused himself before promptly walking over towards the scene of the quarrel. "Whoa, whoa, what'dya say Kish? Pardon him, my friend, he often speaks before thinking, but he is good of heart; this, I promise." Julian smiled at the woman who was obviously a foreigner. Her tropical culture was revealed with every word she said, but the way she looked at Kisheto with an angry eye caused Julian to chuckle softly. "Are you from Henele, by any chance?" he asked with a coy smile.

Kiara eyed the stranger as he attempted to give an excuse for the fool's actions. She looked him up and down, sizing him up in case she needed to smack him as well. She'd been about to do so before the newcomer spoke. Her brows furrowed, taken off guard by the question. Usually the Leginians mistook her as a foreigner from Caliosa, but obviously this man had a bit more culture than the citizens in Kell. The coy smile of his seemed to derail her previously angry thoughts. She stuck her chin out a little, trying not to lose her steam. "Yea'," she said. Kisheto sighed as he felt her relax just a bit, but he still felt confused as to why she had gotten so mad at him. Julian nodded and sat down on the other side of Kiara, "That's amazing, yula. How long's it been since yah went home? I heard it's just gorgeous!" Yugeto watched the scene quietly. Clearly Julian had this situation under control, but Yugeto felt a little bad about Kisheto's apparently failed attempts at impressing the girl.

Kiara slowly returned to her seat, watching him closely. "I last went in de summah before my junior year in high school. Yes, it's a beautiful place." Kisheto looked at the woman and smiled, "It's a beautiful accent, too. I didn't mean to offend, miss." Julian looked to the boy and then back, "Yeah, why destroy a friendship before it's born, hm? My name is Julian Drake. Our friend here is Kisheto, and that guppy right thea' is Yugeto," he said pointing towards the silver-haired individual. Yugeto nodded silently at Julian's acknowledgment of him as he faced Kiara. "It's very nice to meet you." Yugeto spoke, measuring the situation delicately. He would leave Kisheto to speak to Kiara; he made sure not to speak too much as to let Kisheto get the time he needed with Kiara to become friendly with her. Kiara turned to look at the silver-haired one and nodded before turning back to the bar. She took the drink she had ordered and took a sip before looking to Julian. "My name is Kiara Riel. I'm a medical student at Kell University." She then gestured towards Kisheto. "Why is this yute hea' always pompasettin?" Julian chuckled softly, and Kisheto simply frowned as he looked back and forth between him and the woman. "It's just the way he is, the fool," he stated lightly with a wink to Kisheto. Kisheto sighed and looked away, feeling he had destroyed his chances with the woman. 'That bastard! How does he do this?' Julian began reaching for his pouch as he spoke again: "Actually, Kisheto you're from Vantus, right?" Turning back to Kiara, he smiled, "Fact of the matter is, Vantus and a lot of other coastal Valiran states are largely descendants of Islanders. Caliosa, Henele, some of the Thayes strips, a little bit of Peje, and a lot of Lumos. It's said they all migrated to Leginia and are the first founders of Valira. So young yulo here is actually a brothah."

Kiara raised an eyebrow, processing his logic. "Is that so?" She asked, glancing over at Kisheto. "In Henele we treat everyone as if they were family, but respect is key." She nodded to Kisheto. "I can forgive you for misusing your words." Kisheto smiled and nodded, choosing not to speak this time. Julian had managed to pull out two more joints and displayed them to his group, "Here, why don'tchu take a trip back to the tropics, hm? Spark it up with my brothah here. Me and Yugeto will burn this one." ----------------------------Kiara turned to Julian and spoke with a sly smile. "You know exactly what ta do to make this whole dilema fade away," she purred as she took her joint. Julian smiled and lit her joint with two fingers before turning to Yugeto and passing him the joint. Kisheto smiled as he noticed Kiara holding the joint. 'Holy shit, I got another shot!'. He had to force himself not to smile when he looked at her.

Kiara took a hit off of the joint and closed her eyes, letting the smoke give her lungs a light burn before she slowly released it into the air in swirls around her. She slowly opened her eyes and looked over at Kisheto, holding the joint out to him. She smirked lightly. Kisheto took the joint and looked at it, "Well I got a lot done, didn't I? First drink, first smoke. I just hope I'm doing this right, I wasn't so sure..." he said as he scrutinized the joint and brought it up to his lips. He took the hit and scrunched up his face to focus as he stared at the end tip of the joint. Upon blowing out the smoke, he fell into a coughing fit, and though he tried to speak, he was constantly cut off by a rather humorous bout of coughing. Kiara's laugh jingled through the bar as she watched him cough. She took the joint from him and took another hit. "I see dis is yah first time?" Kisheto nodded with a reddened face. His voice was low and raspy, "Didn't really have the chance back in-" he stopped abruptly, "Um, back at the academies..." he said, not wanting to give away his past. "So you're a medical student huh? Hows it been in spite of... y'know... everything," he said as he hit the joint.

Kiara tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Well, this whole fallen wall catastrophe has really put this city on edge. Dese hosts are too much trouble for de world. I pity the military for their failure. I can't begin to count how many injured soldiers I've worked on dat have been flown in from de wall. What hosts have done to them is horrifying." She took another hit of the joint before holding it out to him once more. Kisheto frowned and nodded as he took the joint; he could feel the effects kicking in. "Yeah but... what if... what if the hosts are the good guys? Y'know? What if the military is wrong and the hosts are different, I mean, shit, have you ever seen one?" he asked. Kiara laughed softly. "Question de military?" She huffed. "Good luck with dat, yulo." She frowned. "I thank de spirits dat I haven't had a run-in with a host. Dey are nothing but bodies being used for de spirit's wishes. It sounds horrifying."

Kisheto shrugged, "My father always told me... everyone writes their own story. Similarly, no one can see the world for you but your own two eyes." He smiled and looked to Kiara, "I leave some room for hope, y'know?" Kiara smiled softly, taking the joint from him and hitting it. "I suppose dat is a good idea, but I still think that these hosts are bad news." She sipped her drink to calm her burning throat.

Yugeto took a long drag from the joint Julian had lit for him, pleasantly smiling as he blew the smoke out calmly. "Remember when you found me at that abandoned skymall? Before you knew I was a target? That inner tranquility and trust you have for people is awesome, Julian. Dangerous, of course, but awesome. I always thought you were a cool dude, my man." Julian smiled and leaned against the bar, "Aye, I do remember that, brothah. It's crazy to imagine that in that little time, we've become the most valuable allies we have. It's even crazier to think how many different turns our paths could have taken up until the now... And make me the mad man for sayin' this, brothah, but... I feel like we're on the right path despite it all. Especially with one another, yeah?" Yugeto nodded. "Of course, my man. So many other things could've happened, but we found a great path. At least with one another, I wouldn't want it any other way." Yugeto looked distantly to the door, sighing. "I can't say the same about our lives; think about the friends we've lost on the way here. I don't know if I can handle having people so close to me, only to lose them. I know I've got you and Kish though; you two are my best friends." Yugeto said genuinely to Julian. He had a deep need for reassurance after the recent events that had happened, and an innate feeling forewarned him that things would get much more complicated than which path was the right one.

Julian took a deep breath and stared forward, letting his eyes almost close as his thoughts spilled out. "We have lost many, hm? We've come from a dark abyss, this far. But... it's not where we're from, but where we're going, yeh? And wherever we do go, I promise we'll end up getting there togethah'."

Julian and Yugeto had been smoking and relaxing when Julian felt a strange sensation. He felt the previous waves of worry and danger creep back up on his conscience and he took a sly look around. The bouncers were speaking to each other, and the environment was slowly growing more suspenseful. The stopping of traffic and loud banging of carriage doors confirmed his suspicion. Turning to Kisheto, he tapped his shoulder and whispered to him and Yugeto, "I think this place is about to get a bust. We should dip before they lay the whole place."

As he said this, a commotion on the other side confirmed his suspicion. The VIP bar tenders closed their tabs and began ushering people to the back of the room, telling everyone to stay where they were. Julian heard the voice of guards in the other section of the pub and he tensed up: Kell was a bad place to get caught with marijuana.

Yugeto extinguished the clip of the joint, tossing it to Julian to cinder and dispose of; Julian simply pressed the joint between his fingers and reduced it to smoke and ash using heated fingertips. Yugeto then pushed past the crowd towards the alternate exit with Julian behind him.

Kiara sat at the bar, her mind fuzzy as she noticed Julian and Yugeto stand. She furrowed her brows. "Where is everybody going?" She slurred a little.

The sound of doors being thrown open caused many to stir within the bar. "K.G.P, ALRIGHT PEOPLE, COUGH IT UP!" came the loud, powerful voice of whatever authority stood at the main entrance.

Kisheto felt Julian's hand grab his arm and pull him to his feet. He stared at Kisheto as he was dragged to the entrance of the VIP lounge. The door was kicked open right as they neared it, and Julian had to force his way out, as the policemen tried to secure the area. While the trio made it out of the building rather sneakily, the policemen inside began taking out handcuffs.

One after another, certain individuals who had been arguing with the various authorities, were cuffed as their verbal warrant was deliver via comms. Two police officers who were speaking to a bar tender looked at Kiara as the bar tender pointed to her. Kiara noticed the cops and felt a delayed, dull feeling that she should run, but was unable to respond quickly. The police officers frowned and began walking towards her, pointing at the joint that she was holding.

"You know what this is. You have the right to re-" Kiara's senses suddenly snapped back to normal as the officer began to read the treacherous words to her. Her eyes widened in fear and she stuck the joint into her drink and attempted to bolt, pushing the officer aside. The officer cursed as he fell onto a table, and his partner instantly dashed off behind Kiara whilst calling to other guards. Kiara only had enough time to burst out of the bar before five guards positioned on a parked carriage charged her. Two instantly shoved her to the ground hard while a third ran forward and grabbed her wrist, yanking her to her feet. He twisted her arm to keep her from squirming as he placed the first cuff on her wrist. Kiara let out a little whimper of pain, dazed from all of the pushing and pulling. Panicked thoughts ran through her mind. Her reputation as a medical student would be ruined, now. With the record of possesion, her whole life would be thrown off course, following what she predicted to be a minimum of five years. All because of some smooth-talking men and their weed.

---

Yugeto looked behind the trio, relieved that they had escaped the scene. "It's great we all got out of there." Yugeto said to the crew, before looking back again. "Wait...is that Kiara over there?" Yugeto motioned to the helpless girl being apprehended by police. Kisheto whipped around and squinted as he saw them take her down.

The officer squeezed her arm up in the armbar and spat his orders out, "GET THIS ONE IN THE CARRIAGE, get some back up, these people are getting rowdy." He then turned to Kiara. "Shoulda thought before fucking with the law," he said. Kiara burst into tears, the high not helping her control herself anymore than the panic settling inside of her. "I'm a medical student! It was prescriptive! Just listen, please!" She cried, wincing as the officer twisted her arm a little too far. "I can't go to jail!" The officer pulled her towards him and pushed her towards the carriage, banging her body onto the vehicle brutally. "Shut it already, DAMN! They all say the SAME old shit."

Kisheto frowned and turned around, "Aw, hold the fuck up..." he said under his breath as he began walking towards them. Yugeto put a hand to Kisheto's chest. "Listen bro, I respect your passion and care, but if we go in there we're going to get caught; if we get caught, we get revealed. If we get revealed, this whole city closes in on us. It'll be much more different from Sovereign, seeing as how this is a functioning city and we have no Golden Mercs to back us up this time. Besides, the last thing Ishigo wants is to attract attention; think about how he'd feel if we got ourselves in this altercation in the first place, my dude."

Kisheto looked to Yugeto and then back at Kiara, whose sobs only furthered Kisheto's anger. "Fuck it, b, she's not going to jail," he said, pushing Yugeto's hand away. Yugeto backed off, respecting his friend's motivation as he knew Kisheto would and had before.

Nearing the group of five officers, Kisheto rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles. "YO! What the fuck you think you're doing? She's with us, man, let her go." The guard shot a confused glance at Kisheto and then at Kiara. "Ohhhkay... runt, so you three are accomplices, then?" he said. Kisheto cocked his head back, "Fuck you mean?! Either you hop off, or I hop in."

The officer grunted, "Ok, calling in a 22, we've got multiple citiz-"

Kisheto clapped his hands together, "Alrighty then, he's made his decision!" He then dashed forward with insane speed and threw his right leg over in a curved kick to the head. It hit spot on and the officer fell backwards, releasing his grip on Kiara. The four other guards instantly reached for their shock batons, and Kisheto began releasing a flurry of punches and kicks that stampeded their defenses. One officer attempted to swing the baton at Kisheto's leg, but Kisheto simply jumped and grabbed the man's arm, using his weight to bring the guard down. He then rolled forward and snapped the man's arm, causing him to scream in pain. Kisheto then spun up and delievered an uppercut to another guard, feeling his jaw crack under his fist's might. Kisheto felt a shock baton jab into the right side of his neck and he fell to the ground spazzing. "F-FUCCCKKKKKK.... acKKK...ugh...." he gagged as he struggled to feel his body. A second baton slammed into his hip and he felt a crippling pain inside him. A third, then fourth, then fifth baton slammed into his body and Kisheto felt a light headedness overtake him.

His body was then lifted and slammed into the vehicle, and he could feel an officer attempting to cuff him. Kisheto's vision was fading, and he could barely notice Kiara once again being slammed against the carriage next to him. The sound of sirens filled the air as four more carriages appeared. Kisheto sighed; there was no other option.

He channeled his spirit to his left arm and focused his breathing, trying to regain control of his physical body. He quickly looked to Kiara, "Bad news, huh?" he said with a wink before thrusting his arm backwards, causing the officer to fly off it. He then balled his fist and slammed it into the carriage, "BOOM!" he yelled as the impact caused a golden flash to completely engulf his body. It also caused a small golden explosion where his fist hit, and the carriage was tossed away, in front of the other four carriages. Kisheto's body burst into an aether aura, and as the golden light faded, it revealed a shimmering energy pulsating on both of his hands and eyes.

Kiara gasped in shock, her eyes widening as she watched Kisheto reveal his true self. She tensed in the officers grip, frightened for the lives of those in the street. Yet, deep down, she realized that Kisheto was defending her. Her tears had stopped due to the shock, and she could only watch the scene before her in fear.

The officers were awestruck and they didn't have time to react as Kisheto dashed at the officer holding Kiara. His speed was amazing; he left a light orange trail as his aether-dashed towards the guard and slammed his hand into the man's hip. The guard was thrown about twenty feet forward, and Kisheto grabbed Kiara, pulling her to his side of the impact. He then nudged her towards Julian and Yugeto before turning back to the amassing group of guards, some of which were on their communications. The area around them turned into a chaotic scene, as citizens scrambled and screamed while running away.

Yugeto brought his hand to his forehead, scrunching it in annoyance. "This is going to be a pain in the ass, Jules." He said sternly. "We aren't jumping in unless we have to; if the people see more than one host, we're screwed. An isolated incident is best, and Kish will slip out of this with relative ease, I know it." Kiara stumbled backwards as Kisheto nudged her, still frozen in fear. She tugged on her cuffs, her first instinct telling her to run. People were being injured left to right, and it seemed as if Kisheto wasn't being harmed at all. She feared for the lives around her, and even for her own life, even if Kisheto was keeping her from going to jail.

'Let's see what this is all about....' Kisheto said as he stood alone, facing the group with no sign of fear. The guards began backing up while another wave of officers proceeded with riot shields and shock batons. Kisheto held his hands up and focused his spirit on his palms. He stared at them as they began to shiver at the immense build up of energy. 'Shit... now I'm REALLY playing with fire....' he thought as he felt a great unstablity in the force that brewed within his palms.

The gathered, spiritual energy created a deep humming sound that filled the area. Kisheto then raised his hands above him, creating a gold, swirling ball of energy above him. It trembled as it grew bigger and bigger, until it was about the size of an excercise ball. Kisheto took a deep breath and focused. He took one last moment to look the frightened officers in their eyes before smirking "Yup, fresh outta Sovereign."

He then thrust his hands forward, and the Aether sphere was launched towards the group, exploding right as it hit the first shield. A huge burst of energy nearly destroyed everything at the impact site, and the officers were blown away, though only two were fatally damaged. The carriages were tipped and the road churned under the wake of the golden energy. Kisheto staggered backwards as the force of the explosion even reached him.

He wiped his forehead and then turned back. "I think.... I think we should run...." he said in his intoxicated state.

Yugeto ran towards Kisheto, pulling him back and tossing him towards Kiara. "Take the girl and run, now! Julian and I will meet you where we landed." Yugeto said to his friend before taking ethereal form and speeding off towards the shuttle. Kisheto nodded as he heard Yugeto's voice and dashed towards Kiara while Julian turned into his smoke form, flying off after Yugeto. Kiara's eyes were wide in shock, still frozen from where she had stumbled to a stop. Her mouth opened her mouth to protest against going anywhere else with these men, but she didn't have enough time for one word. Kisheto shrugged as he ran at her, "Yell at me later," he said as he dove at her, swooping her up by the legs and then running forward. As he neared a nearby building, he focused his spirit once more, and jumped upward, leaving a golden flash where his feet left the ground. His body (and Kiara's) soared about forty feet up and over the roof of the bar. He hit the roof and immediately burst into an insanely speedy dash forward, dodging and free running through and over rooftop obstacles. When he hit a wall or another building, he charged up his spirit and leapt up high over it, climbing higher and higher along the skyline. He could sense Yugeto flying through and around the buildings to his left, with Julian keeping a healthy pace in behind of him.

"WE NEED A PLACE TO LAY LOW! WANNA HEAD BACK TO THE SHUTTLE?!" he called out to Yugeto, still running along with his pace. Kiara shut her eyes tightly, gripping Kisheto with all her might. "PUT ME DOWN!" She cried, frightened that this fool would drop her. "You fool, you'll get us KILLED!" Kisheto felt her squeeze on his neck and nearly choked. "ACK! Calm down woman! I'm not putting you down until we find a safe place, so just... hang on!" Kiara buried her face into the back of his shoulder, terrified of the growing distance between herself and the ground. These idiots were going to get her killed. "Bordering the east side of Kell is a private community of houses!" She yelled into his back. "Go to number 113 and you'll be safe!" She moved to grip his shoulders tighter. "Please hurry!"

Kisheto smiled and nodded. "I gotchu, girl, don't worry." He then turned to the puff of smoke flying in front of him, "Y'heard that Jules?! 113! C'mon!"

Yugeto & RockFace Collaboration

Okani traversed through the path ahead of him, or rather ahead of Ciara. 'Unfortunate I'll be entering this town with no allies, but managing should be no issue. Passing this patch of forest should be the last hurdle before the town ahead.' Okani thought to himself.

Further up on the path, Okani noticed a familiar figure sitting cross-legged on the trail, unmoving. 'Must've been that girl from earlier...' Okani observed as the figure became more and more recognizable and detailed. Once the girl was in speaking distance, Okani acknowledged her.

"Well, it doesn't look like either one of us has made much progress." Okani joked. "Listen, I apologize for getting off on the wrong foot earlier; like you, I need to get more and more accustomed to 'regular life' again; it's hard to operate in secrecy and normalcy at the same time." Okani said, nearing the girl still. "Please, would you tell me your name? You've heard mine already." She noticed the girl eating a ration pack; from the looks of it, she didn't have many left, if any at all.

"Name's B." B finished her ration pack by dumping it down her gullet and stood up. "No worries, I know I'll probably offend some people. Not that I'm trying to... I think I'll mostly stick to business talk in town so I don't screw anything up too bad. Want a ration pack?" Without waiting for Ciara to reply, she tossed a ration pack in her direction. Ciara caught the pack clumsily, opening it slowly and reaching in for some sustenance. "Thank you very much; it's good to meet you once again, B. Shall we go on?" Ciara asked, walking as she ate from her ration pack, picking at the crumbs inside. "Sorry if the packs are messed up. They've been banged around a lot." Ciara waved B's comments off. "Oh please, this is a much more convenient way to eat the rations, like chips. Allows us to stay mobile so we reach our destination faster; it's serendipitous, almost." Ciara said cheerfully.

B joined Ciara in walking towards Kell. She wondered how long this odd companionship would last. She wouldn't make progress as quickly with Ciara, but she felt comfortable travelling with someone else, just a little bit less on edge.

Raeven eyed the girl as she walked closer to the shuttle. She positioned herself in a relaxed way, but made sure that she would easily be able to defend herself in case the girl suddenly attacked. Her grip on the dagger loosened to make it seem as if she was comfortable with the girl coming closer. Her mind began to play out different scenarios, trying to chose the best moves Raeven could make to fight the girl, if need be.

So she led a group of survivors. I wonder if she participated in the battle to make the wall fall, Raeven thought, looking the girl over. She watched the girl hesitate. She has a kage. The way her eyes glaze over must mean that they are speaking. She prepared to defend herself, but stopped when Sayuri created fire in her hands. This changes everything. I'll need to stay up in the trees in case she creates an inferno to avoid the smoke.

Raeven watched the girl closely. She'd need to distract Sayuri before she could go invisible. The trick would be obvious if Sayuri watched as she bent the light around her. What could she use as a distraction, though?

"My name is Raeven," she said, not bothering to hide her identity. "I was a loner in Sovereign, but I helped the Golden Mercenaries during the battle. I do have a kage. My ability is to see at night."

You're smart to hide your invisibilty from her, Eremiel spoke. But what will you do if your hip gives out on you? Raeven inwardly sighed. I can handle it. The others should be back soon, anyways. Plus, I have an advantage of weapons. If need be, I'll get the plasma rifle from the shuttle. With that said, er, thought, Raeven nodded towards the girl. "I have everything I need, thank you. You must be hungry. Would you like a rations pack?"

Edward Vates – Kell

Vates sat crouched atop the edge of the pub rooftop like a gargoyle, completely still as he watched the commotion beneath him. He shuddered as yet another wave of the wind caught him and sent a breeze up areas he would rather have not left exposed. The boxers he wore offered little protection. Below a group of policemen were readying themselves for a raid, for narcotics by the sounds of it. “Erm… Dave…” came a worried voice of one of the guards who was now looking directly at Vates whilst trying to get his friends attention.

“What?” replied ‘Dave’.

“There’s a naked man watching us from the roof.”

Dave turned and looked up but Vates had retreated back out of sights and was now continuing along the rooftops. “Right… You need to lay of the blacksquig mate, it’s messing with your head.”

---

Vortex lay low against their little trench slope, looking out at ground level through the forest with her rifle scope in hand. It was eerily quiet and so every disturbance for a while off could be heard. She thought she had heard a crash or an explosion but wasn’t willing to go and confirm it. Time slowly drifted by as the group sat in complete silence. Each took their turn at getting some rest; two stayed on guard whilst the third slept. Vortex hardly got a wink though because she couldn’t help but feel that the two men were watching her. She wasn’t afraid of them, nor did she believe either would try anything anyway, but the feeling of having anyone watch her was enough to keep her awake.

“Movement to the south, my 10” whispered Kansas. Vortex slithered over to him, keeping her head below ground level as she moved across the trench. She quietly fixed her scope back on her rifle and gazed over to where Kansas directed. A fair distance ahead of her were at least two figures. Both were female, although she could only clearly see one. She was nimble looking with short brown hair and wore a red top.

“I think they’re hosts.” Vortex whispered. As a host she was not naturally adept at sensing other kages, but through her time as a hunter she had at least improved this ability by continuously practising in the field. She could not be completely sure from this distance, but she would certainly assume the worst of the two figures ahead. How many others had escaped Sovereign?