"We'll wait on you to head out then." Ru loitered a moment while Darthalia approached, observing the map to get an idea of where they would rendezvous in case something came up. The area wasn't one Ru was remotely familiar with, so he would be largely dependent on that map, or those who carried it. If worse came to worse he could probably start marching in the general direction of Meridian and hope he had enough food. Ru shoved those dark thoughts to the back of his mind and set out to gathering the rest of the Jackals. Looking around, Eddy was addressing the main group, and Ordore talking to Darthalia, which left Misala and Nero to gather. Of the two, Nero looked the more approachable, so Ru headed in his direction, coming to stand before the boy. "You are joining us on the scouting mission, correct? I am Ru, master of procurement." He said formally, using the euphemism for thief and bowing slightly. Nero had seemed rather formal when introducing himself, so Ru returned the favor, and besides, calling himself a thief had seemed a bit improper at the time. When he spoke next, the formal tone fled, and Ru's voice returned to its normal, cheerful self. "We've just gotta grab miss assassin lady Misala over there then head out." Ru gestured towards where Misala was standing. "We'll be staying at a nearby town to gather supplies before venturing into the wilds. Any questions?"

Curioser and curioser, Freiya thought as she first laid her eyes upon their new direct superior, Aela. At first glance, the human woman might have not seemed serious or competent enough to fill the spot, but those notions crumbled under deeper scrutiny. Aela carried herself like a true knight. In addition, she was not one to ever fully disregard a superior's words. Overlord Levran said they were in good hands? Then that damn well must be true. Also, Freiya trusted her gut instincts enough to place some trust in this Aela also. Even if Freiya could not agree with her cheery mood. Freiya had quickly finished her breakfast, wolfing down the meal before setting off to a small distance away from the other recruits. They had little time and that was all she needed for a moment of practice. Closing her eyes, Freiya took a deep breath as she recalled the few lessons Overlord Lohdraen had given her on Ki-Tan. More like shouted into my ear..., Freiya thought as she focused the Luminosity within her into every single fiber of her body. Many said learning Ki-Tan was like learning to walk again. Freiya wholesomely disagreed with that notion. It was more than that, at least for her. It was learning to breathe again, to even feel again. Freiya quickly became aware how uncomfortably heavy her limbs were, as if she were submerged in water. She could pinpoint every bead of sweat running down her face as she tried to ignore the flares of pain her scar caused her. She could feel the slightest breeze, how the air flowed and parted around her like an invisible river, so vast yet so transparent. Ki-Tan was not a skill she could yet use in combat. She could not do it with her eyes open, the sudden intake of so many colours and such brightness was too migraine-inducing for now. She did not envy the falcon, with its sharp eyes able to spot a mouse in the grass all the way from the sky. And while she could feel the slightest movements and vibrations in the air, she could not use it to anticipate the moves of her opponents. She could now easily see why Overlord Lohdraen had laughed so uproaringly, like an ancient dragon, when she had requested he teach her Ki-Tan in a fit of insolence. He had initially said it'd be too much a bother. Why bother teaching her a technique to break her limits when she had yet to reach them. Eventually he had caved in to her insolent demands, teaching her the very basics of the ancient art. And it was so fucking hard! Freiya could not hide her frustrations. A whole decade of training and she could still not use the technique effectively. Lohdraen had said it'd become easier once she reached the limits of her mortal body, but when the hell was that? Punch, punch, punch, kick. Never start with a kick. Albeit powerful, it is also slow. Knock your opponent off balance first. To anyone watching, Freiya's movements would seem a bit clumsy, but extremely fast as the woman shadow-sparred with her imaginative opponent, swaying lightly from side to side with her eyes closed and ocassionally lashing out into a flurry of punches and kicks.

Steven chewed his breakfast slowly. He wasn’t exactly hungry, but to replenish his stamina and to prepare for the day of manual labour ahead, he needed to eat. Around him, the trainees chattered. Some talked about the last night’s battle, others chatted about their new captain. And yet others moaned about the hard day ahead. Many disliked manual labour, but Steven didn’t exactly mind it. What he did mind was the soreness and the muscle pain that results from manual labour. So, while he wasn’t exactly hungry, he had to eat. For the day gone by and the day ahead. As Steven ate, Steven thought. Mostly, he thought about their new captain. Aela was her name, but Steven found it strange to refer to someone who was both older than him and his superior by their first name, so he just called her captain. She was a motherly woman, but she definitely had power. No one could ignore the full armour she wore or the huge sword on her back. She had strength, there was no doubt. The overlord had described her as one who was experienced, and that was believable, judging by her age. Both Levran and the captain had assured the trainees that they were in good hands. But there were some trainees who were doubtful of that, with reason. The captain wasn’t the kind of person to show off her strength. Steven could see that from her demeanour. But those that complained likely didn’t see that there was more to being strong than strength. Steven finished his breakfast sooner than most of the trainees and decided to spend the remaining time thinking. Steven walked over to a hill and sat down on it, contemplating. To Steven, the Captain certainly felt capable, but why? Maybe it was her demeanour. To have the luxury of worrying about others in an occupation so filled with danger such as the Luminous knights took a fair bit of strength. Enough to not have to worry about yourself, at least. Steven had some theories about the source of the captain’s observed strength. It was clear that she was strong, but it didn’t seem like that was it. First of all, it would be unlikely that she made captain based on strength alone. Though it was possible, it was mentioned that she had also turned down promotions. Promotions come with a larger mana pool, allegedly, and the fact that she turned them down might lead some to believe she didn’t need the mana, which could lend credibility to the strength theory, but Steven believed that it was not the case. He felt as if she had something more, something else. Steven’s eyes roamed as he contemplated. He saw a fellow trainee, Freiya, practising something. Steven stared idly. She seemed to be practicing some form of martial arts. While her blows were clumsy, they were fast. At first, it only appeared to be martial arts, but there were flickers of white that suggested that she was using the power of Luminosity. More than meets the eye, certainly. Steven felt like the captain was like that. More than meets the eye. It was certain that she was stronger than she would first appear, but Steven felt like she had something hidden up her sleeve. Judging solely on his assumptions, he believed that she might have a good control over Luminosity. But there was always a chance that she just had amazing vitality for a woman of her age. Regardless, the trainees were definitely in capable hands. Which was good. Steven didn’t want the last night’s events to happen again. Steven lay back against the grassy hill, taking in the sunlight and the breeze. Things were peaceful now, they were calm. It was almost as if the chaos and death of the battle had happened in another world, far away from where he was right now. And in a way, it was a different world. One of chaos, fighting and death. It was almost unreal. How could the Steven from now be so different from the Steven before? Steven stared into the blue sky and shut his eyes. He shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. What were others thinking? Steven smiled. They were probably complaining about having to do manual labour. Another world away from the fighting. Steven opened his eyes and sat up. No, he shouldn’t think about last night so much. It didn’t have that much to do with right now. Steven got up and dusted himself off. He would think about last night’s fight later. Hours of backbreaking work loomed just ahead.

It took Ru a moment to understand what Nero was saying. He spoke strangely, almost as if unused to the language. When Ru did understand, he was left with wondering more about this Nero. Having lived on a secluded manor might explain some of his odd tendencies, perhaps they spoke a different language there, and this was not Nero's mother tongue. Also, what was psychology? Perhaps it related to Nero's form of magic? Ru's thoughts were cut off as the man took a dagger to his hand. "A deal bound in blood, my great grandfather used to say, can never be broken. Let us ride and fight together, will you let your blood with mine?" Ru blanched at this, unsure of what to do. A blood oath? It seemed a bit much, for a job so ... open ... as this. Blood oaths brought to mind the darker parts of the undercity, the kind of think assassins and conspirators would use to bind themselves together. Ru had never been a huge fan of assassination. Thieving, in his opinion, was far more honorable than leaving some poor sap dead in his sleep. Not something he particularly wanted to get involved in. "Uh...." Ru stalled, trying to think of a way to diffuse the situation. A moment later, he regained his composure. "The oath you offer is far too solemn for this occasion." He said formally, folding Nero's offered hand and returning it to him. "I would not be the one to swear with either. That honor would belong to Ordore, who will be leading this scouting party." As he spoke, the formality gradually left his voice, however it stayed a slightly more somber tone than usual. "We should gather Misala, and then we can go to him." At this Ru began heading into the direction of the assassin, working to answer Nero's earlier question. "The town we'll be heading probably isn't on your maps. Most of the places out are subject to both bandits and wild beasts, and tend not to stay for too long. A good many of them end up like Misala back there." At this, he nodded back towards the smoldering remains of Misala-the-Town. The folk that lived out here generally weren't the most fortunate, nor the wealthiest. Which was part of the reason Ru never came out here much. They soon reached 'Misala' the person, who gladly fell in with them after being saved from a conversation with an energetic brown haired woman. Ru continued speaking as they headed for Ordore. "The particular village we're heading for is in that direction." Ru gestured vaguely with his arm in the direction of the town, then continued speaking. "I believe it's a bit under a day's walk from here, and it should be safe from the Luminous Knights. They don't come out here often. Ordore here can tell you the details if you wish." Ru finished up his monologue as they approached where Ordore and Eddy were conferring. He gave Ordore an exaggerated salute before addressing him. "Looks like we're all ready."

The battle was over before it even began. The bandits were slaughtered and The Paladins managed to utterly destroy the clan. However this was not right at all. Varkasan knew these people would not fight until they had all died; bandits didn't possess that kind of loyalty to a cause, and they most certainly would not jeopardize the lives of their fellows in such a manner. He was expecting a surrender or at the very least a retreat, but neither happened. Even with the battle over, he kept his blade unsheathed and shield at the ready. He had a bad feeling that their mission was not over yet. Captain Tines had begun inspecting a bandit corpse. "What the?!"The Captain loudly exclaimed. He had apparently found something odd and had ordered the recruits to check the other bodies. Varkasan was about to check the corpse of the last bandit he had killed when suddenly, yelps of pain could suddenly be heard from the Captain and two other recruits. Out of surprise, he shot his head up from his inspection. And then he felt it. Some kind of sudden burning, piercing sensation around the back of his skull. It felt like some kind of worm or root trying to burrow and spread. Alicia had shot swords of light into the air revealing a terrifying wraith with countless tendrils and tethers extending from it. "MAGIC!" Varkasan thought frantically as he applied Luminous Blessing to his helmet to scorch away the tendril. It succeeded in cutting the connection, but the Luminosity burn reached a little inside him as well. "AUGH...!" He exclaimed in pain as he felt the sensation of fire within the back of his head. He knelt down and supported himself using his sword to keep himself from collapsing until the pain went away. But he continued applying Luminous Blessing to his entire armor set to ensure that the tendrils would not penetrate him again. A majority of the recruits were able to sever the connection in time, but The Captain and a couple others were not so lucky. Their eyes showed a completely different person from the one they knew. They were no longer their allies, they were puppets under the control of whoever the Mage behind this was. Varkasan was still recovering from the pain he had subjected himself to, but he stood up and assumed a combat stance as he faced the possessed Paladins and reincarnated bandits. He slowly backed up into a group of friendlies as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. The other recruits were ready to barrage their opponent with Luminosity and bring the wraith crashing and burning to the ground. However, the Mage taunted them through the voices of its puppets, telling them that any attempt to destroy the wraith would kill all who were attached to it.. "Damn it all! Protocol warns us against the use of Luminosity towards Mind-Affecting Magic unless absolutely necessary... Would this situation count as necessary...?" Varkasan thought, already weighing whether or not they should sacrifice the Captain and fellow recruits. However, Alicia already had a plan. "Defensive fighters, try to pin down our comrades without harming them. Others must destroy the brands on the bandits. I will look for the one controlling the avatar. He must be somewhere in the line of sight of this place. Go!" She commanded, immediately taking the role of unofficial leader after the incapacitation of Captain Tines. Varkasan saw the logic in this and followed the order. He removed the Luminous Blessing from his sword and shield as he charged at their controlled Captain, slamming the broad side of the shield right into him. However, the Captain was much stronger than he anticipated, and pushed him off with surprising force, causing Vark to stumble backwards. He maintained his footing however as he realized that the other bandit puppets were starting to attack again. He was unsure how to handle them all at once when suddenly a Paladin wearing heavy plate armor ran and tackled Captain Tines to the ground using a large tower shield. "Aradus?!" Varkasan said, recognizing the armor of his friend. A number of recruits had gathered around them as well, and could see others rushing around their controlled allies. **"Keep the wretches off of me! I'll hold down the captain!"** He commanded as he slammed his free hand into one of the Captain's arms to pin it to the ground. "You heard him! Hold back the enemy until the puppetmaster is found!" Varkasan said, rallying the nearby recruits as they engaged the bandits. Varkasan's way of dealing with them were to stun them with his shield before knocking them out with the hilt of his sword. Removing the brands with Luminosity would be much simpler, however it meant giving the bandit an agonized, burning death. No one deserved that, and Varkasan wished to avoid such incidents unless necessary. He also trusted Alicia to be able to find the Mage behind this and end their control of the puppets before things got out of hand. If there was anyone he knew who could put a swift end to a fight, it was Alicia. Suddenly however, he heard Aradus begin shouting. "HEY! NO! STOP! I need help! Somebody hold his other limbs dow- GAH!" His friend exclaimed. Varkasan turned around and saw Aradus jump backwards off Captain Tines and sat down on the ground as the captain's entire body caught on Luminous fire. The wraith disappeared from the sky along with all the tethers and the recruits stopped fighting as they looked upon what was happening. Captain Tines and the controlled recruits had ignited their own brands and caused themselves to light on fire from the effects of Luminosity. No longer under the control of the wraith, the captain and the other recruits began screaming in agony as the mana-fueled fire consumed them. No one could do anything but stare in shock and horror. Eventually, the flames died down as the life faded from them. "I...I... Couldn't stop him... He managed to ignite somehow even with... I'm sorry..." Aradus said, lowering his head and unable to get the words out of his mouth. With no one threatening them anymore, Varkasan approached his friend. "You did what you could. This was not your fault..." He said as he turned towards the young Mage that Alicia had managed to corner in the treeline. One of the recruits charged at the weakened Mage in a vengeful frenzy... Only to be cut down by some form shadow claw. Another Mage emerged, this one looking to be a girl no older than 10, but no one could deny her magical aura. The strength of her mana could be felt in the air, so one did not need to witness her claw to be aware of her magical power. "Defensive formations and Luminosity at the ready!" Varkasan commanded at the recruits nearby him as he applied Luminosity to his weapons. This was obviously a Mage they were not prepared to deal with yet. The ease with which she killed one of the recruits was enough to tell them just how large the gap in power between her and the Paladins were. Varkasan had his doubts as to whether they would be able to survive this one, but his fears were partially put to rest when Overlord Levran arrived. The powerful Paladin engaged the little Mage in an impressive display of power. Varkasan and the other recruits knew to stay out of the Overlord's way, and only provide assistance when ordered to, or if Levran seemed as if he was losing. What caught them off guard however, was the little girl producing shadow copies of herself, which began assaulting all the recruits. The few seconds of surprise were all that was needed to wound and incapacitate the inexperienced Paladins. Those who managed to react in time were able to reorganize and separate from each others' shadows to lessen the amount of clones facing them. Even though the shadow copies were clearly inferior to the original, Varkasan still had much trouble going toe-to-toe with one. Her speed was inhuman and her attacks were relentless. It took all of his knowledge of blocks and counterattacks to bring the clone down. Even though he survived his duel with the shadow copy, Varkasan was still worried because the original was still around, and they were dueling Overlord Levran at their full power after withdrawing the clones. Levran seemed to only be equal to the young Mage in terms of power, and was forced to use one of his most powerful Luminosity attacks to finish her. It as all over in a blinding flash. The battle was finished, but their hardships were far from over. At least that's what Varkasan thought when he filed in with the rest of them to report to Levran to do a head count and body count. --------------------------- There wasn't much to have talked about last night, and Varkasan was not in the mood for it either. He had seen fellow recruits (some he had known very well) get slaughtered and wounded just like that. Some of his friends seemed to have been too fatigued from yesterday's events to be up for chit-chat anyway, so he decided to sleep in early and get his energy back after a night watch was offered by Levran.He didnt realize how tired he was when he passed out inside his tent after setting aside his items. The next ting he knew, he was hearing the sounds of saws cutting wood, and hammer hitting nail. Emerging from the tent, he saw that construction had already begun, and Overlord Levran was gathering the recruits. He saw Zalfn jump down from a wooden scaffolding and join them. He was wearing his clothes instead of his armor, and he looked mildly sweaty. "Been working my ass off all morning. Maybe you've gotten enough energy to take my job after this meeting?" Zalfn asked Varkasan. "As long as you're not just avoiding your assignment, heh... How is Aradus by the way? He seemed off last night." Varkasan responded. "Ah, him... He's still not over what happened with the Captain yesterday. To be honest, I dont blame him, the man burned right before his eyes. But don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine soon. We can see him again later. Right now we must listen to what our saviour, The Overlord has to say." Zalfn answered, adopting a cheery tone towards the end. The Overlord introduced them to the new replacement for their commanding officer. She was a vastly different person from Captain Tines. She seemed much more cheerful and not as uptight as him, but Levran assured them all she was a highly experienced Paladin and that they were in good and capable hands. Varkasan gave a salute as she greeted them, acknowledging that she was their superior in both name and skill (if her armor and supposed promotion offers were anything to go by). "We'll do our best to serve underneath you" He said, before lowering it. She seemed easygoing, yes, but that didn't mean that they were excused from showing her any respect. After the introduction, the recruits decided to have some breakfast before being given their next assignment. Varkasan sat down and began eating. While filling his stomach, he saw the blonde woman, Freiya. She seemed to be practicing something, it resembled some form of unarmed fighting style, but it was nothing that they were ever taught in training. It seemed a little sloppy, but he knew that he should not mistake it for incompetence, Freiya had proved time and again how dangerous she was in a fight. There was another recruit, Steven was his name. Varkasan didn't really recognize the boy much, all he knew about him was that he was young, and spent a lot of time with another recruit by the name of Drakul. He was a quiet and reserved one. Varkasan felt he was a little too young to be on the battlefield, but he had shown talent with his arrows. He also remembered seeing something on his face after the battle had ended as they cleared the bodies and assisted the wounded. It seemed like a mix of sadness and empathy, not just for the Paladins, but even for the bandits. He seemed like a kind man who did not even want to raise his weapon. Varkasan could understand where it was coming from, but he knew one couldn't afford to hesitate in a fight. It was either your life or theirs. But still, he didn't think someone like him should even be within a Paladin platoon; a kind heart was a rare thing, and to have it corrupted by blood, death, and loss would be truly tragic. He looked around and saw Aradus along with a few other recruits. The Heavy Knight still looked somber, but he did not seem weak at all. Varkasan hoped that Zalfn was right, but he knew mental scars ran deeper than any wound. He was mainly worried that his friend might do something reckless if ever he felt the need to "redeem himself"... There wasn't much time to brood on matters however. Peaceful as it might be now, Varkasan had a feeling it wouldn't last long. they were in frontier, far from any control or influence of the capital. Runaway Mages and immoral Rogues populated the wilds, and they needed to be ready for anything that happened. If yesterday's events were anything to go by, the recruits were severely unprepared for a Mage attack. They needed to learn quickly, or they would all die before this campaign was over.

With the scouting team ready and prepared Ordore had to discuss the plan so everyone knew. Once Ru, Nero and Misala formed in around Eddy and him everyone knew, the time to leave was nye. "We're gonna head off in that direction." Pointing in the direction of the tavern, "And afterwards in about Ten minutes time the main group will follow. I want a standard formation. I'll be at the front, Eddy and Nero behind me side by side and Misala and Ru behind them also in pairs. If one of you stray off course it's you're partners job to get you back. And if we get into a fight you go back to back and help. I want this road to be like a walk in a garden with rainbows, do you hear?" Without any complications the plan was set. They got into formation at the entrance. Ordore looked over his shoulder, "Once I go, wait five seconds, then you go and repeat." Ordore exclaimed so the group could hear. He leaned in closer to Eddy, "Keep her close" Ordore added running and jumping to one tree. "Move it!" He exclaimed jumping from tree to tree like the wind.

Two days later The group was successfully approaching Kaosbund with little issues. En route, however, they encountered something... The scouting group had to stop. Something was a miss. Something was stalking them, unseen in the shadows. It was too dangerous to proceed. Eventually, the rear group caught up, while everyone was trying to figure out the situation. Obviously, whatever creatures were stalking them, were waiting for stragglers, but could not find any. The elf, even though an experienced tracker and hunter, had no idea what was following them. The big cats were known to ambush their prey from the trees, but NOT jumping from tree to tree completely invisible. Waiting for another sign of movement, Eddy quickly shot an arrow in that direction. A loud howl could be heard, as an arrow seemingly was stuck mid-air, with blood around it. And suddenly, the creature lost it's invisibility. It was not a wild beast, nor was it a scar mutant. It was something else. "Oh shit, Tyrants..." Misala sighed. The wounded Tyrant didn't even seem to care about an arrow stuck in it's shoulder, as the rest of the pack attacked the group. Mastrix, overconfident and arrogant as ever, tried to command the beast to obey her, only for the creature to playfully tear off her limbs one by one. The creatures were incredibly fast, incredibly durable, and to Eddy's despair, completely unafraid of fire. [This desperate battle for survival forces the group to adapt and improvise if they are to survive. Each character can either learn a new basic skill or improve an existing one, giving them that necessary edge to prevail.] The Tyrants were slain. Very few came out unscathed. A lot of them injured. And Mastrix was very dead. The healers in the group patched everyone and themselves up, and it was time to continue. Misala walked over to one of the carcasses, flipped it over so it's face could be seen, and looked at the rest of the group. "I suppose you want to know what these things were... Chimeras. They were Chimeras. More specifically, Tyrants. Chimeras were created by mages of old, usually used as weapons. I don't think they were supposed to be able to breed, but somehow, they are doing just that. These things were designed to kill, and they are damn good at that, as you can see. There are more types of Chimeras, and even more unknown types. As for how I know about them, let's just say I hunted these things in the past, and leave it at that." Misala's mystery grew. Who in their right mind would hunt such things? But her standing before them, alive and well, proved just how good she was. But her motives remain unclear. Their next objective was not far off. They were to collect something from a nearby Scar, a crystal formation which grows only there. That scar is said to be unique, and one of the least dangerous. "Allure's Mist this scar is called. I actually visited this place quite a lot when I was young. It was good money. Despite that I said it's rather safe scar, do not think it is not without it's dangers. The first time is especially difficult." Aela was explained to the recruits. Marching through forests, faint glimmers of carved stone and wood could be seen beneath the foliage. Within those three centuries, nature has reclaimed Altea, and it did not intend to let go. Coming upon a clearing, a faint pink mist could be seen in the distance. "This is it, dears. Remember, under no circumstance you should go deeper into the mist or separate from the group. You will not be able to leave the mist by yourself, nor we will be able to retrieve you. If you do everything right, this will be a rather pleasant experience." Stepping into the mist, the recruits instantly felt at ease. This mist, this atmosphere was so relaxing. It seemed like all the worries of the world had been gone, and one could stay here forever. Thankfully, the mist wasn't as concentrated at the edge, and with some effort of willpower the paladins could focus on collecting the crystals which grew here like grass. Brittle and pretty, they needed quite a bit of them for something. They had to fill an entire large bag with them. Aela was right, this was pleasant. The brutal battle of yesterday seemed like a faint dream, a nightmare they will soon forget. "Not bad, huh? There are higher quality crystals deeper in the mist, but you wouldn't be able to handle it yet. Nor do we need them. Good thing none of you have depression or anything like that, people like that are affected by this mist much more severely." "Depressed? You mean like Alicia?" Varkasan said with an apathetic voice while turning around. "Oh, she's there." Alicia was seen slowly heading deeper into the mist. Captain Aela quickly rushed over and dragged her back, seemingly struggling herself to resist the zone's influence. Alicia was trying to resist, but strength seemed to leave her limbs. Dragged back to the group, she couldn't even get up anymore, only speak weakly... Due to the mist influence, the recruits couldn't even care about their teammates. Heck, they hardly cared about themselves, as long as they got to stay here. ... Despite the close call, the task was done, and Alicia's mental breakdown shocked many. She was idolized. She was the star pupil. She was born into a great family. Most people assumed she was living the dream and envied her. This wasn't exactly the case. Leaving the mist, it's spell no longer affected the recruits. All the suppressed emotions and experiences came back crashing down and they had to stop for a bit. "It's ok. Take your time everyone. Especially you, Alicia. We got what we came for, we're not in a rush." Taking an hour to rest from this experience, everyone stayed silent. Not only because of Alicia, but just how easy the mortal mind was to seduce - and they experienced it first hand. Experienced the weakest version of it, anyway. [The recruits gain increased willpower from their experience within Allure's Mist. Any effects that target the mind will have a harder time affecting the recruits.] The mist was overpowering. Alicia was not prepared for this. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she felt at peace, that gnawing emptiness inside her filled with what she assumed was happiness. Forgetting her objective and the world around her, Alicia let go of any attempts of resistance. She did not want to resist. She wanted more. The world she left behind was long gone, and this blissful place was all that she needed. She had no reason to leave. And then a hand suddenly grasped her hand, pulling her back, with faint words blurring in the distance. Or maybe nearby. She couldn't tell. All she knew that she needed to go deeper. And this hand, this force was not letting her. But Alicia's strength was gone, as she was dragged back to the group by Captain Aela. As if all strength was sapped from her, Alicia could barely open her mouth. The mist's hold partially broken, all the emotions came she suppressing all her life came back rushing in. So this is what happiness feels like. Is this what I never had... Alicia wept weakly. "My life was decided before I was even born. I was supposed to rejoice in my accomplishments I never wanted. Up until I was told to join the paladins, I did not even know what choice was. All those people, with their ideals and motivations, they chose this path. All along their lives, they chose their fate themselves. Mine was predetermined long ago..." Alicia couldn't help it. All that she held up within her, and what only very few suspected, like Varkasan, just came pouring out. It felt rather relieving. She no longer cared about opinions. Alicia just wanted this burden gone. Aela simply listened to her. "I've heard from your instructors that they never seen you smile, Alicia. Now I know why. You may feel like you lack purpose, lack a reason to exist. You simply know that you have to exist, to be a pretty idol to drive up recruitment. Never liked these "noble" families, never will. But I promise you girl, I WILL make you smile. Now get up." Aela comforted her and helped her stand. Alicia's teammates, still enthralled by the mist, but to a much lesser extent, quietly collected the crystals, and Alicia joined them. ... Leaving the mist took great effort. As soon as she left, all her senses came back fully, and yet, she felt rather OK. This huge emotional burden she just dropped freed her. While still unable to find her reason to go on forward, she knew she had to move forward until she had one. She had people that trusted her, that looked up to her. To them, Alicia was more than just something to aspire to be, she was a friend. And now that Alicia is a paladin, the choices are hers to make. There are 20 years to make up for, so she better get started. No more illusions of happiness, she's going to find her own place in the world, even if it means carving her way towards it. Ordore led Eddy and Misala into the tavern room. No one else was around. He told them that a high ranking Luminite was after him, who was also his childhood friend. "My dear, the Luminites are after every rogue mage. A lot of them have personal vendettas. But what is he going do, track and spy on you?" Misala remarked. After passing a few other words, they gathered what supplies they needed and set off. Then a few days later... Something was following them. They had to stop. Something Eddy has never seen before. Taking up defensive positions, they waited for their rear to catch up. Strength in numbers, any wild beast recognizes that. Yet the rustling of branches continued, something moving from tree to tree effortlessly while still completely hidden. "Any idea what is stalking us?" Eddy asked, looking towards his teammates. Yet none of them had a clue either. Except Misala. "I REALLY hope it's not what I think it is. she said quietly. Eddy was preparing to inquire further, but the sounds were getting closer and closer - the creatures have surrounded them completely. Not waiting for them to make the first move, Eddy blindly shot an arrow into the canopy. A grunt of pain could be heard, and the arrow hit something. But it looked like it was floating mid air, blood dripping out. And then the creature lost it's invisibility, as the rest of the pack joined the fray. The so called Tyrant which Eddy hit didn't seem to mind the arrow lodged inside it. The several more that Eddy hit only pissed it off more. Those were no wild beasts, as they cleverly dodged Eddy's fireballs, and simply ignored Eddy's trail of fire. While he did manage to land a Flame Crash, it simply didn't have enough force behind it. Already having received several wounds from these incredibly cunning and fast beasts, Eddy was starting to panic. No way he would die here, not to a beast. He had to do something. He had to improvise. The spellbook of pyromancy. He had one, and he read it all, though he understood nothing. His only achievement was the fireball, at it's most basic form. Eddy had to pull off something, as he will not survive another swipe. If only his Flame Crash had more power behind it. If only it was something like a molten rock. And a desperate idea was born. Quickly conjuring a fiery flame in his hand, he tried to create something like a rock within, and threw it skywards. The Tyrant was within striking distance, it was now or never. With great speed, the molten rock hurled towards the tyrant. The force was so great it went through the beast, tearing it half, while the ground impact send molten shards flying out, ripping the beast to shreds. Bleeding, wounded, but alive. Eddy got himself up to try and help others. [Flame Crash is now Molten Impact. Now more than just a ball of fire striking someone from a sky, the molten rock gains dangerous momentum and force, further shattering on impact to destroy anything nearby.] ... The wounds patched up, and Misala sharing her knowledge about the Chimeras, and they were ready to set off again. Just who the hell was she? And unlike the rest of them, she was not hurt during the battle. At the very least she was not lying the she hunted those things before. Kaosbund was not far. And Eddy wished to never see another Chimera again.

The mist was... oddly satisfying. It wasn't much unlike being in the embrace of the drink. Worries slipping away, the stress melting into nothing and most importantly, the pain on her face dulling to a manageable level. Freiya unconsciously grit her teeth a lot and she felt a strange numbness as her jaw relaxed, before almost lazily bending her knee to pick up the brittle crystals growing out from the soil. It was like being blindingly drunk and just practicing Ki-Tan at the same time! If such a feat were even possible. Well, the old drake could do it..., Freiya thought, her mind wandering as she picked up more crystals. The thought of wandering deeper into the mist did cross her mind. Maybe deeper within, there was no pain, no thrice-accursed nightmares, a place where her father... Freiya almost dropped her bag once she realized what she was actually considering. Her father was dead. Stolen from her by what enabled the very nature of this Scar. How could she possibly entertain such a thought? What was wrong with her?! Disgust and shame rose up in her chest, pushing away all the emotions clouding her mind as clarity returned, along with the pain. Snarling softly under her breath, Freiya felt suddenly glad for the slight masking nature of the mist as red filled her cheeks from shame and rage. Cursing the whole place in her head, she began to pick up the crystals much faster. She was only shaken from her thoughts as the Captain rushed past her to... grab Alicia? Huh... would you look at that? Freiya thought as she stood up to her full height, her bag full. Freiya had never idolized Alicia like many of the other recruits had. To her, Alicia was closer to an ideal. Maybe the sort of person her father would have liked her to be. But she was not Alicia and would never be, she had realized that during the first two weeks of training after the younger girl had arrived. But Alicia could be a waypoint to her, just like all the respected Captains and Overlords. One to reach and surpass one day. Freiya however disliked any idea of a rivalry, merely playing the role of a spectator from afar, gauging Alicia's skill and growth with her own eyes. The fact that Alicia progressed at a ridiculously fast rate in comparison to herself deterred her a little. How could she ever catch up to someone like that? But everyone had to have limits. It was why Freiya was so keen and reaching her's and shattering them into a million pieces. It was why that damn old drake had taught her pathetic self anything back then. It was useless comparing herself to Alicia, who was still growing. The Overlords and other established Knights of already great renown would do just fine. Freiya was sure she'd meet Alicia again, at the very top of the food chain. But it seemed even the seemingly immaculate Alicia had her weaknesses. Not particularly hidden, as evidenced by Varkasan's knowledge. But having spent little to no time at all with Alicia, Freiya had no idea. She had merely assumed Alicia was cold like herself, with a serving of charisma and charming on the side. The girl was certainly popular enough for no one to even attempt disproving that. But maybe she was wrong about Alicia, having assumed she was just a cold knight aspiring to be something more... nothing to apologize over, but certainly enough for Freiya to reform her image of the younger swordswoman. ... Finally, they were out. While the mist's effects on her head had disappeared a while ago, Freiya was more than glad to be out of such a revolting place. Playing on people's emotions, snaring them in like a hunter would do to a rabbit... what a vile place even the safest Scar could be. Freiya let out a deep sigh of relief, reaching once more for her wine-skin, cursing solemnly as she found it empty. She then spotted Alicia, looking likewise relieved as herself to be out. Are you alright? The questioned burned at her throat, unbidden and surprising to even Freiya herself. Maybe it was the seeds of her new image of the recruits' Luminous Princess growing. But she bit her tongue. Alicia had friends. They'd look after her. Freiya had looked after others enough for a single lifetime.

Something was following them, Nero could feel it just as much as all the others. He heard the elf ask but not get any definite answer. Then he saw the arrow fly, and land for a second in the air before the invisibility wore off. As soon as he saw the weapon fly, Nero drew his own blade. When he saw what it was his mind flashed back to several old tomes on the subject his grandfather had owned. He knew that this was going to be a true battle, so he began to draw the dual god and shadow symbol in the air. It took him a bit, but then he thrust his blade into the ground and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes they were in the pattern of the yin yang symbol that he had drawn and he was bursting with energy. He drew his blade from the ground and stood in a somewhat schizophrenic stance that combined the dark randomness of half the technique with the purposeful order of the other. He began to fight in a whirlwind of dark and light, striking several different chimera at once in the same most vulnerable spots. His fighting, which took out one of the largest counts of the enemy, was noticed as a black and white blur, mixing with red as blood soaked into the blade's channels specifically made for blood. When he came too from his battle fury he realized that he was almost passed out with exhaustion and that he was covered in wounds. As he walked over to the healers he looked down at him blade and some runic channels that were stained with blood. Stopping he began to read the runes softy out loud and his blade began to glow. Slowly the blood on the blade disappeared and Nero began to feel revitalized. His most gruesome wounds began to stitch themselves back together and he wasn't quite as exhausted, physically or magically, si this allowed him to wait a bit to see his wounds taken care of, and he began to help gather plants and stuff for the healers. [Nero gains the spell blood revitalization, as he fights his enemies small bits of blood soak into his blade which he can use to replenish his mana and health.] When it finally came to Nero's turn to be healed the healer was surprised at how much he had done. He was still covered in small wounds and the active work he had done had repeatedly torn apart the tender scar tissue as it had knit back together, and he had been in fact one of the most grievously wounded among them. Only his new spell and residual toughness from his battle spell had kept him from collapsing.

It was heavy, large, probably a predatory thing, whatever was following them was gaining quite quickly. Darthalia was looking around with the others, Colig root would be useful about now, the powdered form decays invisibility. She was wondering where the nearest plant could be when she nearly ran into a member of the scouting group. They must of noticed it to, the feeling of someone following. As she tried to figure out what it was, the trigger happy elf shot seemingly randomly, but by some odd luck he hit what was following them. Some weird creature she swore she had seen in a book once. Before she had time to register its features while its invisibility vanished, the rest of the pack appeared and started moving towards them. Darthalia was far back so she had time to see Mastrix get torn apart like a piece of meat. Some sort of sadness crept inside Darthalia, which was odd, she didn't even know this women yet she was sad about her death, maybe this was normal. While having this little though, a Tyrant or whatever it was called, made a V-line for her, she snapped out of her daze quick enough to notice and stumble to the side to avoid the massive claws about to slice her open. She wasn't quick enough as the claws made contact with her side, tearing a reasonable chunk out of her side. The claws then connected with her cloak, they got caught in it and before Darthalia could grab her side she was yanked back and choked as the creature pulled her along. She coughed and spluttered as she tore at her neck and at the clasp of her cloak until it finally broke and she skidded before rolling over, gasping for air. The creature, now relizing that their prey was gone, turned and as it did Dathalia pushed herself off the ground and reached for her crossbow on her back, feeling the absence of it made her eyes widen as she quickly looked around, seeing it laying under her torn cloak. She ran for it, but before grasping the handle she had to hit the ground to avoid the large claws swiping above her head. The creature looming over her slim figure, she stared up at its blank eyes, she didn't move until she saw it raise its claws. Her fingers wrapping around the handle of the crossbow, she dragged it to her, it seeming heavy with her weakened state. But she held it tight and pulled it quickly under the creatures jaw, she shot the arrow, it made a sickening crack as it shot through the creatures skull. It spluttered and tried to lift its claw to swipe at Darthalia but it slowly collapsed ontop of her. She pulled herself out from under it. Standing shakily as she looked around, the others seemed to still be alive. She stumbled slowly and picked up her leather bag that had been thrown in the midst of the fight. She rummaged around and pulled out a little red vial and pulled the cork with her teeth and spat it out then took the vial and drank the contents quickly. The affects were immediate, she bit her knuckle as her skin and muscles slowly grew back on her side. It was a painful process but once it was over her side was healed. She helped the other healers with the other injured and gave them all a small red vial as well, it was a healing potion that would help in emergencies. When she was finished she looked to the creature she killed and took out the dagger from a sheath on her thigh, and she cut out a chunk of the creatures flesh and wrapped it in a large leaf laying around, she thought it would be useful for a potion later on. She shoved the leaf package in her little leather bag then bent down and picked up her ripped green cloak. It had four long claw marks in it, it was useless but she slowly walked up to the scattered bits of Mastrix and she lay the cloak over the torn body and rejoined the group. [Darthalia's ranged combat has improved along with her Dexterity. Everyone who accepted the offer received a small potion capable of healing major but non fatal wounds. Gained flesh of Chimeras, able to be used for an invisibility potion in the future]

Steven stared at the mist as the group approached it, slightly nervous. It should be safe, but he couldn’t know without experiencing it himself. That made him nervous. He assumed that the captain was trustworthy, and she had assured them that they would be fine, but circumstances wouldn’t be exactly the same for every person. There was only a small chance that something unexpected would happen, but it still made Steven a little nervous. Nevertheless, the group pressed on. As they neared the edge of the fog, Steven steeled himself for what awaited. A few meters away from it and he began to feel a little odd. With a little reluctance, Steven stepped into the fog. As soon as his head was engulfed in the mist, his world became quiet, as if the fog had also obscured his hearing. His thoughts drifted away from him, and Steven was calm. Be at peace, The mist seemed to say. There is happiness here… It said, coiling around him. Some part of his mind said that this was unnatural, that the world was not so serene. But his mind was elsewhere, and Steven was in the fog. Steven slowly lifted his hand up, cupping some fog in his palm. It mysteriously stayed in his hand, wavering slightly. Stay here… The mist whisphered. There is no sadness here… It said to Steven. “If only I could collect happiness in my hand like this…” Steven said. “Maybe I wouldn’t be so troubled.” He let go of the mist and it dissipated. Steven slowly came out of his trance and immediately walked into a tree. Steven rubbed his nose and looked around. The mist abundant, but not thick enough to obscure vision by too much. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the fog, and if Steven looked back, he could see the edge of it, where it gave way to the rest of the world. Steven stooped down and took some crystals, as that was what they were here for. What are these? Steven thought to himself. Putting them into his bag, Steven found himself pondering about them. Why did they need these? Why were they growing in the weird fog? Steven turned to ask the captain, but she was busy pulling another recruit away from going deeper into the mist. Huh. Steven thought. Out of the corner of his mind, he had heard the captain say that it was more difficult to resist the mist if you were depressed, but he didn’t know that it actually applied to one of the recruits. Steven turned back to gathering crystals. The captain would have her hands full for a while. The trainee paladins soon left the mist, bags full of crystals. Steven had some in his pockets because his bag was full. As soon as Steven stepped out of the mist, the thoughts that left him behind came back to him, causing him to pause mid-step. He soon got over the surprise, however, and felt normal once again. No fogged mind, no fogged vision. Steven stretched, and was glad to see the sun. He looked around at the other trainees, some who were still in shock over returning once more to their thoughts. Well, they’ll be alright. Steven said. The trainees had an hour to rest, and after that, they would be on their way. So Steven took the time to observe the reactions of his fellow trainees. The majority had gotten over their blissful experience, but some were still out of it. What was interesting was the fact that the reaction of the person who’d been impacted by the mist to the highest degree was bringing plenty of worry for her. Steven reasoned that it was surprising to see someone they’ve trained with for practically years collapse was shocking, but there was more to that. Back during training, Steven had often heard Alicia mentioned in the conversations of other trainees. Due to her high birth and fast progress, she was hailed as the strongest person in their group. She was the one who took command when the old captain was killed last night. Most of the trainees respected her for her family, but she showed skill to back it up. Steven was surprised to see that she had some kind of depression, but he wasn’t as shocked as all of the other had been. Steven hadn’t noticed it himself, but she seemed to be held in very high regard amongst the recruits. Similar to the statue of a hero, something eternal and something that would last forever. Steven could see why the trainees were shocked, and all that he could really think about was the fact that he wasn’t really shocked. Everyone had weaknesses, Steven knew that. If it wasn’t too little of something, it was too much. In Alicia’s case, it was probably her defence. Her style was good for fighting multiple opponents at once, but it sometimes leaves her weak. Sometimes, it seemed to Steven that the stronger a technique was, the window of weakness would be larger after it. The same could be applied to Alicia’s mind. This was Steven’s assumption, but Alicia’s mental depression was likely due to the stress she endured to be a Luminous knight. There were too many expectations she had to meet, too much to do. If Steven had to hazard a guess, she must’ve spent all of her life training to be a paladin. Steven didn’t envy her life. The dagger training he went through as a child was hellish enough, but he went and combined it with bow training whenever he could. It hadn’t been that bad in the end, but Steven was surprised he could pull it off. It had made the paladin training much easier and all, but he couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of training it took to be able to use Alicia’s strange double sword style. It must’ve cut into her childhood. Whatever the case, it seemed that her life lacked happiness, and that brought her into danger in the mist. Steven made a note to watch out for her in the future. She was frailer than she appeared. While she was intelligent, he had seen her dive into the crowd of bandits and become stranded in an island of enemies. Thankfully, she had friends to back her up, but if what Steven guessed her lifestyle to be like was correct, she had few friends anyway. On reflection, Steven should watch everyone. Most had weaknesses that weren’t apparent. In particular, he should watch anyone who pushed others away, because they were the ones who had no one to catch them when they fell. This may have been just Steve’s arrogance, but it was the closest thing to an aspiration Steven had.

With their bellies full and their bodies recovering from their recent strains, the recruits were then given their next assignment. It was simple enough: collect a few rare crystals only found in a certain place. The catch? It was within the area of a Scar. Varkasan remembered being told about Scars during their training. They were dangerous areas where magical energies ran high and out of control. No Mage was in control of that magic, it was simply there. With that said, he remembered their instructor telling them time and again it was a bad idea to use Luminosity within a Scar if ever the magical properties were freely-flowing in the air, which was exactly the case where they were going. Captain Aela told them that this particular Scar was harmless, but that they should not wander deep within the mist. They would remain only at the edges of it in order to collect the crystals that they needed. Varkasan was a little anxious, and wanted to ask what effects that this Scar would have on them, but he decided that if the captain was not telling them, there was probably a good reason that she wanted them to find out for themselves. Varkasan quickly got his answer however, for as soon as he stepped within the mist and inhaled, he felt immediately light and at ease. His anxiety inexplicably disappearing. "This feels... good... I feel like a fool for ever being worried about this. It's all so... relaxing..." He thought, not realizing that even his thoughts were slowing down. "What was I here for again...? Oh right... The crystals... I still have a job to do..." He thought to himself. as he slowly bent down and began collecting the minerals and putting them inside the pouch. Varkasan was able to focus enough to gather the crystals, but he could barely perceive anything else. The time it was taking them and the location of his fellow recruits were all hazy. He heard a distant voice say something. It was familiar, he decided to attribute the voice to Captain Aela. "Not bad, huh? There are higher quality crystals deeper in the mist, but you wouldn't be able to handle it yet. Nor do we need them. Good thing none of you have depression or anything like that, people like that are affected by this mist much more severely." Said the voice. Somehow, Varkasan recalled some kind of memory from their training days. It was foggy, but it was there. ---------------------- He was out one night half an hour before their curfew. He was going to get some water from their Mess Hall for him and his roomates when he heard some kind of sobbing come from somewhere. Varkasan cautiously looked around to investigate. After a bit, he realized the sobbing was coming from within the Mess Hall kitchen. He crept towards the door, and slowly turned it open. He saw a figure, huddled in one of the corners, face buried in their hands, with tears flowing down through the palms. The figure looked feminine, and had long white hair. At first glance, he thought he saw a ghost, but upon closer inspection he noticed the recruit uniform that it was wearing. "Alicia...?" He realized. He did not recall anything bad happening to her on that day, nor did she receive any seemingly troubling letters (he should know, because he was on mail distribution duty that day). So he wondered why she was crying alone. He wanted to approach her and ask her what was wrong, but at the same time, he knew that Alicia seemed to make a point of being a cut above the other recruits in nearly everything that she did, and she might just be devastated if she knew that someone had witnessed her being weak. If anything, it might've made her depression worse (at least that's what he thought she was suffering). So he slowly closed the door and left, deciding to keep quiet about the whole incident, and only tell it if anything bad started happening to her. The next day, she showed up in the morning as usual, and acting as if nothing happened, so he decided not to bring it up anymore after that. ---------------------- With the memory returning to Varkasan upon hearing the words of their captain, he blurted out without even thinking. "Depressed? You mean like Alicia?" He said as he began looking around for her. He still felt relaxed and calm, but there was this minor and suppressed feeling of urgency. Though he was too far into the mist's influence to pay it much heed. "Oh, she's there." He said, seeing her walking deeper into the mist. He saw the vague outline of Captain Aela rush toward her and pull at her. Varkasan felt like he should be doing something, but his relaxed head was too calm to think too much about it, and he returned to gathering the crystals until his pouch was full. Eventually, Captain Aela led them out the fog, and slowly their thoughts returned back to them. Varkasan realized just ho careless he had been and immediately spun around, looking for his friends and squadmates, not fully remembering if any of them besides Alicia had walked off, but thankfully they were all there. The others were in quite shock though, both from their experiences within the mist, and from realizing how Alicia had reacted to it. Varkasan wasn't all that surprised by that reaction, she was after all the top of their class; the cream of the crop as some instructors had said. So no one really expected her to have been carrying such a burden. It was now that Varkasan realized that the reason he had seen her cry was because she had so much to live up to, and who's to say that she even wanted to? Regardless, she was here now, and that was a fact that she (and every other recruit) needed to accept. Varkasan was thinking about talking to her and perhaps comfort her, but decided to give her space for now; she would speak to them about it whenever she was ready. He passed by an uncomfortable looking Freiya as he went to meet up with Zalfn, Richten, and Aradus (again, he decided to leave the other recruits be for now). He was actually surprised that Aradus did not begin walking off like Alicia, but he had always known his friend to be the strongest among their group in both body and mind. "I'm glad we all got out of that without much incident" Varkaan told them. "No kidding. If Aradus here started wandering off, he'd have dragged anyone who tried to pull him back, with him!" Zalfn said with a chuckle while Aradus simply shook his head from within his helmet. Varkasan was glad to see that his friends were starting to feel better after yesterday's events. Perhaps there was a good thing to be gotten from that trek in the mist. Nonethless, Varkasan felt the need to steel their minds even further. If that was what uncontrolled and sporadic magic could do to them, then mind-charming magic used by a Mage would be much more potent. And as a Luminous Knight, that was a clear cause for concern.

Ordore and The Jackals had finally made it to The Tavern. The town was the same as Ordore remembers. They walked up to the door and Ordore turned to Eddy and just quickly pointed something out, "There is a dwarf in here, his name is Karnak Dadas, and he has a thing... for theatrical means. So... what i'm about to do is, well..... out of character." Ordore, hood on and silk over face, burst open the door swinging his arms onto his hips looking at the corner pretending to be the sky promptly and broadly exclaiming, "I... HAVE RETURNED!". Karnak Dadas got out of his chair, walked towards the group while laughing and grabbed Ordore into a headlock. The Jackals all prepared to fight at the sight of their leader in danger but quickly realized the situation. Oxton, the bartender served them all up some beer and Ordore asked, "How much of that do you have?", pointing to the beer. In that rough croaky voice he replied "nuff to last an entire army, why? you got an army coming with ya?". Ordore chuckled. Eddy took the lead, getting out of his chair walking past Ordore, tapping his shoulder and said to Oxton, "Something like that...". Eddy walked off into a separate room and as Ordore went to follow, Karnak tugged at his cloak, "We need to talk kid." His voice being serious, Ordore wasn't sure what was happening, but it was big. Ordore sat back down to listen to what he had to say. "Listen kid, i like ya, and i'm a very important person. After you left you're friend over there..." pointing to Misala, "Came by. She wasn't alone. She came into town with what looked like Knights. Now, I thought that meeting was a trap so I did some snooping around. Does the name Luke Dimit, mean anything to you?" That name made Ordore pay closer attention and he simply nodded his head, holding back anger and sorrow. "He's looking for a young 17 year old, purple haired and purple eyed fellow, now no one is dumb enough to look like that, wait...." he waited for the joke to seep in but when Ordore gave no intention of laughing he knew this Luke guy was personal. "Watch you're back kid. You know where to find me if you're ever in trouble. Remember, I'm important." again, emphasizing his importance. Ordore, with this new found knowledge didn't know what to think. Anger was across his face, Eddy. Ordore remembered he had to talk with Eddy. Ordore got up like before, but with a lot less life in him. "About time, we need to discuss about her." Eddy said Ordore entered the room. "She's coming, look, Eddy, I think shes a knight undercover, be careful." Ordore quickly finished his sentence as Misala walked in. "Please, don't stop on my account. Continue..." Ordore quickly acted, "I was just telling Eddy that this mission has now become personal. Someone I used to know is trying to track me and his part of the luminous knights. No information is further needed but this is to personal and I feel like my actions could cause devastation to the mission and in this case, I give Eddy the permission with Misala as my witness, to take command over The Jackals and strip me, Ordore Igbin of any command that I have. Eddy gave Ordore a look but just nodded his head in agreement. Misala quickly added, "My dear, the Luminites are after every rogue mage. A lot of them have personal vendettas. But what is he going do, track and spy on you?" and then she simply walked away. Ordore and Eddy followed. The big group met up with The Jackals at The Tavern and they gathered supplies and drank Oxton's horrible beer. The scouting party didn't stay so far ahead, they were actually five minutes ahead of the group. With the invisibility gone the beast became clear. This was no ordinary beat and Ordore could sense great and powerful magic in the air. Ordore heard a noise from his left and turned in time to see the beast lunge towards him. With the whole "Luke" Business Ordore could never die here. His initial move was to teleport him and the beast away to deal with it there but something was different. Ordore never had a reason to keep on living. Going from town to town, stealing food and living in the wild his life was just going passed him. But this vendetta made his will burn brighter than ever. When Ordore went to teleport with the beast something new came out. The beast who was travelling faster then the eye can see was now moving like a snail. Ordore looked around, an saw eddy's arrow almost at a stand still in mid-air. So, Teleportation works on manipulating space and time around it, what ever this ability is, Chronokinesis, the art of Time Manipulation. The ability didn't seem to last very long, about 10 seconds but in that time, Ordore manged to walk up to his and with both hands use Sunfire Ray. A beam of fire exploded the head off of this creature. When the speed went to normal, the ability took its toll on Ordore and his vision was very distort. Collapsing down to the ground. He saw limbs fly and tried very hard to get up, but he merely fainted and laid on the battlefield...

The party was getting close to Kaosbund, only a few days remaining in their journey. Fortunately, they hadn't had any major encounters on their journey. But for the past few hours, something had seemed off. Ru wasn't a forester - He was a denizen of cobbled streets and dark alleys, but he had this odd feeling as if something was watching him. Something malicious, gazing through the trees. Eventually the Jackals slowed and stopped, and sounds could be heard nearby, things moving through the trees. Multiple things. Big things. Ru brought forth another of himself to make three, standing spread out and hiding in the brush. He'd made a habit of keeping one illusion up at all times, mostly as an exercise in managing the thing. Eventually, the main party caught up with the scouts, and by then it was obvious that whatever was following them had surrounded them. Misala seemed to know something about it, but before she could speak, Eddy launched an arrow into the middle of nowhere. And Ru discovered that nowhere was apparently rather solid, and prone to bleeding if shot. Three Ru's gaped in surprise as a beast materialized out of nowhere, quickly followed by a whole pack of them gleefully descending on the group of mages. One pounced on an illusion, a confused look lingered for a moment on its inhuman face before it noticed Ru, and then his other illusion. Both of them dropped their packs, and drew their short swords in unison, and the fight began. The beast was somewhat cautious at first, facing two of Ru, and the battle mostly consisted of Ru and his illusions frantically dodging the huge claws of the tyrant. Eventually, Ru saw an opening, the beasts side open from an overzealous strike. Unfortunately, it was an illusion who was there to make the strike, and not the real Ru. He felt as if he could see through the illusions eyes as it pushed the fake sword towards the soft tissue now exposed, as the sword, seemingly so fatal, simply puffed away, leaving less than a scratch on the beast. The tyrant noticed this failure as well, quickly dispatching the illusion, and now turned towards the real Ru, its true target now in its sights. Ru frantically summoned more illusions, but the beast ignored them, now knowing their blows to be little more than smoke in the wind. Smart thing. He thought, noticing the change in behavior. Unfortunately for me. The tyrant took a swipe at him, too close to dodge, but too far away to get within it's reach, Ru was forced to attempt to parry the blow. Even at a deflecting angle, the force of the blow sent a shock through his arms, sending him reeling backwards, off balance. He somehow knew that the creatures other arm was heading in his direction. It was as if he could see it from two other sets of eyes, standing behind the thing. He watched as the claw came whistling through the air, and though he'd regained his balance, Ru knew he wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. And then the claw connected with flesh, and Ru watched his own torso get torn to shreds, his own corpse fly backwards, only to disappear in a puff of smoke. Before him was a confused, and exposed, tyrant. Taking the opportunity, Ru rammed his now very real sword through the creatures back, pushing it telekinetically for good measure to be sure it's spine was severed. The creatures lower body stopped moving, and it fell. A second stab finished its movements entirely. Ru wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but felt exhausted. It was as if he had become one of his own illusions. Ru sat down heavily as the adrenaline left his system, and saw the carnage. It didn't look like many had died, and healers were tending to the wounded - He accepted a potion from Darthalia as well, pocketing it for later use. Ru counted himself lucky that he had survived relatively unscathed. He'd seen what the tyrants could do, and doubted he'd have survived a hit from those claws. Misala then announced what the things were, and Ru wondered what else she might be hiding, or what other beasts she might know of that could be laying in wait for them on their journey. She had been rather closed about her past on the way there, and that was something Ru was fine to let lie, however if she knew things that could prevent further deaths - like that they may run into killer mutant things far from any scar - he would rather know. Ru moved a bit closer to the assassin, pulling out his wineskin and taking a small swig before offering it to Misala. "Care to share any hints on fighting those things so easily?" he asked cheerfully, tiredness still managing to seep into his voice. "Also, can you think of any other nasties that we could run into on our way to Kaosbund?" Ru also wondered if more of the tyrants were hiding in the wilderness still, like dogs fleeing after a few of their pack is killed, waiting to attack later, when the prey is easier.

Supplies were running low, and the encounter with the Tyrants didn't help. At this point, everybody treated Misala with suspicion, and she seemed to prefer it that way. The vegetation was starting to get sparser and sparser, as they hit a rather overgrown, but still visible paved road. White marble, it's shine barely lost, grass growing through the cracks. Nearby they could see a great wall, and crumbled gate, all white, with vines all over. Through the gate, the ruins of Kaosbund awaited. It was getting late, and the Jackals preferred some kind of shelter. The ground was littered with decaying remains of 300 year old corpses. Torn and faded armor and cloth, rusted weapons and sun-bleached bones, ready to crumple apart. One side was wearing blood-red plate armor, with the city insignia still quite visible on them, and wielding weapons of matching color, beautifully ornamented. The other had no uniform apparel, likely the original Luminous Knights. Despite that, the city remained in relatively good condition. Even nature could not breach those walls that easily. White marble towers rising in the sky, some crumbling, some still standing. Building were more varied in materials, but still in pretty good shape. At least those that were further away from the battles that took place within Kaosbund. Reaching the city square, a giant golden statue greeted them. A woman clad in some kind of plate armor, holding a massive, intimidating scythe in her hands. It was rather imposing, even in it's current state. It was cracked in places, and overgrown with vines. On the bottom, an inscription said: "Archon and Empress of The Eternal Empire, Meireli von Eternus." Upon seeing the name, Misala seemed shocked for a second, before regaining her composure. This name sounded familiar, though none could figure out why. Nearby they found what looked like an inn for the wealthy, in a very good state. It was rather odd, as the place seemed as if it was recently cleaned up. This mystery was soon solved as The Jackals could feel magic everywhere. Nearly everything was enchanted with it, seemingly to be able to maintain themselves. It had a grand dining table, with pristine plates and utensils ready for the visitors that never came. Up the second floor, the rooms were also still in pristine condition, complete with luxurious beds that were fit for kings. Up below was the kitchen and a massive wine cellar. Even the food, contained in some sort of magical containers, was still good. The Jackals decided to use this opportunity to unwind a bit, and prepare to resume their journey tomorrow. Their task complete, and the bag full of pretty crystals, the squad returned to camp. Though now it had the majority of it's walls up, and already a huge watchtower was nearly completed in the middle of this carcass of an outpost. A well dressed dwarf greeted them and took the bag, dragging it over to what looked like a long metal tube, with various sockets in it of various sizes. A table was nearby with various gemcutting tools, which the dwarf started using on the crystals they just brought. It was getting late, and after eating some food they made way to what seemed a giant tent specifically for their squad to rest. No longer just some rolls of cloth on the ground, there were bunk beds constructed for them, as well as a place for them to store their belongings. Seeing from the various boards in the corner, it wasn't going to be a tent for long. They even had a huge table in the corner, likely for briefings. Discussing various things before heading to sleep, the squad noticed that Alicia had a wierd red tattoo on her stomach, which she claimed to be a family tradition, as her father had one too. Though that made a little sense, it still was really wierd, even for an eccentric family. Morning came, and after getting some breakfast the group was given new orders, and a name - Team Aegis. Despite their very first mission taking a horribly wrong turn, their superiors took notice in them, and having a team name already meant they will be assigned to more important missions, and more dangerous ones. As Levran told them, this decision was made because of Aela's experience, and the superiors trusted her to forge these greenhorns into seasoned veterans. Their new objective was to investigate a cavern half a day away from this outpost. It seems that a group of well armed mercenaries keeps guard over that area, scaring away civilians and chasing away scouts. The cave might be some kind of smuggler's hideout, or an Undercity entrance, or anything else entirely. But the fact that it is guarded means it is important. And Team Aegis was to investigate. Grabbing all the necessary supplies and a map, they set out. They could finally rest. Her breakdown in Allure's Scar left Alicia in a far better mood - grumpy instead of a blank, emotionless expression. Right now she felt like she made a fool of herself, and everyone is laughing behind her back. But, no one was. While not exactly proper beds, those bunks were still better than sleeping on the ground. It was a hot evening, and Alicia decided to take off both her shirt and her armor, leaving her in underwear, sitting on her bunk, listening to others. Alicia wasn't the one to be ashamed of showing a bit of her body, unlike some other women, so the way her squad looked at her didn't bother her at all. However, the team wasn't looking at her body as much as her bright red tattoo on her stomach. Out of everyone here, only Varkasan got see it during their time in the academy. It was just a silly family tradition, her father had one too. Alicia told it to Varkasan once, and now she has told it again. A new day came, and they've got a new name for their team - Team Aegis. And their new objective was to investigate a cave guarded by mercenaries. Those people were expected to be well-trained and well-armed, and the fight will be a challenge. Everyone on the group really wished that no more surprises awaited them. Bad ones, at least. Ready to burn down some more brands, Team Aegis? Alicia tried to joke, probably for the first time in her life. However, only some groans could be heard as a response. At any rate, Alicia considered this "joke" a personal progress. Kaosbund was impressive, to say the least. Despite the numerous corpses, the city was mostly OK. The statue of The Queen was really intimidating, at the very least. "Well, this statue sure makes me feel small and insignificant, that's for sure. Guess that was the entire point." Eddy commented. Nearby, The Jackals noticed an inn in good condition. Too good to be true, anyway. Upon further investigation, and after discovering tons of various magical tools and thingies, included cutlery and plates, the place was considered real. Nearly everything was enchanted with magic in some way, making the place self-maintaining. Discovering that they had means to preserve food for hundreds of years, a wine cellar and glorious beds, The Jackals would have a feast tonight. The table was set. Far too big for their group, the table was set with various wonders of the lost age. The majority of these foods were never seen by The Jackals, and every single one of them was majestic, to say the least. "And here I thought meat with spices was heavenly food. So this is what the rich consume, huh." Eddy wondered, after taking a bit too many sips of a very old wine. "So, Misala, since we are all in this together, it's really bad to keep secrets. We don't trust you, and this is not a good position for you." he blurted even more bluntly than normally. The wine was kicking in, for him and nearly everyone else, including Misala. "Trust me? TRUST ME? When people trust me, they die." Misala's confident behavior vanished, as she was on the verge of crying. "I was just another child in a big and poor family. I had many brothers and sisters, all as miserable as I was. We all were forced to find a way to feed ourselves and our family, by any means. Eventually, I tried to pickpocket the wrong people and got caught. But instead of torturing or killing me, they gave me a chance. They were called Jaegers - they were hunters of extraordinary game. Scar mutants or chimeras, if you needed anything like that dead, Jaegers were the ones you hired. They taught me everything I know. We hunted together. We weren't rich, but we still got to live well in-between the hunts. We even managed to find an ancient dungeon where a type of chimera was created. We found various notes, especially on other types. That dungeon however created only one, supposedly the ultimate Chimera. We saw it's cage, we saw it broken. We saw the rotting skeletons of it's creators. In our hubris, we decided to hunt it down. Tyrants, Banshees, Reavers? No problem, we took down many of them. We thought ourselves unstoppable. The Jaegers never lost, and I was their new full-fledged member, blinded by pride just like the rest. That thing had a name - The Reaper. We figured that it was just named this way to sound just as scary as the rest of Chimeras. After many weeks, we tracked it down... And today, there is only one Jaeger left. Me... Because I ran away in fear... It was nothing like we ever faced, and I just panicked... And people who trusted me died... The nightmares, the screams, they never ceased. They still haunt me to this day. But eventually I found a new purpose for my life. One that stops me from just slitting my wrists to just avoid the nightmares. A new purpose that will remain a secret. Don't trust me, just don't... " Even though she tried to hide it, Misala was definitely crying. Standing up and quickly leaving to her room, she left the dining hall sitting in silence. Finishing their meals and drinks, The Jackals too left to get some sleep. Eddy himself was not sure what to make of this. Her story felt sincere, but this new "purpose" of her, what was it? And more importantly, just what was this Reaper? It destroyed a group of hunters who hunted Tyrants and their ilk for a living. And the elf didn't really want to know. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Dys had tossed and turned in her sleep fitfully, while beads of sweat poured down from her thick brown hair at a near-constant rate. One of her burly hands grasped her sheets, drenched with her own sweat as she dreamed. Tendrils came from every direction, latching onto faceless comrades and slinging their bodies around like puppets. For those that ran, their own shadows sprang to life and held them in place so that they could be mangled and torn apart by shadows and tendrils alike. She tried to slice at tendrils before they reached her, but they always flowed around her axe, as if it was merely a bothersome fly. She found herself ducking, dodging, and rolling out of the way of tendrils for what seemed forever, while her comrades were ripped to shreds as they made even the slightest of mistakes. An ominous feeling sprouted forth behind her, spurring dark thoughts into her head as she tumbled away from another tendril. She took a moment to look back - which would be her mistake - and a shadow had sprouted into life and lunged for her, pinning her by her throat to the slippery slimy earth below, slick with blood. But whose? "Your's." The voice of the shadow rattled as if it were just dust and bones speaking. "Your pretty blood, your pretty face, your pretty guts, we can use them all for Magic!" The shadow cackled in it's odd voice. Suddenly, a thousand tendrils began to tear her apart, the pain was agonizing as she felt her arm go flying into the distance, separating from her body entirely.

WHAM WHAM WHAM

Dys shot up from sleep to the racket of hammering next to where she slept on a cot on the ground. She was disoriented for a moment, unable to truly take in her surroundings. She slicked her damp hair back with a hand, and pulled on the cotton shirt she had worn to sleep in so it would unstick from her body. "Nightmare, huh...? Not surprising, by what happened yesterday, but Light bless I could do without it." She sighed and reached to take a swig out of bottle of liquor sitting near her cot. She had drank herself to sleep last night, might as well greet the day with more of the good stuff. A smile crept unto her face when she remembered Freiya offering her the wineskin the previous day, a gesture Dys had appreciated immensely at the time. "She isn't so bad, I could learn to like that one." Dys murmured into the bottle of liquor and took another, much longer swig. She supplemented her drinking with reading as she slowly calmed down from the nightmares she had, had throughout the night and the battle with the bandits. Forgetting momentarily was enough for her, the horror and the impossibility of it all, but Magic was Magic. And she needed to be fit enough to fight it when it came down to it. After her morning ritual of bathing in a nearby stream and donning her armor, the new Captain was introduced to her and the other recruits. Captain Aela, not much older than Dys in actual years, but much more mature anyway, for the fact of being human. Something about longer lifespans made dwarves just alittle more immature than the humans they worked alongside, if they were around the same age. However, Dys found herself liking the new Captain immediately, perhaps moreso than the last one they had, though the dwarf found herself regretting that they couldn't save him. Dys was going to say something to the new Captain, but Varkasan had beaten her to it. Instead, she raised her fist to her heart in a dwarven salute and stood at attention while they were briefed on their next mission. She wasn't exactly pleased about where they were going, that much was certain. Her hackles were already raised before she came in to the mist. She doubted she'd find the experience pleasant by any means, despite what Captain Aela said. She felt foul magic in the air before stepping in, but everything seemed to melt away, out of her reach as she desperately fought in the beginning to grasp reality as what she knew it to be. You'll be happy if you stay... The mist seemed to call out to her as it coiled and flowed around her body as she bent to grab crystals from the ground to add into her bag. The crystals seemed weirdly familiar to her, as she had seen her family use them from time to time. But who cares about family when you're so happy...? The mist-induced thought came and went as she shook her head and strained her mind. "This foul mist wont get the best of me!" She tried to growl, but it came out in an airy voice, very unlike her usual self. Yesterday will seem like a dream... so far off... why worry? The horrors of her nightmares seemed to evaporate in the mist so much more effectively than when she had tried to drink them away. You'll forget the pains of losing your mentor... Her head was floating now, even though her body continued to work on picking crystals. And it was true, the tight ball of longing in her heart seemed to unfold and untangle itself, releasing her resentment and anger of losing Vivace. Forget your anger over the past... your race flourishes now, the proud creators and inventors for the Light... She felt it disappear as well, and she became empty. She was a husk of nothingness, though her body continued to collect crystals obediently. When she stumbled out of the mist later, she pounded a fist against her thigh. She refused to let that happen again. She'd see to it that she eventually reached the center of those accursed mists, with all of herself perfectly intact, and then she'd collect so many crystals that they'd never have to experience something so disgusting and foul again in their lives. She held a fair amount of crystals, gathered in her daze, but not as many as others who managed to keep themselves more grounded. She noticed that the mists had affected Alicia, as had many others, who seemed to be in shock at their role model's condition. "So the machine can feel after all? Something about it seemed hilarious to Dys, and she found herself chuckling quietly, and unable to stop. Maybe the events of the past day coupled with the ones today had made her a tad hysteric? Maybe it really was just that ironic? All she knew was, was that she had a lot to learn. About herself, about her fellow recruits, and about Magic. When they arrived back with the crystals, she was surprised to see another dwarf on the surface. She wondered if they had met before, as dwarves seemed rare on the surface, but discarded the thought. Who cares, right? As long as we get our work done. She devoured her meal with a vengeance. She didn't kid about meal-time, and dwarves needed a lot of food to maintain their energy. Atleast, that was what she told a nerdy looking recruit as she stole the last breadroll, much to his chagrin. When she finished, she had ate a comically large portion in comparison to most of the other people sitting near her. She finished it off with a long drag from one of her bottles of ale, and smacked her lips in appreciation when she lowered the bottle. She patted the nerdy recruit on the back and filled up his empty water glass with ale. "You could use some hair on your chest, drink up little guy!" She stood from the table and started toward a giant tent with some other recruits. When bunking arrangements were settled, Dys had taken one of the lower bunks in a far corner of the room - perhaps strong-armed herself into it was a better word? - and had let the very nerdy looking recruit from dinner take the top, despite his protests that ladies should get the better bed. Her bunkmate was named Justin, and he probably weighed all of a hundred and ten pounds. If Dys fell on him... well, he'd live through it, but probably with a broken rib or two. She found herself amused by him and his chivalrous nature that defied his outward appearance. "Listen here Justin, you're gonna sleep up there and like it - or I'll make this a side by side instead of a bunk, hear me?" She barked as he leaned over the side of the bed to look at her. "Oh... um, o-okay, well, we can't do that, so okay, I guess..." He mumbled and disappeared back onto the top. She heard a thud and a small ow! come from up top. Hit his head on a post, huh? Clumsy kid. She leaned back against one of the posts of her bed and held her pillow to her chest. She noticed people making a deal of a tattoo on Alicia's stomach - which honestly surprised Dys. She had one of her own, on her face, but she hadn't expected the righteous and glorious Alicia von Eternus to have one herself. "And on her stomach of all places? Weird... What use is a tattoo if others can't see it? What a waste." She mused outloud, not caring who heard. Dys had dressed herself down to her cotton shirt and some linen shorts. She tended to be warmer than most others, so she wore clothes accordingly while resting. The rest of her things were stowed away under her bed, instead of in the proper location. Another reason she wanted the bottom, besides the chance she may crush a recruit to death in their sleep if the bunk happened to give way. Her waraxe, Vivi, was propped right next to her, just in case she'd need it. When she managed to drift off to sleep, she found her dreams less horrifying than the previous night. In fact, she dreamt about her mentor and role model, Vivace, and how the old elf would have utterly decimated the strange magician girl, Mimel. Dys smiled as she slept. Sometimes, dreams are too good to be true... She awoke fresh and spry the next morning and in a completely chipper mood. She was amused by their new name when she heard it. She was fully armored and held her waraxe casually in one hand when she walked over to Alicia. "I like the sound of that, Alicia von Eternus. Team Aegis, I know we've been through a lot, but we can get better for it. We are better for it. The horrors we saw... that's the reason we're fighting against the tyranny of Magic, right? They cannot be allowed to use lives, even the lives of bandits, as nothing more than playthings. Mages!" She spat the last word out, and her loud voice became even louder. "Mages, or bandits, or mercs, we'll teach them all what it means to be a Luminous Knight. We live to protect, and we live to serve. We'll be smarter, craftier, and more aware of the dangers of next time. We'll make our fallen proud, and our living prouder!" She held her fist to her heart in a dwarven salute as she ended her speech to her fellow recruits, and then slunk away without a moment's notice. She wasn't one to give speeches, but if they were a Team, they were going to be a unified team, with spirit, or Dys would die trying!

Steven stretched a bit. They’d done a lot of walking today, but not much else. That said, the previous day’s burden still weighed on them, and it would be a little while before it was lifted. It would be alright, though. Their unit was strong, and they had mostly gotten over their ordeal the night before, courtesy of the fog. Thoughts of danger were far away right now. Right now, what most of the recruits were thinking of was dinner. As Steven chewed his dinner, he didn’t think about much. He was fairly tired and couldn’t think of a lot. These past few days had been fairly hectic, and he suspected that the days to come would be even more so. Before they came here, he had heard that Luminous knight outposts under construction had been attacked by bandits, and if the mage boy’s power was any indication, it boded more attacks to come. Furthermore, it was evident that the boy wasn’t extremely bright, and it was likely that he was being told what to do. That there was a bigger person behind him. Steven finished his dinner quickly and made for the sleeping tents. It was nice to have bunk beds for a change, instead of bedrolls only supported by the hard floor. It was a shame that it was so warm. Steven put away his things in a personal locker, but he didn’t have that much to put away anyway. His armour, his bow and his quiver. He’d keep his knives by his side, just in case. Steven quickly changed into a brown tunic and pants. Despite being in a noble family, he disliked the thick, eye catching cloth worn by so many noblemen. It was paramount to self-torture to wear those in this kind of heat, which was only amplified by the body temperature of the other recruits in the tent. Changing done, Steven lay back onto his bed, wondering whether or not to sleep. The other people around him were still chatting, or getting ready to sleep. Steven’s bed was on the bottom, and Drakul was above him. Steven yawned, tired, and decided to try and sleep. Closing his eyes, he tried to find comfort in the bed. The cloying heat sapped at his strength and his sweat stuck to the mattress. It was so warm that Alicia took her clothes off, which didn’t seem to bother her. It bothered the other recruits quite a bit, however, and the temperature increased even more. It wasn’t much use. Sighing, Steven decided to get some fresh air. He sat up, strapped his knives to his belt and walked out of the tent. As he stepped out of the tent, a starry night sky greeted his eyes. Looking around, Steven found the nearby hill which he sat on earlier in the morning. Steven climbed the hill slowly, savouring the night air. As he walked to the top of the hill, a fresh night breeze swept through. Steven turned around and looked up at the picturesque night sky and fell backwards, laying on the springy grass, arms outstretched. He took a deep breath and let it out all at once, his worries and troubles going with it into the infinite void of the night sky. If only days could be as peaceful as this… Steven thought. He closed his eyes for a minute, thinking of nothing as the moon rose above the horizon. He woke up some time later, glowing in the light of the moon which was somewhere above him. Steven sat up groggily, rubbing his sleepy eyes. How long had he slept for? He got to his feet and made his way down the hill, back to his tent and his bed. It was much cooler now, and Steven lay down. Within a few minutes, he was asleep again. ------------------------------- The next day Steven’s eyes opened slowly and he sat up slowly to check his surroundings. Most of the trainees were still awake now, and it was around sunrise. Steven yawned, rested and refreshed. He got up and went out to grab some breakfast. After that, it was time for a briefing, which would take place in their sleeping tent (which apparently doubled as their base of operations or something). As he entered the tent for the briefing, he saw that the table and boards he’d seen yesterday were set up and would likely be central for the briefing. He stood with the other recruits, listening to their new orders. Their squad was now team Aegis, and they had a new mission: To investigate a cave with well-armed mercenaries guarding it. It struck Steven as a little odd. After all, theoretically, this was something the shadows could do, and would likely be a lot safer as a result. Considering that the mercenaries were apparently well armed, and they were only trainees… Well, they would likely be fine. They probably wouldn’t get a mission they couldn’t handle. At least, Steven assumed that. That said, if things went wrong again… The briefing was over, so Steven went back and grabbed his gear, putting it on. They would leave soon. It was a good thing that he’d restocked on arrows, but he should be prepared for anything.

Not in a mood to even consider mingling with others after the events of the Scar and its peculiar mist, Freiya sulked in the corner of the makeshift mess hall prepared for the Knights so that they could dine and converse properly after the last few days. She had no appetite, picking slowly at her food. But she knew she had to eat well, so she forced the food down her throat even if it tasted bland in her mouth. A peal of fury still raged on within her, even if she had calmed down considerably after arriving to the camp. Evening rolled by and Freiya's mood had elevated far above earlier. For she had discovered an entire crateful of wine. Completely unattended, even. Oh, that poor bastard whose job was tending to those. Hoisting as many as she could carry in her arms back to her table, Freiya set to fill her wine-skin before almost gleefully - Light forbid someone actually call her gleeful, she was the sourest of the entire recruit bunch - taking a swig from the bottle. Freiya watched the other recruits with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, finding the atmosphere pleasant - especially due to Dys, who had apparently taken upon herself the noble quest of encouraging some of the fellow recruits to drink, with some success. Freiya arrived to the tent where a few of the recruits were already sleeping later than the rest, having opted to drink in the mess hall. Her arrival caused a few cautious whispers among the night owls, who were either conversing quietly or reading by the lantern light. It was no secret among the recruits Freiya enjoyed her drink, nor that seemingly no matter how much the blonde drunk she seemed to function as well as any of them sober. Except this time Freiya had a little hop to her step, her face heavily flushed and a stupid grin on her face as she ventured further into the tent looking for a free bed, two bottles of wine in her hands. She was far more drunk than usual. She had missed the episode of Alice's belly tattoo, too. Were I a bird, would my wings be clipped? Were I a wolf of winter snows, would I howl for one last time? Were I a lake, would I already be dry? Were I still a child, what color would be my sky? Freiya had a surprisingly good singing voice, deep and somber like her personality often was. After becoming orphaned, Freiya had learned how to live off of the streets from the drunkards and crooks of her home village. She had picked up a few of their songs, too. Evenings spent sitting by the campfire were one of the few good memories she had of those times. Stripping down to her underwear, sleep quickly came to Freiya as the woman crashed into one of the beds, leaving the few night owls murmuring among themselves. The Next Day As the recruits gathered up next morning, they were given their next assignment. A crew of mercenaries holed up in a cavern half a day's travel away. Alongside that, their recruit batch was finally given their name. Team Aegis. A shield of old legend. Freiya thought it was a good, strong name. Her father had taught her many things of old legends and gods. After all, she was named after one herself. Sitting atop a crate, Freiya took a swig from her last bottle as many of the other recruits hurried about, trying to alleviate both the light pounding at the back of her head and the throbbing of her scar. Then, prompted by Alicia's words, Dys delivered her small, impromptu speech. Freiya let herself grin at the dwarven woman's words. "Aye." she thought. She could get behind the two women's words. As soon as her head stopped killing her anyhow.