Nigel was sitting at one of the bar stools, slowly drinking his whiskey when Piper came suddenly out of nowhere, jumping and sitting on the bar next to him. "The timeline you gave me claims you'd be done with the uniforms today, I've been waiting to see how they'll work. They good to go for the Games? Oh, and don't worry about getting me a drink. I've already had seven cups of coffee. I'm more interested in how nice I'll look in the uniform, you see?" "Well, someone is a lot perkier than usual" Nigel said with a smile on his face and shifted in his seat to face her. "Indeed, the 'uniforms' are ready; Though, I would not call that a uniform by itself, but I'm sure you guys will find my little invention pretty cool and practical at the same time" he added and took a sip of his drink. "And I think that, depending on your choice, you would look a lot more than nice when wearing the uniform," he said with a wink before finishing his whiskey and standing up.

Nigel watched Piper as she landed on her feet, "I've also got something cool to show you later. I practiced it all night. I found a way to disarm someone and humiliate them. A perfect way to win a fight if I ever get picked for one, eh?" Nigel raised his eyebrow,"you've piqued my curiosity, but now it's time for the big reveal" he said and walked towards the stairs heading upstairs, signaling her to follow him.

When they arrived at the door to his lab, Nigel pressed a button on the wall next to the metal-reinforced door. After a couple of seconds, six holes, one big and five other small ones surrounding the big one, opened on the surface of the wall. From the big hole came a strange sphere-looking thing with blue engravings on it. Nigel placed his palm on the sphere and inserted one finger in each of the other small holes. Following that, he started pouring a steady amount of eternano from his body to the sphere. The sphere's engravings started glowing; it was checking to see if the magical imprint was Nigel's or not. Soon after, the sphere stopped glowing, Nigel removed his hand and the sphere retracted itself back inside the wall before closing all six holes behind it. The door to the lab then opened and Nigel signaled Piper to enter before following closely behind her.

"Have a seat, I'll go bring the fabric" he told Piper and pointed at a chair before vanishing for a couple of minutes. Once he found the fabric, he returned back to where he had left Piper, "I hope I didn't make you wait," he said, "well, there's not much point in waiting so here it is" he said and presented Piper with the pitch-black fabric. "I know, It doesn't look the part, but just give it a try and see for yourself," he told her and gave her the fabric, obviously excited. "You put it on like this," he said and mimicked putting on a coat.

"You'll need to be naked though for it to work. There's a dressing room in the back right there," he pointed at an empty room with a curtain a few feet away from where they were. "Once you put it on, I want you to close your eyes and imagine something, anything you would want to wear," he told her, putting on extreme emphasis on the word anything. "Really, go ahead and try it!" he urged her with a light shove towards the dressing room.

@j8cob

So it was training. Hana stood by idly as Jeanne picked up the unconscious Sage and explained that she was in charge of watching him, due to his rampage several weeks ago. "Oh, I get it," Hana eventually mused, repeating Jeanne's words in her head so she wouldn't mix it up later. It would be embarrassing to accidentally say that Jeanne was on house arrest. The Archangel, however, noted that she detected Revan fighting someone not too far away. Hana began rotating her head, looking around the sky as if she could see magical presence. "Really? You must be more sensitive than I am, I can't feel a thing right now," she said casually, still trying to identify the direction Revan would be in.

The S-class wizard of Harpy's Wing had helped greatly in Augustine. Hana hadn't seen him since then. She was never particularly friends with Revan, but she had met him several times in the past and he seemed like a good person. If someone asked her, she'd consider him a friend. But Hana's standard for friendship is naively low. "He's kinda far from home then," Hana wondered aloud. "Maybe he got lost and got into trouble. We should do him a... favor, right. We should see if he needs help." Hana almost completely disregarded Jeanne's mention of possible death. It was likely she just didn't pick up on that part when Jeanne was explaining. "Which way is he? Oh, and Jeanne: I'm going to need your help with something when we get back to the guild. I can't ever remember where the... thingies are. Like big spoons for mixing..."



The bespectacled young woman followed Nigel up to his new lab, holding her hands behind her back as she moved along. She seemed somewhat impatient to discover exactly what Nigel had concocted in his lab, considering he claimed they weren't exactly uniforms. Piper had to wait, however, as Nigel bypassed his security. It seemed like a hindrance to Piper to make a magic-identifying security system. But then again, this was done to protect the many valuable and dangerous things Nigel had in the lab. It also served as a good deterrent to keep Piper from tinkering with his work and both of them knew this.

When she sat in the chair she constantly fidgeted, her left leg endlessly swaying as she waited for the big reveal. Maybe I shouldn't have had so much caffeine... I'm totally going to crash in a few hours... she lamented to herself, having been aware of her abnormally high energy level. When Nigel finally stepped out with the clothing, Piper jumped out of the chair. Only to look disappointed when it was simply some kind of dark black cloth. Is this just an example of the fabric? Like a demonstration of what he'll be using? Piper began to wonder to herself, somewhat afraid to directly question Nigel's judgement.

His quick example of how to wear it made Piper slightly uncomfortable. The fabric he was holding wasn't large enough to cover her entirely. Her face grew even more flustered when he said she had to be naked to wear it. "Hold on, I don't think wearing only that cloth is gonna be decent and I'm comfortable with my body but I'm not going to show everything..." Piper began to complain, her pace of speech much faster than usual as her words almost blurred together. Before she could think of any more reasons not to strip down and wear only a cloth over her shoulders, Nigel vaguely explained further. Piper's face was still red as she gingerly took the fabric from Nigel's hands.

"I'll put it on but I'm not coming back out..." Once safely behind the curtain of the dressing room, something Piper only now realized that Nigel had to have built recently solely for the upcoming Games, she undressed herself completely. Almost completely, as she kept her beige beanie on and didn't remove her glasses. "It's a bit cold in here..." Piper mumbled just loud enough for Nigel to hear her from past the curtain. She held the cloth in front of her with both hands, still giving it a skeptical look. After a few seconds of building up the courage, Piper mimicked the same motion Nigel made earlier, draping the cloth over her shoulders like a coat and closing her eyes.

While she couldn't see the 'uniform' doing its job, she could feel it as it expanded over her skin. In a matter of seconds it covered her almost her entire torso and thighs. When Piper opened her eyes and looked down she was shocked. "Oh." The cloth had taken a form-fitting shape with two gaps across her torso that exposed some of her cleavage and her navel, respectively. The leg portion of the uniform also retained shape, going only down just above the knees before it cut off. The cloth had changed color, as it was now a cream color with black lining along the edges and torso gaps. The Harpy's Wing emblem was emblazoned on her left breast in black, like the lining, and several black stripes cut diagonally across the mid-section portion of the uniform. "Oh!" she repeated, as if the surprise of how well it looked only now caught up to her after a few seconds of examination.

As her previous, caffeine-fueled energy returned, Piper flung open the curtains and faced Nigel. Only in her hands were two shiny handguns, pointed at the blue-haired man. "Bang bang!" Piper shouted, lifting the pistols upward with each sound as if they had actually been fired. With her uniform's introduction completed, Piper tossed one of the pistols in the air and twirled the other one on her finger, catching the first gun and striking a pose in the same motion. "I know you're a genius, but the way you combine magic and technology is always stunning," Piper complimented. After making one more pose, bending forward and giving Nigel a wink, she stood upright and sent her pistols back into the pocket dimension. "Do you have a mirror around here? I want to see what the back looks like." She proceeded to brush her long, black hair over her shoulder and turning away from Nigel. Her backside was completely covered, no gaps in the fabric, but retained the same color design as the front, minus the Harpy's Wing emblem.

"Sounds excellent, but before we do that, I want to check out who Jeanne was fighting just now, and whether or not it was still going on." With that Revan set a pace for where he last sensed the Lamia Mage's presence, a moderate distance away from where he and Matsuki were. After some time had passed, he'd arrive in the clearing where Jeanne, Hana, and Sage were currently present, giving a low whistle to signal his presence. "Hello Jeanne, nice to see that you've kept your flare for the overdramatic. Was it really necessary of you to use what I assume to be Ashbringer on such a mewling pup like this whelp."He said as he pointed a thumb at Sage's unconscious form. He sighed as he crossed his arms over his bare chest, either unaware, or uncaring, of the fact that he was completely nude.

While normally he'd be on guardfor this sort of thing, so as not to reveal his Demon's Maw Guild Seal, he had it hidden using an illusion lacrima, which he was currently wearing as an Ear ring. Looking over to Hana he gave a quick wave as he yawnedm scrathing at his face with the other hand as he seemed to contemplate something. "Would either of you two be willing to accompany me and Matsuki to a local bar in town. He's claimed it has the best drink around, and I need more peopleto help me see if he's telling the truth,mas my tongue for such things is not the best."

@j8cob
@Lmpkio
@Feisty-Pants



As Ajax and Stacy made their way to whatever waa going to transport them, there would be a gradual rise in the humidity of the area as they pressed onward, though it was marginal at best and could hardly be noticed. Suddenly, however, a cloaked figure coalesced silently into existence behind Ajax. The Wizard Saint would only have a split second to recognize that there was a presence behind him, but before he coukd react, his surroundings changed from the outskirts of Era to an empty plateu that seemed to be located high in the mountains. To Stacy, she would've only seen Ajax disappear in a flash of light, left to wonder where he could possibly be.

On the plateu, Ajax would seem to find himself all alone, with nothing but the mists rolling off the morning dew.

"Wizard Saint Ajax," A distorted voice would resonate thriygh the clearing, seeming to come from all around him. "I have come for the Heart Fragment that you have in your possession. Hand it over peacefully, and you may return to your Lover unharmed. Try to fight, and you'll likely never see her again." The voice spoke in a cool monotone, never giving away any emotion save for one, a deep, underlying rage that burned like an inferno beneath the ice of his indifference. The voice would remain silent, his presence well hidden even from a dragonslayer's senses, waiting for the man to respond. Ira had been given a good grasp of his foes abilities from his Master, but it was incomplete, making it imperitive that he be prepared for any surprises that the Saint may have up their sleeves.

@j8cob

A lone messenger scaled a rocky cliffside, pantimg heavily as he struggled to go on further. His legs were wobbling as his arm coukd barely go on further. Although the top was just a few meters, it felt like miles for him. "Dammit, why did I take this job!? And why did this bastard chppse to stay at such a high up place!?" His hand latched onto the very top, feeling around for more cliff. He didnt even realize he was already up there. He let out a sigh of relief,, p mustering what strength he had and pulling himself up "Finally! Now all I have to do is go to the village up here and-" His eyes widened once his head was over the cliff, having a clear view of what was supposed to be a village with a lush and unique forest with animals that have adapted to the high altitude.

But instead, there was only a massive crater spanning over a kilometer wide. The lush forest was replaced with a barren wasteland, not a single sign of life in sight. "W-what?" "Not what you expected?" The messenger jumped in surprise, nearly falling off the cliff if a soft wall of smoke hadnt stopped him. He turned, Marduk sitting oh a floating cloud as he smoked his pipe. Marduks gaze was fixated on thr massive crater, serious and sending a chill down the messenger back.

Marduk sighed "Once again, he's aluded me. But never has he taken it this far" He clenched his fist, his killing intent nearly crushing the messenger. He turned to him, an eyebrow raised "And what are you doing here?" The messenger mentally facepalmed, forgetting the whole purpose of this trip "Smoke magic, I assume you are Marduk Assyria of Vyper Bolt?" Marduk nodded "I-I have this for you!?" The messengers palms were sweaty as he handed Marduk the envelope.

Marduk opened it and began to read the contents "The Grand Magic Games? I've never participated in any of these so why invite me now?" He continued to read, his face serious the entire time. He didnt show much interest until his got to the very end, a wide grin forming across his face "The Grand Magic Games....its about time I make my debut." He blew out a long stream of smoke, kneading it into a cloud for the messenger to take down. Before the messenger could say anything, Marduk jetted off on his cloud back towards Vyper Bolt. He was a far ways away from home, but theres no way he would miss this Grand Magic Games.

Tenshi
Smirking at her unexpected companion she decided that having a little help wouldn't hurt all things considered. "Very well you can help just try not to get in the way." Tenshi said as she set off looking for her absent partner she was kind of confused it was nearing the GMG and yet her partner was no where to be seen. "Great things just can get any more complicated its nearing the GMG and my partner decides now to pull a vanishing act." With a soft sigh she set out she was not at the guild hall she knew that much or she assumed that much would be a better word to use.

Matt nods with a soft grunt of agreement as the two head over to where Jeanne was fighting. Finally there was total peace and calm in his mind. However, he was still slightly embarrassed for going all out like that... and hell he is an S-Class mage for god sakes, so he should no better! Then again... he is incredibly powerful and is a good mentor towards others when calm, so despite that flaw of his, he considers himself ok. As the two get to the battlefield, Matt looks upon the three people; Jeanne, Hana and Sage. And to the right of him was a very naked Revan. All he did was shake his head in embarrassment with a groan.

"Damnit Revan," he growls, "Please put some clothes on. Seriously its embarrassing..."

As Revan finished his next line, Matt only growls annoyingly at the Harpy Mage's statement.

"Trust me it is the best..." he says to him, "If it weren't I wouldn't be mentioning it in the first place..."

@Raijinslayer
@j8cob
@Feisty-Pants

The Wizard Saint noticed Ira when he appeared, turning to face the masked figure instantly. While Stacy began to turn to see what had stopped Ajax, he had already vanished with the mysterious man, leaving her alone on the dirt road. When Ajax appeared on the plateau, he took a moment to take in his surroundings. He hadn't expected anyone to be willing to instigate combat with him so directly, considering his status and renown. But it seemed that this person wanted Ajax's Heart Fragment, a piece of the heart of the former Demon's Maw master. The big, armored man stood still a moment, but the temperature of the area began to rise.

The mist began to fade away.

A gust of magical power radiated from Ajax, blasting the remaining wisps of mist off the plateau and revealing the grassy surface. While the sky was dark and imposing there was no breeze, aside from the continuous wind radiating from Ajax. The gust had become so powerful that most humans would be taken from their feet. The magical energy died down after a few seconds, but the mist did not return. "I understand your objective now," Ajax stated, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his yellow eyes. "How you came to know the location of the Heart Fragments will have to be determined later. The most important question right now... isn't if I can defeat you and protect the Fragment."

"It's how to find my way to Era once I'm done." Steam began to rise from the grass, starting from around Ajax's feet. As the temperature began to rise, the dew had begun evaporating. Notably different from the earlier mist, but similar in properties. "I will reserve my questions for you until we are through," Ajax continued, now opening his eyes again. Unlike his stoic, emotionless expression that most know him for, his eyes had an anger in them. "For now, I will wait until you gain the courage to reveal yourself to me. Then..." The grass across the plateau began catching on fire, the heat in the air growing intense. It felt almost like being in an oven, and the spreading fire across the ground didn't help that effect in the least. "I will punish you for challenging me. The Wizard Saints aren't to be trifled with, and our power isn't to be tested. Your survival now depends on your constitution."

The big man uncrossed his arms, his hands balled into fists as he stood upright. Ajax Thera was always an imposing man, standing taller and wider than most that met him, always looking down to see who he was talking with. With the flames surrounding him, he looked as daunting as ever, with his scarred black armor and unforgiving gaze. Despite the heat, he seemed completely oblivious to the fire. He couldn't be bothered to notice the flames around his legs. "Come."



Before the two women could go investigate what Revan was getting into, the man himself appeared in the clearing with them. He wasn't alone, either, bringing Matisuki with him. And much to Hana's dismay: Revan was completely naked. The pink samurai's face immediately went red and she looked away from the two men. "You're indecent, Revan," she said simply, keeping her back turned to him. She was tempted, very tempted, to cover him with her blossoms just so she could tolerate looking at him. But Hana knew that would be somewhat disrespectful of her, and Revan was a fellow S-class mage. Belittling him would be rude. "I... I'm not going anywhere like this," Hana said timidly, tilting her head just enough so she could see Jeanne out of the corner of her eyes. "It's humiliating. I don't want to be around nudists. It's dishonorable..."

Ajax's declaration was at first met with only silence, as the mist encircled the plateau, when a large magic circle would flash underneath his feet, giving him only a split second to react before a massive blast of highly pressurized water would smack into the Wizard Saint in an effort to send him flying into the air at most, and at least due some damage to him. The plateau was littered with similar such traps, laid with magic and hidden from sight, ready to be activated at a moments notice. As the water from the attack rained down on the flames, even more steam would be created as the air turned hot, humid, and dense with water droplets.

After the attack was finished, Ira would seem to appear out of nowhere, stepping out of the steam with the eyes of his new mask glowing an intense shade of red.

"How unfortunate that you chose this path, Thera-San, for now you will most likely perish." Ira said, his voice distorted by the mask as he lifted his arm up, a blade of highly pressurized water forming over it and glowing with a bright cerulean light until streams of red lightning began to dance over it's surface, focusing mostly around the edges as Ira burst forward, his lower body disappearing into a haze of mist as he propelled himself forward on every water droplet he came into contact with, almost swimming through the air as he approached his target to launched a quick barrage of hi-speed strikes on his opponent, the scarlet energy pulsing through the water increasing the destructive power by a great deal without having to sacrifice any of the finesse.

He'd continue this for a time before he would jump away, the energy dancing on his arm concentrated onto a single point near the tip before it would blast forward in a thin, piercing stream of high press water for the lightning to follow, giving the attack greater armor piercing capabilities as it raced towards it's target. Meanwhile, Ira would disperse the water blade into the air as he faded back into the mist, unable to be sensed among the many droplets of water as he swiftly moved towards the outer perimeter of the plateau, rising hi above the target, before taking his physical form again.

"Scarlet Lotus: Crimson Drop."

As soon as he said the words, he'd wreathe himself in a large amount of his scarlet Rage Curse, which he set to swirl around him in a very violent fashion as he rapidly fell toward's Ajax's current position. The energy worked both offensively and defensively, as anything that came into contact with it would be likely be destroyed upon contact unless it was highly durable or powerful in it's own right. He'd be there in a few seconds and the explosion upon impact would be devastating, creating a large, earth shattering explosion and severely damaging the ground around them, no matter what Ajax did. After this attack, Ira would again try to jump back and retreat from his opponent into the mist, waiting for another chance to strike.

@j8cob



Revan would turn to Hana with an upraised eyebrow upon here declaration, only to chuckle as he saw how red in the face she was, which would soon turn into a full blown fit of laughter. He couldn't help but find her words and actions to be highly amusing, and somewhat adorable as well in its innocence, if he was being honest with himself. After about a minute of this, Revan rubbed his eyes as he calmed himself down, still chuckling slightly as he turned to face the Lamia Mage.

"Decency is not something I'm know for, though I fail to see what's so dishonorable about nudity. I genuinely don't see the need for anything besides underwear, which keeps things from moving around to much. Other than that, it's all unnecessary in my eyes, but I abide by it because it's usually too much of hassle dealing with the constant nagging." Revan sighed as he stretched his arms behind his back, scratching his neck afterwards as he looked down at himself. "Though, to be honest, I had no idea i was nude until you pointed it out. I guess I'll have to get dressed at Lamia Scale, hopefully they have clothes there I can borrow."

What Revan wasn't saying was that he could simply have his hydra's form some proper clothing for him, no problem, but he was currently too lazy to do it, plus he didn't see it as worth even that small amount of effort. If people saw him, people saw him, the only thing he had to hide was already hidden by his earring. He then turned to Matsuki with a grin.

"We'll see when we get there, I tend to decide things for myself rather than take the words of others, when I feel up to it, anyway." Revan than walked one to Sage's unconscious form and, being the caring person that he is, decided to give the brat a wake up call. Crouching down next to him, he drew his hand back, then proceed to bitch-slap Sage right across the face, and if that failed to wake him up; he'd do it again and again until he did or his hand started to hurt. Given his state as a half-demon, even with his hand suffering from severe burns, it'd be sometime before it hurt enough to warrant Revan ceasing in his abuse of the unconscious boy. "Oi, Jeanne's little brat, wake up so we can go drinking. If you don't wake up soon I will not hesitate to kick you all the way to Margeret Town. If you're able to take on the Whute Knight's Ashbringer attack and keep on kicking, then you'll probably survive the journey."
@Lmpkio
@Feisty-Pants
@Akashi Mayhiro



"Cool" Xavier said as he followed after the blue haired girl, giving no sign that he felt bothered by the way she phrased her acceptance of his help. "What's your friend look, like by the way, as I can't help if I don't know what I'm looking for."

Xavier took another drag of his cancer stick, eyebrows raising as he heard that the girl was also competing in the GMG. "Huh, so you and this friend of your's are the competition, huh. Guess that means we might end up facing each other somewhere down the line. With how fervently you're looking for this other person, it suggests that maybe you don't find yourself capable to go up on your own." He said with a slightly mocking tone, not to be genuinely mocking, but in attempt to get a reaction out of her.

If she's going to be my opponent, I need to see what she's capable of. If I push her buttons just right, I might be able to get into a fight with her and see what I may be dealing with. Xavier grinned as he looked her over with new eyes. She didn't seem weak, but she wasn't overtly strong either, as Xavier had met those kinds of people enough times to tell the difference. She didn't give him that chilling feeling of hopelessness, meaning that she was probably in his league, a strong mage that approaches the likes of Sable, Aiden, and Caroline.

Hopefully, he wouldn't regret his decision to poke this beast.
@Suku

“You're that new wizard right! The one with earrings and dark crimson hair,” The girl went on as her friend waited feverishly beside her. The both of them held napkins in their hands that they hastily snatched from the dispensers. Her legs rubbed together impatiently as she looked to be putting the pieces together. “You've been sweeping away the dark guilds recently. O.M.G! You're definitely him right? Reign the Ether.”

Sable nodded once and fixed a small smile on his lip. “Mhm,” He confirmed, sitting in metal chair at a rather homely cafe. “Have I become that popular already? It must be luck that such ladies know of me. What may I do for you two beauties?”

They squirmed with delight at his compliment before suddenly, shy and quiet, offered him the napkins to sign. For a moment, he stared at the white linen, wondering if his signature would be recognizable from his original. Mutely, he cursed the girls for causing him trouble. Was it not difficult enough to simply act like a kind buffoon. He stuck his hand out and shook it in disapprovingly. Their pale faces were soon painted with gloom, mouths parted with shock.

Carrying on the act, Sable laughed softly before pushing his seat back and planting small kisses on both of their cheeks. One of which let loose a pleasure filled sigh. “ Forgive me. I don't have a pen on me. I hope that a kiss would suffice instead.” The girls, like mindless dogs, nodded and uttered. “Uh huh.”

Sitting back in his seat, he offered them places at his table but they declined and stumbled off with giggles to a pair of lanky boys. Sable chuckled dryly at their gall before staring at the sweet smelling tea on the table and small plate of food: steak and rice.

“Did you two just kiss him?” he heard from afar.

“Shut up, Koji! He's like a model or something. There was no way I would pass it up. Plus, he kissed us not the other way around.” one of the girls responded.

He sighed before leaning back and gazing pass the heads of homes and towards the Grand Magic Games stadium. It won't be long now. Guilds of every alignment, both good and evil. Alliances that shook the world. They'll all quake with fear.

"Will you never change, wretched one?" said the cold, steel voice of a woman in a mask who was sitting nearby. "Then again, once a heartbreaker, always a heartbreaker. It's what you'll always be best at, so I shouldn't be surprised." She leaned back in her chair and stared straight at Sable, absentmindedly moving the hilt of the sword strapped at her waist back and forth.

"So did you come back just because your bed felt cold, or do you have a greater purpose?"

And from out of the blue, perhaps one of Sable's biggest fangirls was already making her debut... by FLYING.



Flying swiftly in the air, a small winged girl crashes into Sable, knocking him off his feet! The girl began hugging the mage tightly, while cutely moaning and groaning as she hugged him.

"Sable-Sempai! Sable-Sempai!" the girl repeated several times over, "Oh, how I finally found you! Chu-chu!"

@Renny

Sable's eyes narrow, a small frown pulling his lips to one side. It was too late for him to even consider faking his way out of this encounter. This … “masked woman” screamed “powerful”. She spotted him out of countless and used his real moniker. Had she been tracking him? He was just lucky that not many people had crowded the newest hot-shot mage. His new identity: Reign the Ether.

Maintaining his cool, he tapped his finger on the round edge of the table and lifted his tea to his lips. He sipped it idly before placing it back down. “And just who are you miss?” he asked kindly, a tinge of aggressiveness leaking forth. “Another fan perhaps? Would you like a kiss too. I don't mind as long as you remove that mask.”

Instinctively, his cold maroon eyes lifted up at the sound of his old name being screeched. He narrowed in on a small form, catching her in his chest before looking around at the few people that had taken noticed. They looked around too, whispers of the Wretched One's return falling out their mouth. They wondered where he was and before long returned to their drinks.

Quickly, Sable's eyes fell onto Harpi for the first time in months. Instead of being met with a kind smile, his countenance was staid into a tense calm that threatened to burst loose. He wanted to be mad but how could he be at his own … daughter. He supposed. When he was sure no one had taken heed of her words, Sable dropped a hand on her head. “Shh, Harpi. I need you not to say that name anymore. Do that and I'll treat you to something later,” He looked up at the “Masked Woman” not forgetting her presence.

Even if I wanted too, its impossible to fool her now. He was in a precarious situation now.

“Let's go somewhere else? I'd love to show a beautiful woman like you around.” He looked down at Harpi and stood up—with his younger body she was about the size of Rush. “I want you fly on your own, kay? You've grown big, Harpi,” he told her softly. And with that, he left jewels on the table and led the two of them down a populated path. Flowers dotted the various stores and sidewalks, hanging from wooden signs and roofs with a perfect, albeit frilly, beauty.

Hapri continued to hug Sable, still saying his sempai until quickly being hushed... politely. Her big eyes looked at Sable innocently as she squirmed a bit. Yet she wasn't just called Harpi for no reason... because she was INDEED one! Her small yet fast wings allow her to fly high in the sky, while wearing a cute petite tank-top and a diaper-like "Pants". Heck her legs were just like that of a birds! Obviously, she will forever be the official mascot of Harpy's Wing, despite being quite weak herself.

"Ooooh!" she cooed happily after hearing that she will be treated to something, "What will it be? What will it be?"

Sable turned from the masked woman to her again, asking her to fly on her own for a bit and that she had indeed grown. All she could do is smile back at Sable. She began to follow Sable down a populated path via slow flight, yet slightly shaking due to extreme excitement.

"Hapi-chan was worried about chu!" she then says to Sable as she was flying beside him, "Where've you been chrough all these years, chu-chu?"

@Renny

Cut

"Sorry, I don't have time for a tour, and there's nothing in Crocus you can show me that my eyes haven't already seen." Cut stood up from her place and took a step towards Sable, then she abruptly wasn't there anymore, "A word of advice though," She said from behind him, leaning over his shoulder to talk in his ear, "It might be worth dropping by to see the masters. I'm sure you'll find some old friends there. Well, I suppose they'd be acquaintances, wouldn't they? You've never been big on 'friends'" Again she disappeared, leaving behind only a hauntingly familiar scent.

Her scent was still lingering in his nose, filling his mind with unanswered questions and worry over his identity being known. She had left him with a few words. Basically to check up on the masters but he'd never do that. Especially since he knew the Masters were wise and powerful beyond their appearance. They'd probably know it was him right away.

Probably best not to get too close.

Instead, he'd learn all he could from his daughter: Harpi. With a small smirk, he pulled his hand out his pocket and poked her face. “Ahh, someone's grown a bit nosy since we've last seen each other. If you need to know, my little flying heart. I've been traveling, doing some very top-secret training.” He told her, sauntering down a path that was scarce with people but crowded with blooming flowers on the sides.

Sable glanced over at a nearby fountain. A goddess wearing a flower wreath, flowing clothes, and a serene expression poured glistening water into the stone bowl. He sat down on its ledge and prompted Harpi to do the same. It had been awhile since he was in the company of other. And now he was finding it hard to be genuine.

“ Tell me something, Harpi. How did you know it was me?”

@Lmpkio

Harpi giggled childishly as Sable poked her cheek, not paying to much attention to the person that had just left. In fact, she really didn't even care, she was just happy that she can be with Sable again after so long. She still remembers her father's touch and it felt quite warm, much to her delight. Yup, this was indeed her Sable.

"Top-Secret training huh?" she asks with an endless void curiosity, "Chu-chu, that sounds cool!"

Hapri follows Sable along the path filled with beautiful blooming flowers, with vibrant reds and yellows, pinks, oranges, and pure vanilla white. It had a very calming and friendly tone to it, something the little girl really enjoys. She sat down next Sable, with a fountain nearby, releasing the soothing sound of running water. The boy then asked Harpi how she knew it was him. All the little girl could do was smile and release a soft giggle.

"Easy!" she replies, "By your magic. Harpi-chan was hesitant that you were really Sable by look, but your magic felt just like when she saw you. Harpi-chan still remembers you from long ago. She was wondering when she will be able see you again or return. Now Harpi-chan finally found you again!"

And with that, Harpi gives Sable another big hug.

"Harpi-chan misses you sooooooooo muuuuuuuch!"

@Renny

For a split moment, Sable eyes were wide with astonishment. She sniffed him out by the feel of his magic. He couldn't help but let out a soft, chuckle. He touched his gut for reasons unknown as he bent with laughter. How coincidental, that she would pick up the minuscule spark that resided inside and find him. Perhaps this was the bonds of family. The magical chains of a father and daughter.

After a moment, Harpi flew into his chest again, her small arms embracing his body. Swept away, he wrapped a single arm around her and silently enjoyed the moment. Before long the sky had began to fade into black, mixing in the middle with dark blues and vivid oranges. Gleaming lights dotted the upper crust of the night sky.

Sable pulled the crimson cloth tied around his waist off and discreetly heated it to a toasty temperature. Without her permission, he wrapped it around the winged girl. “Listen, Harpi. I know this will be difficult but we'll have to part again, okay?” he tightened the cloth tenderly around her shoulders. “I care … a lot for you and I want you to continue being happy with your friends. You won't be able to do that with me. So listen carefully, you didn't meet me today. Do you understand? Either way, don't speak my name to anyone … Now go back to the guild and rest up.”

He stood up from the fountain, unwilling to extract any information from her now that they had shared similar feelings. His change wasn't complete if he could not ruthlessly use Harpi for his own ends. That was probably for the best. If he had become a true monster, than he would not be capable of carrying out his plans.

Leaning forwards, he pecked her on the cheek and walked off with his hands in his pockets. Today had been well, he couldn't wait to share the news with Rush. He was sure she was restless after their time apart. He paused a block away from the fountain, glanced up towards the cratered moon, and rubbed his neck. Don't get yourself attached, Harpi. If I ever hurt you … tsk! Dammit.

---

Sage woke up in darkness, the void swelling around him like a endless black hole, his dual colored eyes trained as we looked around. 'I'm floating...inside my own mind.'

Without a second though, a flash of red appeared in the middle of the black vortex, the light grew more brighter with each second, until it took the form of a black cladded armour, the darkness whirled around it, Sage gasped as he felt the same magical prowess he possessed, expected...it was more powerful then him....more than the combined powers of when he had Jeanne's power....even more.

Than Hana......




It called to him, Sage wanted to get closer, but it felt like it was pushing him back. the light got brighter as the black void was being littered with little red starts. Sage watched on. Before the red light enuglfed him whole.

---

Sage sat up with a frighter as, the sweat dripping of his face, he felt like he was slapped across the face hard...and he was right, Revan had hit him. ""Oi, Jeanne's little brat, wake up so we can go drinking. If you don't wake up soon I will not hesitate to kick you all the way to Margeret Town. If you're able to take on the Whute Knight's Ashbringer attack and keep on kicking, then you'll probably survive the journey."

"..." he paused for a second.

-You do know i'm a minor right?- shaking his head he looked up to Hana -It's up to you Hana, i am under your 'care' anyhow.-

G W E N

She had been absent in the guild for 6 months, training with Sai for they have been training for the grand magic games. While Sai's training is good, Gwen felt like it isn't enough for her; she is now in the guild as Sai too have to attend his endeavors with the Masters. Gwen launches a block of ice to what her eyes have caught which is none other than Marduk. @Phobos "Hey, old man! It's a long time no see!" There we see Gwen in her new outfit a lighter version of the pitch black she had last year. "Oh come on get up, we got lots to talk about and I wanna fight!" Gwen puts her fists together which exhales a chaotic smoke of ice effect. This is the first time she sees Marduk rather the first time she declared that she wants to fight him.


"The Grand Magic Games are coming and it would be a piss if we lose again to Lamia Scale. Besides I can't let Sable and Aiden have all the fun. It's about time I step up my game." Gwen said with full of determination, she envies Sable and Aiden's growth yet it is proud of it for some reason yet such reason at the same time is brought upon herself, she's been anxious about things lately. For the past year, she have been training and training until it kills her. There's something Gwen is not telling everyone. For the meantime, she haven't even stripped.

It was a motion in the corner of his small hotel room, a flicker of light that showed a goofy looking man, small and stout, with a green beard that curved onto his head seamlessly, on the magic-screen. He folded the last of his clothes, Rush and Mooky was fast asleep after his retelling of today's events. Moments later, the man announced with a rather contagious tone.

“ Get ready all you mages and sorceresses! Wizards and nobles, poor devils, and of course tourist. The Grand Magic Games is due to start anytime soon! You all have a little more time to enjoy yourself, too prepare for the spectacular matches of Fiore's most strongest and amazing mages!”

Sable sighed and drowned out the regularly timed announcement. It was informative the first time around but now it was just becoming annoying. Everyone knew that the Grand Magic Games were drawing near. That if they weren't in Crocus yet that they'd damn well be heading there soon. Tsk!

“The Grand Magic Games arrived sooner than expected. I better do some condition training outside Crocus. Wouldn't want to be weaker than when I got here.”