Understanding that she no longer wish to be kept here, Axel decided he could hold his remaining questions. Hopefully, he could find answers elsewhere. "The Failure", as the female had named him, still worried him. Hopefully, he would depart soon and trouble him no more.

Requesting something from a powerful being was not something to be taken lightly, and Axel knew this. He was well aware that anything he asked for could have a tremendous cost and be very dangerous. Such as asking for riches, to find out later his family was killed and he inherited it all... He would be better off just walking away and avoiding further contact, yet, thoughts of his failures came to mind. Of the company he had led to slaughter, the lives he could not save, and of those he still would fight for. Realizing how terrified he was of these two beings, of which he wasn't even sure of their intent in this world, Axel realized what he would request. Lowering his blade and looking towards the ground, Axel began to speak.

"What I wish for, I do not believe you can grant." He replied solemnly. "You can not bring back all the comrades I have lost, nor the people I couldn't save. I also doubt you can give me peace of mind that neither of you have ill will towards this world, this world which I love and have fought for. So, I'm left with one thing..."

At this, Axel looks up, staring at first "The Failure", then "The Sei", maintaining eye contact with her.

"I request a weapon worthy of a warrior, something of power. Something that will allow me to strike down my foes, defend the defenseless, and protect those I love."

Knowing he was playing a dangerous game, Axel still felt it was right. If these two were indeed evil, he would need something to assist him in defeating them. His simple sword and magic would not do.

Near Relin

The woman laughed derisively again, "How touching." She paused for a moment, considering the request, "You could very well have your comrades back, should you wish to work for it. It isn't within the scope of my powers, but there are objects capable of controlling the flow of Life and Death. Should you reassemble the last, unsealed, Black Gate, you would be able to control that flow, barring that the Devourer hasn't consumed their spirits. It'd be a lot of work, and you'd make a lot of enemies doing so, but it'd amuse me greatly."

She began to walk around him, surveying him, occasionally reaching out to touch him.

"I am no forgewoman, you'd be talking to the wrong Sei," she mused, "But I could, I suppose, make at least an effort to do something. Bear in mind though, what I give you is not intended to align with your goals entirely and I only humor such a ridiculous request out of deference to what you've done for me. Hand me your weapon."

She knew what she had in mind would be patently inferior to the weapons forged by the Mastersmith's so long ago, their ancient techniques long lost in time. However, she could do enough with her powers to at least to enhance his weapon in a small way, although the power would not be consistent.

“She calls me the failure because of one called Rinkoo. I would tell you more, but that is a tale for another time… For when you are more worldly. Maybe I will tell you when you die, and you come to serve me in death…” Yaves began, briefly pausing to allow the Sei to go about rewarding Axel. He, too, had plans… But his were far less immediate.

“I will give you a book, but its information is not so readily available. As people and Natrelmon alike die in the presence of the book, more of its information will be revealed to you. The deaths can be of natural causes, or you can be more… Active, if you prefer… Once enough souls have illuminated its texts, it will lead you to something ancient, something Sei-touched.” Yaves added, laughing a little as he presented the book to Axel. It was clearly ancient, perhaps even from his time, but shadows seemed to grasp at the aged leather that held the book, as if attempting to get in but failing. It was ominous, but it did not feel inherently evil - it felt only like it had been touched by death.

“I will also teleport you to the city of your choice, if it pleases you… The service you have done me merits an easy escape from this frozen waste, at least.”

Once they had both finished speaking, Axel took a second to process what was said. Both entities were connected, although the female seemed to have a major dislike for the Shadow. This might mean, that I it came down to it, she would assist in getting rid of him if he proved to be of evil intent.

"I better accept what the shadow is offering, if only to keep from insulting him. I need to survive to fight another day if they must be stopped. This book might also reveal who/what they both actually are." he thought

With a bow, Axel accepted the book from the Shadow, quickly tucking it away within his cloak. The thought of souls being used to unlock its secrets unnerved him slightly, yet there were less malicious ways around it. The cold was getting to him. He could not remain out here much longer, yet he still wished to learn just a little more about the them.

"Before I hand you this, might I ask you what Sei you are? Not the forgewoman, as you put, but what are your talents? You obviously have manipulation of cold, but to what extent are your powers? This knowledge might help me to better know and understand you as well as maybe make a better decision as to what might be, er... appropriate to ask for. I hate to sound greedy, but it's not often that an...insect meets one as powerful as you."

Turning to "The Failure, " And to you Shadow, whenever my company is no longer wished, I shall depart on my own. Although a weakling to you, I do possess enough power to Telepor myself back to Toran."

Instinct told him to flee and stop playing games, yet, he had started this for knowledge and could not leave until satisfied. He wished his Natrelmon were strong enough to be able to assist in this situation, but, he learned from Itsuki earlier that they were not yet powerful enough to be of any merit. Neither was his magical skills. He would have to rectify that when/if he made it back to Toran

“I am no shadow, my little insect - I am Yaves, the Primordial Ghost. ’Twas I who unlocked the secrets of death so very long ago… But to one such as the Sei, such is a futile achievement before the failure that I brought to them. I miss the days when the crystals were less confined, and there was little of the alabaster glow to cover the world… In some ways, it is my fault that there is more. But that’s more than enough to sate your earlier curiosities, is it not? I cannot guarantee that you will not have more by the time she deigns to answer you, but I have satisfied your original request. That said, I do have a little task for you, should you wish to be of service once more… Kimlee, Eien, Chyou and Itsuki are travelling around - could you pass the message on that there have been hurricane warnings for Toran? I am sure they will understand.” Yaves laughed, revelling in the moment. He had not been able to talk to any mortals properly for a very long time when he was confined to Rebena, and the chance to increase his power was one he was very much looking forward to. Axel would be a useful tool in that regard, whether or not he knew it or even wanted to be as such.

“If you do pass my message along, the first page of the book shall reveal itself to you without the need for a soul to pass through it - a small reward for a small task.”

Near Relin

"Do not taint your tongue with the verbage of a snake," she responded, eyeing Yaves with the same disdain. "As for what manner of Sei I am, that is a bit difficult to answer. You might consider me to be the counterpart to the one you call Vaess. I do have a strong connection to the cold, but the definition of my powers was written long before her time, long before your time. The discussion would get too deep into esoteric philosophies as well."

"The simpler explanation would be to explain in the general sense what purpose the Sei served," she added, musing how to best proceed, "The Sei are a coalescence of the departed from a war long past, when magic was ungoverned. Initially, the Faith was one, but fractured due to philosophic differences in beliefs, as souls departed into what you call the Void, they continued this war, souls unifying with like-minded souls, which formed Sei. Our powers were defined by the constructors of the Gate, each gate providing governance over a particular portion of this world. That is the simple version."

She shifted slightly, walking off to the side, "In addition, I embody Lust. A noble virtue." She smiled ferociously at the end of her explanation, her dress mirroring her explanation, the extremely low cut and fabric-ally challenged garment moving slightly in the wind.

"Hurricanes?" Thought to himself. "What sort of message is that? A threat? Either way, I probably better do it. To at least warn them."

"I will Yaves." replied Axel, nodding. "Can you give me more details on what this book will lead to?"

Facing Vaess and trying to keep his eyes on her face and not on her more prominent regions, he formulated a response. "This is all a lot to take in, Sai Vaess, maybe I could ask for something simpler and a tad bit safer. Would you maybe empower my Natrelmon and I? They are not yet quite strong enough to take on the trials and neither am I."

This was a sad yet true statement. After Chu was slung out of the Arena in a Team Rocketesque manner, Axel knew he would be in trouble challenging a leader if he could not defeat a single trainer, although, to be honest, Itsuki was no pushover.

It was oddly empty in the Orin restaurant. Perhaps it was the time of day, or perhaps it was because of the three trainers who had chosen such an establishment for their meal. If it was not for Chyou, the party would go without notice, however the young Song had chosen to have her blade exposed - the hilt/sheath resting against the side of the table. Since Rabena, Chyou felt incredibly at arms; her mind no doubt still recovering from the trauma that was the ghost realm.

While Eien and Kimlee had chosen not to order anything, Chyou decided to order herself some tea. It wasn't long after her beverage arrived that Kimlee showcased the genetic textbook she had come across. Reaching out, Chyou dragged the book across the table to her, inspecting the tattered note at one of the page's corner. Rubbing her right thumb across the Falline key, she pondered to herself: Falline...

After a minute or so of thought, she determined the name meant nothing to her. What did, however, was Pinecrest. The large corporation was well known for their surge in technology - if this tattered map led to anything, it was to something Pinecrest was trying to keep hidden. Leaning forward, Chyou motioned for Eien and Kimlee to lean a bit closer in order to avoid anyone else overhearing her analysis.

'This,' she said placing her finger on the tattered map, ' is no doubt something we were not meant to find. These mountains are uninhabited. If there is anything I'm keen to know more about, it's what Pinecrest deems worth hiding in the mountains of Lifan. What do you two say? Shall we investigate?'

Near Relin

"I could, I suppose grant one of your Natrelmon the Ice Type," the woman mused, "Would that be sufficient?" It was one of the few things that was truly in the scope of her power. She had partial governance over the element, sharing it with her counterpart and the Lord Seiryu, who ruled over the thunderous winter storms of the North, governing the elements that made up his wrath. "I can't guarantee that it would translate to any of its offspring though. I'm not sure what afteraffects that my powers my have on your Natrelmon."

Bringing her hand up to her mouth, she breathed into it, a chill radiating outwards. Opening her once clutched hands, she held a small crystal out to Axel for him to take. It could bond with a Natrelmon's spirit, granting them the Ice Type.

Orin

Kimlee didn't take long to respond, "I'll go with you." She had reached many of the same conclusions as Chyou had. There was something about this book, and the notes within it, that screamed for her to investigate.

"I'll pass," Eien responded, "I have something else I want to investigate first. I can transport you both to the base of the mountain though. That should make it easier." Eien normally would have gone, but he had other clues he wanted to find.

---

After separating from Eien in Orin, Kimlee and Chyou would find themselves at the base of the mountains nearest to Lifan's western exit. The weather had begun to take a turn towards spring, slightly warmer than the previous days; days filled with the cold bite of winter. Kimlee wasn't sure how best to proceed, but clutched the keycard with a strange resolve.

"I'm not sure what we should do," Kimlee said softly to Chyou as she began treading up the mountain path. She clutched the pendant that Eien had gave her in Orin just before they parted, something he had found in Rebena. It was pitch black, with a strange silvery, white swirling that seemed to change. It was a strange amulet that gave her the ability to sense the life force of those around her - Chyou's was exceptionally strong. It was comforting that she had been so eager about coming along, otherwise Kimlee wasn't sure she'd be able to do it. Chyou's stature might be enough to solve a number of the problems she suspected she might face.

Teleportation was something Chyou was getting used to; the feeling of instantaneous re-positioning, while at first nauseating, was now all but normal. The soft, but frequent winds of Orin were replaced by the stagnate chill that was Lifan's mountainside. It took only but a moment for Chyou to realize where Eien had placed them, however as she recollected the environment, an odd trance seemed to take hold of Chyou.

Don't be scarred... I'll protect you.

The memory seemed to weave itself in-front of Chyou; the recollection of herself and Lin Tao standing at this very pass as children. The ethereal childhood image of Chyou holding Lin Tao's hand entering the pass happened in real time. Taken aback for a moment, Chyou shrugged the instance aside. The projection was no doubt a result of her plunge into Gishiki.

Kimlee's voice snapped her attention back to the situation at hand. Resuming her aura of confidence, Chyou summoned both Atrixus and Mythari. 'It will be best to utilize our flying Natrelmon to make our search go more smoothly.' With that note, both Atrixus and Mythari took flight, their forms quickly vanishing as they proceed over the mountain.

Kimlee - Mountains

Kimlee remained quiet as they flew up, towards the description of the location she had gotten from her book; it would have been, as her brother would put it, impractical to talk while they flew - the wind viciously blowing in their faces and through their ears. It gave her time to think through many of the events that had gone on recently. If it wasn't for the people around her, she probably would have broken into tears. It wasn't a fact that they were being supportive or understanding, even though they would be, it was that with people around she was able to distract herself enough to prevent the breakdown she was on the verge of. At this point, something in her life needed to change and soon.

It wasn't long before the building could be seen over the crest of a small mountain, buried within the taller mountains of the area. The complex was large and sprawling, something she sort of expected. But what caught Kimlee's attention the most was the number of guards she could pick out patrolling the area. At first she hadn't been sure what they were, but as she observed them walking the same paths back and forth, she knew that is what they had to be.

Gesturing for a descent, Kimlee landed in a small section of trees a fair ways off of the building and the main path. Pulling out a pair of binoculars from her bag, she examined the complex's walls and surroundings. On the top left, a guard caught her attention, eliciting a sharp intact of breath. In his hands was a rifle, an item given only to the higher ranking members of the Guardian forces in Lifan.

"Chyou," Kimlee whispered, "He has a rifle. We are definitely not supposed to be here." Kimlee's hands began to shake as she handed the binoculars to Chyou in case she wanted to see for herself.

Chyou quickly grasped the binoculars, raising the optics to eye level in order to inspect the facility's patrolmen; a pit quickly formed in her chest as she realized these men were not guardians. The realm of Nerta held strict policy to the distribution of such weaponry; the objective being to avoid citizen and private hands from acquiring tools of death, and to keep firearms in the hands of the trusted government. These was accepted by the public, as magic still held greater power over such barbaric tools. However, in order to distinguish guardians from civilians, several policies were strictly enforced. A lesser policy being standard guardian attire (attire that these men lack), the second being enchantments to modify physical appearance - in particular certain Kanji within the eyes of guardians.

Adjusting her position slightly, Chyou turned to look at Kimlee directly. "These men," she said as she extended the binoculars to Kimlee, "are not guardians. Pinehearst has hired these men privately, and acquired illegal arms. Whatever they are hiding in this facility, it needs to be exposed. Stay here, stay quiet, and make sure we go unseen. I'm going to approach this from a different angle." Laying flat against one of the trees surrounding the duo, Chyou placed herself into a meditative state.

It only took a few moments for Chyou to utilize Gishiki. The world around her shifted, color vanishing; no object remaining still. Chyou stood, looking down at her mortal body. As she stepped forward, she also met eyes with Kimlee - knowing full well she could see Chyou. With a leap, Chyou entered flight, quickly making her way around the facility's exterior. After a few turns, Chyou counted 6, no.. 7 private guns, each armed. Upon closer inspection, it was made apparent that none of these men owned Natrelmon, however magic was still on the table.

As she finished inspecting the patrolmen, Chyou turned to make flight into the facility itself - intending to discover Pinehearst's secrets under their own noses. As she collided with the Falline's primary entrance, she was met only with metal. While in her ethereal form she felt no pain, the resounding 'impact' so to say sent her flying back to her own body. eliciting a sharp intact of breath, Chyou's mortal form quickly sprang back to life. Turning away from Kimlee, she vomited.

After a few moments, Chyou recovered enough to give Kimlee an update. '7 men, all armed, no Natrelmon. They possibly might be able to use magic, and Kimlee..." she stopped for a moment, thinking of an optimal way to describe what had just happened, "Pinehearst has sealed this facility from the Spirit realm as well. I was not able to enter it. What I did feel, however, was the cry for help. Something within those walls is in need of our assistance."

Kimlee - Mountains

Kimlee was worried when Chyou got sick. It was a moment of weakness she didn't often see in her. Such an instance made Kimlee feel even more useless than she already had been feeling. She was about to ask if Chyou was okay when she spoke, Kimlee's expression dropping, her face whitening.

"What should we do at this point?" she asked, the shaking returning, "We have the keycard, so we might be able to play it off as legitimate in some fashion. I'm not sure what else we could do. It'd be easier if Eien was here." She truly wished she had been more adamant about making Eien come with. He would have been more easily able to deal with the situation. He was a much stronger mage than she was, had much stronger Natrelmon, and was just generally much more capable.

She knew that Chyou was right though - that they had to help. Kimlee could sense tons of Natrelmon in the complex, but they were all tightly packed together; it was far too close for any of them to be comfortable.

"There are a lot of Natrelmon in there, behind the walls," Kimlee explained, clutching the pendant tightly, "I think they are scared." Kimlee didn't say it, but she was also scared at this point.