Jenso noticed that both Par and Jenso's attacks failed. "Darn..at this rate.." Jenso muttered, glaring at the giant that was approaching Par. It seemed that bullets proved ineffective against the man, and the swordsman knew better then to rush in head- first. He got a serious look on his face. If Jenso did not move quickly, he would end up trapped at his position while Par was fighting. But at the same time, trying to cross the road to aid him would be rather dangerous with the crossbowman there. He had no intention of standing there and doing nothing, though. The hammer in his right hand reverted back to regular flames, which he held in his palm.

Jenso launched a few fireballs from his right hand into the air, aimed so they would crash into the road, near the swordsman and in between his location and the crossbowman's. They would create a smoke screen for several seconds, in an attempt to blind the crossbowman. Jenso dashed out of hiding as quickly as he could, as flames violently bursted out of his left arm. He jumped in the way of the giant and Par, and punched at the man's face.

As he punched, the flames around his fist took the shape of a dragon's head, punching with the force of an actual charging dragon. If the attack were to hit, he aimed it so, that he would possibly knock the man into the mage's electricity barrier if it were still up. Or simply into the crossbowman. "Flame Dragon punch!" He shouted.

Paradise 'Par' Rapids - Diver's Paradise

I shouldn't judge a book by their covers, thought Par as he was grudgingly - very grudgingly - impressed by the enemy. He strapped his sniper rifle to his back and drew out his two Mana Pistols for close quarters combat. But the effectiveness of that would not be tested, because Jenso had just created a smokescreen in order to switch opponents!

With a smile, Par used the smoke created by Jenso's fireballs in order to run towards the rock the Martial Artist had hidden behind, managing to slip behind it just as Jenso reached the heavy guy. Then, if the thin swordsman was still there, Par would shoot from behind his position with his Mana Pistols, shooting bolts/bullets of pure Mana at the little weasel. After his first salvo was done, he would say:

"Don't bring a sword to a gunfight."

A contingency: Should the swordsman turn out to have survived and/or have countermeasures against his shots, Par would strap some of his Magical Plastic Explosives to his rock, fast-crawl to another large stone, and then detonate the rock, hopefully sending out shrapnel and creating another smokescreen to obscure the crossbowman's fire. Again, this was only a contingency should his first shots have no effect.

Tinon clenched his teeth, visibly parading the muscles in his delicate jawline. Luke bounced his head continuously, "Yea," He whispered, "Yea! That's what we're gunna do!" Tinon's eyebrows twitched for a moment before he closed his eyes and offered Alvios a single nod of agreement. Luke brushed Laura off and made his way towards the Room's exit. "The hell with ditching our home! That aint gunna be an option anytime soon! The fact that you two are even considering that is a fuckin' blemish on our paradise! Laura," Luke paused and grabbed his sister's arm, forcibly yanking her towards him, "Yer gunna come with me. We'll go by every last one of the people here and sweep their brains for information usin' your brain powers. Might as well rule out some options, yea?" Laura pulled her arm away from her brother and scowled. But a few moments later, she crossed her arms and nodded, staring at her husband's feet anxiously.

"...Very well, Luke. If you would command it, let it be so. But you and Alvios will be retroactively crushing any chances for our paradise to plant itself elsewhere and grow anew. This is a rash-"

"Shut the hell up, Tinon. I don't want to hear it. Laura, c'mon!" Luke said, scooping at the air with his arm and pointing towards the door, "Alvios, you might wanna start elsewhere. Check with our contacts, get whatever info you can. Oh," Luke paused and turned to his friend with a grimace, "And you may want to go retrieve Yvette and he crew. Somethin' tells me that they were never 'spose to get back to Arcadia alive. That survey group didn't have any CMAS mages of interest innit. They all seemed like newbies fresh outta' the academy. Seems a little careless for a survey group, if you ask me."



"Hail, travelers!" The shorter man called, waving his hand overhead in an oddly dignified fashion that contrasted his demeanor significantly. He patted his shirtless chest and smiled with a nod, "We seem to be a tad turned around! Might we be welcome to that castle city over yonder?" He questioned.



Haley shifted uncomfortably in place as Jager approached her, fumbling about the lead seat with thoughts of assassination and contempt on her mind. Her leather shoulder-pads dug into the right side of her neck as she turned her head up and towards Jager with a nervous smile. "Oh, ah, yes! That's my name," She affirmed, standing up and accepting Jager's Greeting, albeit with an awkward, reluctant motion of her right hand. "There's no need for these formalities though, It's quite alright! Ahaha.."

Jäger picked up on the subtle body movements conveyed by Haley as he approached. She shifted in place. Why? Was she preparing something of herself or for someone else? Jäger checked her hands. No weapons drawn, for now. He continued to step forward broad-chested, his trademark smirk gleaming. What was she onto?

Haley grasped his gauntlet weakly, and Jäger raised an eyebrow. It was normal to not be familiar with Saiga tradition, but the way she fumbled her hands was suspicious. She was nervous. Afraid, even. Her exaggerated movement into the hide of her shoulder pad, her jittery movements, what caused her such discomfort? What reason did she have to be afraid of Jäger? None, save for paranoia. That would be strange, though, for someone affiliated so closely with CMAS to have anxiety for no reason. There was something wrong with one of the Junkers onboard. Or worse yet, the Z-ATV or the entire mission itself. Being outside of Arcadia's walls surely wasn't enough for this behavior. Jäger had complete faith in the CMAS organization, which led him to believe there were some ulterior motives to this mission than previously debriefed.

He couldn't say anything out of line or stay by Haley; he would draw attention to the both of them. Jäger held the handshake for a moment longer, pale blue eyes staring into hers. Checking for any movement, any notion or indication, a hint, anything. Whatever her reaction, he would let go as easily as he began the greeting. "We are of different kin; our necessities are borne by tradition," Jäger said as he turned an iron pauldron to her. The formality was his blood. "May Kho guide you unto Him."

The archmage turned about, interrupted mid-sentence by the newcomer. Whomever they were there was something off about them. Rem already didn't trust them. It wasn't like he trusted Sulfrax very much right now but these two were downright shady.

"I do not know these individuals, Master Lauchlin." Rem responded to the elder mage, it was clear from his hushed tone the suspicion he felt. He watched them warily as they approached to address the two mages. Smirking, Rem answered their inquiry. "Well met. You are clearly foreign to this area. Travelers may come and go in Hyznia but never stay for long unless special circumstances call for it. Whether you're truly welcome within its walls is not my say. Pardon my asking, but what are you two looking for that has lost you here?"

The shorter man's eyes flew askew for a split second. Something called his attention towards the wood behind him. "Just uh," He paused, craning his head backwards and sifting through the trees like a starved hawk. "Trying to find our way home, is all. My friend here had the astoundingly profound idea to cut through this forest- Hah, a lot of good that did us, eh Ruso?" He quipped, nudging his elbow into Ruso's knee-bone, only to reel back in pain as his arm ricocheted of the man's tree-like leg. Ruso sighed and nodded. "Perhaps you could save us some trouble, might either of you two know your way between Hyznia and Arcadia, by chance?"



Haley pulled back and stared blankly at the courteous Junker. "Oh- Yes, right!" She stammered, furling her fingers, "May he uh, guide you up... Somewhere, too..." She promptly sat back down once Jager turned away and huffed a breath of relief. There was no reason to be worried. Not yet. They weren't outside the walls, and malice wouldn't follow the true survey initiative. She was sure of that much, but these weren't just CMAS mages on board the ATVs. These were Divers. Their motives could not be any less of a mystery, and that was the most terrifying factor of this mission.

Dan looked across the interior at Jager as he sat back down in his seat with a curious, intrusive grin. The ominous cretin was shorter than most other Junkers there, and hunched forwards so that his neck hovered several inches above his knees. "Hey!" He hissed, fiddling with both of his hands between his knee-gap, "You really one of Kho's kids?" Dan didn't break eye contact, and almost never blinked. Considering the high-tech looking visor that rested on his forehead, the man probably spent hours upon hours with his eyes fixated at an arcane torch, or some other bright machinist contraption. Dan sat patiently. His machinist garb coiled tightly around his stomach as he waited for a response.

Jäger's metal hadn't settled in the chair before a hunched Junker addressed him. If the reference to being a "kid" of Kho were meant to rile Jäger, it did not have the intended effect. Rather, Jäger saw him as a misinformed individual. A microscopic bolt of lightning rounded Jäger's pupil as he unstrapped the book of Kho from his chain belt. He showed the cretin the face of the book, a firm hand grasping the binding. Jäger's metal gauntlet tapped the symbol on the front of the cover twice. "Yea, I am of Kho, but in no way am I his child," Jäger said.

"To be open to the ways of Kho is to realize one's inner potential. One must first accept that potential is limitless," Jäger continued. "If one's inner potential is limitless, then there is no master better than oneself to unlock that potential. And in limitless potential, there is limitless possibility. No two quests are the same." Jäger leaned back in his chair and began to flip through the all-too-familiar pages. The sound of ruffling paper comforted him. There was a serene quality to it, as if it hadn't even broken the silence. "Without a master, there is no student. Without a parent, there is no child. The quest is individual," Jäger said. He leaned forward, "Do you understand? I am not a child of Kho. I am his prospect, and his eventual equal. I am He to enlighten myself."

The book closed shut, and a gust of air momentarily blew Jäger's bangs to the side. He strapped the leather-bound tome to its rightful place, and returned to an upright position. "Kho is the beginning, you are the end. Seek Him in you," Jäger said.

"Neither of you seem suited to Arcadia," Sulfrax began, pulling his hood back up before letting his arm fall by his side again, staring at the two of them with skeptic curiosity. "And I've little time to waste on escorting some lost peasants wandering through the woods. Find Arcadia of your own accord, unless you have a more interesting motivation." Sulfrax shifted his weight slightly from side to side as he inspected the two. He didn't appear threatened nor threatening, simply curious about the new company. Seemed as though his venture outside was netting more than just a conversation...



Nicolas was leaning back in his seat in the Z-ATV now, the grinning expression on his face staring straight ahead...no, not quite straight. The slightest bit angled towards Jäger now. His hands were behind his head, and he was bouncing his crossed legs. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world anymore, but it was perhaps a little strange that he hadn't started up his own case of small-talk. The mischievous actor was as interested in the monk's answer as the machinist.

Perhaps it would have been less noticeable if he reacted to the woman he had been nagging all day open her eyes, beckoning Haley over with a hand, a folded piece of crumpled paper in the other. As if the poor lady needed anything else stressing her; the Illon woman hadn't come with any formal paperwork, and wasn't a registered CMAS mage. Superiors had just tacked her on the Initiative team with no questions answered.



The swordsman's eyes widened for a moment as he noticed Jenso sprint past him through the smoke. He wasn't expecting him to be so fast. An immediate red flag went off in his head, and he shouted at the top of his lungs: "The yellow one's not a mage! He's a Ki user! You idiot, Iron, I can't fight that!" He began coughing after shouting so hard while still in the smoke, but he wanted to be loud enough for his comrades on the cliff to hear. Distracted by the realization of Jenso's actual strength and his shift to warn his team about it, he lost proper focus. Several bullet wounds from Par punctured his back. He barely even screamed as he collapsed on the dirt.

One down, four to go.

The problem with the next member though, was the boisterous laughter as the titanic man caught Jenso's flame-doused fist with one hand, a distinct klang as it impacted with metal, the fire burning away cloth and synthetic flesh covering his right hand, muscles bulging as the man's own Ki-enhanced strength held the attack back, standing firm. "Well now, ain't this more interesting! I thought you were just a little punk, but gotta say, you've got a real powerful left straight here, buddy!" A swift movement of his hand, and he grabbed Jenso by the wrist, flinging him in Par's direction with one swift movement. The man had blocked Jenso's strongest technique.

"The name's Iron, fire-boy! Two bruisers like us, we should know each other's names before we get down and dirty!" The man was grinning now, settling into a top-heavy stance, ready to clash with a retaliation. He didn't seem to care about what just happened to his ally, or even properly trying to kill the two now.

His buddies on the cliff though had different ideas. The mage and crossbowman came down from the cliff, and got themselves in a closer position to fire at Jenso and Par. They moved slowly, the mage's raised hands keeping the barrier in-tact no doubt. The crossbowman was half-panicking from a distance, calling out to Iron loud enough to be heard. "Are you serious, Iron?! Stoff is dead! Stop messing around and lets either kill them or leave--" The mage spoke up, features still indiscernible beneath his robe, except for rough boots and thin hands. He seemed like the quiet voice of reason between the two. "Calm down. Let Iron fight the Ki user. Watch for the gunner."

The two parties were close enough together now that smokescreens wouldn't help either side. Well, most of them. There was definitely a fifth figure on the cliff when they revealed themselves...so where was he now?

Paradise 'Par' Rapids - Diver's Paradise

He...actually did it. He had managed to kill the swordsman with a minimum of effort! Par took a split-second to feel the rush of victory, before watching the Mage and Crossbowman draw closer, the former's barrier keeping Par from indulging in a sniper duel with the latter. So, the 19-year old boy threw yet another Mana Grenade; the enemy duo's closeness meant that they might be in range right now. Should the Mana Grenade open a hole in the shield, Par would draw his Sniper Rifle and shoot at the Mage's eye, hopefully leaving him free to attack the Crossbowman!

As for the fifth figure, Par was wary about an attempt to catch him from behind or something like that, but knew that he can only worry after the two others were dealt with. Nevertheless, the Machinist raised his paranoia, ready to react to any new development.

Jenso stared in shock for a moment as Iron stopped his fist, with just one hand which appeared to be made out of metal. He snapped out of it as he was flung at Par however, spinning around in midair and landing on the ground on his feet, skidding to a halt which prevented him from crashing into his ally. He moved a bit further away from Par, with a confident grin on his face. "You're pretty strong yourself! It's been a long time since anyone stopped that attack! I'm Jenso! Come on, bring it!" He shouted, getting rather excited at the thought of taking this guy on. The man had a lot of strength and fighting spirit, that was certainly true. Jenso couldn't afford to be careless.

He walked over to the largest boulder he could find, and lifted it up with both hands. It appeared to be about the same size as Jenso. "Try catching THIS!!" He roared, throwing the boulder at Iron. He hoped that the man would take the bait. He followed after the boulder, moving behind it so it would prevent Iron from seeing Jenso. It would only do so for a few seconds, so he had to act quickly. A hammer made out of flames materialised in his hands as he moved further to the left. He swung it horizontally, at the right side of Iron's head.

The shorter man's face tensed severely as Sulfrax brushed him off. "Peasants?!" He grunted angrily. The comment struck a nerve like gunfire through glass, and his entire body twitched. He lowered his right hand towards his waist, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. His fingers coiled tightly regardless. Ruso placed a hand on his shoulder, but it was far too late to sate his ally's fury. In a bright flash of yellow light, a sword materialized in the short man's arms, and he lashed out at Sulfrax's body with his newly created weapon. It was like craft-magic, similar to what Luke and Yvette used to summon their own weapons on a whim, but there was something different about it. The sword wasn't crafted from arcane energy alone. Although it was impossible for most to notice, that weapon was beyond the realm of normality. Its ornate green handle looked as if it were crafted by an expert, but if Sulfrax took too much time to observe its intricate details, he would pay the price in blood as three feet of rigid steel carved into his torso. Ruso, unable to stop his shorter comrade from attacking, lunged for Rem in an attempt to prevent his interference. This had been their intent all along, to assassinate these wanderers as they had done many times in the past. But the smaller man's rash nature had crushed their chances for a couple of quick and easy kills.



Dan nodded as Jager went on about his master's teachings, completely disinterested. He'd heard it before, the philosophies or whatever the hell you wanted to call Kho's teachings, from another man he'd met at Diver's paradise. It didn't sound any less ridiculous coming from Jager, but Dan continued to nod absentmindedly, struggling to maintain a weak smile. The lines in his face did very little to hide how bored he was with the man's speech, though. "Cute," He mocked, falling back into his seat, his machinists garb crinkling from the impact. "Believe whatever you wanna, kiddo."

A second man, sitting next to Jager, tapped the monk's shoulder lightly with his pale index finger, his hand lined with silver rings. He was a slender man, no where near as tall as Jager, and far less burly. His hair was a notable shade of silvery grey, and refracted the light sources within the ATV like crumpled tin-foil. "Don't let this asshole get to you. Kho's teachings are just as valid as any other, and rather profound, as far as I'm concerned," He said, calmly glancing at Dan with subtle contempt, who had already closed his eyes and sunk into a state of supposed zen. Truth was, he was just annoyed. The man who addressed Jager was none other than Quicksilver Zay, a Popular Diver who's unique abilities brought several aspects of arcane science into question. He didn't smile, nor did he frown. Overall, the man had a demeanor that screamed lazy asshole, despite his kindness.

Jäger's eyes narrowed. His story wasn't cute, and he didn't understand why the short individual found affection within his personal quest. It could be said to be inspiring, but cute? The cretin's constant references to Jäger's youth and apathetic attitude reminded him of how a schoolchild might act around someone a grade below them. Jäger rubbed his temples with flat palms, sliding metal fingers betwixt black bangs. No, he didn't remember this individual from the temple, or from any academic setting in Saiga or Arcadia. Which meant...

"How easy it is to disregard a point, rather than provide a rebuttal. It requires nothing," Jäger said simply.

Jäger noted Zay's eccentric hair and the words of relief he provided. He also noted the amount of silver rings on his fingers, and silently pondered their use and/or significance. "I thank you, but I need no validation as to Kho's importance. If I did, I would have failed my quest long ago," Jäger said. The lightning monk raised his arm at a right angle, clawed hand facing inward, in the same fashion of greeting that he extended to Haley. "Jäger. Are you an observant or a practicer of Kho's will?"

Sulfrax's eyes were glowing with an off-grey light, the unusual sword clashing against the air next to him. An invisible barrier revealing itself, twisted and unstable magic, the portion struck revealing itself like static on a television. Sulfrax had known immediately the dangers of being out here, and there was a crease in his brow at this annoyance, with a hint of surprise as the barrier began to split. Retaliation was simultaneous however, even moreso upon noticing that this was different than theoretically expected; Sulfrax lifted his hand, and a burst of red-grey energy shot into the man, pushing him back The static properties showed themselves again as the trace energy lingered around his body.

"Domhantarraingthe Ifreann" The muttered incantation caused the remnant energy to flare up, and the gravity around him intensified to an obscene degree. It might have just caved in his torso if he was a normal human, but he was oddly durable against the force. "Hm, not a typical Arcane manifestation. I do hope that mixture was with Ki. Ever since the incident, I've been studying that obscure 'spirit power'. Making sure that the antithesis to Arcane magic wouldn't be an antithesis to me."



"Woe upon you, for your ignorance has been unveiled, my tinkerer comrade! A true tragedy that your shoulder should turn so coldly towards an ally!" Nicolas was looking at Dan now, his grinning mask likely matching the expression he had beneath it. It was a little surprising, however, when his tone changed from his usual sing-song entertainer's tone to a normal teenager's voice. "Listen, Dan, buddy. Even if you don't believe in Kho, heck even if the guy didn't exist, I'd keep the sarcasm on the down-low. No need to be all cold-shoulder when we're trying to work together, unless you really want to be lumped into the no-fun-allowed group with her." The end of his statement was punctuated with a thumb jabbed towards the back, where the quiet Illon woman sat, still as a statue.



"Come on, ya punk! I'm gettin' real sick of you trying to blindside me with stuff like this!" Iron wasn't the brightest, but Jenso had been using too many smokescreens and sneak attacks by now. He didn't try to smash the boulder to look for Jenso. He just rammed his shoulder into the damn thing, and returned the stone to its sender, interrupting Jenso's attack before he could get the full swing in. "You've set up smokescreens and dashed around rocks for way too long! Fight me head-on, or I'll take your head clean off!"

Par was having only partial success, although it seemed a little too convenient. Once the grenade was thrown, the retaliation was immediate as the mage spoke up. "Thirty-seven degrees to your left." The barrier went down, and a crossbow bolt flew right in Par's direction, embedding itself into a stone in front of him, and detonating a second later. However, an eye for an eye. The explosion of the grenade didn't need to hit the barrier; instead it hit the poor crossbowman, the blast throwing him backwards, the mage stepping casually out of the way of both his partner's flying body, and somehow ignoring the blast itself.

Jenso frowned as the boulder was sent back at him. He stopped his swing, and jumped to the left to move out of the way of the boulder. "Fine, let's settle this!" He shouted. He dashed at Iron, aiming a quick kick with his right foot at the left side of Iron's head. He took his hammer in his left hand as he did, swinging it at Iron's right hand, the one he struck with his fist earlier.

'No point messing around now...I'll just have to kick his ass before he can take me down!' Jenso thought as he attacked. Par seemed to be dealing rather well with his opponents, so he didn't need to worry about him. Well, if he would be able to avoid the explosion right in front of him, at least. He couldn't afford to keep his eyes off Iron. Even if he couldn't beat him, at the very least he would be able to keep him busy. But Jenso certainly wouldn't stop trying to win.

Paradise 'Par' Rapids - Diver's Paradise

Par covered his eyes with his arms as the stone before him exploded; the pieces cutting into said arms like shrapnel. The rest of his body was lacerated as well, but thankfully, the stone was soft, and once the explosion's dust and smoke faded, blown away by a breeze, Par saw that only he, the Mage, and the potential fifth figure were left. True, the Machinist had no hiding place left, but neither did the Mage. And as the Mage had robes that got in the way of physical acrobatics, that disadvantage was easier for Par to overcome.

Taking out his Mana Pistols once more, the Machinist fired not at the Mage, but the limp, unconcious body of the Crossbowman, trying to make sure that he was dead. At the same time Par did this, the young man walked backwards, in the direction of another, larger rock to his left. Then, he would step sideways and hide behind it, ready to resume firing from cover while waiting for the fifth figure...

Rem leapt back from the taller of the attackers, Ruso. Seeing the way Sulfrax's barrier was effectively cut by the smaller of the two assailants it was safe to assume Ruso had a similar ability to counter magic. If this brigand were expecting a display of raw magic he was going to be sorely surprised. With his right hand Rem readied to defend himself with his staff and his left hand went with purpose to the instrument secured around his neck.

"Sulfrax!" Rem warned in short, "Cover your ears!" There was no definite way to cover his own ears from what was about to happen but with help coming it wouldn't matter so long as Rem had the ability to defend himself.

The younger mage focused the sound he desired through his mind and blew. A high-pitched noise amplified by magic speared the air. The ringing made Rem shudder. Temporarily deafened, he focused on his eyes and held the staff with both hands, ready to defend himself from Ruso. Should the distraction work long enough it would leave them wide open to an ambush from Senna, plus anyone else within earshot. Without Senna he would need to rely on Sulfrax's overwhelming arcane power or some crazy tricks.

-

It didn't take the beast long to mobilize. Senna rushed out from the thicket as the noise rang across the plain. Her bristles tightly closed against her hide as she sprinted, sleek and shiny like black armor. The eight foot obsidian monster stormed up to the fight, pouncing at the shorter brigand so that she could pin him and maul him to death with her vicious claws.

Dan ignored the commentary of his peers and sunk deeper into his silly trance as the titanic wheels below them creaked into motion. A heavy vibration rung throughout the passenger cabin as the engine whirred louder and louder. At the heart of the ATV's engine, ventricles of magical energy pumped progressively faster, eventually whirring to a point of stability where the only sounds and motions felt were coming from the vehicle's tires. Zay nodded once as the beastly machine kicked off. The amount of turbulence was surprisingly low, even when they hit its top speed at a considerable 80 mph. It was pretty amazing that this thing could even go that fast! Zay looked at Jager and shook his head subtly.

"I just observe. I don't know much, aside from what I've been told, but his theories on ki are fascinating, to say the least," Zay said, cupping his elbows and sinking back into his chair comfortably. The ATV made its way out of Arcadia now, and would certainly run into something within the next hour.



Yvette poked her head out of the hatch and surveyed the surroundings. By now, he men had buried their peers and returned to the vehicle, waiting for the repairs to be completed. All except for Onweer, who was still napping underneath the lone tree nearby. Yvette turned towards her and narrowed her eyes. Damn it. "Miss Daybreak!" She shouted, "Miss daybreak!!" They weren't ready to leave, but Yvette was lost for options here. Surely if they didn't take shelter, something else would find them. Probably not another serpent, but certainly not something friendly.

Rightfully so, a pair of travelers were stationed about a kilometer away, atop a large rock in the distance. They were concealed by the jutting stone near the top, but could see their targets easily with a help of an ornate spyglass in their possession. "Three visible, probably more in that trashed hunk of metal," one of the hunters whispered. A woman, dark-haired and slender, lay crouched with her head peering over the stone blockade. She licked her lips, putting the spyglass away as her partner, a younger man with curly blonde hair, sat with his arms crossed at her side.

"I can't fucking believe we found people way out here."




Ruso stopped mid-step, staggering back and covering his ears with both hands. "Argh!" He roared, still walking backwards. In that moment, the 7-foot monster of a man clasped his right hand into a fist and materialized a small hammer between his fingers, but refused to let his ears fall victim to the full brunt of Rem's sonic sound. The shorter man's feet sunk slightly into the hillside as he felt his entire body grow heavier. The sudden shift in weight made him grit his teeth and lash out once again with his blade, this time merely swiping at the air. His slash was slow, but it released a thin wave of bright white energy towards Sulfrax, threatening to slice at his throat. The small man looked confused as Sulfrax began speaking of arcane energy and Ki, but didn't respond. Instead, he whipped his left hand up above his head, causing the air around him to whip erratically. The grass at his feet danced, but before he could follow through, something clung to his shoulder and toppled him to the ground. His chest struck the ground hard. His short sword de-materialized and he let out a loud cry of pain, alerting Ruso to his situation immediately. The large man spun towards his ally with his eyes wide with horror.

"Florence!" Ruso grunted, releasing his ears and reeling his small hammer back behind his head. Senna was his target, but before he continued forwards and attempted to crush the creature's spine, he called out to her with an indiscernible roar. Senna would understand this as more than just a display of might, as Ruso was speaking to her directly in a tongue known only to the wildlife of the world.

~Still your claws, now!~

Would his words usher in surprise? He had hoped that much, at least, lest his friend be torn to shreds before he could disable the massive beast. Regardless of whether or not this was the case, the force behind Ruso's hammer was disproportionate to its tiny size. Its blows were heavily concussive, using his Ki as a power source to launch whether the tiny weapon struck. Size didn't matter, after all.

Jäger still suspected that the masked actor was hiding something, but he appreciated the support of Kho. Though it was strange he would purport the possible non-existence of Kho, as there was gratuitous documentation on the matter within Saiga's history and tomes. Jäger was not one to need defending, but knowing another was tolerant of the way was reassuring. He rose a closed gauntlet in the direction of Nicolas, a gesture in battle to mean strength and support. Jäger leaned back into his chair. He allowed his long, black strands of hair to rest on the top of the seat as he gazed about the buzzing interior.

Jäger marveled the whirring sounds of the living machine, crackling with arcane energy and Arcadia's finest technology. He'd never seen a Z-ATV in transit, let alone one sitting still. Literature was enough to learn, but to experience was the true joy of technology. He did not quite understand the shunning of technology within Saiga. There were several utilities and purposes that technology served. The convenience and subsequent apathy that technology could bring was only due to overabundance. There were balance in all things; one extreme did not prove wise above the other. Nevertheless, he never questioned his teachers in the matter, and lived by the codex of the monks.

Jäger's normal smirk had a new sheen to it with Zay's words. Jäger knocked the cover of Kho's book with a metal glove. "To take the first step is to read the first page," Jäger said. He was not one to lecture on the ways of Kho. Surely he'd been in discussions to correct misconceptions, but never to teach those who were blank slates. As he believed, everyone's quest was individual. His knowledge served no purpose for others reaching towards Kho.

Sulfrax's mouth turned a little at the desperate swing of Florence's blade. A pitiful final attack, Sulfrax thought, another swing of his hand releasing another blast at the wave. Rem's sonic attack was subconsciously nullified by his passive barrier, but he knew that the Ki strikes of the small warrior took a bit more effort. It surprised him then, as the cutting wave from the sword just cut through his blast. The Ki was more focused, more pure than he had anticipated being possible. His eyes narrowed, and he held up his arm instead. The blast shred through his sleeve and leather straps, but the wave was shattered by raw force as the runic binds fell to the ground.

"You cut my...!" Sulfrax dropped to his knees, wincing, flinging his exposed arm up at the small man on the ground, angered and ready to retaliate, but immediately refocused towards the charging man once he saw the beast. "You'll suffer in his place then! Reo Gréine!" The blast was intense and unstable, an eruption of white flame straight from Sulfrax's arm at the man named Ruso. Whatever immediate oddity his magic held before was gone; this was raw elemental Arcane magic, almost desperately released, some of the fire even backlashing and travelling up Sulfrax's own arm. The sheer volume of it threatened to consume its caster, but the Arch Mage didn't seem to care. He was more angered now than cautious.



Alvios sighed, shaking his head as he ran from Diver's Paradise, mumbling about Luke sending off to deal with whatever might befall Yvette. He didn't much like the woman, although she probably liked dealing with his efficient attitude in comparison to Luke's passionate one. "Luke should be the one coming out here to check on Yvette. He's the one that came out here to deal with her in the first place. Should have dragged her back with him if he was so worried..." Complaining about the small things was better than dwelling on the big picture at the moment. He'd probably get an earful from Yvette once he showed up. At least he'd be closer to some of his contacts once he reached the Xena Rock Fields.



"That's the spirit!" Iron held his arm up to block the kick to his head, and simply swatted back at Jenso's hammer with his hand. His eyes widened a bit as the hammer struck though; he expected the flames to disperse, not be as solidified as they were, and the attachment suffered for it, the joint bending inward at an odd angle. He didn't try to hold him back any more, and shoved Jenso away with his left arm instead, jumping back a short distance afterwards to check his wrist. "Shit, shit, shit..." he mumbled, grabbing it with his other hand and trying to adjust it. The joint had been offset from the way he blocked it; he wouldn't be able to do much with it now besides awkwardly slap at him with it.

On Par's end, it seemed as though the situation was picking up. The mage looked back at his partner, not making an attempt to save him as the last few bullets hit. He took another glance over at Iron, then back towards where he had last seen Par. "Good job," he said aloud, before turning and, oddly enough, running off. Guess the mage was a scared little bitch! ... Or he had an ulterior motive. It would be up to Par to decide whether to chase or not... and if he did, there was still the unseen fifth member of the group.

Paradise 'Par' Rapids

Except for the fact that the Mage, in his possibly feigned retreat, forgot one thing - that Par had a Sniper Rifle. Quickly bringing it up, the 19-year old boy aimed at the exposed back of the enemy merc, then fired, hopefully bringing him down and allowing him to focus on the fifth figure, whom he knew was still out there. Said fifth figure was likely to be someone powerful, maybe even more powerful than that heavy guy.

At least Jenso appeared to be winning, Par would think as he glimpsed the fight between the two.