Jenso glared at Iron as he jumped back, taking a defensive stance. He kept a close eye for any sudden movements as the man attempted to fix his hand. "So...want to surrender?" Jenso asked in a stern and serious tone. The hammer in his hands dispersed, and he had his fists at the ready. It seemed that Iron was quite concerned, so perhaps Jenso could finish the fight right now. He did his best to seem intimidating to Iron to have a higher chance to get him to stop attacking. Not because Jenso was afraid to continue the battle, but simply because surrender would finish things quicker.

It seemed as if Par had everything under control as he took down the crossbowman, and the mage made a run for it. There was still the fifth guy to worry about, but right now Jenso was mainly focused on Iron. He couldn't afford to get distracted with an opponent like this.

Zay waved the book away casually and yawned. "I'm not much for reading, Jager," Zay wheezed, stretching his entire body and falling back into his seat again, "Word of mouth is where I get my knowledge from. Otherwise I'd be an ignorant old fool, like this guy over here." Zay motioned towards Dan with his eyes and pursed his lips into a faint smile. Dan was still lost in his own little world, and payed them no mind. By now the ATV was well into the Plains of Ire, making its way to the hillside that bordered the Illon republic which barely scraped by the edge of Illuna Forest. The ATV strode forward at its top speed, not stopping for anything on its path into the unknown..



Far past the Illon republic, and the swamps that surrounded it, Z-ATV-1 had made its way into a large expanse of progressively drier land. The once lush grass that covered hills for miles had become brown and decrepit, as if it hadn't rained for weeks. Eventually, the grass had all but vanished, replaced sandy, cracked dirt that shifted up and down at random intervals. This place had no name from Arcadia's perspective, but to the nations relative to its location, including Illon, it was known as the Windtrace Dunes. It was vast, uneven, and littered with patches of tall, brittle-looking grass that the ATV did not heed, trampling patch after patch relentlessly.

"We're nearing a steep incline!" the driver's voice roared through a small funnel above them. It connected into his room through a simple pipe system, allowing his voice to travel into the cabin without fail. Haley looked up nervously and nodded to herself. The ATV pulled up to a stop at the edge of one of the large hills, sinking into the dry ground at the edge. Dan sprung forwards and pushed his visor up. He blinked several times, apparently waking from a nap. Zay was equally startled by the sudden halt, but didn't react as such. "Already? We'd just passed Illon thirty minutes ago," Zay cautioned, getting out of his seat and rushing towards the ATV's left-front window that sat next to Haley's chair. "It's like a desert with... No sand..."

Zay's commentary was accurate, for what he could see through the thick window frame of the ATV, anyways. From the cockpit, one would notice a vast expanse of sand that went on for kilometers after a 10 meter drop. The ATV could not proceed easily. There'd have to be preparation made for its continued voyage.

Several yards away, following the ATV's tracks, were a pack of peculiar creatures that neared the truck cautiously. Trailing far enough behind to stay out of sight, the hungry creatures waited for the metal monstrosity that trespassed on their lands to release its delectable passengers.

Jäger shrugged at Zay's comment. It was not a gesture of shrugging him off, moreso one to say Jäger was indifferent. If Zay's quest involved him to learn of Kho's will through word of mouth rather than through word of the page, then so be it. That was his choice. Jäger wondered why Dan did not stand up for himself and what he believed in as he continued to be berated by Zay, but the monk said nothing on the matter. Dan appeared to be ignoring them at the moment, and probably hadn't heard Zay's comments. He didn't exactly get off on the right foot with the cretin, either.

Jäger eyed the pipe centered inside the room of their room momentarily, before switching his glance to Haley. She was still unsure of this entire operation. If there wasn't deceit in the ranks, it was a lack of confidence that plagued her face. If she continued this behavior and the group was led to a dire situation, Jäger hypothesized they would be wiped out. Dan awoke (explaining his ignorance of their comments) and Zay commented about the briefness of their travel. Jäger hadn't been outside the walls since his time in Saiga, so he wasn't sure how long this journey was going to take. He observed the landscape above Zay's shoulder. It was beautiful in its desolation, pure in its destruction. Even the horizon didn't provide proof that the desert of no sand had an end. He wondered what creatures lurked here, and how far away help might be.

Turning away from the window, Jäger strode with heavy feet toward Haley. A metal gauntlet clashed against his chest before returning to his side. "Officer Haley, I am at your command. How shall I assist preparations?" Jäger said.

Onweer’s eyes fluttered open as she heard her name being shouted across the rock field. She felt drowsy and fatigued but the sky was still bright blue so the day wasn’t over yet. With a quiet groan the woman pushed herself up on her elbows and reached for the flask of water before she stood. She wasn’t in a hurry when she made her way to the ATV, inspecting the machine brief look-over before climbing in. Once inside she sat on a bench and rested her body against the wall with a sigh. She glanced at Brian and Cecil wondering if she’d missed anything important and if they’d fill her in if she had.

Then her gaze drifted to Yvette with a slight frown. She didn’t like how she kept calling her by her surname. She hadn’t used it since she fled CMAS in Hyznia and, weather due to paranoia or simple foresight, she didn’t think it was alright for it to circulate around so easily, especially when the line between friend and foe was so blurred. “I’d appreciate it if you just call me Onweer, project leader.” She said with a lazy smile. “No need for formalities under such circumstances, at least not when you’re the one on top of us all.” She wondered if it would sound hostile. It wasn’t meant to be but sometimes it was hard to tone it down, especially after spending years sleeping rough and having to appear as threatening as possible to anyone who’d acknowledge your existence.

She wondered how much Yvette was aware of. Did she know about her skills? Did she know of her past as “Garnet Daybreak”? And if she did, who else knew? What if all this was an elaborate plan to trap her and complete her silencing?

No, Onweer willed herself to relax. She wasn’t such a big fish. She hadn’t committed a high enough treason to sacrifice people’s lives to get her. Something more was at play here. Something far bigger than herself.

“Should we play truth or dare?” She suggested suddenly, grinning at her comrades. “Might as well, while we travel.” It was a lighthearted suggestion. But something told her that for this group, telling the truth might be the biggest challenge they’d faced.

Haley rose from her seat after the announcement was made, coming face to face with Jager once again. He saluted her with an inquiry for instructions. Haley walked past him and patted his shoulder plate confidently. "Come with me and we'll find out what needs to be done," She insisted. The ATV's massive metal door slammed against a mixture of dirt and dust, allowing the 7 passengers inside a way out. Haley stepped down promptly and strode over to the small cliff-like drop. 10 meters was quite a fall, even without 5 inches of metal protecting you. She looked back for a moment, down the hill that they'd just climbed. "Can't you just use the cannon?!" Haley barked at the pilot. He shook his head from behind the cockpit window, mouthing the word 'wasteful' with a smirk. Haley pouted. "Zay, Buttercup! We've got some digging to do! Jager, apply your skill set elsewhere. Climb on top of the ATV with Nicolas and Dan. Keep an eye out for our sister vessles, or anything else creeping around out there," Haley ordered with an air of conviction that bubbled up from the depths of her soul. "Hey! Move the ATV back about 30 feet once everyone's in position!"

On command, the hulking golem heaved his way past the metal frame of the ATV and stamped across the soft dirt, with Zay lingering close behind, his hands planted firmly in his pockets. "Dig through a cliff Haley?" Zay quipped, peering over the edge anxiously. Dan made his way up the ATV's side promptly as everyone else got into position. Once Nicolas and Jager joined him, the driver would back up as commanded.

'skriooo!' Ire Lizzies cried out as they neared the ATV, grouping together into a hoard of 10, each standing on two equally disheveled legs that held them four feet off the ground. They had no frontward appendages, instead relying on their large round heads that matches the circumference of their cone-like body. Near the center, it split into two rows of equally jagged yellow teeth that parted for their signature squeal, or food. The walking, or rather, sprinting lizard creatures made their way towards the ATV, only visible from atop the vehicle over the uneven terrain.

The other two ATVs however, were nowhere to be found...



Yvette glanced at Onweer with a hint of worry in the lines of her face seeping past her otherwise stalwart composure. She nodded curtly at the request. At the mention of truth or dare though, he muscles tensed. Brian looked at Onweer with a frown, already fully aware of where this was headed.

"Truth or dare!? Do you recognize the desperation of our situation... Onweer?" Yvette snapped, stomping across the ATV's metal ground until she was inches away from the wind-mage. "There will be no travel. We've nowhere safe to turn, no other allies in this desolate wasteland, and half of our ranks have been desolated!" Cecil backed away from Yvette's outburst, towards the front of the ATV until his head was lined up with the vehicle's front windows. Brian sat down and waited desperately for this to end before it kicked into a new gear of horrible. "Your attitude is gravely disproportionate to where we stand, fledgling! Perhaps there's a reason they sent a gimped brat like you to be executed with the rest of us!" Yvette paused and turned to Brian for a moment. Cecil froze in place and turned to the window on his right. Brian's eyes widened in shock as Yvette's expression changed to one of guilt. "Executed in-"



Yvette was cut off by the sound of a long-range rifle tearing across the rock fields. Cecil's body went limp as blood spewed from the back of his skull. A bullet had pierced his left eye, leaving him dead in the same second. As his body fell to the ground, Yvette instinctively positioned herself near the center of the ATV. Brian didn't move, only able to glance at Cecil's corpse as it fell limp at the head of the cabin. "What the hell!" He cried out in a panic, "Who the hell is out here?!"

"Quiet down Brian!" Yvette hissed, dropping to a crouch and grabbing Onweer's calf. "Down miss Daybreak!" Yvette didn't bother correcting herself. Names were the least of her concern right now.

One of the two hunters mounted on the massive rock whistled a shrill note, staring the scope of her rifle. "One down, easy target. looks like he had himself a rifle, too!" The man turned and looked over the rocky edge, yanking his partner's spyglass from her waistline to take a look for himself. He nodded and pouted his lips reluctantly.

"Nice shot."

Jäger nodded as Haley cupped his shoulder, seeing that she had gained some belief in her team through their time in the Z-ATV. Without trust, there was no team. His metal greaves dragged across the flooring, going from a loud clanking to a soft patter against the not sand. They approached the cliff of no horizon; it was a thirty foot drop at least. Jäger rose a brow upon the order to dig through the cliff. He said nothing on the matter, however, as he trusted Haley's intelligence and position. Jäger was confident in his own. Following orders, he climbed the Z-ATV with two characters that didn't necessarily rub off on him well. Wary, the monk kept his staff in hand atop the mobile machine. He could be attacked at any angle at this point.

They were being followed. Not by Z-ATVs, but by beasts, predatory in appearance and nature. Training didn't steel Jäger for the shuddering maws, open, ready to ingest any in its path. It was gothic, but primitive. His ancestor's spine tingled in their sight before regaining his composure and bellowing. "Creatures, on the horizon. They're shrouded by the terrain at ground level, take heed. We'll engage from our position." With this, two crackling orbs appeared in each of Jäger's hands. With a gentle push, the two orbs floated to positions in front of and on the outside of the approaching herd. From a simple glance, Jäger interpreted that they run on instinct, merely stems pushing flesh. If anything passed between the two orbs, it would serve as an invisible, electric fence and provide a violent shock to anything that attempted to cross.

Wrynn had been out exploring no-man's-land for most of the morning. He'd heard rumor of a meeting back at Driver's Paradise but he didn't feel like making the journey back just yet. Today he was out simply exploring, looking for new spots of interests and possible locations for little safe havens to stowaway in over night on exceptionally long adventures. But all that had been dragged to a halt at the sound of gun shots and explosions coming from behind him. They were quite aways behind him, but worth investigating nonetheless.

As he quietly approached the site of the wrecked ATV, he made sure to keep hidden. Creeping quietly around the side of a massive rock, he used his goggles to zoom in on the scene below. A woman had just stepped inside the ATV and he could see other people moving around inside. It looked like there had been a very intense battle not long before he got here.

Must have been the noise I heard earlier, he muttered to himself.

His thoughts were cut short as a loud crack pierced the silence and one of the people in the ATV crumpled to the ground. The shot sounded as if it has come from above him on the massive rock had had been sneaking around. Darting out from his hiding place, Wrynn ran around the side of the massive rock, leaping up onto a smaller rock nearby before jumping as high as he could. As he reached the peak of his jump he quickly slapped a button on his right shoulder, activating his jumppack. With a thunderous sound, Wrynn was launched into the air, sure that whoever had shot the rifle was now very well aware that something was going on behind them.

Vaulting over the edge of the rock the sniper was hidden on, Wrynn came face to face with not one, but two snipers, clearly shocked to see someone flying into their hiding spot. As his feet hit the ground both of his arms came up, assuming the bracers he had built into his arms straight at both snipers, their rifles aimed right back at him.

Greetings! I'm Wrynn, nice to meet you! Now you may be wondering what I'm pointing at you, so let me tell you! These beautiful bracers are custom made, by me, and are linked directly into my nervous system. They will shoot you as fast as I think it. Now, I don't think anyone else here needs to die today. I don't know what quarrel you have with those down their in that vehicle. Nor do I care. He said the last part in a very matter of fact tone, the severity of his words reflected through the harsh glare of his eyes. Now, shall we let the people in the ATV decide your fate, or will we all go on about our business before someone else ends up dead?

With that he took a step forward, daring them to try something.

Senna backed off of the dazed man squirming on the ground. The language Ruso used was familiar and understandable. It resonated in her and yet she had never heard it spoken from a man. She made quick distance away from the man, sensing the mystery and danger. This ironbristle was patient and protective. Achieving a fair distance she started prowling around her prey to flank. This man, Ruso, shot off all her warning instincts but it was clear from his position and posture that he and his ally meant violence against her friend.

All the bristles in her hide flicked out and she began growling as menacingly as possible at the two. She would pace behind them cautiously and wait for an opening, glaring specifically at Ruso.

--

Rem marveled at how reliable Senna was. Highwaymen had tried in the past to kill him but these two weren't simple thugs, they had an agenda or a goal. Were they here for Sulfrax? Were they here to kill Rem himself? This violence made a storm of uncertainty. These men had not made their objectives clear and they tried to cover the truth as to their intentions. Not some travelers lost on the way. Ruso and Florence had to be hit men.

Senna however successful in her surprise attack had been surprised herself, even spooked. That Ruso's incoherent bellowing could startle a beast clearly bigger and possibly more dangerous than he was troubled him. She even backed off, it was clear that his companion had lost her mettle against the bigger of the brigands. What did he do?

There was still ringing in his ears but he ignored it as he focused on what was about to happen. If this Ruso could intimidate Senna so easily it was clear who Rem needed to worry about. Rem sidestepped toward Sulfrax as he used his overwhelming offensive power against Ruso. "Master, finish the little one if you can. " Rem pointed toward the thicket of trees Senna had charged out of mere moments before. Hopeful that his enemy still had issues hearing, considering he himself was still a bit dazed, he continued. "We won't last against this adversary if we don't make distance. They're trained for close slaughter." He peered warily at his enemy. "If we can make it to the trees we may just have a clear shot. I'll buy us some time."

Rem steadied the staff in his right hand and raised his left forward, fingers spaced apart and palm down. The energy that he focused into his hand felt right, he was ready. Rem spoke his words of power. "Unro dagoon." A mist of glowing amber drifted from his outstretched hand. The hue of the ground changed taking on a darker tone.

That was the fun thing about diversifying your tricks. Your adversaries would never know what something did until they triggered it. The ground stretching forward toward the assassins turned into a viscous and difficult to traverse mud.

Rem turned toward the thicket and readied himself to help Sulfrax run if he needed it. Hopefully he wouldn't be stubborn and try to stay to fight them. Their powers, though more clear now were still unknown. Being outsmarted now meant death.

Ruso's hammer struck air as Senna backed away. He glared at the beast as it growled at him. Contempt welled up from his stomach, and he growled back as if he were a beast of the wild himself.

~To help humans is a crime against Gaia!~

The massive man glanced down at Florence. As he felt his body weight return to normal, he immediately jumped back onto his feet with a forward flip, shallow claw marks stretching against his bare chest. There was barely any blood, and within seconds, the small strips of flayed skin healed to near-obscurity, leaving rows of scabbed flesh behind as the only indicator the Florence was injured. ~Filthy main-beast~ Florence muttered, making direct reference to Senna's main-land heritage. The strange creatures of Thorisa were not exempt from the wild, but to pair so callously with humans? It made him sick to his stomach.

In the same moment, Ruso found his immense body under siege as Sulfrax launched a spray of white-hot flames towards his torso. The flesh along his right arm moved to intercept, bubbling immediately before he had a chance to back away. In a last ditch effort to protect his body, he dug his right foot into the ground. Suddenly, a thick layer of dirt and stone climbed his leg, up towards his right arm, and formed a crude barrier between him and the flame. It proved to only reduce the damage his arm and lower torso sustained, burning away like plant-matter in seconds. Florence turned his body upwards, whipping his free arm in a fierce motion. A torrent of powerful winds deflected a great deal of Sulfrax's flames, but didn't quite stop the sheer ferocity of his attack. Pure arcane fire?! Florence thought, turning his attention to Sulfrax and Rem. The roaring of the flames was barely audible to him. His ears were still ringing, but it wouldn't be long before his hearing returned to its previous splendor.

Florence swung his blade width-wise, attempting to send another wave of destructive energy towards Rem and Sulfrax. It would have cut them in half with ease, but a sudden shift in his balance completely offset his aim, sending the wave higher than he initially intended, towards the scalps of the two mages. "Shit!" Florence hissed, his left foot sinking deeper into the newly-created quagmire below him and Ruso. His larger ally did not sink for long, though. The earth beneath his feet shifted to keep his balance as his barrier peeled away, revealing his right arm to be mostly incapacitated. It dropped limp to his side, and his hammer disappeared in a puff of white light.

"My brother-" Ruso started, raising his left arm towards Rem and Sulfrax, "Florence, we mustn't invest our lives in-" Florence cut off Ruso with a low growl.

~Their life force ebbs, we cannot let them escape our grasp~

The earth beneath Sulfrax and Rem began to crack and crumble to the point of total instability upon Ruso clenching his fist. Florence still struggled to free his foot and regain his composure, but unlike his friend, he did not wield any control over the earth beneath them. "Ross will come! Fight with intent to kill, Ruso!"

Ruso continued to crumble the earth beneath Sulfrax and Rem, but the doubt in his mind, paired with his disabled right arm, made it difficult for him to focus on the battle at hand. When would Ross get there?



An explosion alerted the two hunters to Wrynn's presence, but before they could react, he held them both as gun-point, or much rather, bracer point. Before they could react, Wrynn started going on about how they were at risk of getting shot, and how nobody needed to die. In the back of the woman's mind, she was just trying to figure out exactly how his tone would change if they tied up him and cut out his tongue. She frowned despite this, and refused to look him in the eye. Her seemingly unarmed, curly haired boy-toy seemed completely disinterested with Wrynn's little speech as well.

"Buddy," The woman muttered, "You got yourself one hell of a pair doin' what yer doin. But-" Suddenly, her voice cut off and she pulled her rifle up to Wrynn's head, firing it as quickly as she could manage and hoping to be done with this nuisance as quickly as possible. The man at her side covered his ears preemptively.

Of course she was going to shoot. She always ends up shooting.



The Lizzies continued forward on their approach despite Jager's electrical defense. As they neared his orbs however, two of the creatures were stopped in place with a pair of thunderous arcs, sending them onto their bellies. The two beasts were disabled immediately, perhaps doomed to starve without the use of their legs, after the electrical bolts robbed them of the ability to walk. The last 8 creatures were at least intelligent enough to halt their approach, but had no idea on how to approach, instead standing in place and pacing aimlessly from side to side, as if there were discussing a plan of attack.

In reality, they were just utterly stupefied by the display of magical prowess, like dumb baby chicks seeing a fireworks show for the first time. It was kind of cute actually, in a weird, little-Screeching-lizard sort of way.

Dan stared in disbelief at the little 90 pound carnivorous idiots. "Go... Go around the magical thunder wall!" He hissed in annoyance. "I swear, the creatures out here get dumber and dumber-" The ATV seemed to shake subtly, stopping Dan mid-sentence. He looked down at where his Metallic boots met the ATV's warm steel hood curiously. "You didn't feel that, did you?" Without waiting for a response, He lowered his visor and scanned the Horizon, using his goggles' zoom function to make something out over one of the larger dunes. The Ire lizzies started squealing like little baby chicks, if chicks sounded like they were being squeezed to death.

"Skriiiioooo!"

"Skriiiiiii!"

"Skroooooooo!"



Haley and Zay, at one point confident with the men on the roof handling any interfearance, spun around at the sound of something much larger than a simple Ire Lizzie. Zay's mouth hung open for a second. He looked up at Jager with a slow turn of his head.

"What the hell was that?" Dan moved closer to Jager and pulled on his shoulder plate gently.

"Tell him it's uh... It's big" He whispered, still glancing over the nearby dune in horror as the lizzies danced in front of Jager's electric fence in a frenzy.

Jäger looked to Dan with eyebrows arched downward and mouth in a frown. He couldn't determine why the diver was supporting the creatures, or at least appeared to do so. He ignored him for now and flicked his gauntlets forward with a clink, sending the two orbs forward so as to paralyze the remaining, jittering lizzies. Jäger was never one to turn his back on an opponent, but he awaited the assured victory as the two crackling, blue orbs to incapacitate the desert lizards.

The Z-ATV shook. Not with the power of magic, but the power of nature. Jäger’s heartbeat increased, the pulses of mana running through his body traveling in sync with the blue tattoo etched onto his body. The glowing mana bounced sporadically, a biological heart monitor. The monk’s gaze remained stone in its resolution. He remained watching the creatures scurry about. They reminded him of the farms in Saiga, where hens would scatter when a fox was about.

“If you value your safety, I suggest you assist me, or remove yourself from the area,” Jäger said, after some considerate pause. He shook his arm so as to remove Dan. Turning about, he walked to the edge of the Z-ATV roof, kneeling with the sound of metal scraping metal. “We hold it here. We do not run. We can not run,” Jäger said. The creature was likely too large and too swift for the Z-ATV to escape from, despite its top speed. There was a sense of pride to those words, though. If he believed they could run, it would be a sign of weakness to back down from this challenge that Kho had put in front of him. If he were to defeat it, he would grow stronger. If not, so was the will of Kho in his end.

His brain, his heart, his muscles screamed fear. A silent force shook Jäger from the inside, tightening his chest, heaving his chest quicker than before. He took shallow, infinite breaths. And yet he stood, on top of a gigantic terrestrial vessel, made of metal. Jäger felt to one knee once again, this time facing the scattering lizzies. He held his staff to his side, base touching the Z-ATV. One gauntlet was face-down, palm flayed and touching the metal of the roof. The air began to crackle about him, and currents of electricity came to life around his body. His body became a coil to the lightning, running to and from the metal plain of the roof. He continued to pour energy out of his body, charging, waiting to strike. Teeth grit so tightly they might crack bone.

Iron, looking up from his destroyed hand, gave Jenso a sadistic grin. "Punk...did you just ask me to fucking surrender? I don't think so, little man!" The big man let out a roar, carnal and fueled by rage. He charged at Jenso surprisingly quickly, and jumped up into the air, ready to drop down with a heavy punch from above...

And then his face exploded.

What the bloody fuck indeed, as the brawler landed lifelessly on the ground in front of Jenso, a short white iron rod through his head. The tip was glowing with heat, as if it had just come out of a forge, and went right through the back of Iron's head to where his eye had been. The reason for the explosion became noticeable as Iron's right eye landed in pieces on the ground; it too was mechanical, and the A/B battery had exploded on impact. The Mage running from Par didn't bother to check what the hell had just happened; he only turned for a moment as Par's shot stopped just a few inches from the back of his head. The barrier he had been using for the crossbowman was magnetic or something, making it easier to maintain than a barrier that would stop more forms of offense than just ranged strikes. He didn't seem keen on even trying to fight anymore, his pace only quickening once Iron had died. To cement this, two more of the white rods shot into the ground a few feet in front of Par and Jenso, with tattered cloths attached. Surrender flags, thrown by a figure on top of the cliff their five enemies had come from. They never got a good look at the figure, as he too bolted off, the mage scrambling off in the same direction.

So three down, and the last two surrendering, although it wasn't quite clear why the fifth figure had both killed his comrade and never engaged in battle in the first place. Maybe he knew Iron was going to fail, and wanted to make his death... Ironic.



Sulfrax glared at Rem as he moved to help, growling in the back of his throat. "Don't touch me!" The Archmage looked to stand up of his own accord, but immediately stumbled upon the quaking of the earth beneath them. The fight against these two was officially ended. They had crossed a threshold, and it was about time to solidify the gap between these bandits and Sulfrax.

"You control the earth. You control the wind. I wonder if either of you control water? It might not matter; I'm not quite sure if it could still be considered as such, anymore. Athscríobh an dlí Dhiaga" Sulfrax's touched the ground with his exposed right hand again, the light that had engulfed it slowly flickering away. Upon contact, a ring spread out across the ground from the point of contact. The trembling earth stopped, as the ground froze over in a sheet of black ice. No, not froze over... the dirt and soil and mud beneath vanished entirely, transformed from being dirt into being water, frozen immediately and laced with arcane power. A flick of his left hand, and the ice almost immediately engulfed the two from foot to neck. With the amount of energy focused within, the black ice was more akin to steel in durability.

Well, now there was essentially a frozen pond of magic ice outside of Hyznia, with two poor saps trapped on top. Sulfrax didn't kill them, though. He was kind enough to let them breathe, even retort if they felt like it. He stood back up, rolling his neck once with a sigh. "You two are an amusing display if nothing else. I could do far worse things than this, but I'd rather not start experimenting with my associate present." Sulfrax looked down at his arm for a moment, slowly clenching the fist. It was clear now why his limbs were bound with enchanted materials; the flesh was dead, burned and black like coal, and thin with perhaps no muscle tissue. More interestingly were the cracks; fissures marked the skin at random like wounds, glowing white with raw Arcane energy. It flowed beneath the skin like magma within a volcano.

"When your friend Ross shows up for the two of you, let him know that I was generous in just freezing you two. That flame that ruined your arm there may as well have been a bubble popping. I can do far, far worse. Any questions?"

Paradise 'Par' Rapids

Par sighed at that. Clearly, these people too, had complex motives. But now was not the time to ponder those yet. Instead, he looked at Jenso, and spoke:

"Are you okay?" Concern was on his face for a few seconds. He then looked in the direction of their destination, then continued:

"Now I'm really worried. Let's go further on; hopefully, this is going to be the last battle for the day." And with that, Par began walking to where the Junkers were.

Jenso glared at Iron as he leaped at him from the air with his fist at the ready. "Well, don't say I didn't give you the chance to surrender.." He muttered. He prepared to dodge Iron's fist, intending to grab hold of the giant's wrist with his right hand as flames erupted from his left arm. Before he was able to do anything however, the metal rod pierced Iron's head and the man's body collapsed into the ground in front of Jenso. He stared at Iron's corpse with a confused look. "What the heck..?" He muttered, as the flames around his left arm dispersed.

The rod had to have come from the fifth person. Jenso didn't understand why the man decided to kill his own comrade. As the metal rods with the tattered cloths appeared near him and Par, it appeared that the two remaining bandits wanted to surrender. As both of them fled the scene, Jenso shrugged. He had no intention of going after them anymore. The battle was won. He turned to Par. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's keep going!" He said, walking along with Par towards the location of the Junkers. Despite not taking much injury, the battle still took a chunk of energy from him.

Trique wandered through the Tropi desert aimlessly. Who knew how long he'd been there? A dry sensation grasped at his throat and discouraged his silent march, but he knew better than to stop now. The Plains of Ire were only so much further, and within them, Illon and Arcadia sat, ready to accept him. But as he approached the large cliff-face that divided the plains from Tropi Desert, he would notice a large truck near the edge, with several people standing around and on top of it, before it backed away from the Desert. How would he approach, if at all?



The Lizzie dancing was brought to a halt as they were assailed by Jager's electrical orbs, falling one after another like limp carrots. It was a sigh to behold, but nothing comparable to what followed. From behind one of the farthest visible dunes, a massive orange-speckled mountain of a lizard crept out one two equally powerful legs, which held its colossal body over 100 feet off of the ground. It must have weighed several tons! Its sheer mass overtook that of the ATV with ease, and it would surely tower over the buildings back in Arcadia. Unlike the smaller lizards though, it had two barely-feasible little arms below its massive maw that waggled angrily. It was kind of cu- Actually, no it wasn't. As it made its way towards the ATV slowly, the ground shook with each one of its titanic steps.

Jäger attempted to steel his shaking nerves as a dune was destroyed. It was nothing more than an ant to this creature. The monk took in what knowledge he could from the shrieking Lizzie as it approached full speed, towering over the lesser behemoth of a Z-ATV. Jagged teeth, high body mass, rigid musculature. It was a predator in all things, but all things had weaknesses. The arms, they were small and frail. Jäger had to exploit that weakness. It was the inner tactician in him that planned. But, in dire moments such s these, Jäger's instinct and brutality took over. The maneuver was primal, idiotic even, but it would work if he could pull it off. Continuing to gather energy atop the conduit, Jäger's black bangs stood on end. His gauntlets crackled. His staff hummed. A storm of lightning appeared to form around him, from thin air. Closer. Closer...

Now.

A single blast of pure, raw energy. Jäger's scream was made silent by the spell. A thunder strike knew no such sound as Jäger's armored hands clashed together to create the storm. A lightning bolt spawned before anyone could blink, linked directly between Jäger and the Lizzie. All of that time spent preparing, it still wasn't guaranteed to be stunned. Though, it had to be stunned, even if momentarily, for Jäger's plan to be feasible.

He was going to ride it.

Jenso and Par were now breaching the edge of the Xena Rock fields, finally free from the threats that blocked their path. Where had they come from? Who knew. Now they had some new trials to overcome, a few that would surely end with a resounding sigh of relief. It was no more than 3 minutes after the two of them entered the field that they heard the shockwave of a sniper-round echo across the fields. If they were paying enough attention, they would notice the sudden flash of blue energy that lead from the top of the tallest rock in the area, towards something in the distance. Snipers? Who were they firing at? A second shot didn't sound, and they were too far away to see with the naked eye. Either they hit their target easily, or something stopped them from firing again.

But there it was, a second shot, launching in the opposite direction, towards the sky. Something had to have approached from behind! Otherwise why would they waste ammo like that? To shoot down a harmless bird? Jenso and Par were now within a kilometer of the wrecked ATV that housed Yvette, Onweer and Brian. It wouldn't be long before they arrived now.



The two hunters were immediately stopped in their approach by Sulfrax's sudden display of raw power. Ruso struggled to escape, but i was an impossible feat. Curses! If only he'd reacted faster... Florence's entire body was, likewise, encased and disabled by the black ice. He grunted irritably, more upset with his own failure than with the predicament. Ruso and Florence couldn't even turn their heads to glare at one another, but there was a mutual response from both of them.

Silence.

In reality, Ross was not on his way. The two of them were now trapped with no escape, at the mercy of their prey. Ruso glanced at Rem, mulling over the possibility that humans had some level of animal-unity, similar to that of his people. How could it be? This measily little-

"Your life will be forfeit, little mage! The Gaian race shall eradicate hideous creatures like you! Abominations are to be swept under the rug like the ugly stains on the planet that they are!" Florence suddenly screamed. Ruso's eyes turned as far as they could towards his comrade. No! Ruso thought. Shut up! But it was too late to stop the little man from possibly inciting Sulfrax's anger every further.

Paradise 'Par' Rapids

Par was getting exhausted, but knew that he should and he must get to the Xena Rock Fields. Just a little more, and he can reach the battle that was raging! But, part of him asked, why was there a fight? Were Yvette and the others being attacked? If that was the case, was it treachery from the CMAS? That was probably the case.

He ran on.

Jenso's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the rock where the sniper shots came from. Whoever they were and whatever the reason for the battle was, remained unclear. He and Par would need to get closer if they wanted to find out. As Par ran towards the location of the ATV, Jenso dashed alongside him. "Alright, let's see what's going on over there...be careful, Par. We don't want to be their next target." He spoke in a calm yet serious tone. He weaved through the many rock formations as he made his approach, to make it difficult for any snipers to take a shot at him or for him to possibly avoid being seen at all. He was unsure if he and Par would be fired upon, but he wasn't going to take any risks.

He would attempt to climb up the tallest rock as quickly as possible. If he was lucky, the element of surprise would still be there. He took care as he climbed however, trying not too make too much noise. He certainly wanted to avoid reaching the top only to be shot straight away, so he decided to climb from the right side while the snipers were preoccupied dealing with other things. He was unsure if these people would be hostile, but he would soon find out.

Rem was taken aback by the archmage's sudden interjection. Rem watched, carefully standing away from the deadly spellcaster as he worked such powerful magic in such a short span of time. It raised all kinds of questions that needed to be voiced after the havoc and mess with these bandits was done. Whether a proper answer would come was unlikely. So far Sulfrax had given just enough information to keep from telling anything really important.

The torrent of black ice swarmed across Ross and Florence and left Rem truly awed by its effectiveness. If anything, Master Lauchlin didn't deem these two as a realistic threat until the bizarre arcane scars on his hands were exposed by their attacks. Rem could only wonder what Sulfrax had done to earn such prominent disfigurement.

Rem crouched low, keeping the distance he'd made between himself and Sulfrax. Senna scooted close to him and he placed a gentle hand on her head, closing his eyes as he did so.

The sudden outburst from Florence forced Rem to stand and pay attention. Only more questions, what the hell was a Gaian? Senna growled at the two captives and Rem let out a heavy sigh. "Well, girl. I don't think today could get any more interesting." Certainly he didn't want it to at this point.

"Master Lauchlin. I deeply apologize for underestimating your prowess. Forgive me if you desired to inflict further pain on these trespassers but at this point I think the dungeon should have them. There's plenty of things we don't know about these Gaians and there seems to be no better place to start." Rem presented. He added, "Unless of course you have something else in mind." No point in making an already pissed off master of destructive elements more angry.

One question at a time and this was a most serious one.

The thunderous sound was enough on its own to disperse the smaller lizzies for at least a mile. The momma? Not so much. The bolt itself however crashed against her thick armored hide. Electricity danced erratically across her body, stopping her forward motions entirely as streams of blueish white light crackled between her hands and legs. It let out a shrill whine, stepping back on one leg, almost shifting another Dune in its entirety with her titanic step.

Zay rushed to Zerraf's aid, finally making his way onto the ATV as Dan retreated into the machine's interior. The two mounted cannons on either side of the ATV's front casing turned as far as they could, until they were both locked on to the Giant Lizard. A low hum began to sound from the arcanic hearts of each weapon, signaling their charge.

"Whoa, that's a biggun'," Zay quipped, both of his bare hands shifting into a metallic silver substance, "And that's a lotta' power there, Jager!" Zay knelt down and place one of his silvery hands on the ATV's hull, coating it in a thin layer of silver goo that spread from his arm. "If that didn't kill it, I don't know how effective these cannons are gunna be, but Haley wants us to stall it as long as possible until they're ready to fire- Uh," Zay paused and glared at Jager's face. He looked like he was completely in control. 'Man, these Kho-guys are somethin' else...' Zay thought to himself.